The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-05-20
DEATH OF COL. E. B. WATKINS
HIS EARLY EXPERIENCE IN SOUTHERN ILL.
Nois AND SUBSEQUENT TRIUMPHs

MS H""' ETEhlENCE IN SOUTHERN ILL |
Nois AND SUBSEQUENT TRIUMPHs
Col. i. b. Watkins is dead! This an
nouncement went abroad Sunday morning
causing profound establishment and regret,
among all classes of people to whom the |
Colonel was known. He died at his home |
in Mound City, at the hour of o'clock a. |
M, on the 18th inst, of congestion of the
stomach. But a few days ago he was with |
us, hale and vigorous jovial and light |
| hearted, with what seemed to be strong
hold upon many years OF life, and with
manifest disposition to enjoy them, as they
passed But to-day he is dead--the cul-
tured brain has ceased its action; the warm,
generous, manly heart has stilled its throbs,
the hand that gave so much and often IN
charity, no longer responds to the good i'm
pulses of the mind; for all that is left of
the good citizen, the indulgent and provi
dent husband and father, the true man, is
the dull, dead material form-the mortal
part upon which is already fastened the
processes of decomposition and decay.
Twenty-Five years ago Col. Watkins, then
boy of eighteen, landed at Cairo to await
the arrival of steamer for St. Louis. He
has often told us how, that he might save
the few quarters he had left in his
pocket he took neither dinner
nor supper, and sat upon log on the
driftcoveed wharf the whole night. Hun
ger overcoming him the next morning he
dropped in:o the old Delta House and got
= his breakfast. Having to pay 30 cents for
the meal, lis stock of money became so re-
duced that he was compelled to abandon
the idea of even deck passage to his in
tended destination. Accordingly, almost
purposeless, but in the hope that something
to his advantage would "turn up" he star
= ted on foot up the line Of the Illinois Cen
trail railroad. Reaching Cache river he saw
a number of men boating railroad iron
from the Ohio river, and inquiring for the
/ "boss" he was referred to DR.. AFTER The
A. Doctor seeing q well dressed, intelligent
I young man, and hearing him express a
y willingness to do anything" set him at
ii the work of piling and burning brush, ex-
IL pecting that few hours service would
: cure the young man of the romance that he
was either willing or able to perform man
J. nal labor Of any kind But much to
d the Dr.'s surprise and qualification, the
II young man showed himself industrious
| and persevering. From brush burning
It he soon passing to the position Of account
y keeper for the Doctor, and few months
Il later, through the Doctors influence, he
i was placed in charge Of the Shilo school at
. Villa Ridge position he filed inteli-
- gently and to the entire satisfaction Of the
. whole neighborhood. From this time forth
his future seemed provided for, Making
, his home at Caledonia he studied law. At
the end of two or three years he passed
. very successful examination and was
licensed to practice. In the winter of 1861
he was marredto adaughtcr of Judge J. NJ.
Davidge, of Caledonia, with whom he lived
most happily up to the time Of his death
six children, living, being the issue of
the union.
, Mr.. Watkins was an ardent Democrat.
= In the year 1862 he was returning home
from squirrel hunt in the Kentucky
. woods opposite his Caledonia home, when
. he was overtaken by a couple Of Federal
scouts sent out from Columbus He was,
= in spite Of all his protestations, hurried off
y to Columbus, where he was thrown into q
noisome guard house. and detained for an
r interval Of three weeks. Refused commu-
c nication with his friends, not allowed to
:. purchase even straw to lie upon, the ordeal
y was too much for him. On reaching home
n he was Frustrated and for many weeks his
n recovery was regarded as decidedly prob
/, lcmatical.
r In the year 1868 he was elected County
/ Clerk Of his county, and filled the office to
:, the end Of his term intelligcntly, and to
c the entire satisfaction of everybody con-
/. cerned. Two years latter he was elected
4 as the minority Representative from his
c district to the General Assembly of the
, State, where he at once took high rank
, alike as n debatcr and thinker constantly
| maintaining the dignity of his position and
rejecting credit upon the people Of
his district.
In the pursuit Of his profession he was
successful, and had, in the immense bodies
Of lands Of which he died seized, a goodly
showing Of the fruits OF his success. He
was a most genial companion
and warm hearted devoted
friend. lie was brilliant CONVEX
satonalist, n close reader OF the best au-