Inyo Independent, Volume IX, Number 51, 14 June 1879

DIED.

At Big Pine, Inyo County, Cal., June 7, Thomas E Bell, aged 57 years. The circumstances of Mr. Bell's death were peculiarly sad. That morning he had gone to his work plowing among his vines and trees, apparently in his usual health. About 9 o'clock he came to the house for some purpose, and in his talk with his wife and children, seemed unusually buoyant and happy. Less than an hour after he had returned to his plow, his little son saw that the team was standing still in the field, and wonderingly went to see what was the cause; the child found his father lying motionless on the ground near his plow. Running to the house, some three hundred yards distant, with the dreadful news. Mrs. Bell called some Indians at work in the garden "to come!" and ran to where her husband was lying. With the help of the Indians and the children she carried him to the shade of a tree close at hand, and did everything in her power to tiring back life, but all in vain. No doubt is entertained but something like heart disease was the cause of death. Deceased was a native of the State of North Carolina, but has passed the greater part of his life in this State, landing in San Francisco in June, 1850, just twenty-nine years prior to the day of tiis death. For thirteen years he has been a resident of this valley. Besides a wife and five small children, for whom he lived to love and cherish in unbounded attention, deceased leaves two brothers, of whom lie was the youngest, to mourn his loss. These brothers, James and Andrew N. Bell, are prominent and much respected citizens of Tuolumne and Inyo counties respectively. Thomas E. Bell, the deceased, though by nature perfectly unobtrusive upon public attention, was widely known, and by all acknowledged to be a mail absolutely above reproach. No man has ever questioned his perfect integrity in his dealings between man and man. His highly moral and temperate habits and domestic taste, won lor him the respect of all who knew him. He was industrious and enterprising almost to a fault. So passes away the loved and loving husband, father, brother, friend; another of California's Argonauts; another of that brave band of Owens Valley pioneers: another from among our noblest men! So closes the earthly labor of a man whose strong heart never tired in doing the work of a good man. "While yet in love with life, and raptured with the world, he passed to silence and pathetic dust." He had reached the stone in life's highway which marks the highest point, when his name is read from the Grand Roll, and he is called to lay his burden down. Though the night of death crept upon him with scarce a moment's warning, we can but believe so good a man met it without dread of its darkness, or a pang of regret, save for the sorrows of the loved ones left behind.