Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-09
MAJOR HAYES Is
OLDER THAN CITY
President Of Old Settlers Association
Has Had Unusually Interest
ing Career.

living native born white male resi-
/ dent Of Rock Island county belongs
/ TO Major Charles ". Halves Of this
/ city, president during the past year
Of the Old Settlers association, which
is in session today at the Watch
| Tower.
/ Major Halves IS "A years Of age, and
until his voluntary retirement as head
clerk of the Modern Woodmen OF
America last year. was one Of the
| forceful and active business leaders
of the city. For the last year, how
ever. he has been taking a well earn
ed vacation. Despite the fact that his
health is failing he still retains his
usual mental vigor. and when inter
viewed by representative Of The
/ Argus relative 10 some OF his early
/ "reminiscences of Rock Island he cas-
+ lily recalled incidents of the pioneer
/ days in this community.
+ Older Than City.
"I was born on March Z. 1871. and
/ therefore am older than the city Of
Rock Island proudly declared the
major. At the time Of my birth this
/ community was known as Stephenson,
and it was not until July /, 184i. that
/ the law passed by the state Iegisla-
/ ture changing the name TO Rock Island
went into effect. The house In which
1 was born stood at the northwest
/ corner OF Second avenue and Tenth
street, which has long since been de
strOyed
My father, David Halves. and his
/ brother-in-Iaw, Leonard Andrews,
/. drove overland from BeIchertown,
Mass. arriving here in 1885 This
was a very small and unpromising
village at that time and there were
but two buildings where the city Of
Davenport now stands, one the lie
Claire residence and the other a shack
which the fishermen used on the bank
OF the river. Not satisfied with the
outlook. they decided to leave. and
mounting their horses, struck out
across the country, finally landing at
Peoria.
1t was while near Peoria that my
father encountered an experience
which he used to delight to relate
Suddenly in front Of the two riders a
timber wolf Jumped out and started
down the path My father, VINO was
a great user of tobacco, had just taken
out his knife 10 cut of a piece of
chewing. and still held the weapon in
mis- hand When the riders started
up, the volt would also, and when
they slowed down. he followed suit
My father decided to chase the ami
nal. and started hot pace, when
suddenly the wolf came to a dead stop
and turned in his tracks. facing my
father with his teeth barred The ac-
ton of the wolf caused the horse 10
come to so quick d standstiu that my
father was pitched over his head.
Then the wolf sprang at my father
and as pretty a fight as you would
want to see followed, the beast not
giving mp the battle until the knife
had been thrust into him.
The two travellers continued their
journey to St Louis. where they Sc
cured work around The levee, handling
freight My father got a Job as sec T
ond mate on a boat and in 1887 re-
turned to Rock Island, to make his
home here until his death in 1900. F..
when he was nearly 81 years Of age. /
In the year 1897 the wives of the two I
men. who had been left in the east, (
were sent for, and took d stage to /
Chicago and then TO this city +
About the time I was years of /
age my father accidentally found out f
that the big tract of land where the
street depot Of the c., r. +
J. & P. is now located. had been filed +
on and he became the possessor Of it, {
and built a house there At that time
it was a dense woods. Father engaged +
ia the business of supplying building .
material and made extensive excava-
lions where the car barns. of the Tri-
City Railway company are now locat-
ed. Here he secured rock. lime and
stone and later went into the brick
business. Later my father built the
brick building which stands in front
Of Augustana college, and this was
my home for years until in 1850 when
my father was elected sheriff and +
went to the county Jail to make my
home.
That county Jail, which was the
first ever built in the county, is still
standing It is the building on FIT
tenth street between Third and
Fourth avenues, just across the alley
from the Woodmen building. 1t is
built of hewed logs, but has since been
Il gained my first military expert
snce while at the Jail happened TO
secure a book on military tactics and
pracdced with the prisoners in the
ail who were glad to be marched
about as q change in the routine of
heir lives. It was from the county
all that I was recruited and Joined
he union army in the dark days OF the
'ebellion. 7 enlisted on July 90, 1851.
With Company A, 37th regiment. This
company and n of the same regiment
we're recruited in this city, there be-
ng about 200 men from this commun-
" who offered their services for their
.ountry in this one regiment. was
.lected first sergeant, and on Aug. %,
S61. was commissioned second lieu