Raymond Stone
Encyclopedia
Raymond Stone was a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 officer and Governor of Guam from January 28, 1904 to May 16, 1904. He served in multiple posts in the Navy, including aboard the USS Kearsarge
USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS Kearsarge , the lead ship of her class of battleships, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named, by act of Congress, in honor of the famous American Civil War sloop-of-war . Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia on 30 June...

. He was stationed in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 in the early 1900s, where he became aide to the governor. When William Elbridge Sewell
William Elbridge Sewell
William Elbridge Sewell was a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander, and the 6th Naval Governor of Guam from February 9, 1903 until his death on March 18, 1904. He was born in Colchester, New York and appointed to the United States Naval Academy from that state in 1867...

 was transported back to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 with an intestinal disease, Stone became acting governor. He issued a series of orders limiting drug sale on the island and forcing vendors to lower prices on food and other essential items. After George Leland Dyer
George Leland Dyer
George Leland Dyer was an American naval commander and the Governor of U.S. territory of Guam. In 1870, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy with honors and began his career in the United States Navy...

 became governor, Stone became a judge on the Supreme Court of Guam before returning to the mainland. He would later serve as a liaison to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, where he oversaw the transfer of Naval prisoners of war from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 to Army control.

Life and naval career

Stone was married, and had one son and daughter, Raymond and Esther. His mother and brother both lived in Point Clear, Alabama
Point Clear, Alabama
Point Clear is an unincorporated census-designated place in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,876. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

. Starting June 20, 1900, Stone served aboard the USS Kearsarge
USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS Kearsarge , the lead ship of her class of battleships, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named, by act of Congress, in honor of the famous American Civil War sloop-of-war . Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia on 30 June...

. He was stationed in Guam, where he acted as acting Governor; after George Leland Dyer
George Leland Dyer
George Leland Dyer was an American naval commander and the Governor of U.S. territory of Guam. In 1870, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy with honors and began his career in the United States Navy...

 was given the position, Stone remained to serve as judge of the Supreme Court of Guam. As a Commander, Stone was designated a naval representative to mediate the transfer of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 prisoners of war captured by the Navy to the authority of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, taking over the position from Lieutenant Commander Adolphus Staton
Adolphus Staton
Adolphus Staton was born in Tarboro, North Carolina and died in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1902....

.

Governorship

Stone served as acting Governor of Guam from January 28, 1904 to May 16, 1904, following William Elbridge Sewell
William Elbridge Sewell
William Elbridge Sewell was a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander, and the 6th Naval Governor of Guam from February 9, 1903 until his death on March 18, 1904. He was born in Colchester, New York and appointed to the United States Naval Academy from that state in 1867...

's return to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 for intestinal disease treatment. He was fairly young during his term, and held the rank of Lieutenant. He regarded the native Chamorro population as lacking "ambition or the desire for change or progress." His administration sought to evolve the native economy past a personal agrarian society
Agrarian society
An agrarian society is a society that depends on agriculture as its primary means for support and sustenance. The society acknowledges other means of livelihood and work habits but stresses the importance of agriculture and farming, and was the most common form of socio-economic oganization for...

, and specifically wanted to utilize them for labor in military work projects. Noting the exorbitant prices that merchants were charging Guamanians for food and other necessities, Stone issued an order limiting the maximum price of most foodstuffs. He also issued orders in an attempt to regulate the Guam drug trade.
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