Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-16
R||EIuCH
II Be BURIED
IEDNESD


+
Manufactures 10 Arrive
IsnesTsw Morning.
u ~ BODY Of Judge Nathaniel
keuch, prominent citizen OF Dav-
<151ort, whose death occurred Sat
fkday morning at Tuscon. Ariz..
NIL arrive at s o'clock tomorrow
upsning over the Rock Island
jInee on the Golden State limited.
announcement ID made today that
1zneraI services will be held at 3
scIock Wednesday afternoon In the
Anily residence. McClelland
HEIGHTS. Interment will be in Oak
3l6le cemetery. Services at the
home will be public and at the
Srsve. private.
Judge French was 65 years Of
aee. He had been In failing health
IN : year or more and two months
ago had gone to Arizona in hopes
fuat q change Of climate would
Il benefit him.
Il He had been prominent figure
Il IN Dayenport's civic, professional
and Industrial life for many years.
q His reputation as jurist was
Ii stAte-wide. During the war he
served as chairman Of draft board
n SO. 2 Of Davenport, and 1t is be-
n Heyed that his strenuous labors in
II that capacity had much to do with
II fastening his death. He declined
Numerous times to give it up at the
earnest pleadings of his friends and
b Associates, declaring that he was
no better than the boy in the
u trenches.
He was known as man of great
Deneyolence and generosity. Many
Il numerous incidents are told OF his
generosity In helping the less for
Ii llnate as typical of his abundant
nature.
II OF greater weight than the
Iispoken or written word, however, is
that fact that the huge French &
Il Hecht metal wheel manufacturers
Rave never encountered labor diff
Equities. Judge French always in
sisted on maintaining an intimate
Will HIS men.
Born in Massachusetts.
Nathaniel French was the son OF
! the late Mr. and Mrs. George H.
French of this city, and a grand
son OF former Governor Morton OF
\ Massachusetts,. His father was
"A one OF the city's most prominent
a bankers and manufacturers. He
Il WIS born in Andover, Mass, Sept
Il 7 1854. and when child came to
II his city with his parents.
II Here he attended the public
N schools and Griswold college. COM
n plotting his education at Harvard
n and Heidelberg universities. While
II a student at Heidelburg the first
III aud only romance of his life was
IN encountered. There he met Marion
II ". Eldridge, and the acquaintance
4 ship ripened into love. They were
q married.
\ Nathaniel French began thu
n practice OF law under the tutelagt
~ Robert G. Ingersoll, an intimate
n aiend of his father and studied fol-
short time in the Ingersoll Law
h oifice at Peoria, III.
N Returning to Davenport in thu
* late '70s he took up the practic.
III Of law with John W. Thompson, ex
mayor OF the city. Their office wa,
on the main floor of the old Put
nam building on Main street a
u about the present location of tn
Crown Hat store
In 1882 he was appointed cit,
~ attorney, which position he he'll
Tor one year. He was then elect
T. sd judge of the circuit court to sue
ID coed d. c. Richman. In 1885, afte
one term as circuit Judge, he re
tired from his legal work to tax
ever the management of the manu-
X Eeturing interests of the Frenc
& iamily. his father having recent
III He'd.
Cine Of iown's Biggest Jurists,
In speaking of his death Satul
Z 1ay. Judge c. NJ. Waterman, a life
eng friend and associate, said.
Judge French possessed one
he best legal minds | have eve
Anown. He was one of the create:
attorneys that Iowa has ever had
From 1889 to 1896 Judge Frene
Tas with the Eagle Manufacture
company. which was later sold an
he plant removed to Kansas Cit,
IN 1883 the Bettendorf Whe,
! Works was organized by Jude
q French and the late William |
Il l,ettendorf. In later years Iii
n business became the firm {
HI French & Hecht.
Judge French for the past 9
Il years has been associated wit
many national movements of in
portance, and has been time an
'tgain summoned to Washington O
4 important conferences.
Nd Political, legal and manufactul
ing leaders of the country cor
suited him, seeking advice. on In
Vulnerable important measures.
Possessed OF an unusually kee
III and brilliant mind, he was cor
suited on the forming of many law
and he assisted in drawing u
briefs of many of the nations in
portant laws He was the authC
Of numerous articles and pampf
lets. Leading men of the countr
were intimate friends of his.
Surviving are the wife and tw
children. a son and daughter. TIL
latter are Captain F. H. French an
Grace, wife OF Harry F. Evans. con
mander of Davenport post. Amel
Jean Legion. There are also tw