Iowa
Old Press
Elkader Argus
Elkader, Clayton co. Iowa
Wednesday morning, September 13, 1893
A Tribute to the Memory of Clinton Boardman
From the city of Tampico in Mexico, comes the sad and
painful news of the death of Clinton Boardman, and we are without
any of the particulars of his death, except that he died in that
city on the 31st of July last, of yellow jaundice, after only one
week of sickness, and as he was well and favorably known in this
county, and with all a true and a tried friend of the author of
this, he therefore deserves at our hands a more than passing
notice of his death.
He was born in Elkader on the 24th of October, 1851, and was the
son of Captain Elisha Boardman and Julia Boardman and his aged
mother, a wife and several of his children survive him.
He was carefully raised here in this city by his tender and
indulgent mother, who spared no pains to rear him up to manhood
to become an honor to himself and a solace to her declining
years, and from childhood to manhood he never forgot her, and
through-out his checkered life, with all its ups and downs to
him, that one of all others, who in his helpless youth ...
"Ran to help him when he fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kissed the place to make it well."
His mother, was ever on his mind.
From birth to manhood, he grew up in this city, and here has left
hosts of kind friends who will deeply deplore his death, and who
will remember him as he advanced to manhood as a health, manly,
rollican, laughing boy with a kind word, a lively greeting and a
hearty handshake for every one he met. Here he had no enemies,
for nature had given him such a kindly disposition that made it
impossible for him to make them, and whether he was among the old
or the young, he was to all the prince of good fellows.
Among the boys of his age while growing up to manhood, he was
always their leader in every youthful sport, and while one of his
youthful companions survive him, he will recall with pleasing
memory, the juvenile circus, the spring board with its high and
lofly tumbling, the youthful clown, the tin band, the comic
pieces, the black minstrels, and the base ball ground in all of
which Clinton was the leader, the planner, the captain, and the
principal actor, and indeed many of these plays were of a very
high order, and many of the older citizens who witnessed many of
these youthful sports have laughed themselves sick over their
performances, and to go to one of Clinton Boardman's minstrel
shows was a rich and laughable treat for men, women and children.
Though a leader, he was never so for mischief or wrong to any
one, or was he ever known to lead a companion astray, but he
inherited a love for fun and his fun was of a high order, and
never degrading, and as youth began to wear away and give place
to manhood, he still retained in a stronger degree that lively
disposition that made him the boon companion of men instead of
boys, and his company was sought after, and his presence ever
welcome in every social circle.
In all of his intercourse with both men and boys, he was ever
kind, generous and unselfish; and to him, as the poet says,
"the world was a stage, and mankind were the players,"
but in Clinton's plays there was no tragedy; his were the bright
side of life and he had eyes that could neither see a dark day,
nor a painful tragedy, and when disappointment came upon him,
such as would cause others to sink down and dispond, his
expedient mind rose above it, and with a lively and cheerful
heart found a recompense elsewhere.
For several years he was employed about the court house in this
county as a clerk, and in this business he was an expert and his
records will ever remain in the county of his nativity, as models
of cleaness, style and execution; and it was this ability that
led him into railroad offices, where his work soon became
indespensible, and for many years, from the frozen north, to the
tropics, he has followed the developements of railroads ... and
died at last in the harness, and in a foreign land, far from the
home of his birth and the scenes of his youth.
He was decended from a noble race of men, who could trace their
ancestry backward to where they had mingled in the strife and
storms in the days that tried mens souls, and on the side of
right and justice had contributed their strength to establish
human liberty over a continent, and had a similar occasion called
upon or young and departed friend, as one had his lamented
father, he would have shown himself equal to every call. In life
he was the personification of the lines of the poet who wrote:
"Here is a smile for those who love me
And sigh for those who hate,
And whatever skies are above me,
Here is a heart for every fate."
To his kind and indulgent mother, as well as to his tender wife
and loving children, this community will send their heartfelt
sympathy for their loss and however the world may look upon his
life and actions, to those tender ones, his memory will be ever
green.
...Samuel Murdock
- Local News -
Miss Sarah Hodges returned last Friday from Chicago.
Will Underwood came down from Postville, last Saturday.
Frank Molumby left yesterday for Chicago to see the sights.
S.C. Clark, of the Clark House was on the sick list last week.
Miss Smith, of Elgin, is visiting with H.C. Bishop's family.
John Magner, of Dubuque, was in town the early part of the week
James Adams, of Farmersburg, made this office a short call last
Monday.
Leroy Hodges and Will Ebendorf left Saturday for the city of the
World's fair.
Mrs. Murdock would like a good girl to board with her and attend
school.
H.H. Barnard now dishes out sugar at Jo Lamm's store in the
absence of Mr. Clift.
Charles Chapman of Strawberry Point, was an agreeable caller last
Wednesday.
Miss Marion Murdock will deliver an address on Unitarian day at
the World's Fair.
J.E. Corlett made a business trip to Cherokee last week. We don't
mean the Cherokee strip.
We recently received intelligence of the death of Mrs. Lobdell,
of Dubuque mother of Mrs. H.C. Ehrlich.
The Ladies' Dime society of the M.E. church will meet with Mrs.
W.A. Preston on Friday afternoon.
Miss Fannie Wagner returned last Saturday from Chicago and
Milwaukee where she spent her summer vacation.
Some fiend in human form managed to relieve Miss Fanna Wagner of
her purse and its contents at the World's Fair.
Miss Laura Irwin, of Toboso, Ohio, a niece of our senior arrived
last Saturday for an extended visit with the Argus family.
There was a small prairie fire on L.F. Gossman's lawn this
morning, the grass catching on fire and burning a space about
forty feet square.
Notice - All knowning themselves indebted to me must call and
settle within 30 days or accounts will be placed in a collector's
hands for collection. B.F. Falkenhainer.
Walter Clift left Monday for the Cherokee strip. Walter thinks of
becoming a granger.
George H. Otis, of Monona, T.H. Studebaker, of McGregor and C.
Mitrucker, of Guttenberg, were in town last Friday attending the
Clayton Co. Press Association.
Mrs. Judge Murdock was favored last week with a visit from two of
her brothers, one of whom lives in Wisconsin and the other in
Texas. She had not seen the one residing in Texas for over
thirty-five years.
J.R. Beddow, of Updegraff, was in town last week attending court
as a member of the grand jury. When he went home he carried with
him a nice set of silver knives and forks which were awarded him
by Dr. Hudson, as champion guesser, having upon a guessing
contest, guessed the exact number (on hundred and sixty-seven) of
bottles of medicine sold by the doctor since his arrival here.
Died. William Bullman, a former resident of this county, died at
his home in Chicago on the 11th, from injuries received several
weeks ago in a street car and railroad wreck.
Died. On last Saturday morning at his residence near St. Olaf,
occurred the death of Rudolph Englehardt, of congestion of the
brain and heart failure. Mr. Englehardt arose in the morning in
his usual health and after eating his breakfast went into the
field to assist in threshing. He had not been at work but a short
time when he complained of being unwell and went to the house
where he died in a few hours. How brittle is the threat that
binds us to earth.
Married. September 6, 1893, at the residence of Mr. L.F. Gossman,
Mr. Harry Brown and Miss Leta Mallory, both of Colesburg, Iowa,
Rev. R.C. Lusk officiating.
Marriages
On last Wednesday at the residence of Anton Kramer occurred the
marriage of Mr. J.C. Schmidt, of Elkport, and Miss Nettie Kramer,
of this place. Also on the same date, at the residence of the
bride's parents at Communia occurred the marriage of Mr Michael
Tieden and Miss Clara Klinek, both of Cox Creek township, George
Wolf, Esq. performed the marriage ceremony in both cases.
-- Advertisements --
-Prouty's tonsorial parlors.
-New dress goods, Story & Clark organs and White sewing
machines at Jo Lamm's.
-J.B. Litchfield's dental rooms over V.H. Schroeder's store.
-See Charles Liebrock's large line of clothing.
-Threshing machine oil and axle grease at lowest prices at
Bayless & Hagensick's.
-C.F Schoch's wagon and carriage shop is one of Elkader's
substantial enterprises.
-Bargains in cook stoves, at Brown & Bahr's. 5% less than
cost we need the room - the stoves must go.
- Luana Locals -
Mrs. Reuben Nichols is visiting her children up this
way.
Mrs. Akerman is expected home today after an absence of a few
days at Burr Oak camp meeting.
Miss May Cady returned to her home last week.
Aggie Conway has a cousin visiting her.
Mr. Hacket and family have returned to Wis., where they used to
live.
Mrs. Sawyer and Mrs. W.W. Russell called on friends in town
Saturday
Died - Sept. 5, Mr. Wm. Burgess at his home in Luana. He had been
failing about a year, but suffered most during the last six
months. Heart disease was the cause of his suffering and death. A
wife, one son and three daughters are left to mourn husband and
father. The children are all married. Mr. Burgess was an early
settler here, was a stock buyer, also farmer. He died at the age
of sixty-eight years. The friends of the family extend their
heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved ones. Mr. and Mrs. Wells, of
Cresco, were in attendance upon the funeral, also Mrs. Jensen, of
Leroy, Minn., and Mrs. Chambers, of South Dakota.
[transcribed by S.F., November 2016]