The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-07
DEATH PREVENTS ENDING OF
INTERESTING AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
John d. Gavan City Hall Clerk and Newspaper Correspondent Over
taken by Disease Aggravated by Highwaymans
cumhs and Leaves the Story His Life Unfnshed-Was
Soldier Sailor, Merchant Politician

| Knowing that his Death was but n matter
OF weeks. John u. Galyan soldier, sailor
merchant and politician. and also writer OF
note. jotted down the foregoing lines. think
ing. doubtless, that the true story of his
varied life. told on the eve of death. would
interest those who might chance upon it
after he WAS gone.
But the disease c-ercarle Lin. even IS he
wrote. He had not pennei the intended af-
fsctionate reference to the laly who be
came his wife almost forty years ago, ;rien
weakness forced him 10 give up his work
in Park Commissioner RidSeiy's Office. He
went to his HON. al No. $50 -lenncTly ave-
nue. where he fingered six weeks. helpless.
He died early yesterday morning. sur
rounded by his wife and his six children.
The news came great blow 10 the
employees of the Park Commissioner al The
City Hall. His desk lav open, and. in the
examination of his papers. the brief begin
ming OF the autobiography was found. II is
:.;i;ten or, two sheets of scratch block. in
the plain hand OF the experienced writer.
Toward Tie end the pencil! must have tren-
blen n his hand, for the letters are ifregu-
lar ard the last part of the last sentence
5arelr discernibe.
Mr.. Galvan had been i writer for news
ing this half century Of devotion to literary
work he used many NOMINEES de plume
Barks. Ie Grande Nez Don ouixote. Mark
Tapey. and others. When but IA years old
writing from the wilds of New Mexico.
young Galvaa wrote a. continued story
printed in the New York Ledger. At the
time of his death he was supplying weekly
contributions 10 the New York Sun Phil
adelphia paper and other publications. To
each he wrote unde: different name.
He was born in Hagerstown. Nc. IN 1s:1.
When but years old. he moved with his
parents 10 st. Louis. He received his early
education at the St. Louis University. but
the cali to arms which spread through the
country at the beginning of the Mexican
war stirred him. though he was only 10
years old. He enlisted as drummer boy.
and beating snare drum with all hIs
little strength and SKILL he marched with
Colonel a. ". Doniphan triumphantly TO
Santa Fe and TO chihuahua.
After the war Gaivan went TO the Pacific
Coast and tasted life as 4 sailor. He came
back TO ST. Louis for awhile and met Miss
Nellie Bury. who afterward became his
wife. He went West again. returning when
~ years old He became engaged to Miss
Bury and received an appointment in the
ST. Louis Post Office, then at Third and
Olive streets. He was married in 1861, and
he continued in the Post Office for twenty
eight years. Twelve years ago he was ap-
pointed to his position in the Park Com
missioner's Office. and has since retained it.
His death is the indirect result Of an as
sault upon him by a highwayman a year
ago. On his way home he stopped at Com-
Ridgeley's residence, No. 31ao Lin
dell boulevard. 1t was about O'Clock in
the evening when he left, and was dark.
He started to walk across Spring avenue.
A man stepped from under the shade of a
tree on Spring avenue between Lindell and