The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-10
Old Newspaper Man and Well Known
Citizen Of keo<uk Goes Beyond
In Los Angeles Where
He Lived.
HE HAD AN ACTIVE LIFE
Belonged to Many Organizations in
This City, and Had Much to Do
With Old Time Journal
ism Here.

Robert Ransom, called Bob Ran
son by everybody In keokuk, jour
nalist who was formerly one OF the
best known men in the city. died yes
terday morning at 8 o'clock in Los
Angeles, California.
Prior to the time of his going to
California twenty-one years ago, Mr..
Ransom was considered one OF the
ablest newspaper men in Iowa and a
leader in political way among demo
Gratis in this part of the state.
Mr. Ransom was born in Kentucky
and came to Keokuk in early man
hood. He lived here many years. At
one time he served as private secre.
tary to John Givin, general superin-
tendent of the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific railroad, the old X. and
D. M. division. The Office was located
at the corner Of Second and Main
streets.
Later he formed partnership with
Charles A. Warwick and bought out
the Democrat A stock en-
pany was formed and purchased The
Constitution Messrs. Warwick and
Ransn became the publishers, own
ers and managers of this paper and
later consolidated the Democrat SO
that the new paper was called the
acknowledgements. Mr.. Ranson's
partnership with Mr.. Warwick was in
existence until 1888, when G.. A. War
wick purchased the Ransom interest.
Had a Wide Career.
His Journalism attracted wide at
tention in it's excellent qualities. He
was correspondent for the Chicago
Tribune, the ST. Louis Globe Demo
crat and the New York World while
manager Of the Constitution-Demo-
crat.
He was one of the incorporators OF
the B. p. O. E. lodge No. 106 in keo-
kuk and was charter member of the
Morning Star lodge, Knights of Pyth
las.
Mr.. Ransom was also identified with
the lighter side of life In Keokuk and
was a member of the Keokuk Bur
lesque opera troop and took part, too,
in various home talent productions
! Of the old days, and all sorts of sport
ting activities from regattas to base
ball
After his connection with the Con
stitution- Democrat was severed, Mr.
Ransom joined with DR.. S. w. Moor
head in the foundation of The Stand
ard a weekly paper which lasted
through. various owners and editors
until 1910.
He went to New York City for a
time and engaged in business there,
later going. to Los Angeles where he
has since resided.
Started on The Gate City.
His first experience in journalism
was gained back in the early eighties,
when he became a general utility man
for the old Gate City.
Mr.. Ransom kept up his newspaper
work while in the west and wrote for
number of magazines besides hold
ing a position as Pacilic coast repre-,
sentative for Sporting News.
He was a man sixty-seven years OF
ago. His wife, who was Miss Emma
S. Cunningham, survives him beside
two brothers, John Ransom of War
saw and Joe of St Louis and sister,
Miss Anna Ransom of st. Louis.
Louis w. Klein, of GA Blondeau
street, received the notice of Mr.. Ran
sons death this morning. He was in
receipt of a letter from Mr.. Ransom
himself hardly a week ago in which
he told MI Klein that he was we'll
and all right The news Of the death
came as a shock, although Keokuk
friends who saw him in California
recently thought him enfeebled
There is possibility that the body
will be brought to Keokuls for burial.
His parents and other relatives are
buried in Oakland cemetery.