Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-20
SUDDENLY EXPIRES
Oliver Graham, PIow Works En-.
gineer, Passes Away
Yesterday.
HEART DISEASE THE CAUSE
he Had Worked Twenty-Five Years
Without Missing a Sim
gle Day.

II OIlVer Graham. for % years engin-
Ger at the Rock Island Pillow works.
ana one of the best known residents
or the city, died very suddenly ves-
.erday afternoon in the rear of his
nome, 92I Second avenue. of heart
Up to short time before
me SAD occurrence Mr.. Graham was
III MS usual state of robust health In
company with his son he spent the
/ morning at the pillow works. going
| over the engines, and at noon ate q
nearly dinner. In the afternoon he
LOOK out his horse, rather lively
young animal, in cart TO exercise II
ana shortly after returned and hitch
Gu II 10 the phaetOn to take n drive
win MS VIE. He had anlv been ont
ABOUT twenty minutes when he com
Pialhed OF not feeling well and re-
turned 10 his home. Mrs. Graham
went INTO the dwelling. returning al
most immediately to see how he was
getting along with the unhitching and
round him doubled up on his knees at
! the horses head, life practically ex-
tmct. a doctor was sent for imme-
diately, but by the time he arrived
there was no need of his services.
Heart disease was the cause of death
Born in Illinois.
| The deceased was born at Oquawka.
ILL.,, March 20. 1912. and was thus 81
years old, and at the time of death
was the only surviving son of William
and Esther (Sullivam Graham. The
father built the first railroad over the |
Allegheny mountains and afterwards
engaged extensively in the iron bust |
ness at Allentown. Pa. Subsequently, |
through business reverses he lost |
much of his heavy investment and |
moved to Oquawka, H.. where he re-
sided several years. In 1S47 Oliver |
came to Rock Island with his parents. |
He was educated in the common |
schools and at the age of 10 took up |
his trade of engineer He was mar
ried May PC to Miss Mary Starr, and |
one son, Gault, survives this union.
HIS War Record.
Early in 1862 he enlisted in the |
United States navy and was commits
stoned as third assistant engineer on |
board the East Post" flagship of the |
Mississippi squadron and under the
command of Lieut. Col. Ludvard |
Phelps. The boat was sunk on the
was fioated only after great effort
1t was taken into Mound City. ILL.,. for
repairs, and afterward went to Island |
No. 10 and took part in number of
the engagements in that vicinity. La
ter the boat went to Helena. Ark,
where more active service was seen.
Engineer Graham was taken sick with
fever there, and it left him so weak
ened that he resigned and was mus
tered out. receiving hisshonorable dis
charge. He returned to Rock Island
and engaged in his trade as engineer
on steamers plying the Mississippi
river until 1874. among others being
the Great Northern"
Faithful EmpIOye.
For % years Mr.. Graham had been
employed as engineer at the Rock ISL
and Plow works, and during that
time had not missed a day from his
work and this morning is the first
time since 1878 that other hands than
his have set the machinery going. He
had always been unusually healthy
and robust and since the war had not
had a single spell of sickness. He
was a rather large man and to this
fact is probably due the suddenness
and nature of the fatal stroke.
He was a member of the NJ. w. A.,
Camp 1850.
The funeral will be held at
o'clock tomorrow afternoon and the
services will be held at the home with
interment at ChiPpiannocl< cemetery.
Rev. d. L. McNary will officiate. The
music will be furnished by quartet
from the office officials, while the
pallbearers will be chosen from the
factory foremen.
Close Shops for Funeral.
The various departments at the
factory will close down tomorrow af-
ternoon to allow the men an oppor-
tunity of attending the funeral. Fore
man S. j. Woodin paid the deceased
high eulogy this morning and stated
that he had the respect and conf
dence not only of his subordinates. but
of all the employees as well. The
heads of the different departments
feel that they have lost in him shop
mate who was always fair, just and
right The engine which was in his
charge was placed there some TWEEN
ty-one years ago and the company
which installed it is authority for
the statement that ii has been kept
in better shape and lasted longer than
any other individual similar mechan
ism they have turned out.
Word has reached here of the death
at Fort Worth, Tex, of Elmer Good
ell, formerly a resident of this city.
He was a printer and 43 years of age.
A wife and two children, together
with the mother. Mrs. Matte EXner,
and a half brother. Walter Burgess, Z