Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-19
Heart Trouble Sud denly
Terminated His Life at 4
a. m. Yesterday; Was APP
parently Well Saturday.

HAD BEEN PROMINENT
IN BUSINESS FIELD
Elevated to Captaincy in the
Civil War, Honored BY
Citizens on Numerous Oc-
casions; Mourned by All.
Captain Samuel Houston Harper.
mayor Of Ottumwa, died suddenly at
his residence, 917 North Court street,
at 4 o'clock Sunday morning, Decem-
Der II, of angina pectoris
The news of Captain Harper's death
came as q great shock to the people OF
this city. He had been enjoying his
usual excellent health and passed Sat
urday in the active conduct Of his af.
fairs at the city hall and at his store.
the wholesale hardware house OF Har-
per & McIntire Co. He was in good
spirits all day and retired to sound
i sleep at 10 o'clock. About 80 Sunday
morning he was stricken with severe
iattack of acute heart trouble and
/ shortly after 4 o'clock. passed away.
4 The funeral will be held at 2:30
! o'clock Tuesday afternoon, December
'i19, at the First Presbyterian church.
4 The casket will be open and the body
I will lie In state at the church from
\ ~ to p. m. Tuesday In order that
/ those who wish may pay their re-
II spects. The casket will not be opened
!, after the services. Intermen. Will 10
made In the Qttumwa cemetery.
Captain Harper was eiected' mayor
OF Ottumwa last spring and took hfs
seat In April Of this year. For "a little
more. than eight months he had admin
istered the policies of reform and re-
trenchment upon which he was elected
and the city today finds itself In better
business shape than for many years
past. Had Mayor Harper's life been
spared to complete his work Ottumwa
would have profited much by his
executive ability. Il.
Captain Harper was one of the Oldest
business men OF Ottumwa and had
passed nearly all his life here. He was
active in all public affairs and had
widely diversified interest in the com.
munity and Industrial life OF the city.
He was not only a foremost merchant
and banker; but leader in Com
mercial association work and warm
friend of the church and the Y M. g. i
4 A. Many offices OF honor and distinc-
ton were conferred upon him by his
fellow citizens and all of them were
discharged faithfully and to the best
of his high ability. He was the best
type Of true and Christian gentle
man.
Had Served Country Well.4
Samuel Houston Harper was born IN
i Ohio, near GAINESVILLE, Muskingum
county, on April %, 1843. He came to
4 Ottumwa in 1858, and as this was be.
fore the days of railroads he rode on
horseback with his father from the
1 Mississippi river while the rest OF tho
4 family came up the Des Moines river
/ by steamboat The Harper family
settled on farm, about a mile south
of the present city limits. In 1862 Mr..
Z, Harper enlisted as a private in Com
pany B, Thirty-sixth regiment lows
volunteer infantry. In June, 1863. he
was commissioned by the secretary OF
! war as second lieutenant In tho
Forty.sixth regiment United States coll
ored infantry. He was later promoted
to be first lieutenant and afterwards
a captain, and he was honorably dis.
charged in February, 1866, after three
years and six months Of service.
i The young soldier returned to OF
|tumwa and in 1857 entered the employ
of Henry & Haw in the hardware busi-
ness. In 1869 he started business
for himself as a member OF the
firm Of Egan' & Harper, retail hard.
ware dealers. In 1873 this firm
purchased the business OF Daggett 4
Edgerly and consolidated the two
stocks. In 1876 the firm started in the
wholesale business and in 1881 the
firm was changed to Harper Chambers
i & Co., E. A. Chambers and Frank Nc
Intire having acquired the interest OF
Timothy Egan. In 1892 Mr.. Chambers
retired, and the firm has since been
known as Harper & McIntire Co., ono
|of the largest jobbing houses in Iowa.
4 In 1871 Mr.. Harper married Cornelia
Russell OF this city. I. 81
Mr.. Harper had been connected with
many business enterprises In Ottum-
wa and had assisted In securing all OF
the industries which have located In
Ottumwa for thirty years past. He
| was at the time of his death president
of the Harper & McIntire Co. presi
dent Of the Agency Savings bank, vice
president OF the South Ottumwa bank,
vice president OF the Phoenix Trust
Co., director Of the Iowa National
bank, the Iowa Savings bank. the Dain