Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-25
The New Railroad Commissioners.

Ex.Alderman Thomas Gahan was born
near Chicago 10 1849. He graduated
from the public school at Union and
OBrien streets and began business life in
1865 as shipping clerk for Nelson Morris
In 1870 he was patrolmsn on the police
force in the town of Lake and was made
sergeant OF police in 1874 and captain in
| 1877. He was elected supervisor, treas
urer and chief OF Iolice OF Lake in 1884.
the three Offices being consolidated. In
1885 he went into the street and sewer
| contracting business with Thorn IS
Byrnes. The firm of Gahan & Byrnes ex
listed and made money until Aug. %.
| 1889, when Mr.. Gahan was elected a
member of the city council from the new
| Twenty ward. formed from the
town o! Lake after annexation. when he
went out OF the contracting business to
contine his attention to real estate. He
has held that Office three terms in success
sion, resigning q few days ago to accept
the position offered him by the governor.
Charles F Lspe, another of the future
commissioners, was born in Evansville
Ohio, in 1S4s He commenced work in
the shop at his trade in 1858. commence
ing railrosding in the operating depart
ment as brs keman in 1850, and continued
until 1851 Oh the Cincinnati. Whining
ton d GAINESVILLE railroad He enlisted
in the three months cal. but being a mi
nor. and supporting widowed mother,
his name was erased from the rolls by
her. He left home in 1861 and went to
Louisville, where he commenced work
for the Louisville & Nashville road as
| Arnt n. ,C
1862. when he entered the service of the
Wabash railway at Fort Wayne, Ind
working at his trade in the shops. He
left the Wabash and entered the service
of the Illinois Central at Centralis, Ill. in
1864. and worked in the shop and fired
on the road. He was afterward pro-
NOTED 10 be assistant foreman for the
stme company, and remained in their
service until 1878 when he accepted an
offer by the Wabl sh to go to Fort
Wayne as foreman in tie shops. He has
remained with the Wabash since 1873
until the present time, in the capacity of
foreman, general foreman. assistant mas
ter mechanic. and master mechanic, which
last position he now holds.
| Willism S. Csntrell, the third commits
sioner, the SOC of Tillmsn B. Cantrell,
was born III Benton, Franklin county,
| H.. where he now resides, Feb. 9, 1851 :.
He was educated at the state university.
Burlington, Ind. admitted to the bar
June, 1874, and has been in constant
Practice since that time He was elected
states attorney of Franklin county in
1884 and served four years. He was a
delegate to the nstionsl democratic con
vention in st. Louis in 1888. He was for
two years the law partner of +. NJ.
Goungblood. now of Carbonate, for two
wears law partner of Judge Robert H /.
Flanagan, and for two years a law part
ner of D M. Browning, ex-circuit Judge
| OF the First judicial circuit, since which
time he has been practicing alone. He
has been member of the committee on
appeals and grievances in the Masonic
grand ledge of Illinois since October
1882. snd is also one of the supreme off
GERS of the supreme lodge of the Knights
of Honor. In March, 1889, he was mar
| ried to Miss Jennie Burnett daughter OF
lex-Representativa Charles Burnett, de-
ceased. CT Shawneetown, Ill. lie has two
| children, a son and daughter.