San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-04-25
THE LAST ONE GONE.

In the death of Capt Anselm Nc
Gill, who died in this CITY, passes
away one the last one of the Mississ-
ippi river captains of the Ante Bel
lum days. The captain was born in
Breckenridge county, Kentucky, in 49,
20. His father, Thomas McGill, of
Virginia, and his mother Martha
Clark of Maryland. were among the
early settlers in Kentucky. Louis
willie was the captains home from ear
ly youth. At the age of 80 he began
his river career, and was closely con-
neCted with such steamers as the r.
H. Winslow, H. d. Newcomb, Pacific,
Ben Stickney and others. 1t was as
Captain of the David White, that he
became known as one of the most
prominent and successful steam
boat men. His next boat the Allan
tic made him a fortune, ard was cele-
brated in the history of the Great
Father of Waters, she vas very fast
and up to this time her record has
never been beaten from New Orleans
to Hard Times landing.
The unsettled condition of river
traffic during the late civil war drove
Capt. McGill from the river and he
then became one of the principal mem
bers of the banking firm of Stevenson
& Co., of Louisville, Ky. A few years
after at the close of the war the Cap
tain returned to his first love, and
built the famous Bell Lee at a cost
of S150,000. She was one of the most
beautiful and finest equipped steam
boats ever built. This boat was rot
the money maker the Captain expected
and she passed into the hands of other
parties, thus after an experience of 80
years of river life the Captain retired
and babe a final adieu to his old life.
He opened the Capitol Hotel in Frank
fort, KY, where he amdssed another
fortune. He remained there five years.
When he gave up the Capitol Hotel
and opened the Phoenix, In Lexington,
KY, this was his last business venture
in his old Kentucky home. In 1875
for various reasons he cast his fortune
with Texas. and has been a citizen of
this state from that time until his
death. He spent most OF his time on
his sheep ranch. Heavy decline in
the price of wool and sheep brought
in its wake misfortune to most of the
sheepmen and unfortunately Capt. Nc
Gill was among the number. Captain
McGill came to San Antonio and open
ed a dry goods house under the firm
name Of Slavin & McGiil. This firm
afterwards leased the Southern hotel
which was the Captains last business
venture. The pleasure of his declin-
ing years was in discussing olden
times, and warm friends of the past,
many of the latter being men who have
since gained national reputations,such
as John G. Carlyle, JOS. Blackburn,
Henry WattersOn and others. Three
children survive him, viz: c. L. and
G. L. McGill and Mrs. Charles Bernard
Slavin. The writer of this became ac-
quainted with the captain about the
close of the war or shortly afterwards
and have always been close friends.
The captain was a manly man.
strong in his convictions with deter
mination to succeed: honest, upright,
generous to a fault; charitable, with a
heart full of the milk of human kind
ness, always ready to assist his fellow
man. Like a great many of the 9TH
ers that have passed away, he was al
ways on the alert to avoid any disas-
ter to his boat and at the same time
catered to the wants and pleasure of
his passengers and crew. His like
may not be seen again: he like the
grand old days Of the Mississippi has |
passed away never more to return, and 1
no doubt but that the good old cap |
tain is anchored in a safe harbor where /
all Isl peace and happiness. his memory .
viii be revered, and peace to his ashes I