Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-12
DIR. CRAIG COMPLIMENTED,
Chosen Post Surgeon of Rock Island
Arsenal.
An Honor Well Placed by the secre-
tary OF War, If Politics Demands a
Change.--The AppOintee and Some.
thing About His Life.

| 1t is but little over month since
President Harr son assumed the executive
chair of the nation. and yet. the deadly
axe which has been operated at his COM
| mand in different sections of the country
has fallen in this neighborhood and Dr.
W. W. Grant, of Davenport, post sur
geon of Rock Island arsenal, becomes a
victim, r ock Island getting the first
federal appoin ment of any consequence
in this vicinity. Last night reports
came to the city to the effect that DR..
g. q. Craig had received the appoint
ment as post surgeon at the island. DR..
Craig was at once 4een by an ARGUS re-
porter. but he refused to either affirm or
| deny the report, prefeT.ing rather that
the newspaper emissary seek the infor-
| nation from official sources. This morn
ing Maj. McGinnis. acting commandant
| at Rock Island arsenal, was communi
Gated with by telephone and that officer
replied that the appointment Of DR.. Craig
had been made to date from April 80.
The appointment is highly complimen.
tary to DR.. Craig, who appreciates it the
more as it comes as the result of the
efforts of his professional and political
friends, and as the result of no personal
exertion on his part. AS soon as be WAS
prevailed upon to announce himself as a
candidate for the position, his friends
went to work, and not by any means
the least of the Influences that contrib
uted to his success was petition to the
secretary of war endorsed by all the regular
and homeopathic physicians in the city.
Both the Illinois senators. together with
Congressman Gest and other members of
the house urged the candidacy of DR..
Craig.
The office of post surgeon is one pro-
vided for by the secretary of war; it is
the one so long filed by the venerable
DR.. Gregg and 10 which President Cleve-
land appointed DR.. W. W. Grant. of
Davenport. who is now abroad. and In
whose place DR.. W. L. Allen, of that
city, is acting, and who was also a
strongly endorsed applicant. The ap-
pointment, however. rightfully belongs
10 Rock Island. as the secretary of war
realizes the arsenal was located here, and
the chances are that President Cleveland
would have appointed Rock Island
physician had there been one in the city
who is dem ocrat. As it happened
there was no democratic surgeon in Rock
Island, DR.. Grants appointment was as
acceptable to the democrats on this side
of the river as any one that could have
been made, and democrats regret to learn
of his removal. The salary OF the office
is 81 200 per annum.
DR.. Craig commenced the practice of
medicine in Rock Island April IA, 1859.
He was born in Westmoreland county,
Pa, October &c. 1S45, and he spent the
first fifteen years of his life there. gain
ing a common school education, and he
also received two years schooling at
Elders Ridge academy in Indiana coun.
ty, Pa. At seventeen years of age he en-
listed in a three months regiment of
Pennsylvania militia and went to Ohio,
| where he was engaged in guarding the
forts Of the Ohio river between Wheel
ing and Pittsburg. and while in this oc-
cupation he participated in the capture
OF John Morgan. After the expiration
of his term of service he enlisted ia com
pany K, SD Pennsylvania Volunteer
infantry. and from January. 1864. until
| the close of the war, was an active par
| ticipant in all the battles in which his
company was engaged. He received a
slight wound at Spottsylvanis. and DUR
ing the first days fighting at Petersburg
was again wounded and captured. March
81, 1865. He served in Gen. Hancock's
corps.
DR.. Craig studied medicine in Column
bia, Pa, and subsequently matriculated
at Jefferson Medical College, Philadel-
phia, and after following the curriculum
of the same. graduated and received q
diploma March 10, 1869. 1t was month
later that he came to Rock Island and
entered upon the practice of this profes.
sion which has been attended by signal
success.
For eighteen years DR.. Craig was pub
licly identified with the sanitary welfare
of the city-irst as city physician fol
twelve, and then as commissioner OF
health for six years after the creation OF
that Office and resigning his position al
city physician to accept it.
DR.. Craig mas always been a streng
republican, and his party could not have
made wiser CT dice both as to profes.
sional and political fitness.
| Parties.