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Gladstone's Cousin
ALEX STEELE DYING AT HIS HOME IN MARSHALL, MO.
Has Two Daughters Living Here, Mrs. S. L. Milice and Miss Belle Gladstone Steele, Stenographer in Water Department
Alexander Steele, a cousing of William Ewart Gladstone, the "Grand Old Man" of England, is hopelessly ill at his home in Marshall, Mo., where he has lived for the past twelve years. Mr. Steele has two daughters living in this city - Mrs. S. L. Milice, of 1220 Campbell street, and Miss Belle Gladstone Steele, stenographer of the water works department at the city hall. Another daughter is Mrs. Theo C. Jones, the wife of a prominent Saline county farmer, and the remaining child the wife of Dr. Roland, of Homer, Ill. The daughters are at the bedside of the dying man.
Mr. Steele is five years younger than his distinguished relative. Mr. Gladstone was born in 1810 and celebrated his 88thh birthday a short time prior to his death a few months ago. Mr. Steele was born in Scotland, July 20, 1815, the same month and year in which Bismarck, who died a few days ago, was born, and a month after the battle of Waterloo. He came to America when he was about 15 years old, but as a boy he often played with Gladstone and when both grew to manhood they kept up a more or less regular correspondence. Mr. Steele has a very great admiration for his great kinsman and swore by him in all things. His comfortable home at Marshall, Mo., contains a great many interesting mementoes of the "Grand Old Man."
Mr. Steele came to this country in 1830 and settled with his parents in Virginia. A short time afterwards his parents removed to Ross count, O., where he engaged in farming, and grew to manhood. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Core, who is still living. Five children were born to them, of whom the oldest died in infancy; the four daughters whose names have been given survive. Of the two who live in this city, Mrs. Milice, the oldest living daughter, is the wife of a prominent real estate dealer. Miss Belle Steele is an accomplished young woman, who for the past two or three years has acted as stenographer for Superintendent Longwell of the water works department.
Mr. Steele accumulated a competency in successful farming in Ohio and came to Missouri in 1868, settling in Saline county. Though he had not enlisted in the war of the rebellion, he was an ardent sympathizer with the Union cause and he found himself in exceedingly uncongenial surroundings in Saline county, Mo., just after the close of the war and during the troublous reconstruction days. But he won the respect of his neighbors and never offensively obtruded his opinions.
Mr. Steele bears a close resemblance to his distinguished relative, though he is a much larger man. The facial resemblance is very marked, and a picture of Mr. Steele might easily be mistaken for that of the "Grand Old Man."
Mr. Steele has been in feeble health for some time, and has suffered for four or five years from a complication of diseases incident to old age. His physicians hold out no hopes of his recovery, and his death is expected at any time.
The lapse of time brought a better understanding between the participants in the great struggle of the early '60s and Mr. Steele attracted to himself the confidence and esteem of all with whom he came in contact.
Advancing years and physical disablilties following a serious accident compelled hime to leave the farm, and he removed to Marshall, the county seat of Saline county, ten or twelve years ago. He has lived there ever since in peaceful returement, enjoying the well earned repose of an honorable and active life. He was often urged to accept offices of trust, but always refused and throughout a long career of active participation in political affairs he has never held an office. |
