Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-17

editor and publisher of the Courier,
doing all the work incident to the con-
Quoting of small weekly paper
He had taken Greely's advice and gone
west in April, 1S48, shipping the mater
lal for his paper by the rivers to Keo-
kuk, Iowa, and from there by OK team
to this city. Such was his indomita-
Bile energy and pluck that in three
months he he'd secured lodging for
his paper, obtained a considerable
subscription list and published his
first number on the 9Th day of August
following. He never missed an issue
while he owned the paper, tho the
difficulties to be overcome betimes in
securing paper and other material
were insurmountable to those not en-.
dowed with the wonderful care and &C.
tivity of Richard Warden. He had well
mastered the trade of printer in
Ohio and he loved the profession of
Journalist, but in this then new coun-
try man had to bone right down
to the case himself and do his own
work chiefly on paper. He had
frequent attacks of what is Familiarity
termed printers collie, a lead poison
ing from the type and he suffered so
often and severely with this that he
was obliged to change his occupation
on account of his health This led to
the sale of the paper to ]. w. Norris
in 1856. The next year he engaged in
merchandising in this city which was
a losing venture on his part, on &C
count Of the terrible panic coming on
in the early spring of 1857, when wild
cat money spoiled over night.
How well / remember those fearful
times here, the want of success was
no fault of his. For some years he
kept the chief hotel in the city and
he and his socially lovable wife sue
ceeded admirably. In August, 1862,
he assisted in recruiting Company e
of the seth" Iowa infantry and be-
| came it's first lieutenant. He served
with distinction and fidelity here as
in civil life. The regiment reached
Memphis, Tennessee, December,
1862, and tho the regi-
ment remained there only about
ten days, Gen. Ashboth, an old German
soldier then in command at Eft. Pick
ering, observing Lieutenant Warden's
good qualities, had him detailed on his
staff. AS post adjntant at Little Rock,
Arkansas, in 1864, he controlled and
directed in large part the policing and
government of the city. He was espec-
tally sought for to discharge this kind
of duty, because Of his fidelity and
unwearied attention to business. His
| services never went begging with
those who knew him. While connect
ed with the Courier he had contract
for surveying government land and
/ he h in 4,
large tract in Iowa to the west and
north of this city. AS postmaster, as
alderman, as assistant assessor of in
ternal revenue in the old Fourth con-
| gressional district; or in whatever
field of labor he was engaged, Mr..
Warden was the same earnest devoted
worker.
But learned of his ability, fidelity
and integrity, his general noble quail
tiles, during the twenty years we
labored together upon the Courier
from 1870 to 1890. Twenty years we
went in and out together of the same
Office and learned to love and trust
him in all things. / never knew a
man more necessarily diligent and
faithful to another's interest than he
was to mine. My friend was not a
| quiet, cool deliberate thinker, he was
a wide awake, alert observer and SO
sometimes he might be hasty in con-
illusions, but he never meant to be
wrong and always ready and anxious
to be right. He has made fifty-two
years of a record here in Ottumwa,
and all who have known him for many
of those years will recognize the abun-
dainty fruitful character of that rec
ord for good.
How often in the last year, those
long familiar faces of the old pioneers
have passed away beyond our daily
greetings. Still, tho seeing thru a
glass darkly here, we have not all
seen alike, how comforting may be the
assurance, that this separation by
death is well typified by our journeying
apart for a little time while living
here, only to be again reunited in the
far richer life he has now reached.
A. H. Hamilton.