Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-18
THE HAVEN OF REST.
The Newspaper Life OF Gee. n. Bal.
lou. whose Death Was Noted Yes.
terday..-Other Obituary

The Newspaper Life OF Gee. n. Bal.
lou, whose Death Was Noted Yes.
terday-. -Other Obituary
The late Geo. H. Ballou, of Davenport.
mention OF whose death occurred in last
nights ARGUS, was at one time probably
the best known newspaper man in Iowa.
He began his journalistic career in his
native town of Lockport.N. Y. When at
the age of sixteen years. and after working
on several papers in New York he came
west in 1859 and accepted a position on
the Dubuque Herald. which he held until
the outbreak OF the war, when he enlisted
in Company l. First Regiment Iowa Vol
unteers. the first company in the United
States to offer its services to the general
government. He proved as gallant q
soldier as ever fought for the starry flag.
and at the battle of Wilson's Creek par
ticularly distinguished himself. There it
was that he was shot through the lungs
and left on the battlefield supposedly
dead, but he rallied, followed up his
company and was finally brought TO
his home a! Dubuque. From the eff
fecis of that wound he suffered more
or less ever after, and II was one of
the causes of his demise. In June, 1868.
Mr.. Ballou accepted the city editorship
of the Davenport Gazette. and removed to
Davenport. He held that position eleven
years. and until 1879. when he accepted
a similar position on the Democrat. which
he held until within exactly one year of
his death. He was stricken with his
final illness while at work in his Office
March Is. year ago. and was obliged to
give up and submit himself to the doc-
tors care. The Democrat sent him east
with hope of recuperation, and while
the result was beneficial it proved only
temporary. and relapse soon follow {.
The man who had struggled bravely
against the Inevitable became discouraged
and disheartened; he resigned his posi-
ton on the Democrat, and simply awaited
his summons
Geo. Ballou was remarkable man 10
many ways. He possessed unusual pow
ers of endurance, and had faculty pc,
culisrly his own Of accommodating and
presenting great mass of entertaining
news information in a very short time.
He had wonderful faculty for obtaining
news that other reporters might pass
over. and natural aptitude and origi,
nality for getting it up that made it al
ways readable. He made the Democrat
famous while in charge of its local col
umns and rightly earned the distinction
OF being the most successful and liveliest
city editor in the state Of Iowa. He was
an untiring toier too, and he took as much
pride in the paper on which he was EN-,
ployed as if it was his own. Socially, ne
was always open and happy hearted. al
ways genial, always generous; his popu-
larity was as widespread as his ac9uain-
lance. He leaves with his wife, son
and a daughter, Geo. Jr., respectively of
Tacoma. and Susie, assistant principal at
st. Ka,herine's hall, Davenport. Funeral
services will he held at Grace Cathedral.
Davenport, this evening and tomorrow
morning the remains will be taken 10
Dubuque for interment in charge of the
family and Managing Editor Tillinghast
and Business Manager Darling. of the
Democrat
The death of Mrs Chaplin A. Vince
lock. of Moline, occurred at Carthage,
H., Saturday. The remains arrived in
Moline for int. rment this morning Mrs
WheelOck was united in marriage with
her now bereaved husband at ST. Charles,
ILL.,, in 1S46. Her maiden name was Sa-
Ionic B. Way. She was native of Yer
mont. and was sister OF the late husband
of Mrs. NJ. E. Way. Mr. and Mrs.
Wheelock settled in Moline in 1858.
Their children numbered eight FIVE of
whom are now living-Mrs. Alice Hull. of
Moline; Mrs. Susan Knell. of Carthage;
Miss Florence. of Moline, and s Chaplin,
of Carthage.
DR.. j. ]. Olshausen. father of Mrs. DIR.
G. Bernhardi, of this city. died at his
home in Davenport Sunday evening,
aged seventy,two. He was one of the
oldest practicing physicians in Dsven-
port.