The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1916-11-28
VIII. GOSTLIN
IS CLAIMED
BY DEATH.
Senator, Banker, Postmaster
and City Builder Goes to His
Reward Last Night
in Hammond.

BILLY" GoStlln, as ne was e1-
fectionately known ali over the
Calumet region, is dead.
Hammond mourns today as she
has not nourned in years. A host
of friends of the stricken city and
Of the bereaved family. from all
over the Calumet region suffered
irreparable loss in Senator Cost
Inns death.
From overa quarter Of a century ago
when Hammond was virtually sand
plot. TO the present Mr.. Gostlin was
active in promoting the best interests
Of this district. He passed away last
night at his residence on South Hoh-
man street in Hammond
Death came suddenly to Mr.. Gostlin.
He was found shortly after midnight on
the floor in the hall outside of his bed
room door The end came very unex-
pectedIy as he had been active Of late,
playing golf. driving in his electric
machine and spent portion Of yester-
day in Chicago. The death was caused
hv a complication Of ills, main among
these hardening of the arteries. He
was 63 years of age
A manufacturer. banker. city builder,
senator, former postmaster and a lead
ing worker for the welfare of Hammond
Billy Gostlin's name has been VIII
ten in the history of Lake e-county as the
father of the superior court, the man
who re-established confidence and in
distry in the city after the big packing
plant left, and the one who put into
effect the first city beautiful plans, Gre
ating Harrison park and the splendid
residential district surrounding it,
4 marvellous force Of character. an
optimistic spirit that was contagious
rare good fellowship. love of country
snd respect for its laws, faith IN his
fellow men and a confidence in Ham
mond that was never shaken. marked
Mr.. Gostlin as the highest type Of Amer
iean citizenship He is mourned BY
hundreds. and the men with whom he
was most closely associated in the
building Of Hammond from small
town to prosperous city are deeply
touched.
Mr.. Gostlin made his home in Ham
nond since 1882 and was in fact one Of
the pioneers. Always active in promot-
ing the varied industries of the city, a
former senator. a member of one of the
largest real estate firms in Lake coun-
" postmaster and one of the charter
members of the Hammond Country club.
standing very high in Masonry, his life
was a very busy one.
His force Of character was demon
strated during the railroad strike Of
1894. when the feeling that a revolution
threatened the country demoralized
business in Hammond. Cars were being
burned and overturned, merchandise de-
stroyed lives endangered and lawless
was riot Mounting a box on a street
corner with hundreds Of strikers and
sympathizers about him. Gostlin made a
speech that is remembered by all who
heard it on that troubulous day. He
told the people that this country could
not exist under lawlessness and called
those men who destroyed property,
towards. His love of country. law,
order and the golden rule and to him
more than the presence of the United
states troops that later arrived is
given the credit for restoring peaceful
conditions in Hammond. He &ent alone.
fearIessly, to the headquarters and
spoke his honest convictions.
1t was this great earnestness Of
personality and leadership of men that
enabled Mr.. Gostlin, then senator, to
have enacted at indianapolis IN 1895
the law which created the superior
court in Hammond, and had he done
nothing else in his lifetime that one
act would have been gift which the
people of Hammond could never re-
nav The business men and manu-
fscturers of the city are not alone
thankful that Billy" Gostlin lived his
useful life in their city. The lawyers
are today united in their expressions
of appreciation for the man and sor-
row at his death. Hammond never
thoupbt when it went to bed last even
ing that during the night it would lose
one Of its most valuable citizens and
hest fellows" Although it was known
that he had not enjoyed his usual
splendid health during the last two
years. he had been very active of late
and scores of people who had met him
casually or socially in the last forty
eight hours the news of his death was
like a thunderbolt
No one in Hammond was more close
lv associated with MI Gostlin than A.
M. Turner, president Of the First Ma
tional Bank, and Peter w. Meyn, pres
ident Of the Lake County Savings q
Trust company. and since Mr.. Gostlln
resignation as president five years ago.
head of the Gostlin-Meyn real estate
company.
HE was of a different mould than
any one 1 ever knew" said Mr.. Turner.
His happy. optimistic spirit created
in everyone a feeling of pride in his
home town He was a builder lead
er, and possessed Of marvellous force