Page 279 - PGM Compendium

Like many of the previous occupants of the Oriental Chair, Edmiston figured very prominently in
the public life of the community. At one time he served as Superintendent of Schools of Columbia
County. He first came prominently into public notice when elected a member of the upper house
of the Washington Territorial Legislature and for many years he was a member of the state central
committee of the Democratic Party. In 1894 he was offered the nomination for governor but
refused to become a candidate. He regarded the pursuits of private life as in themselves abundantly
worthy of his best efforts and with remarkable fidelity he labored for the interests of his clients. It
is said that he never lost a case which he appealed to the Supreme Court. It should be no surprise
that our Most Worshipful Brother was considered the highest authority on Masonic jurisprudence
in our jurisdiction, and served as chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee for 10 years.
For a long period M⸫W⸫ B Edmiston was collecting data for a history of southeastern Washington
but died on May 8, 1900, before the completion of the work. At that time, was president of the
board of regents of the Washington State College at Pullman, and on the day of his burial the
college was closed in respect to his memory. Every business house and the schools of Dayton were
also closed and the day was given over to sincere mourning by the entire community. The bar of
Dayton passed appropriate resolutions and every mark of respect that could be shown, both in a
public and a private way, was evidenced. At the Annual Communication in 1900, M⸫W⸫ William
Seeman memorialized M⸫W⸫ Edmiston with these words: “A great man has fallen in Israel.”