The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-11-22
Man Who Was Widely Known and
Honored in keokuk BY His
Friends, Meets Sudden
Summons Friday.
KEOKUK WOMAN rs WIFE
He Married Laura e. Smith Of This
City Her Death Occurred
Some Eight Years
Ago.

Col. William L. Dist1n, acting gov
ernor of Alaska for a number Of
years, man well known in Keokuk
died Friday night suddenly at the
home of relative in Chicago. Col
onel Distin married Keokuk woman
Miss Laura E.. Smith, whose death
was at one time in the storage bust
ness known as Pond and Distin. Later
the partnership dissolved, Mr.. Pond
coming to Keokuk.
Of Colonel Distin, the Quincy Her.
aid OF last night contained the follow.
ing sketch
Colonel William l.. Distin, honored
citizen of Quincy for many years
surveyor general of Alaska and much
of tho time acting governor of the
territory from the fall OF 1897 until
last fall, when he resigned, died st
Chicago last evening at the hoIae OF
his aunt, Mrs. Robert W. Funston. He
had been in customary health and his
death was terribly sudden. only half
an hour elapsing between the time
he was stricken with heart disease
until he breathed his last.
On receipt of the intelligence, Mrs.
Lawrence Emmons, Jr., the daughter,
made hurried preparations for the
trip, and accompanied by Miss Lucy
Bowers, a niece of the deceased, left
for Chicago on the midnight train.
They will bring the body down, arriv-
ing tomorrow morning. The body will
be taken to the Emmons home, 2304
Maine street, and the funeral will
take place from st. Johns cathedral
at o'clock Monday afternoon, with
burial at Woodland cemetery.
His War Record.
William l.. Distin was born at Gin
cinnati, Ohio, February 9, 1843, and
before locating In Quincy resided in
Clayton, this county. When the civil
war broke out he enlisted in an Iowa
regiment and served with distinction,
being promoted number of times.
until before thu close of the hosttl-
tiles he had attained the rank OF col
onel. Colonel Distin was a member
OF Company c, Seventeenth Iowa in
fantry He was mustered into the
service February II, 1868, and was
discharged May %, 1865. For some
time he was a prisoner at Anderson
vile. After the war he came to
Quincy and founded a produce house
under the firm rame Of the Pond,
Distin & Co, the establishment being
on the south side of Maine street be-
tween Sixth and Seventh, where the
Duker dry goods store is located. Mr..
Pond was in the same business at
Keokuk. The firm started and oper-
ated the city's first cold storage plant.
The original firm dissolved and there
was organized the w. l.. Distin Pro.
duce company, and Colonel Distin re.
NAMED at it's head until shortly be.
fore he received from President Nc.
Kinley appointment to the newly Great.
ed Office of surveyor general of Alaska
and in the fall of 1897 he left Quincy
to enter upon the discharge of his
duties. He worked hard and organic
ed his Office force and did excellent
work for the government. So thor.
oughly and so excellently was his
work done that through the succeeding
administrations he was left undis
turbed and continued in the service
until the fall of 1913, when he sent in
his resignation, having decided to re
tire from active life.
Colonel Distin and Miss Laura E
Smith were welded in Keokuk His
wife, faithful and beloved companion
for many years, passed away in this
city in 1906. Two children were borr