Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-14
DEATH OF CAPT. GEAR.
A Leading Character of the Northwest Falls at
Ripe Old Age.
Tpnbuane Times.l

dubuque Times.
Capt IT, H. Gear,one of the earliest settlers
in the lead mine regions, died on Friday eve-
ming, at his residence, about ten miles south
of this city. His death was quite sudden. On
Thursday he was in this city in good health
and spirits, shaking hands with his many
friends. On that day he received the regular
installment of his pension. On Friday morn
ing he arose about A o'clock, and went forth
TO attend to his regular daily duties. He ate
breakfast as usual, but shortly thereafter,
about 8 o'clock was sieZed with paralysis.
DR.. Newhall was sent for, but could not stay
the hand of the Destroyer, Death, and the
venerable hero died at 1915 p. M, having
been insensble from the time Of his seizure
Capt Gear was born in New England, in
1889, on the day that the Constitution of tbes
United States was made binding by beinn
adopted by The ninth State, and he used ofteh
to say that he was as old as the United States
His early years were spent in Massachusetts
Connecticut and New York. More than sIx
ty years ago he came West and engaged in
trading With the Indians, which occupation
he followed with success for a number of
years. In 1918 he settled in Galena, where
he began specializing in lead, which business
he carried on for long time, and in which
he made and lost several fortunes. AT one
time, by sudden depreciation in the value of
lead, he lost $4,000 in single day. He
was also considerably Interested in the build
ing oil railroads, in which enterprises he spent
about 100000. He was one of the original
projectors of the Illinois Central, and also of
the Pacific and other railroads.
At the time the late civil war broke out he
held the Office of Major General Of the Mill
tia OF Northern Illinois, and moved by patri-
otic impulses rendered the service Of the mill
tia to the Government. This action on his
part led to some unpleasantness between the
Governor and himself, which resulted in his
removal from office. Filled with resentment
at what he considered the unjust treatment
which he had received, in 1862 he left Galena
and the State, which for so many years had
been his home, and settled on a large tract of
land which he owned near the mouth of the
Tetes des Morris, about ten miles south of this
city, where he continued to reside until his
death.
Capt. Gear had been married three times,
the last time at Galena, in 1853, to Miss
Francisco Trego, who survives him. Two
sons, A. H. and W. o. Gear, and his two
daughters, Mrs. d. Hobbs, of Evenston. Ill.,,
and Mrs. George w. Gordon, of Galena. sur
vive him. The sons reside at "Okohama.o
their fathers homestead, about ten miles south
of this place.
Before Capt. Gears death he asked that his
remains might be buried on the top of Mount
Olympus, high bluff near the mouth of the
Tetes des Morris, and his most intimate friends
in this city think that this request will proba-
bly, be complied with, although he had lot in
a Galena cemetery in which his first and Sec
ond wives and several of his children are
land on which he had erected an expen-
sive family monument The Galena Gazette
of last evening, however, says: "a delegation
of Knights Templar of Galena Commandery
will proceed to Okohama on the steamer
Dorchester tomorrow morning, for the pur-'
pose Of escorting the remains to Gaena~