GIFFORD, George S.

GIFFORD, BLOOM

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 7/9/2006 at 15:56:47

June 1, 1892 Cherokean Democrat

The Old Man Died.

Geo. S. Gifford, the old man recently sent home from Cherokee to Minneapolis, after being pronounced insane, died shortly after reaching home. Mayor Bloom is in receipt of a letter from his daughter in which she says:

“Papa stood his journey remarkably well until he reached Minneapolis. Mr. Connell helped him off the train and then he just gave right out. They arrived home about 9 a.m. Papa was put to bed, bathed, clothes changed and given nourishment. He was very restless all the forenoon. Some times we thought he knew mamma, as he clung to her hand so tightly when he got hold of it, and once he called her 'ma.' He had a bad spell about noon, after that he went to sleep apparently and never awoke. You remember saying in your first letter that you thought he had neuralgia. His neuralgia was a tumor in the brain, just over the right temple. It was three inches in length and over an inch in diameter, being larger at one end. The doctor thought it was remarkable how long he had kept up and that he was not violent. … It was very sudden and sad for us, but for your kindness and promptness we should not have seen him alive. We can never thank you sufficiently for what you have done, or our friends for their kindness."