The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-01
William Henry Davidson.

Burlington Hawk-Eye: The Bur
ilington Hawk-Eye has met with a
great personal loss William Henry
Davidson was not only a beloved as
sociate worker, but he was eminently
ian accomplished newspaper writer, 4
Journalist of exceptional ability. His
early experience as printer, when
associated with his father on the Car
Ithase Gll) Republican, was a valu-
able preparatory training of great
practical utility when he entered up
on his larger field of endeavor as edi-
itorial writer and manager His apt.
tude in the making of daily paper,
Inewsy in its contents and attractive
in Its mechanical makeup, rapidly de-
yeloped after he became telegraph ed
itor OF the Hawk-Eye, twenty-five
years ago, and later managing editor.
There was method, there was system,
there was symmetry and proportion
in the appearance of the raper, that
attracted the attention and commend
alton Of practical newspaper men. The
late George D. Perkins, of the Sioux
City Journal, made Mr.. Daidsvon a
tempting offer to take the raging
editorship of that paper. but he loved
Burlington; as did Robert J. Bur-
uctic, DOlu Vi "uOfU dCIllcSelb IlluCIl "a
their success on the Hawk-Eye. Here
he began and here he ended his chos-
en- work, and in his death The Hawk
Eye mourns the severance of the pleas
ant associations of quarter of CEN
fury and the personal ties that bound
his co-workers to one SO faithful, 81
and the community it serves.
H. had rparkoI nobility ~ cha
acter that may well be emulated. He
had high ideals of life, its oprortuG
tiles, its duties, and It's blessings. His
probity. frankness. end sincerity g.
purpose were emphasized in his every
word and act. He detested that which
: as unworthy; his aspirations were
exalted in purity of motive. His kind
illness of nature was rivaled only by
his rugged adherence to principle and
q sense OF duty AS managing editor
the days and nights were all too short
for his untiring industry. his IN.
ambition to make the
Hawk-Eye meet the fullest needs and
wishes of its readers and friends. IN
tense in his motives he yet developed
catholictv and broadness of spirit
that enabled him to judicially weigh
every side of a public question, and
thus compose public thought as far
as the PAPER might be enabled, to q
fair and just conclusion.
Because of the streluousness of his
work, his unremitting tsIl through the
long watches of the night, often reach
ing his home not until tho morning
dawn. and because of the necessity OF
sleep during the busy hours OF the
day when nearly all the rest OF the
community was astir, Mr. Davids %
did not have the opportunity to meet
his fellow citizens and enlarge his az.
quafntance to the extent he otherwise
would have enjoyed, and thus his cir
Gle Of close acquaintances was mora
limited. This was his loss, but it was
his Joy to believe that it was his con-
tribution to the public welfare, a sac-
rifice some one must needs make: and
he made it heroically. steadfastly
though urged by his associates and
friends to relax his too strenuous ap-
piication to exhausting work 1t was
truly a sacrifice. almost sacred in it's
conception and patriotic in it's nature.
No man could have done more or bet
ter.
Over a year ago nature put forth
signals Of human limitations and for
the past ten months Mr.. Davidson
suffered greatly from the sequences of
nervous exhaustion and complications
which on'y toe surely foretold the end
Friends hoped. even as friends ever
will hope, and ought to hore as be-
meath the darkening clouds. that his
heroic combat with disease would tri-
umph. It was not to be SO. But If 1t
be true. as Apollonius said, Life is
short to the fortunate, long to the uc
fortunate" it becomes doubly burden
some to those who sojourn yet awhile.