Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1918 — CAPT. RAGON, PIONEER LOWELL EDITOR DEAD [ARTICLE]

CAPT. RAGON, PIONEER LOWELL EDITOR DEAD

Capt. Henry Harrison Ragon, dean of Lake county editors, war veteran, former member of the legislature, pioneer school teacher and secret service operative, is dead at Lowell in his 81st year. The end came peacefully Friday morning at 7:40 o’clock, after two days 'of unconsciousness and a long peripd of illness. Editor Ragon was one of -the owners of the Lowell Tribune and was associated in that business with his two sons, Leonard W. and Cordie U. Another son, Elmer E. Ragon, is with the Hammond Times at Gary. The pioneer newspaper man has been a resident of Lake county for over a half century. Serving in the civil war as captain of the 144th Ohio infantry and later in President Lincoln’s secret service during the rebellion, Captain Ragon came to Lake county when the conflict ended. He settled at Lowell, where he taught school for years. Captain Ragon was said to be the oldest living person who taught school in the county. Later he established the Lowell Tribune with A. A. Winslow, now consul-general at * Auckland, New Zealand. Besides their sons, Captain, and Mrs. Ragon have three daughter, Mrs. 0. M. Collins, Little Rock, ArK.; Mrs. E. A. Surprise, of Lowell, and Mrs. Joseph E. Buckley, of Des Moines," la. Captain Ragon for more than forty years was active in politics. Hundreds of persons, many of them now prominent in various walks of life, still have a kindly remembrance for their old teacher.

Will Brown, of Hebron, was in town Tuesday calling on hfs many friends. Will is a candidate for the Republican nomination for joint senator from the counties of Lake, Porter, Jasper and Newton. When the last apportionment was made two members of the seriate were given Lake county, and a senator at large from the other counties. All of these members are now L&ke county men. It is the belief of many that a man from a county other than Lake should be made joint senator so that some representation could be given these counties. Lake is and always will be amply represented, and unless a man from a county outside that county is elected the other counties will not be. Mr. Brown makes an ideal candidate. He is all wool, true blue, and has a wide acquaintance throughout the district. He is and has long been in touch with the peoples of all the counties he seeks to represent, and enjoys their fullest confidence. He was prevailed upon to become a candidate and now that he is in the field, he is working to win the honor of a nomination. The Tribune hopes that every Porter county Republican will give his hearty support to Will Brown, of Hebron, for Joint Senator. His fight is the fight of all of the people of the counties outside of Lake. Whether these counties will have representation in the legislature of the future depends upon his success now. Lake county is growing bigger every day, and Lake county’s politicians are always willing to take anything that is not nailed down and out of their reach. With them it is not “after you, my dear Alfonso.” It is “get it, no matter how.”—Chesterton Tribune.