The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-10-18
LEGACY FORAMES.
Former West Side Man RI
members Ames College.
CATS WONDERFUL CAREER.
Geeat Dredging Machine Saved Mil
Iions-Mr. Gait Was a Review Sub
scriber for Twenty Years.

George William Gait, the famous dredg-
ing engineer who died in Brooklyn this
week and whose remains were turned over
to the physicians at Bellevue hospital for
scientific study at his own request, left in
his last bequest a provision which will
bring about s175, 900 to Iowa State college
at Ames. Gait was an alumnus of Iowa
State college. In 1882 he passed out of
the institution poor man we'll equipped
for the future, and in few short years
he amassed fortune. The estate will
net $3.50, ooo according to best estimates.
aud this is in the custody of Mrs. Carrie
Chapman-Catt. the wife, famed because
OF her great activity in equal suffrage
work AT the time of her death one-half
of the estate goes to Ames college. AS
Mrs. Gait, formerly Miss Carrie Lane,
was also STUDENT OF Ames college, there
is every reason to believe that she will do
all in her power to keep the estate intact
and leave for her alma mater as large a
sum as she can, thus carrying out her
husbands last desire.
Cats Wonderful Career
George Gait was raised on farm near
Westsde. His father had small
place, but was not able to pay Georges
expenses through school. The young man
worked part of the year to get cash to
pay for his tuition and then worked on the
college campus milking cows and doing
other chores to pay for his board and
room rent. He was born engineer. 1t
was in him to dig up the secrets of mathe-
mates :and understand lines and circles
and machinery. He was encouraged by
ProsessorkStanton, for whom he had the
highest regard, and in 1882 walked out of
the college with a diploma. The same
year Barney Marsh, the bridge engineer
of Des Moines, procured his sheepskin.
Miss Lane, who afterwards became Mrs.
Gait, following the demise of her first
husband, Mr.. Chapman, was student
at Ames the same year, but did not grad
uate. Following Cats graduation at
Ames he secured employment along with
his friend, Barney Marsh. with the King
Bridge company of Cleveland. O., and
was stationed under George E. King of
Des Moines. in the local Office. The rise
of both Marsh;.and Gait in the bridge
business was rapid.
How Gait Got Start.
Opportunity in the far west opened up
the way for Mr.. Cats larger successes.
In 'F1iso Gait found the Southern Pa
cihc railroad with a big bridge tied up
on its hands because of quarrel over
the material to be used. The San Fran
cisco Bridge company and the Southern
Pacific we're quarreling. The company
had the materials on the ground. But the
contractor wouldn't use them. Mr.. Gait
displayed unusual intelligence for young
man in explaining away the differences
between the company aud the contractor.
The next time the contractor had big
bridge to build he called upon Gait and
asked him if he could go to Pennsylvania
and pick out the materials.
II put on a bold 'front.' said Gait re-
Gently to Des Moines friend, 'and told
them could do it.
Invented Dredging Machine.
George Cats success in purchasing
four train loads of material, which passed
through Iowa over the Burlington route,
started him along the highway to bigger
things. In the course of his work he
realized the necessity of large dredging
machine and set about to make one. His
invention made him rich and but for the
fact that he had to fight several years for
his patents he would today be Million
aire. If he had lived ten years longer
there is no question but that he would
have been very wealthy. He was just