Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-02-17

ment works engineer, and for 8
years a member of Valley lodge
No. 36, l. o. O. F., passed away a
his home here Tuesday evening a
$40 o'clock Death following Al
illness of nine weeks. The immed
late cause of death was heart trou
ble
Up until his last illness Captain
Travis had enjoyed remarkabl.
good health. He never grew old l.
body or mind, and could have read
lily passed for man Of 60 years
He was born at Roxbury, Aug. II
1850. When one year of age hi
parents moved here, thus for g.
years this place had been his home
He attended the local school, OBJ
tanning good common school edl
cation. He had an exceptionally kee,
and retentive mind. When youns
boy, he was bell-hop at the Frank
lin hotel, during an oil boom, and {
little later he began his steamboat
river career, following in footstep!
of his father. He filled PRACTICAL,
every position connected with
this important service. For approx
imately 80 years he was pilot, or
many different steamboats, that
piled the Muskingum and Ohio riv-
ers. Back in the days when the
Muskingum river salt works, and
flour mills were in operation, he Of
ten piloted boats bound for New Or.
leans, and other points in the
south, loaded with flour and salt
He never lost his interest in boat
ing and in later years, he was still
very much at home at the pilot e
wheel. In 1885 he was made lock.
tender here. Later he had charge
of all of the government property
at the lock on the island. He held
this position for As years, long be-
yond the ordinary age Of retire
ment. During that period there
was much activity. He assisted in
building many boats; and in the re-
building of locks and dams, and IN
fact there was nothing pertaining
to river matters, and boating that
was not thoroughly familiar to him.
In addition to Captain Travis
being an outstanding riverman,
many other features of his long life
stood out prominently. He became a
member of Valley lodge, No. SO, /.
o. o. F., May 10, 1871, and Tor
about 67 years he had been very
prominent in the order, and was
perhaps the oldest Odd Fellow in
the point of membership in the
state. He very seldom missed
a meeting, always giving something
of special interest.
During the years the Scientific
and Historical society was in ex-
istence here, Captain Travis wrote
many articles of much worth, and
very valuable from an historical
and scientific standpoint. His out
standing paper was on Muskingum m
river history and navigation, which
was later printed in the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical rec
ords. He was also keenly interest
ed in the Muskingum Valley Chau-
tauqua, serving on its board of di-
rectors for the more than 25 years
it was conducted, and had also
served as it's president He was one
of the outstanding promoters of the
Malta ~McConnelsyille Electric COM
pany, and served as it's president
for number of years. At the time
of his death he was president of the
Miller Undertaking and Furniture
company, a position he had held for
a number of years. He had a good,
sound business mind, and his ad-
vice and counsel were freely sought.
There seems to be nothing that
Captain Travis set himself to ac-
complish that he could not do, and
that most successfully. He loved
the outdoors-to hunt and fish; to
hike, and study of birds. He was an
expert in the rowing of boats. A
little more than year ago when
the local river was the second high
est on record, he, all alone. rowed a
boat across the river and back
again. He was an ardent baseball
fan; was a good swimmer and skat-
er; he could entertain crowd
play the violin, sing, dance, and as
a reader he had few equals; was a
most interesting cOnversatiOnalist,
the range of his subjects were many
and varied. His home was a hos
pital one. He had fine erect bear
ing, and dressed neatly and in good
taste He always lived a clean,
temperate life.
His passing has left a void in this
locality that will not be easy to fill;
and his wise counsel and advice will
be sadly missed.
Captain Travis was the oldest of
a family of FIVE children born TO
the late John and Mary Ramsy
Travis. His wife who was Jennie
Whipple Travis, daughter of Rose
well and Hannah Weeks Whipple.
and was a real Daughter of 1872"
died May 10, 1886. They were the
parents Of three children, Leslie
Travis, who died in the year 1928,
and Virgie Lee, wife of Colonel
Lane Schofield, of Washington, ..
C. One child died in infancy. He
also leaves one grandson. Irven
Travis, professor OF electrical en-
gineering at the University Of Penn
sylvania, and one great granddaugh-
ter, Leslie Jane Travis; three SIS
ters-Mrs. Hattie Walker and Mrs.
Sophie Brooks Of this place, and
Mary Travis of Orient, O.. One
brother, Edgar A. Travis, died Jan.
23, 1926.
Last rites for Captain Travis,
which will be public, will be held
this (Thursday) afternoon at 8
O'Clock at his late home, under the
auspices OF Valley lodge, No. 36, I.
o. o. f.. The officiating minister
will be Rev. M. +. Mcdonald, pastor
of the Pennsyille NJ r. church. and
personal friend Of the deceased.
Interment will be In McConnelsville
scemetery.