The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-28
GENERAL D|ST|N
WRITES A LETTER
To His Friends in keokuk In Response
to Homecoming invitation
Makes Happy
Reply.
HAS KIND WORDS TO SAY
Was Acting Governor Of Alaska When
the Invitation Yves Received
and Very Busy
Man.

There are still many people in Keo.
kuk who have memory of William
L. Distin, who resided here for q
considerable period and commenced
his business career here. He was for
a time news agent on the old K &
D. M. railroad, among the first rail-
roads that came here. He and David
G. Lowry were both running this
| line at the same time Later Mr..
Distin became a partner in the =. p.
Pond CO., and conducted branch es-
adjustment at Quincy, Ill. He was
in the war of the rebellion in the
Seventeenth Iowa infantry and after
the war and going to Quincy he be-
came quite prominent In G.. A. r. cir
cles and became commander Of the
| Illinois department Of the G. A. R.
/ Mr.. John M French has received a
letter from Mr.. Distin who was at
the time acting governor of Alaska
which the following clipping from
Juneau, Alaska, Daily Empire, of
July %:
General William L. Diston was act
ing governor of Alaska for the last
three days of last week, Governor J.
F. A. Strong being in Yukon territory
enroute to Fairbanks There is prob
ably not another government official
in the United States who holds SO
many official positions as General
Distin. He holds direct commissions
as surveyor general and secretary OF
Alaska; and upon the governor absent.
ing himself from the territory, be
comes acting governor of Alaska.
Besides these important offices he
is disbursing officer for the surveying
|service, a member of the board Of
public instruction, member OF the
lcanvassing board for the territory q
! Alaska, member of commission on of
fetal repositories. member of thu
board of audit, warrant officer for tn.
issuance Of warrants. territorial reg
istrar of vital statistics and member
of the territorial banking board,
This seems heavy load of re
| sponsibility for one man, yet Genera
Distin with all the onerous duties
to which he is called by the numer
: fous offices he holds and the extr;
: burdens imposed by membership OF
/ so many official boards, finds time t,
be kind and considerable Of others
| Marked courtesy has been the rule il
his office and is strictly adhered to b
/ all the employees of his Office.
| Remembers keokuk.
Below is a letter received froT
r General Distin to his old friend, job
: M. French, in response to an invita-
r ton to the Keokuk home coming:
: Territory of Alaska,
f Governors Office.
t JUNEAU, Aug. Is, 1913.-My dea
J sir: thank you, and appreciate yer
I much, the come back postcard motto
e of dear, old Keokuk's home comm
$ week, August %, 1913, celebration {
!, the completion of the greatest powe
n dam in the world The meeting
e the old friends and acquaintance
e would mean much pleasure and jo
u to this youth. There is no place dea
> er to me than dear, old Keokuk, til
home of my boy and young manhoc
e days, where I enlisted and Joined til
D Seventeenth Iowa infantry, vetera
X volunteers, and upon my return hon
n from the great civil war, wooed an
d won one Of Keokuk's most lovab
e characters-my hearts idol.
r II sincerely regret that 1 will hay
4 to forgo the pleasure of being pre-
X ent during this most suspicious o
e casion. I am. however, looking 70
ward with much pleasure, to the de
Is when can again meet and ming
1t with friends Of yore in dear. old Ke
" kuk. After more than sixteen yea
e. of official life in Alaska, expect,
a. the near future. to return to Il
IL states and enjoy living over again IL
ID days OF yore. am feeling fine f
N one of my youth-active, strong al
n vigorous-indeed, expect to live
IT be one hundred years young.
lg Il heartily congratulate the CT
zens of Keokuk and the promoters
In this, the greatest gigantic engineeril
III