The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1921-12-17
RALPH AlEEIzEi:

As The Herald prOmisc5 last Issue.
this week we give the following facts
regarding the death and career Of
Ralph Meeker. as taken from tie Weld
County News, published at Greeley:
Ralph L Meeker, son Of Nathan @.
Meeker, founder Of. Greeley and him
self first secretary Of the famous or
ganixation known as the Union Colony
Of Colorado, which established the
city, died at the home Of his cousin.
Miss Meude NJ Meeker, 1910 Eigth
avenue, on Monday afternoon, follow
ing a short illness. Death was due to
pneumonia and heart trouble and the
end came suddenly after an illness Of
only three days duration.
Mr. Meeker, who was personally fam
iliar with many of the events connect
ed with the founding of the Colony.
had &n eventful career as q newspaper
man. Born in Ohio in 1s45, be was
schoclmate Of James A GARFIELD. lat.
or president Of the United States. at
Western Reserve Institute. located at
Hiram, Ohio. Several years later. when
his father had become member Of the
editorial star Of the New York Trib-
nne under the famous Horace Greeley,
the son also became connected with
the paper, and in 1909. when the first
meeting was held at Cooper Union for
the organization Of western colony
Ralph Meeker was present as report
or for the Tribune. He was selected as
secretary Of the organization and la
tor when the burden Of correspondence
became great. he enlisted the
service Of Daniel Frohman, who
WAS then clerk IN the business ofitee
pf the Tribune but who later was TO
achieve worldwide fame as tiea'n'
cal producer. as his assistant.
In May 1870, he came to Colorado
to be with his brother. who was i'll
Mt Evans with tuberculosis. but the
brother died before his arrival. DE
returned to New York to make arr'ln-
rements to remain permanently WI"
the Colony, returning In July OF tne
same year. His name ng"res p'',nu
emily in the events OF the carry uAs
=. recorded by other pioneers. but he
did not remain permanently as y meui
her Of the Colony. He returned to
New York and engaged Ill he"Spap.
work there for some time. but In 1ss2
he came hack to Goscrado ana oese
editor OF the Greeley tribune ""'eh
his father had established IN ie'V' ms
father having been killed during INC
massacre at Meeker In lsf"' "heh ne
was Indian agent at that point
Ralph Meeker enjoyed remarkaoe
newspaper career. After serving MS
novitiate on the Tribune under Gree
ley he became associated Win 'he
Herald. with which paper he was con-
nected for more than ~ years. iiiS
work brought him into intimate con-
tact with Charles-A Dana, james "or-
don Bennett, Eugene Field Wiii''m
Winter and many Others VII" were
famous in newspaper and literary he'ds
during those days. His experiences III
newspaper work were vnr,ed' ihc'"''
ing lengthy trip throuh the West
about 1875 to investigate cohdit'ohs
with reference to alleged frauds at the
Indian agencies, during which trip ne
wrote and Travelled under an assumed
name He was stationed III London Tor
some time as representative OF the
Herald and was wnr correspondent Tor
the paper during the Russo-Turkish
war In 1887. His newspaper WORK
was Of an exceptionally high charac-
ter and won him national fame.
After retiring from active work he
lived at White Plains. n T.. where he
ho1un tho Drpnn rNtiOn Of data for n