Obit: Faulds John G. ( -1902)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: FAULDS JOHNSON

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner 10/23/1902

THE FATE OF FAULDS.

Many Gleaner readers will be interested in the following taken from the Grantsburg Journal regarding John G. Faulds:

"Last Saturday morning an Indian found the body of John G. Faulds floating in the St. Croix river. The body was brought to Grantsburg, the coroner's jury Monday morning rendered a verdict of death by drowning, and Monday afternoon the body was buried in the Grantsburg cemetery.

"The story of Mr. Faulds' disappearance four weeks ago has been told in The Journal and our readers have looked anxiously for a cleaning up of the mystery. The greater part of it has been solved but part of it will never be known. The exact hour of his death and what he was doing between the hour of his disappearance on the afternoon of Sept. 22nd, and the time he entered the water, will probably be a matter of guess work forever. Nineteen days had elapsed from the time he was last seen alive by his friends and the thour the body was recovered.

Follow On Article To the Death of Faulds.

Surname: Faulds Johnson

*****(missing parts denoted ...... )

"Being a printer and news paper man of more than usual ability the local fraternity thought that a village burial was not proper and the final expenses were born by the seven printers and editors of the village. A pinter's lot was purchased in Riverside cemetery, both offices were closed and his fellow printers dug the grave and placed the body at rest. Rev. J. P. Johnson read a short burial service and offered a prayer and the sad event was closed not to be soon forgotten.

"Mr. Faulds had been a resident of Burnett county less than eight months but he had made many friends and was universally liked. All the details of his life before coming here are not fully known as he was not a man accustomed to telling all he knew.

"He was about thirty-five years of age, was a widower and leaves four children. One is a Davenport, Iowa another at Winona, Mnn., and the other two are with his wife's folks at Alma, Wis.

"He was born in this state and had spent the greater part of his life in . . . (part missing). . .and for some time was a resident of Winona, Minn.

"Over a year ago he lost his finger in a press at Sparta and did not resume work at his trade until he came to work at the Journal office last February. He came to county for the purpose of getting a homestead and working at his trade part of the time. He was a man capable of drawing wages much higher than a small village can afford to pay but circumstances made him accept a place that with his homestead would pay him well enough.
"Unfortunately he had acquired an appetite for liquor and at times this got the best of him. When he arrived in Grantsburg the village was without an open saloon and the effort to get liquor was such that but a drink or two was secured each day. Knowing his weakness he voluntarily went to the poles last spring and voted "no license." In a few days five saloons were opened and those in charge began the practice of giving a free drink to each customer early in the morning. It was not long until he was taking those five drinks regularly each morning and bring of a free hearted nature he also coupled one purchased drink with each free one and began his day's work with ten drinks of liquors on an empty stomach. This told on him until he was unable to properly perform his duties in the printing office.

"Realizing the situation he made a desperate struggle to shake off the custom but found the effort too much. Some one ever ready to urge him and his well formed resolutions were broken frequently. He was a who could drink considerable and only those intimately acquainted with him would know that he was under the influence of it. Loyalty to his employer was a strong trait of his character and his fall from sobriety usually came when the former was out of town. An element in the village appreciated this and never lost a chance to see that he did get plenty of liquor when his employer was gone. The injury to the business was such that the writer and Mr. Faulds went over the situation and it was mutually agreed that either the drinking habit must be curtailed or his work in the office must cease for a time.

He straightened up, was all right for several days and expressed the thought that he would continue. The editor was preparing to be gone for two weeks and advised him to either go to his homestead for that time or make a habit of his ability to withstand temptation. Hew said he would let liquor alone all the time or die in the attempt. He made arrangements to keep his employment posted and the understanding was if he failed to remain sober, the (missing) was to return at once.

"Two days passed and he had fa.... He came to the office and asked word be sent of his condition. He fully realized what had happened and he was discouraged and drank up every cent he could get.

"When he discovered that his employer had returned a week ahead of time he went to the room of a friend and remained over night. He got up at four o'clock next morning (Saturday) and started for his homestead without seeing any of the office force.

Monday his appetite was good and he began the day ready for work. He began work on Mr. Springer's house on the north side of Clam river near the Sinclair Crossing and at noon eaten a hearty dinner. In the afternoon he had a severe attack of delerium and in his imagination the woods were ....... of all kinds of people and objects.

"About five o'clock he went .....rods from the house and disappeared in to the woods. The story of a week's search for him through swamps and over ....rens has been told in the Journal. There were so many swamps to be searched that it was impossible for men enough to hunt through them and the which he finally entered on his road to the end happened to be the very one which was neglected the most.

A man in the right state of mind would be able to get through a swamp to some point on dry land after a short time but in a deranged condition, turning in every direction to escape from his pursuers, he might stay . . . . until he would starve to death.

"Mr. Faulds may have thought the river he was about to swim was the Clam river which he would have to cross to go from the Springer house to his own claim and may have teen in his right mind when he made the attempt but as stated in the opening of the article that part of the story will always remain a sealed book.

..................................against the conscience of those who make it possible for things like this to happen. Those who thought Mr. Faulds was a temperate man and helped him along the road to death ought to learn that it is not safe to put the bottle to the lips of any man and that death always lurks therein.