Capt. Robert McQueen Weir (1836-1909)

WEIR

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 11/26/2016 at 18:56:17

From Nevada Representative June 22, 1909 (front page)

Death of Capt. R. M. Weir

Capt. Robert M. Weir formerly a well known citizen of Boone died a short time ago in California, and his funeral was conducted Friday at Boone. He leaves a wife and one daughter. Capt. Weir was a Scotchman who came to this country as a boy, mastered the machinist's trade and in the time of the civil war became an engineer in the United States navy. A few years after the war he came to Iowa and located in Boone where the most of his active life was spent in the foundry business. An incident which proved to be the turning point in his life is very nicely told as follows by John M. Brainard:

"After the close of the ward between the states, he was selected to make a foreign cruise, and visit every seaport in South America, and some in Africa. It was while his vessel was lying in Callao, the seaport of Lima, Peru, that he became acquainted with Rev. J. G. Witted, an American missionary and his son, the latter dying here of the prevailing yellow fever. The father took ship in a vessel with Mr. Weir to return to America, but when a few days out, also died from the same malady which had carried off the son, and his body was buried at sea. Before his death he gave into the custody of Mr. Weir a considerable quantity of gold coin, to carry to his family, then living at Bradford, Chickasaw county, Iowa. The English captain of the vessel demanded the possession of his treasure, which Lieut. Weir refused, and in his persistancy to obtain it, the captain threatened to place Weir in irons. He counted without his host in this and was firmly reminded of the gravity of such an offense against our government as to place one of its uniformed officers in durance vile. That settled the question and Mr. Weir safely arrived in due time in Iowa and released his charge into the hands of its rightful owner. Here he met the daughter who afterwards became his wife."