The Sudden Death of a Beloved Seattle Physician
Dr. E. L. Smith, a pillar of the Seattle medical community and veteran of the National Guard, dies unexpectedly in his sleep at the Butler Hotel.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Dr. E. L. Smith, one of the leading physicians of the Pacific Northwest, was found dead in bed at his rooms in the Butler Hotel yesterday morning about 9 o'clock. Death was due to heart disease, which had long threatened him. The doctor was in unusually good spirits Tuesday and casually mentioned how well he was feeling to Dr. F. B. Whiting. He went to bed about 11 o'clock with the presentiment that his heart, which he referred to as irregular, would soon cease to beat. When Dr. Whiting went to inquire for him the next morning, he found the doctor in his room, cold in death. Dr. Smith was a distinguished officer in the National Guard and his remains will be buried in his uniform with military honors on Sunday. He was an early arrival in Seattle, having moved here in 1877 when the city was a thriving town of about 1,000 residents, and built his reputation by being unfailingly generous to his patients, often treating the poor without charge.
“Dr. Smith was a man who was liked by all who knew him, because his nature was as gentle as that of a woman.”
The Butler Hotel, where Dr. Smith died, was a renowned social hub and landmark in early Seattle. Today, the site serves as a reminder of how quickly the city's early elite institutions vanished during the rapid urban development of the 20th century.
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