Iowa
Old Press
Allamakee Journal
Lansing, Allamakee co. Iowa
May 1906
Iowa has 25,569 veterans of the Civil War living, 5241 being over
70, 547 over 80 and 36 over 90.
Ole K. Olson has built a new rock foundation for Forester Hall in
Harpers Ferry.
New Albin has organized a ball team, and the council passed an
ordinance prohibiting cattle being pastured on the streets.
Fred Weymiller, aged 80, died at his home in New Albin May 12. He
was born in Germany, came to America in 1845, to California in
1852, and a year or so later returned to Allamakee County. He was
a wealthy man, and leaves five children and 25 grandchildren.
Herman Haas is taking baths for rheumatism at Prairie du Chien.
Lansing’s three button factories now have a total weekly
payroll of $1500.00.
V. Rachor of Lansing township raised a new barn Monday. Henry
Benninger and 50 men did the work of raising.
[transcribed by E.W., February 2007
------
Postville Review
Postville, Allamakee co. Iowa
May 4, 1906
Vol. XXXIV
DIRE DISASTERS OF A DAY !
Two Well Known Residents of This Section Meet Death in Unnatural
Manner Monday.
Lemuel Leet Killed by the Cars. At McMaster Crossing. -- His
Horse Also is Killed. --Geo. J. Bull Drops
Down to Death From Wagon Seat.
Seldom, indeed, does a rural community contribute more to the
casualty list of a day than did this vicinity on Monday last,
when within less than a twelve-hour period two well known farmers
were suddenly summoned to meet death in an unnatural way. We
refer to Lemuel Leet and Geo. J. Bull.
Lemuel Leet left his home near Cherry Valley on Monday morning
last with a one horse top buggy bound for Postville to market
sixty-one dozen eggs and do some trading for the family, with
doubtless the thought farthest from his mind that he should not
reach his destination alive, but such was the divine decree. He
came down the straight stretch of the road from the Darius Orr
place, which commands a full view of the Milwaukee railway for
several miles east and beyond the station to the west, and
approached the McMaster grade crossing a half-mile east of town
just as the 10:20 west bound Milwaukee passenger came up the
straight stretch leading to town under a full head of steam. The
alert eye of Engineer Rush Eddy saw the rig approaching and
whistled out a shrill shriek of warning. The horse stopped and
the ponderous locomotive came thundering on, and when within a
short distance of the crossing, and too late to stop, Mr. Eddy
saw the man urging his horse on to the crossing. An instant later
the death-dealing crash came and all was over
and within less than its length the train came to a full stop.
The horse had got about two-thirds of the way over the crossing
when the engine caught it a little in front of the left hip and
hurled it full fifty feet on the south
side of the track where it dropped dead. The buggy was hurled to
pieces against the fence on the north side and on the same side
about 12 or 15 feet west of the cattle guard, close to the ties,
lay the lifeless body of Lemuel Leet, his skull crushed on the
left side, the neck broken, the left arm and left leg also
broken. The train crew placed the body in the baggage car and
carried it to the station where whence it was taken to the
undertaking rooms of J. M. Harris, who notified the family by
phone of the sad affair and prepared the body for burial.
From the best evidence obtainable it is evident Mr. Leet was
either in a deep study over something at the time of the
accident, or else failed to hear the danger signals of the train,
some claiming he was quite deaf, but of this we do not personally
know.
Lemeul Leet was born at Clermont, New Hampshire, Sept. 4, 1829,
and died at Postville, Iowa, as above stated on Monday, April 30,
1906, aged 76 years, 7 months and 26 days. When 14 years of age
he moved to Warren Co., New York, where he was united in marriage
to Mary Green, June 11, 1851. In Sept. 1865
they came to Hardin, Iowa, and in March 1868 moved on to farm in
Post township, where he resided until his death. Three children
were born to them, the eldest dying in infancy. His aged
companion, with one son, George B. Leet, and one daughter, Mrs.
Janet Jackson, with five grandchildren survive him.
Mr. Leet was respected for his industry, temperance and economy.
For a number of years past the infirmities of age had been
growing upon him, and his body was seldom free from the twinge of
pain, yet with his indomitable will he kept up and about.
Suddenly and without suffering came to him the summons, and a
kind husband and father, good citizen and friend is no more.
Peace to his ashes.
The funeral was held from Bethel U. B. church Wednesday forenoon,
Rev. R. M. Montgomery officiating. Interment in Minert cemetery.
GEORGE J. BULL
On Monday evening while returning from Postville to his home in
Ludlow township with a neighbor, Conrad Goeke, when near the Bray
farm this side of Myron, George J. Bull asked Mr. Goeke to let
him get out. Mr. Bull clambered out and scarcely had his feet
touched terra firma till he fell to ground, his head striking
some obstacle and bruising it severely. He was taken into a
neighboring house where he died a half hour later without
regaining consciousness. Death is attributed to the bursting of a
blood vessel and not to the fall breaking his neck as was first
reported. Rumor has it that in early life he was given a
privileged education and fitted for the law and his use of
language in conversation would seem to lend some foundation of
fact to this claim, though his life during many years in this
section has been given over largely to dissipation which dulled
an otherwise bright intellect. He was born in Watertown, New
York, Sept. 28, 1880 and at the time of his death was aged 69
years, 8 months and 7 days. His wife, one daughter, Mrs. Belle
Seward, of Minneapolis, and a brother, Colin Bull, of Illinois,
survive him. The funeral was held from the Bethel U. B. Church
yesterday, Rev. Montgomery officiating. Interment in the Minert
cemetery.
[transcribed by M.D., August 2003]