Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-06-13

chairman of the national Democratic
convention at Baltimore, which NOM
mated Gen. Jackson for his second
term. The same year he was elected
governor of Ohio. He was reelected
in 1884 and declined a third term
two years later. Some years before
his election as governor, he had re-
moved from Portsmouth to Piketon,
Pike county, where be resided until
his removal to Iowa.
The most important event of his
governorship was the Michigan bound
airy dispute-a quarrel between the
State of Ohio and the United States
for Michigan was merely a territory,
under the direct control of the United
States government, which was response
bic for the acts of its authorities. A
week ago this dispute was narrated IN
The Blade, and further reference to
its details is superfuous. But Gov
ernor Lucas deserves to be remem-
bered gratefully by Toledo, for had it
not been for the sturdy stand be took,
this city would to day be in Michigan
instead of Ohio.
In 1888 the territory of Iowa was
organized, and Gen. Lucas was ap-
pointed its first governor. The act
creating the territory gave the gov
ernor the power of locating the tenn
porary capital, which he fixed at Bur-
lington, which retained the honor un-
til 1871. On March -, 1888, the
first legislature of the territory met in
"old Zion chureh" in that city and
Governor Lucas delivered his message
in person to the legislature in joint
session, after having administered the
oath of office to the members indiyid-
ually. In his message the governor
urged that the township system be or
ganized, and insisted that this was in
dispensable, because, without it, "it
will be extremely difficult, if not i'm
practicable, to establish regular COM
mon school system.
Here he had another boundary
trouble. A strip about six niles wide
was claimed by both Iowa and Mis-
souri,. The county officers of both
tried to collect taxes from residents Of
this strip, and the trouble came as
near a conflict of arms as did that with
Michigan. 1t is still called the mis-
souri, war in Iowa. By his frmness
and judicious action, Gov. Lucas again
won the battle, and Iowa's ownership
of the strip was confirmed by the Su-
preme Court of the United States.
Governor Lucas continued in Office
until 184l. Being Democrat, when
Gen. Harrison was elected to the Pres
idency in l840 he expressed his opln-
ion to his friends that his would be
the first removal. This did not hap
pen, however. President Harrison
made number Of removals during his
brief term of one month, but Gov.
Lucas was not removed until Tyler
became President. He then took up
his residence on farm adjoining Iowa
City, where he died February 7, 1853.
A daughter and two sons are etliving.
Governor Lucas was man of lin
tied scholastic education, but man
of profound judgment and varied and
extensive knowledge of men. He was
a devout Methodist, regular attend
ant upon church services, and often
exhorted the congregation by invita-
tion Of the minister, closing with
prayer.
The governor himself told the fol-
lowing story of his first meeting with
his second wife, Miss Amy Summers.
While president of the Ohio Senate he
was returning from Columbus to his
home in Piketon. He was in company
of fellow member, both travelling on
horseback. Day was closing as they
neared farmhouse. A young woman
came out With a milk pail in each
hand. To enter the barnyard, she
must pass the bars. Lucas said to his
companion: "If that girl springs over
the bars l will marry her" Sure
enough, she cleared the bars at a
spring Lucas stopped in front of the
house, explained who they were, asked
to remain for the night, and were cor
daily welcomed At the supper table
Lucas was introduced to Miss Amy.
The two were married later, as the
governor had predicted.
Governor MacCorkle, Of West Vir-
ginia, is fond of narrating the follow
ing story: "a colored man was telling
-; - C-;.,J .Lo,t apotLar ,acro