FOSTER, GIBSON

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 05:25:45 :

The Marin Journal
Thursday, May 21, 1914
Page 1

Electric Current Takes Life of Robert Foster

While attempting to replace a blown-out fuse of the electric lighting system on his farm near Hopland, Mendocino County, Robert Nicholson Foster, son A. W. Foster, who is a prominent citizen of San Rafael, and was formerly the president of the Northwestern Pacific, received 220 volts of electric current which resulted in his death.

His brother, Ben, was near the scene of the accident and seeing his brother sway on the ladder called out to him inquiring if he was hurt. The injured man responded in the negative, descended the ladder and collapsed at the feet of his brother.

A physician was summoned by telegraph from San Francisco and Dr. Lawrence Draper, physician of the German Hospital, responded on a special train, but arrived too late to be of any service.

The accident happened at about 3 o’clock Monday afternoon. Electricity was Foster’s hobby and he had erected an electric light system on the farm. It was while trying to replace a burnt out fuse in the transformer that he received the shock, which caused his death. Although death was not instantaneous he died before he could be carried to the house.

Foster was the owner of one of the largest chicken ranches in the world, which had an output of about 5000 eggs per day. He was twenty-eight years of age, married three years ago, and is survived by his wife who was Miss May Gibson, and two children, Arthur W. Foster III, and Maren Roberta Foster. It is thought by various physicians that had Foster not been in a weakened condition caused by long illness, and a weak heart, he would never have felt the effect of the shock.

The body was shipped to San Rafael on a special train to the undertaking parlors of F. E. Sawyer. Brothers, sisters and other relatives hastened from various points in California to the funeral of the deceased which took place from the Foster residence at 2 o’clock Wednesday. The interment was in Mt. Tamalpais cemetery.

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The funeral services for the late Robert Foster were held at the family residence “Fair Hills,” Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock, Rev. Lynn T. White officiating. The spacious halls, rooms and porches of the beautiful home were thronged with the many friends who had known Robert Foster for years, and whose grief was very evident, at his untimely end. The interment was private in Mt. Tamalpais cemetery.