The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-02-03
Leo Doyle-In Memoriam.

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pected, unexpected, thou makest ready
thy harvest, and then silently and
gatherest thy grain, O.
thou Grim Reaper! Now our friend
LEO DOYLE has fallen beneath thy
scythe. Too soon, alas,
too soon, it seems to US, has he been
off into the spirit realms.
It seems so short span of time
now thirty years-since first we grasp
ed his honest hand: since first we
heard his genial voice and sympa-
thetic laugh; since first we listen
ed to his prudent counsel: since
first on starlight evenings we walked
with him and gazed on that great and
silent river flowing onward under the
consolidated sky to the all-embraciug
sea. flowing onward so like our little
life. to all-embracing death.
Leo Doyle. whose death We lament
was the son OF Miles Doyle and Sarah
Morrison, a sister of Hon. T. ]. q.
Morrison, SO long and so favorably
known as the representative Of the
New Madrid District in the State
Senate. His father was an irishlnan
by birth, of the noblest type, Il man
of sterling virtue and integrity. In
his youth he had followed the Austins
from Missouri 10 Texas, but after
wards returned and married Miss
Morrison, member OF one of the
earliest American families, settling in
the Spanish Dominions, west of the
Mississippi. His father, with his
family, moved to farm little north
of Cape Girardeau (which farm his
son owned until his DEATH and there
Leo Doyle was born, June IA. 1882.
Here he spent his youth, securing
such an education as mis- fathers
limited means would permit. Between
1850 and 1860 he and his brother
Theodore, long since dead, maintain
ed wood yard ON the river to sup
ply lie boats plying the river and
then altogether dependent on wood
as fuel.
During the war he removed to Cape
Girardeau and with HE brother-in-
law Patrick Garathy entered into the
mercantile business, and in this bus
mess he has been engaged ever since,
surviving both his brother-in-law and
brother. He took a deep interest in
everything tending to promote the
welfare of our city. For many years
he acted as secretary of the old
Bloomfield Gravel Road. and con-
tributed his stock to make that road
the free public road We now. have.
For over thirty years, and until his
death, he was treasurer of the Scott
County Macadamized Road. at the
time OF his death he was q director in
Houck's Missouri and:Arkansas Rail
road, now constructing it's line to
this city. He was also director and
assisted in organizing the .Perryville
Railroad Company. In 1880 when
company was organized to build a
railroad from Cape Girardeau to a
connection with the Iron Mountain
Railroad, Leo Doyle was one of the
warmest friends of the enterprise, and
one of the few citizens of Cape Cir.
ardeau who invested actual cash in
the bonds Of the road. He became
trustee for the bond holders, and as
such trustee, when the attempt Was
made by the Gould interest to seize
the road, manifested his zeal for the
interest of the city and devotion to
the parties owning the property, by
instituting independent legal proceed
ings, and after a protracted and al
most unexampled litigation, finally
triumphantly emerged from the con-
test AT one time in that litigation
he was cited to appear before the
Supreme Court to show cause why he
should not be punished for contempt,
and although it seemed that his course
would result in a heavy fine and i'm
his courage did not fail
and he did not abandon the interests
he represented. For number of
years he was member of the City
Council, and while in that capacity
rendered invaluable service 10 our
people. 1t should always be remem-
bered, that in 1876 he introduced the
ordinance for settling and compromis-
ing the city railroad debt, and that
his efforts and the efforts OF
the then Mayor, Hon. Leon J. Albert,
Ito his credit be it said the city was
from the bankruptcy into
which it had been plunged by a wild
and reckless administration. The
new growth of our town, the restora-
ton of value to city property, the new
manifested by all of our peo-
pie and new faith in our future, dates
from the successful settlement of that
railroad debt, provided for and for
mulated By that ordinance But he