Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1909-09-24
A. K. BAILEY.


in this city last Monday the 10th
inst. between the hours of two
and three in the afternoon. He
had been quite sick the last week,
his condition being particularly
bad since the. Thursday night pre-
ceding his death, and yet the end
itself came as the gently falling
asleep of a child.
Ansel K. Bailey was born in
Wales, Erie Co.. N. Y, the 18th
day of Nov. 1885, his father, the
late Wesley Bailey, having moved
to New York from Vermont. In
1912 the family moved to Utica,
N. Y. where the subject of this
sketch received a common school
education. When between IL and
IS years of age he entered his
fathers printing office. Or the 18th
day of April 1859 he was married
to Miss Sarah Higham in Utica,
and came to DEBORAH the goth of
March 1860, having resided here
ever since. Together with his
father he purchased the DEBORAH
Republic, and by the firm of
Wesley Bailey & Son the paper
was published as the DEBORAH
Republic till 1866, when the name
was changed to the DEBORAH Re
publican and the firm name
changed to A. X. Bailey & Bro,
the father, Wesley Bailey, retir-
ing from the firm and being sue
ceeded by a younger son A. S.
Bailey now of Minneapolis, MINI.
Mr.. A. K Bailey's connection
with the DEBORAH Republican
never ceased from 1860 to his
death, a period of 50 years less
about 7 months. In 1868 he was
elected County Treasurer serving
one term and declining a re-elec-
ton. In 1869 he was appointed
by President Grant as Postmaster,
serving in that capacity for Io
years and retiring in 1885. He
represented the Forty-second
Senatorial District embracing
Howard and Winnesheik Coun-
ties in the 23rd and 24th General
Assemblies, serving with marked
distinction.
To Mr.. and Mrs. Bailey 5 child
rem were born, 3 of whom sur
vive. namely: Mrs. d. +. Col
Vile of St. Paul, Mimi, Mr.. Ed
win c. Bailey of this city, a men,
Der of the firm of A. X. Bailey &
Son, and Mrs. Leslie M. Stod-
dard, also of this city. Mrs. Bal
ley died several years ago. But
two brothers, S. Prentice Bailey
of Utica, N. Y, and A. S. Bailey of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, survive.
There are also several grand
children.
Mr.. Bailey was for several years
a victim OF diabetes, and it was
only his indomitable will that en-
abled him to battle successfully
so long against a disease which
Usually terminates in a much
shorter time. Mr.. Bailey was q
years and 10 months old.
Thus passes from the activities
of life on this side one who WELD
ed a powerful influence extending
far beyond the community in
which he lived. How fortunate
that we are able to say that this
influence was always for good!
Mr.. Bailey was a man of conspi-
cuous ability, and had he been
less conscientious, less honest,
less noble of mind and purpose,
in short, less the sincere Christian
than he was, we should not then
have been able to say as we now
are: The world is better for his
having lived in it.
Mr.. Bailey's style as a writer
was, with respect to d~irectness,
strength, succinctness and lucidi-
ty, peculiarly his own. This style,
together with his thorough know
ledge of everything pertaining to
his profession, coupled with his
intimate knowledge of men and
measures in his own city, county,
state and nation, enabled him to
publish a paper which exercised
an influence entirely out of pro-
portion to that of the average
country newspaper. The Deco
rah Republican has long been
conceded a place in the very
forefront by the neighborhood
press, having been regarded as a
model newspaper, not alone be-
cause of its well-nigh perfect me-
chanical makeup, but more par
ticularly tor its contents, its edit
-