The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-11-06

his seatarlng life as first officer GU the
ship E.le, aud later on the Albany. In
la,33 ue gait The SEA for good, and pur-
cnased farm i'll Cecil county. Md Here
he III 'rrled Miss Mercy Moore, daughter
OF Joseph Moore and ID sister Of VIM. ".
Moore, Of Colora, and remained Tor some
years Ia lS4S he sold his farm, and
60 ming To LaIs city, entered upon his ca
reer as al accountant. H. Was in bust
neSs lor himself Tor a time gu Walnut
stIeet, dealing lii iron furniture aud
monumental work, aud having branch
in EAltluiore.
In NJ ,rcn, 1850 at the time of the con-
solldatlou of The various districts OF Pull
aeielpnla, when the present form OF city
government was adopted. the Late StIick
land kneass Was offered the position of
chief engineer and surveyor. Before ac
cepting he sent word to Mr.. Slurues of
the offer and stated that if the latter |
would act as recording aud ohiei clerk he
would accept the office, but not other
wise. Mr.. Sturses decided to take the
proifered position aud has most capab.y
aud acceptabls filled 1t ever since. Al
article published in the DnIJ Nrscx a
year or more ago says:
Mr.. Sturges' system of book keeping
is regarded as the most perfect OF anv
department under the CITY government.
Among the archives arc heavily bound
vouchers showing the dis position of every
cent that the department has expended
since its organization, nearly = third ct a
century agp. Moreover, MIR. SturJes has
III POSSESSION the minutes of every meet
ing of tine Board of surveys since Con
So.ldatIon, comprising every matter thai
came before the Board from Council,
and other sources, confirm itlon OF plans
records of appeals, etc, all OF wbicn are
OF the greatest value to the department.
These lecords have proven of such i'm
portance to the city that it is the lltep
ton OF Chief Engineer Smedley to ask
Councils tor an APPROPRIATION to have
them printed. In addition to maintain
ing concise and comprehensive system
"f accounts Mr. Sturges Is PRACTICAL,
The ,udex To the d+pai tneut. HIS lauy
StINlcr there mas TeDutfeu MN an eurl-
clopm liza of knowledge concernrnr Sur
vey matters, and has made him we'll nigh
lnhispen >lble. He acts as secretary OF
All the boari meetings and of the Coun-
Gil Committee on Surveys, attends to the
department correspondence aud does A
variety of work other than that of keep
ing the books. In short, but little busr-
ness is Transacted III the department
without his assistance. Cam ..,n.,,
engineers, reporters aud all others seek
lug information connected with the de-
pari ment find 1t y easure to Consult
with this courteous gentleman
This was written of a man nearly SO
years of age, aud bis duties have no,
been lighteued slnce but rather increa ,ed
When first appointed the appropriations
amounted to but little over $50 900 Der
annum. while they now reach nearly d
| million; but the economical Finance Com
mlttee could not Ue induced TO either IN
crease the pay of this faithful and over
worked official or To make al approprla-
ton to provide him with an assistant.
A rem trkabIe episode i'll Mr.. Sturyes'
HE was his experieuc" AS IA Passenger on
the Inflated steamer VI us upon the oc-
caslon of her being wrecked by COLI
SION III Loug Island Sound off Watch
Hill, h. l., August 80, 1872. He Was
washed ashore tive aud Il half hours after
The sinking of the steamer, and after
song attempt at resu>cltation revived aud
was saved. Tue remarkable vitality dis
played at that time was wonderful, as he
was then "a man a. years of aye. His de-
>crlptlon of the scenes at the wreckiuy
III the Metls was the most graphic one
gwen at the time and was widely pub
li>hed. His own escape from death was
almost marvellous. considering his aye
and the circumstances. lie was abuu,
the last one taken from the surf, III whIch
he had been butf.ting 'oug alter the last
1--we persou had been rescued, aud was
lald on the bench as being past recovery,
when Mrs. Frank Johnson. wife OF the
president of the Norwich (Couu) NaClo-
nal Bank, who was summering a. Watch
hui, IN examining his clio hing for means
OF identifying his body. discovered hIs
name on his collar, and her mothers
| maiden name having be. n Sturges she
Was doubly Interested, aud IusIsted upon
every effort being made to r-suscItate
| him. This was persisted in for long
time without any hope, but eventually
with complete success. Several times
The physicians III attendance told Mrs.
johnson there was no use in further eff
fogt. but thai ltdy insisted they should
continue. aid, there being no other
bodies brought in, they complied, and
with the favorable Jesuit named. The
| proprietor of the hotel at Watch Hill
where the rescued and the bodies of the
drowned We're taken was Captain
Na>l, whose grandson young Nash, was
Killed by stanton IN this city in 1884
| Captain Nash 5 kindness to the rescued
won for HIM much COMMUNICATION and
the lasting friendship Of many of the re-
| cIp; rents.
| VI = urges was an excellent horsemau
and derived much pleasure from drivin
on the road. winch he did almost daily.
lie took "eep interest III the devel ~
ment ut the trottlng horse, being for
fnan5 ,"drS an active mouIbrI II the
| Amer'cln Trnttng AS 'ci ,t'on and snrv.
Ing as que at the b 'ard OF Appeals
| Ii rs very popular aud grady loved
| by Il large circle of friends Iur his genial.
kindly aud jovabe disposition. lie was
| IN remarkable POSSESSION of his faculties
aud physlcs. powers, and with his erect
form, active habits and full growth of
dark hair did not look his age by fifteen
years. lie was fond OF auu mingled
| much III Younger peoples society, aud
was d Sredb id'orltt Win the little ones
OF his ne'ghbol hood and acquaintance.
| lie leaves a widow and four grown
children, son aud three daughters
Joseph Stnrges, Of the Highway De-
partmenr; Mrs. Charles J. Essig MISS
George Sturses aud Ms. Charles X.
. Deacon
! The Iow rates made at the "Malthy
. IA nj
/ l. A. ami others travelling on business with