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Death of an Old Pioneer. Hiram Harding Piper, who de parted this life at the home of his son, W. E. Piper, two miles east of Princeton, last Wednesday evening, was born in Harveysburg, Ohio, Dec. 11th, 1828, and came with his parents to Bureau county in 1836, settling near Hollowayville, where his parents lived the balance of their earthly lives. Mr. Piper grew up on the farm and never followed any other advo cation. He early saw the great future of Bureau county lands and also saw the great value of the rich level prairie land in preference to the clay land near the timber, which was invariably chosen by the early settlers. In his boyhood he often made trips to Chicago with an ox team, hauling wheat in this tedious, laborious fashion and returning with groceries or lumber. Ten days were required for these trips. Moving out on the prairie south and east of Malden in his early manhood, he began the life of a pioneer and soon began the foundation of his great and valu able possessions. Never deviating from his fixed policy of buying rich Bureau county land in prefer ence to other propositions, no mat ter how alluring or cunningly pre sented, he added farm to farm al ways in the section near where he lived until his landed possessions at the time of his death must have been close to 7,500 acres all of which was in Bureau county with the exception of one eighty across the line in Lee county. After he became fairly established he was married to Miss Mary McWilliams and to this union ten children were born, one of whom died in infancy. A list of his family appeared in last week's issue and all of them lived near him and all of whom were at his bedside when he took his de parture. His death was caused by gangrene. A little over a year ago this malady made its appearance and to check its growth one foot was removed. After the operation he grew better and was able to get around with an artificial foot but about a month ago the same fatal disease, with old people, made its appearance in the other foot and rapidly spread. The great toe on the afflicted member was removed without any sensation whatever to Mr. Piper, who realized that his earthly existence was drawing to a close, and he so informed his peo ple. His will was made at the time of his first affliction and disposes of property, which in all likelihood, approximates a million dollars, all honestly acquired and without hardships to anyone and which is evenly divided among his nine chil dren. And so departed from our midst an old pioneer, an honest capable man, an excellent citizen, a kind and affectionate husband and fath er and a most worthy member of society. It would be impossible to overestimate the many acts of kind ness that Mr. Piper dispensed to the people with whom he came in contact, especially to his renters, all of whom speak of him in the highest terms. In his donations to churches Mr. Piper gave to all alike as he realized all did a good work and he looked beyond the narrow confines of creeds and believed in a God of love and was neither “hell scared or priest ridden.” In fact he was too big a man to be any man’s domination but pursued the even tenor of his way unruf fled by any excitement nor con trolled by any man however spe cious or plausible. No ‘“get-rich quick’”’ scheme ever caught his at tention and he remained ever the same plain, unpretending person, a worthy example and living expo nent of the simple life ‘in whom there was no variableness nor even shadow of turning.” His funeral occurred from the residence of his son, W. E. Piper, last Saturday afternoon and was conducted by Rev. J. A. J. Whipple, an old ac quaintance, at one time pastor of the Princeton M. E. church, but now retired from the active min istry. The interment was in the family burial lots in the Malden cemetery. Farewell old neighbor and kind friend till we meet again. Notice. Having sold my lumber business to E. W. Houghton Co., wish to thank my friends and patrons for their kind patronage and hope they will extend the same treatment to my successor, as I know they will treat you right. I have your bills made out and must asky allowing me to settle at once and oblige 8-26 of J. H. Brown. There are two articles which you will get at Cushing's drug store—Shipman’s lead and King boiled oil. Call and see him about it before buying. Warner’s White Wine of Tar Syrup, the best cough remedy on earth, cures a cold in one day if taken in time.
Newspaper Details
Princeton Bureau County Tribune
Princeton, Illinois, US
Fri, May 03, 1907
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Nash P.
USA 09 Feb 2026
Other Publications Near Princeton, Illinois
Princeton Bureau County Record
Princeton Bureau County Republican
Princeton Bureau County Fair Daily
Princeton Bureau County Tribune
