Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-09
From the N. Y. Tribune, Jan. 2.
OBITUARY OF RALPH KELLER,


1t seems impossible longer to resist the
conclusion that the waters Of the Guf
have closed over the young and gifted
man of letters who represented the Tribune
during the last few weeks at Santiago de
Cuba. Ralph Keeler had not probably
an enemy In the world, and the news Of
his death will convey pang of genuine
sorrow wherever he Is known. He was
man Of such sunny and cheerful nature,
such perfect heath and active frame, such
genial and hopeful Views of life, that the
thought of untimely death stems incon-
| gruous with him. He had led life Of in
dependent and unconventional wandering
but carried through 1t all an unspotted
character and a youthful simplicity of
manner unusual In men of his experiences.
He had a strong natural literary capacity,
cul lvated by reading and study, which
already gave promise of Of a brilliant ca
reer. But hts friends Can only hope that
somewhere else those bright and energrt-
lc qualities may find more titling OPP
portunity Of development. His life was
short but unstaned by any vices, AMI
filled with honest work aud kindly deeds
done in his own Independent way.
Ralph Keeer was the son of an Ohio
farmer tf the same name, and grandson of
Colman keeler, who was Major of a
militia regiment in the war of 1912, and
one of the earliest settlers in Toledo, hav-
ing built the first brick house in that city.
Ii 3 birthplace WAS far n-house, few
miles from Toledo, in what Is now the
village of Weston. He was born Ia Au-
gust, 1910. His parents died In his boy
hood, and he was left In charge OF guard
inns, He inherited some property but 1t
would appear that ne never derived much
advantage from 1t; he says 10 his "Vag-
! abond Adventures" that iC WAS so thor
oughly administered during his minority
that he tv5r after had the trouble even
OF coll citing the rents.
At the age of eight he was sent to Buff
falo to be educated. Here he remained
two or three years, attending u public
, school, when, disliking his position in the
; family OF the u C with whom he lived,
r he made vow that he would have moth
3 ing more to do with any Of his relatives,
' and ran away. H. fingered about the
9 wharves until he prevailed on the stew
!, ard of steamer called The Diamond, to
take him on board as pantry boy. He had
various amusing adventures during The
two vow & s that he made on the vessel
but having on the third the ill-luck TO in.
cur the di9pl' azure of the lDtain, he was
put ashore at Conncaut, Oaio. Here ht
l. was taken in charge by the steward:
|
= he heard the "appalling piece of news
L that his whereabouts were known, anC
chat he would be sent tor soon. Ill,
y promptly slowed himself away on til,
, Diamond, returned to Buffalo, where ~
L. "snipped' rs cibin-boy at the marvel
/. Gus salary of 80 month" Being un
d paid at the end Of the first month, he ! fl
a. and after s,journ in Detroit, returned
e to Buffalo, where he was kindly treated
k,,, .As.f,l I'll
20 him. by his friends father, on the ste Ame
" Northern Indiana. All this happened be
! fore the lad had completed his twelltl
;. year. His juvenile whims next led hin
II TO organize band of minstrels, but thi
N enterprise failel, and he became a train
p boy on the Michigan Southern and North
II ern indiana Railroad, enjoying monoI
he oily of s, ling newspapers aud lemonal
D. to the passengers. Towards the middl
~ of the summer, while he was thus engae
CO ell, the cholera became so prevalent In tn
Western cities that he deemed 1t pruden
rs to retire from his business and live qlIiu
90 ly on his earnings. He settled himself
'e therefore, at fashionable boarding hous
W In Toledo. His skill at dancing and hi
general smartnes, now led TO his bein
engaged by the " Booker Troupe" ala
known as the metropolitan Serenaders,
company of strolling players then giN
Ing performances in Western cities.
he This new life was full Of adventure;
re was the Juvenile prod gy" Of the trOup
.-e and known to the public under the "a
sumed name OF Juba. The company, h
81 says, wandered all over the Wester
ret country, travelling at all hours of nlgt
by and day, and in all manner of convey
I'm ancos from the best to the worst.
- course of time the "Booker Troupe" W,
&c, dsbanded, and Ralph was "thrown out
he an engagement" He Travelled subs
.ly quently in tive other companies, then r.
III paired to Cincinrati and joined III
,ut Mitchells," another famous band of It'll
ou Grant players, which he left TO perfor
de on the Floating Palace, great boat bui
8 a expressly for show purposes, which vi
vs. tied towns on the Western and SOuthel
is rivers. The days and nights on the Pa
Tp1 70 ace, he SAYS, were eventful ones. Son
~. unexpccte thing was always happeniL
s1 to the boats, or to the performers or
az the audiences. Among these adventur
om was the following, the account of wuiC
Ike is a good specimen of his easy, humorO
'as "Vagabond Adventures" an autobi
T. graphical work published in Boston
all 1870:
'Gh ''Wr saw, indeed, great deal of wi
ny life in the country we visited, for '
re- steamed thousands of miles on the We'
ern and Southern rivers. We went, t
ng instance, the entire navigahle length
To the Cumberland aud Tennessee. Our a
ore vertising agent had a little boat OF
see own, in which he preceded us. The p
ak ace and Raymond (the tug boatr) wOu
,ad sometim IS run their noses upon the ban
uld of some of these rivers, where there "
the not habitation in view, aud by the no
ord of the exhibition the boats and she
DER would be thronged with people. In sol
zen zen places on the Mississippi, especially
u', ulu Arkansas, m IN would come in with pist,
h,d sticking out Of their colt pockets, or wi
!, to long bowie-knives pro ruuing from t
der legs of htir boots"
uId His autobiographcal book aboun Is
lest reference to his stage comp lnions, sol
ar Of whom are still well known to the pu
/ lie, while others are forgotten.
hat G ing up the Mis- sissippi from Cal
heir he says the Floating Palace passed, o
be Sunday, the Old French town of Ca
lsy' Girardeau, Missouri and its Roman Ca
; ;nls Ollie College on the river bank. The be
''0' were out on the lawn, under thu ire
itch and he became, he says. as envious
on their lot as he ever had before of m
ven who worked on steamboat or W
,r / danced lin the minstrels." He suddeI
see He was, however, unable to leave
rev. troupe until after visit to Galvestt
J of where he played three weeks. Returni
he then to New Orleans, he took passage
now Cairo, whence, owing to the river Dei
OF frozen, he went TO Cape Girardeau
,n land. This jon hey was so eXpens
WI, w. that he h I'd but $50 lett when he reach
Sw, there. The good President, Father
,unt V. Ryan, since made Roman C4tho
nile Bishop of Buffalo, did not turn him aw
Der, and there he spent l6 happy months, af
my which he went to Toledo, and secured
situltiOn in the pOstofllce. H. had be
m here but a few months, when the idea
lool going to Europe seized him. and ne sta
ave ed with &l8I IN bis nockat H. want r.,
Ier Toledo tn Nav Ynrk as c.ttIa.drov
80. bought steerage ticket 10 London, a
'ha Ju' reached the English capital during
~ -" !, Worlds Fair in 1862. He W, mt thence
' to Paris, and almost Immediately left Il
w citv fi,r HaIfe1harp as his canItal of