The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-09-16

River trade. The Majors long connection
with our city, and the pccnliarities of bis life
and character justify q short b ographical no
tice. The facts herewith presented, SUBJ
stantlaily in the language Of nm intimate ac-
auaintance of the Majors, will be interesting
to most. If not all Of our readers.
The Majors life was an cyentfu one,
Astounding in incidents and bold adventures.
He possessed by common consent. uncommon
energy and decision Of purpose, which placed
him prominently in the foreground Of every
enterprise connected with the welfare of the
community in which he lived. He possessed
all the distinctive characteristics of true
western man, social, frank and generous,
with heart and hand open as MONDAY 10
the wants Of the poor and INDECENT.
The Major was native Of New jersey,
migrated to the western country in the year
1885, lived some FIVE years in Alton and at
White Hall in Illinois, and then moved to this
city (kcokuk. Iowa. in the year 1910. Here
he engaged first in the business OF agricul-
ture. and afterwards in the coopering, mill
ing and mercantile business. In lsi9
with thousands Of others he pushed his for
tunes in the mining regions Of California,
and in some bold operations on the lsthmus,
where he came near losing his life with
Chagres fever. On his return to keokuk he
embarked in the more hazardous business OF
pork packing and steamboatng. In some Of
these departments of business be suffered Sc
we're losses One ~ his steamboat. and u
large Touring mill were destroyed by fire.
He sustained a loss Of $4,000 in his pork
packing operations in one winter, yet he rose
above oil these reverscs of fortune with
lightness Of heart, and versatility Of pow
er and expcdients that surprised everybody.
Indeed h. was fruitful to the last degree in
expedents to surmount difficulties and emhar-
easements of every description. In the sum
ownersh. and capta.ncy Of the steamer Hen
nv Choteau. His first trip to New Orleans
on this vessel, cost him violent attack OF
the Yellow Fever. which left his constitution
naturally one OF the best in the world, great
" shattered and impaired, and from which it
Is thought by his friends he never fully re-
covered yet he continued to run this boat
between New Orleans and st. Louis with
i great success and profit; and finally deter
mined to build "A new steamer to run in the
New Orleans and keokuk trade.
/ Arrangements wern al once made at Gin
cinuati for her construction ~ n cost Of S75
/ 900. She i. now nearly completed and ready
/ to come on Ia FIRST rise Of the water in the
Ohio, and il said 20 be in her workmanship.
design, ana in all her appointments, one oil
/ the faest crafts that ever foatel upon tho
western waters. She was 10 have been nam
ed after our worthy and popular fellow.
/ townsman, William McGavic, but il has been
| we'll suggested, that unie- the circnmstan-
ces il would be bat simple justice that she
should now carry the name Of Major II. b.
Hughes, Us proud memorial Of his enter
prise aud devotion to the commercial inter-
ests of our city.
Shortly before his death the Major visited
Cincinnati, expressed great pride in his boat,
and looked forward with exultation to the
time, whes he should tread the deck of this
magnificent achievement OF art as owner and
i Master, especially on his first trip to keo-
/ kuk, where he expected, not as one without
hope, to meet the cordial greetings of his nu
merons friends, for whose benefit in part he
! had had her built. But how unstable and
/ ephemeral are all human expectations and
! hopes. On his return to St. Louis his dis
case tdiarrhea) assumed the form OF a
! chronic dv~enterv, and after few days Of
/ lntense suffering, in which be in vain strug-
sled manfully for the victory, h. was com
PEELED 10 surrender to the unrele..ting rayag-
IS Of his disease, and on tue fret day of this
month, in the midst Of an afflicted family TO
whom he was deynteay attached, and for
whose comfor; aud happiness no sacrifice was
too great for liin 10 make, no passed from
/ earth TO his spirit home beyond the grave,
leaving has foot prints upon the sands of
time long 10 he seen anu remembered. A,
his own request he was brought TO keokuk
for interment in the Oakland Cemetery
whittier his remains were followed, after ap-
propriate funeral services, bs a long line Of
carriages, which testified but too truly how
! deep was the hold he had upon the sympa-
thies and friendship OF the community.
GnrAr GaiN.--The Republican gain in
Maine. over last year. is twenty-,hrce thous-
and As our friend, the Engineer. says, that
Is wha. We may cali MAGNITUDE, Grst.ra
pretty good!" There is only ono drawback
to these glorious triumphs and popular man
ifes,a,lons for freedom in Iowa. Vermont.
and Maine, and that is the danger thu, they
! may inspire our frienAa- with q false conf.
deHUc, and lead them unconsciously 10 relax
their efforts in the good cause. See to il,
friends. that this shall not be So.
a TgAlSIoR hA>sAs We learn from the
NJ. Pleasant Obssrrer that an E,nigrant
train for Kansas will leave that place TO-
morrow. the 18th. Success 10 all who go.
STARTLING REroRf. - There was q vague
report IN toxin Yesterday, which we cannot