Harry C. Short

SHORT, DIKEMAN

Posted By: Dianne Krogh (email)
Date: 7/26/2008 at 09:47:50

Lansing River Pilot "Crosses The Bar"

For Fifty-Three Years He Saw Active Service on Mississippi

Less than two weeks after the death of his wife, Capt. Harry Short Sr., crossed his last "wide river," passing away at Chicago Memorial Hospital Saturday, Nov. 23. He was en-route with a nurse to Iowa City for treatment, being ill when his wife died and unable to come to Lansing for her funeral. He had been suffering from uremia and a cardiac collapse caused his death.

Captain Harry C. Short was born on May 31, 1871, at Clinton, Iowa, the eldest son of six children of Capt. I. H. Short and Jane Baker Short. Being early day river people the family lived also at different times at Lansing, Bellevue, La Crosse, St. Paul and other places. Harry attended elementary schools in Clinton and Lansing, graduating from the high school and commercial college in the former city. He also studied medicine for a time at Keokuk Medical College.

For 53 years he saw active service on the Mississippi river, 48 in the capacity of captain and pilot. He served on such boats as "Musser," "Ben Hershey," "North Star,"--it being on this one that he laid up his raft and rescued hundreds of stranded passengers from the islands following the first "J. S." disaster. Other boats included the "Kit Karson," "Ideal," "Lydia Van Sant," "Frontenac," "Golden Eagle," "Washington," "St. Paul," and "Clyde." For the past 15 years continuously and at intervals since 1914 he served as master of the Steamer "Kalitan" and houseboat "Marketana."

Deceased was a member of one of the oldest and largest families of river men associated with the Upper Mississippi; and at the time of his death was the eldest (and the only) pilot to be licensed from Minneapolis to New Orleans, including all tributary rivers; and held the most extensive license ever issued by the New Orleans district examiners.

Captain Short was an excellent photographer and was prominent as a conservasionist and sportsman; at one time holding an Illinois district trap-shooting championship. He was a real hunter and fisherman, and in early manhood was a fine semi-pro baseball player and boxer. He was also a talented musician on piano and violin, and had appeared as a youth in concert performances in La Crosse and St. Paul.

Always interested in Lansing civic affairs, he served the town well and faithfully as city assessor. He helped make the original surveys for Blackhawk bridge; served on the Liberty Loan committee in the first World War; was one of the organizers and charter secretary of the N. E. Iowa Conservation League; and a local representative of the Mississippi Scenic Highway group of years ago--now trying to be revised as a Federal parkway project.

A busy and active man at all times, when not on the river, he operated at one time a button cutting plant in partnership with his brother-in-law, the late W. W. Dikeman; also being engaged in local logging operations with his old time friend, the late J. P Conway. He was always an active member of the Mississippi River Pilot's Association; also holding memberships in the Moose, Eagles and Odd Fellows lodges, holding several offices in the latter at various times.

Captain Short was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Dikeman on January 4, 1900; and she preceded him in death Nov 10, 1940. To them were born one son, Harry Jr., who survives with his wife, Miriam Luke Short; and grandson Luke Short. Also surviving are one sister, Mrs. Lulu Belle Cram; and two brothers, Volney and Ira, all of St. Paul; two brothers-in-law, Ezra Dikeman, Milwaukee; and Edward Dikeman, Tracy California, and their wives; a sister -in-law, Mrs. W. H. Dikeman, Wabesha, Minn; several neices and nephews; besides a wide circle of friends and acquaintances up and down the river.

His remains arrived from Chicago Monday morning and were taken direct from the train to Oak Hill cemetery, where interment was made beside the deceased wife in the Dikeman family lot. Rev. L. C. Bartholomew, of the Federated church, conducted the graveside service, and casket bearers were R. A. Cavers, Fred Schafer, Frank Hilkin, Will Saam, John Bjerke and R. A. Dunlevy.

Out of own relatives and friends in attendance included Mrs. Lulu B. Cram, Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Haisley, St. Paul; Mr. Ira Cram, Chicago; Miss Sadie Luke, Mrs. Willard Bottoms, Dubuque; Attorney Frank E. Withrow and wife, La Crosse.

This paper joins with hosts of Lansing friends in extending sincerest sympathy to the sorrowing son Harry Jr., his family and relatives twice bereaved within a fortnight.
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And thus has passed to rest the last of Lansing's river pilots--a great lot of men who helped make history on the Mississippi River in days long since gone by. Among all the names of river people within the memory of the writer--Captains Withrow, York, Carpenter, Murphy, Hire, Kratka, Dikeman, Turner, Serene, Burns and all the others--none was more beloved than "Harry" Short.

Peace to his ashes.