Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-17
CAPT.LAMONT IS
DEAD; UNMARRIED
Expires While Walking From
Home to Office of a
Physician.
ABOUT CITY DURING DAY
One of the Pioneer Rivermen on the
Mississippi-Agent of Diamond
10 Here 40 Years.

this afternoon at 1870 while on his
way from his home, SGT Seventeenth
street, to the Office of Dr. E. NJ. Sala
in the SaIa flats. 1t is supposed that
he was seized suddenly with a stroke
which resulted in heart failure. Death
was almost instantaneous.
The attack came on when Captain
Lamont had reached the corner of
| Eighteenth street and Fifth avenue.
DR.. Carl Bernhard, who lives at 1928
Fifth avenue, noticed the old gentle
man as he was passing, and also saw
him when he fell. He was carried
into the Bernhard home and examin-
ed by the physicians. but life was al
ready extinct.
| Coroner J. F. Rose was notified, and
| he ordered an inquest at o'clock this
afternoon at the Knox undertaking
rooms. to which the remains were re-
moved.
Widely known on River.
Deceased was well known, not only
in this city, but for miles up and down
the river. He was born at Florence,
Ala. and was rs years old. When he
> -
and had made his home here since
Captain Lamont was associated for a
time with Henry Carse in the bottling
business, but by far the greater part
of his life was spent in river work
He was a steamboat captain in the
early days on the river, and for the
last 40 years had represented the Dia-
mond 10 steamboat line in this city.
Captain Lamont was prominent in
municipal affairs as well as in his cho-
sen occupation. He served as city
marshal for two years, from 1872 to-
1873, and he was a member of the
board of supervisors for a term OF
years.
He is survived by his wife and five
children, William H, Ralph w. and
Benjamin d. Lamont, all of this city.
and James H. of Moline, and Mrs.
Emma Rugles of Grinnell, Iowa The
funeral arrangements have not as yet
been made and will not be announced
until tomorrow.
Death Unexpected.
The captain had not been in the best
of health of late, he having retired
from active life three years ago on
this account. Several weeks ago he
complained that he was not feeling
well as usual. but neither he nor his
friends felt any fear of his death in
such an unexpected manner as it came
to him. He had contracted a cancer r
Gus growth on his hand which had
given him some trouble and which
was the cause Of his trip to the office
of Dr.. Sala. He was in his usual health
when he left his home, and the news
of his sudden death was a great shock
to his family.
Familiar With River History.
Captain Lamont was not only one of
the old-time citizens of Rock Islam d,
but he was q pioneer river man as
we'll. He was as fond of the great
father of waters as he was of his
home, almost, and no man on the en-
tire stretch of the upper river was as
familiar along shore as he. For years
he had been in charge Of the Diamond
10 agency. He knew all the steamboat
men for generations back, knew the
boats, and was familiar with the his
tory both of the water craft and the
seamen of the inland seas who manned
them. His mind was like unto a his
tory of all that has pertained to the
development of river commerce since
the earliest days on the Mississippi.
In politics Captain Lamont was q
democrat of the old school. He be-
lieved in the tenets of true democ-
racy in all that it means and implies
the rule Of the majority. He was
unflinching in his devotion to polSti-
cal principles. which were as a ere ed
almost to him. He was as stalwart
in his adherence to his party faith
as an oak. He stood for what he be-
lieved to be right, unfaltering unto
the end.
Honorable In All Relations.
AS a man, he was strong and
courageous. In his prime he was one
of the most robust and most power
full men in Rock Island county. When
it came to physical strength few
there were who were his equal, and
back of it all was that strength and
vigor of will power that made uiD
man to be respected in every sense of
the word. He was straightforward
and honest in all his relations to life. |
Reuben NJ. HOLSTER.
Reuben M. Hollister, one of the old
est residents of the upper end of the
died last night at 10 O'CLOCK at
the home of his son, George Hollister. |
in Coe township. He had lived in That
vicinity since 1886, having been
brought to this county by his parents
when he was an infant. He had spent
all his life in Coe. His first vote was
cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and
he had been a staunch republican ever
since
Mr.. HOLSTER was born in Joliet,
H.. Feb %, 1885. He was but few
of age when his parents re-
moved to Coe. He served in the civil |
war having enlisted with Comnau,v n |