The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-04-09
Moline Newspapers.
THE woRKMAN-lS54.

and was calieu tue INQUIRE WOThcDtUH, "a
name then and ever SINCE typical of the in
dustrious mechanics and laborers of that
thriving town. 1t was, politically, violently
anti-slavery, in which also it faithfully
represented the early Puritan element
there. In The ARGUS of August 1854,
l find among the news items rumor that
Amos Smith, practical printer from
Chicago, was about to start newspaper
in Moline 1t is probable that he had been
working at his trade in Chicago and per
haps there learned that there was an
opening in Moline for printing Office, but
his home was at Lsmbertville. Hunterdon
county, New jersey. He rented his Office
Office of James Chapman Esq, then a
lawyer and banker in Moline-a son-in-law
of Mr.. John Deere, and who now resides in
Jersey City. Mr.. Chapman always had a
warm side for newspapers, and has written
a good deal for them-especially for the
Workman. and, later, for the Citizen, as
well as other papers
l remember Amos Smith very well.
He was almost dwarf, and was deformed,
but he had clear head, and was genial,
kind hearted, and very generally esteemed
by all who knew him. Poor health aud
failing oversight compelled him to rehn-
quish an occupation he was much attached
to- and in 1857 he sold out to Graham 4
Webster. and returned to his kinsmen and
home in New Jersey He was never
married. He nearly or quite lost his eye
sight and, few years afterwards, died,
much regretted by many warm friends.
The Moline library should make an effort
to secure file Of his paper as an invalu.
able addition to the sources of history fol
the town.
THE INDEPENDENT.
In February 1857 Robert II. Graham
and Alfred Webster purchased the ofic
of the Moline Workman and changed tn
name of the paper to Moline Independent
issuing their first number on the 25th o
that month. In May 1858 Webster solt
his interest to Graham and retired. IL
April 1859 G. Fl. Brennan became a part
ner with Graham, and remained such III
til the 2Sth of December following, whe
he sold out to Col Nj. S.Barnes, a notice
whom was given in former article. ]
1860 Graham was again sole proprietor. Fl
went to the war in August 1861, and j. A
Kuck, his brother in law, managed th
paper until October 1862 when it was di,
continued.
COL. GRAHAM
Robert H. Graham was born at TIA
Hollow, Yates county, N. Y. March /.
1884, where he lived until his 10th yea
He was we'll educated, graduating
Geneva College. While in college
edited the Genera VALLEY Gazette, for
few months, published at Lima. 10 Il
winter of 1856 7 he graduated at the Albal
Law School, He aided in raising a col
pany of cavalry at Moline and took Il
company to Leavenworth. Kansas. I
was captain of the company They call
him 1.-THE Methodist captain") and W
sent to Lexington, Mo, to guard that Po
Assisted by some $50 home guards he mai
tanned his position and delivered the pla
over to Col. Muligan. He was then Sc
Us bearer of dispatches to Gen. Fremol
and therefore was spared the mortifcati
of seeing the place surrendered to Gre
Price and his company psrolled. He "
then promoted to 1t. Col. of the ID
Missouri regiment, and subsequent
transferred to the Kansas department a
promoted to the coIonelncy Of the 9Th Ka
sas regiment.
While at Fort Leavenworth, such "
the reputation hehad acquired as disc
lnarian that Maj. Gen. Hunter establis
ed a camp of instruction there and plac
Col. Graham in command on the 9th
December. which place heoccupied uu
March 18th 1862. He was then appoint
Provost Marshal General of the state
Kansas and fulfilled his duties faithful
to June /, 1862, when fast failing heal
compelled him to resign. He returned
his native place and died at his fathe
house, in Lima, N. Y, Nov. IL, 18l
lie was poor boy, and never very
bust, but he struggled against poverty a
poor health to competence and an he
orable name. He was an active memb
of the Methodist church, jealous in Sa
bath school work, and 10 every posti
in life was faithful, upright and console
tious. His funeral at Lima was large
attended and his remains were buried wi
masonic and military honors.
HON. ALFRED WEBSTER.
Mr., Webster was born in Wilbrahal
Hampden county, Massachusetts, Sc
TENDER II, 1886, He was graduated
Union College, Schenectady. N. Y. !
studied law at the Albany Law Soho
and was admitted to practice, by t
supreme court of New York, in Janua
1857. When he withdrew from the Inc
pendent he became member of the Ii
firm Of Knox, Reed & Webster, in Ro
Island. In 1864 he was elected to {
state senate of Illinois. He was an acti
aud talented lawyer, and continued
practice here until 4 ling health render
it impossible for him longer to engage
business, when he spent some time
Minnesota in an effort to regain his healt
But consumption had marked him for Ii
own, and he died in this city Februa