over the political situation of the times than the State of Illinois. The famous debate of 1858 between Lincoln and Douglas had projected its immense influence everywhere, but the candidacy of the distinguished participants for the presidency, both being Illinoisans, added new fuel to the fire already burning. The intellectual forces of the whole State were called out and marshaled on the

respective sides. In 1860 Mr. Tansey resuscitated the old Alton "National Democrat," whose establishment had been completely destroyed by a cyclone, and, assuming the entire proprietary and editorial responsibility, performed indomitable and brilliant service in behalf of the Democratic campaign. He thus became prominent and influential in his party's councils and the close friend of distinguished leaders in the party. Stephen A. Douglas, the greatest of Western Democratic statesmen, seemed to feel a sort of fatherly regard for the brilliant young editor, and during the closing years of his life Mr. Tansey was one of his closest and most thoroughly trusted personal and political friends. He was one of the few men also admitted to the counsels of Wilbur F. Storey, the gifted editor of the Chicago "Times," whose genius and enterprise have left a distinct impress upon Western journalism. Absorbed in the building up of a great newspaper enterprise in the development, in fact, of a new school of journalism-Storey lived in an atmosphere of reserve which few people penetrated. He trusted few people, and had few intimate friends, but Mr. Tansey was one of the few, and knew the great editor and publisher as hardly any other man knew him. He was the intimate friend, too, of William R. Morrison, S. S. Marshall, George Judd, Charles H. Lanphier, R. E. Goodell, and, indeed, all of the chief party leaders in those days, and his advice was always sought and welcomed. The friends he had made outside of politics adhered to him under all circumstances. He took an active part in the permanent location of the capital at Springfield at the time the question of building a new State House was agitated, and assisted greatly in the result. Resuming his railroad connections in 1862, he was appointed general freight agent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, serving under its first president, James Robb, with headquarters at Chicago, but from this position he retired in the fall of 1863, and came to St. Louis

as a member of the firm of Mitchell, Miltenberger & Tansey, afterward incorporated as the East St. Louis Transfer Company, which, purchasing the Madison County Ferry, operated the ferry between Venice and St. Louis. At that time all railroad freights were required to break bulk on either side of the river, and, as the commercial importance of the city increased, the want of some method of transferring cars loaded with grain, flour, lumber and other commodities in bulk was found to work a serious injury to the commerce of the city. In those days the railroads in Illinois terminating in East St. Louis were often obliged to refuse grain in bulk for. St. Louis, owing to the great delay in getting it removed from the cars by teams. At this critical period Messrs. Mitchell and Tansey, appreciating the great need of the hour, established, in connection with the Madison County ferry, a car transfer, by steamboat and barge, capable of transferring twelve cars each trip. The immediate effects of this enterprise inaugurated by Mr. Tansey and his associates were the removal of the embargo on the grain trade, a great increase in the shipments of heavy freight to St. Louis in car loads, and a large reduction in the cost of transfer. The plan of transfer thus inaugurated revolutionized the entire system of transportation across the river, inasmuch as other ferry companies followed the example of the Madison County Ferry Company, and thus developed a transfer system adequate to the needs of the great and growing city of St. Louis. At a later date the East St. Louis Transfer Company was amalgamated with the old St. Louis Transfer Company, taking the name of that corporation, under which it has continued its existence up to the present time, Mr. Tansey being at its head

until his death. He organized the through-checking of baggage, which travelers have found so great a convenience, and in numerous ways he diminished the annoyance of travel. A man of so versatile and universal business genius could not long hide his "light under a bushel" in the community. Mr. Tansey quickly became recognized in commercial circles as a leader. He was for over thirty years a member of the Merchants' Exchange, serving on all its committees, and as director, vice president and president, to which latter office he had the unusual honor, in 1871, of being elected without opposition.