Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-14
DIR. H. {. Bulls
Passed Away Last Tuesday Morning
at O:3O 0'ClOck.-ShOrt Sketch
of His Life.

week occurred the death of one who
has been among the most prominent
and widely known public men of thi:
county for forty years. In the death OF
DIR. III. &. Bulls Winneshiek county
loses one of its best physicians, and q
citizen whose exceptional prominence
in social and political life for long
term of years had won for him the re-
spect and esteem of very large ac
quaintance. For two or three weeks he
lay at Deaths door, and his gradual
failing brought pain to the heart Of
many friend, who watched with sor
row the slowly ebbing spark of life.
Henry Clay Bulls was born in Clin
ton county, n. Y, November IA, 1880
He was reared on farm in New Eng
land, where he enjoyed the healthful
sturdy life of study and labor. At the
age of seventeen he began to teach, aid
ing his father on the farm during the
vacation period, and at twenty-One he
commenced the study of medicine
still continuing to teach for three years
longer. He took two courses of lee.
lures at the Vermont Medical College,
Woodstock, Ont, receiving the degree
of the institution in 1854. He also in
1887 took degree from the Jefferson
Medical College, Philadelphia. On
October 3, 1854, he came to DecOrah
and began to practice medicine. He
taught school here for month and re.
signed, and since has devoted his time
to the practice of medicine, when not
holding some public office. He was
made president of the Iowa State Medi.
cal Society in 1876 and served one
year. In 1865 he was appointed United
States Examining Surgeon for pen
sions and held the office until 1876
when he resigned, being appointed tc
the Sioux Commission.
Politically there are few men in the
state whose career has been longer or
more varied In 1856 Judge Reed ap.
pointed him commissioner for the sale
of intoxicating liquors, and he held the
office for one year, when it was
abolished. DIR. Bulls was the first
County Superintendent of Schools af-
ter the office was created in 1858, and
served two years. He was elected
County Supervisor in the fall of 1858
and served two years, the last year as
chairman of the board. In 1865 the re-
publicans of Winneshiek county
elected him State Senator, and he was
reelected at the end of term of -four
years. During his service as Senator
he served as chairman of the commit
tees on Claims and State University
and his efforts on the latter largely az
counts for the founding of that insti-
tuition, of which he served as Regent
for eighteen years, declining reelection.
In the midst of his second senatorial
term, i'm the year 1871, he was serving
rs President pro tempOre of the senate,
and was nominated and elected Lieu
tenant Governor of Iowa by the reptib-
licans. President Grant appointed
him member of the Sioux Indian
Commission, August %, 1876, and the
forming of noted treaty with the
Sioux Indians in the Black Hills was
an act due largely to his efforts. In
1878 President Grant appointed him
special u. S. Indian Agent, but he re-
signed after service of nine months,
aud i'm April 1888. he was appointed
Special Agent of the General Land
the end of eight months.
Dr. Bulls was q prominent candidate
for the nomination for congressman in
1889, and after sixty ballots withdrew
i'm favor of Hon. j. III. Sweeney, who
was nominated and elected. He was
mayor of DecOrah in lSS0-Sl and 1889
80, resigning during the latter term tC
assume the duties of postmaster, which
he held for four years. He organized
the free mail-delivery system and Sc.
cured the extension of the railway post
al service from Calmar TO Decorah dur
his term of office. The doctor was q
member of the Iowa State Historical
Society, of which he was curator fol
several years.
Few men have worked harder in the
interest of Decorah than DIR. Bulls
While in the State Senate, in 1869, he
was instrumental in securing the c. Nj
lS st. p. Ry. line to Decorah; also the
Chicago, DecOrah IL Minnesota Rail
road Company, of which he was presi'
dent i'm 1888, which built the line now
operated by the B. G. II. Il n. Ry.
DR.. b. retired from public life upon
the completion of his term rs post
master, still continuing in the practice
of medicine, but for some months he
has gradually been growing feebler
and month before he died took to his
bed, from which time until he died he
constantly grew weaker. The END
came peaceably Mt half past nine
o'clock last Tuesday morning.
The subject of this notice was twice
married, his first marriage being tC
Miss Laura A. Adams, of Champlain
n. Y, who died in 1861. Three child
rem were born to them: William, who
died i'm infancy, Frank Hamilton, now
a resident of Kansas City, Kas., and
Ada Amanda who resides at the home
i'm this city. He was married to Miss
Harriette b. Adams, who survives
him, June l7th, 1868.
The funeral services We're held from
his late home in this city last Thurs
day afternoon, attended by large con
course of admiring friends, Rev. III. B.
Woodwork, of Grand Forks, officiat'
ing, burial being in the Phelps GENE
terry.