The Sudden Demise of one of Leon's Pioneers--A Sketch of His Life.
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The citizens of Leon were astounded to learn Monday that A.J. DETRICK
had died very suddenly in Des Moines of cerebral hemorrhage.  MR.
DETRICK, under the care of J.A. CALDWELL, went to Des Moines to attend
the institute for the cure of liquor habit, to which he was
unfortunately addicted.  He was taken sick before reaching Des Moines
and on arriving there was taken immediately to the National Institute.
No effort was made during his stay to administer the cure which he
desired, but the doctors confined their efforts to an attempt to save
his life, but they were in vain.  The remains were brought home Tuesday
and the funeral will be held this morning at the M.E. Church, under the
auspices of the G.A.R., of which he was a member.

ANDREW J. DETRICK was born March 2, l828, at Zanesville, Ohio, being at
the time of his death 65 years of age.  At an early age he moved with
his parents to Green Castle, Ind., where he attended college for some
time.  Arriving at the stage of manhood he started west and located at
Beardstown, Ill., where he commenced working at the printer's trade.  In
June, l849, he was married at Beardstown to MISS SUSAN HARRINGTON and
soon afterward moved to Des Moines, which was at that time nothing more
than a frontier fort.

In l850, in connection with a man named Granger, he commenced the
publication of the Iowa Star, which was the first paper published at
that place.  The family then moved to Boone, Iowa, where they resided
for about seven years.  While here he engaged in the mercantile business
mostly.  The glowing accounts from Kansas again lured him into moving
still farther west and he made Ft. Scott his home for nearly two years,
but the growing political strifes were destroying the golden
opportunities he had hoped to meet, and he started for Leon, arriving
here in October, l860, and this has been the residence of the family
ever since.

He at once engaged as a printer on the Leon Pioneer, then owned by P.H.
BINKLEY.  In l86l the sounds of war were echoing throughout the country
and he enlisted early in the Third Iowa Cavalry in the company of John.
W. Warner, and served faithfully for three weary years.  Upon his return
from the war he engaged in various pursuits, editor, selling nursery
stock and finally real estate, which he has followed closely for the
greater part of twenty years, in which he was fairly successful.

He has left as surviving relatives the faithful and patient wife of his
youth, five daughters, two sons, twelve grandchildren and one great
grandchild, all feeling deeply the death of the husband and father, in
which they are joined by the entire community.

Sad to state, yet true it is there are men, noble and generous hearted
fellows, honest and upright in many relations of life, who unfortunately
through some unexplained and unaccountable means, incur a habit of
hallucination, as it were, that oftimes unmans them and impairs their
usefulness.  Barring this misfortune he was an upright and genial
citizen, a kind and indulgent parent and an agreeable man.
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