TRIBUTE TO PETER M. GIDEON. 20 
TRIBUTE TO PETER M. GIDEON. 
A. J. PHILIPS, WEST SALEM, WIS. 
I feel that no words that I can command can fully express my admiration 
for him and the great work he has accomplished. He was a man that I 
loved to honor, and a man that it was an honor to love and admire. No man 
of my acquaintance ever had to me a stronger, a more venerable and loving 
personalty than Peter M. Gideon. I never met and conversed with him, 
never planted a Wealthy tree or ate a Wealthy apple, never read his letters, 
so positive and full of interest, but I felt that everybody ought to love and 
admire him. I sat beside him for an hour and talked with him about his 
seedlings, at the last state fair, in September. I looked earnestly in his face 
then and felt as I do today when at this moment while writing I stop to gaze 
at his likeness, that there is something saintly, yes, heavenly, portrayed there, 
that is fitted for a place in the home beyond—in the house not made with 
hands, eternal and in the heavens. 
The first of three visits I made at his home I found him attending a 
spiritual service a mile or two away. I entered the room and took a back 
seat while a lady was speaking of the home beyond, where all was peace 
-and love. He sat in front of her seemingly drinking in every word she ut- 
tered. In a few moments he looked around and noticing me he at once 
came to me and said he would go with me to his home. But I said “No, 
you stay and hear it through; you are enjoying this too much to go with 
any one.” He thanked me and returned to his seat. I often think of that 
incident. I did not feel that it was right to deprive the old man of the spirit- 
ual enjoyment he was having. Afterwards when walking home he said, “I 
suppose you do not believe in spiritualism?” I said, “I believe in any form 
of religion that men are sincere in that makes them kinder, more lovable, or 
better husbands, fathers or citizens.” 
This much for the man. Now a few words about his work. His untiring 
energy and perseverance gave us the Wealthy apple. If the apple is king, 
the Wealthy is the queen of the north. Its value no man can estimate. The 
Iowa Fruitman recently repeated what I once said. I never so realized the 
value of the work Mr. Gideon has done for the horticulture of the Northwest 
as I did at the Omaha Exposition, when I saw the beautiful Wealthy apples 
from ten different states. I promised to visit him at the time of the next 
meeting at Minneapolis in December, but he has gone to his rest, and the 
present and all future generations will enjoy the fruits of his labor. Peace to 
his ashes. 
TRIBUTE SLO PETER M. GIDEON. 
J. T. GRIMES, MINNEAPOLIS. 
I feel as if I were standing on hallowed ground, consecrated to the mem- 
ory of one of our most distinguished horticulturists, Peter M. Gideon. I 
knew him well. He needs no introduction from me, for he is known to every 
horticulturist in all these northwestern states; if not personally, he is “known 
by his fruits” and will be still better known as the years pass by. 
He was a man of peculiar ideas, one who could not be swayed by the 
opinion of others contrary to that of his own. In life he had a tenacity of 
purpose, which in all the years of that long spent life was centered in one 
particular object, that of originating a class of hardy apples suitable to the 
