to secure an immediate income from the Agricultural College Land Grant, without sacrificing the lands. By the adoption of this plan Iowa secured for all time a larger income for support of the college than any State having the same amount of land. At the close of his term in 1884, Mr. Gue removed to Fort Dodge, purchased the only newspaper establishment where for eight years he published a Republican paper. In 1865 he was appointed postmaster of Fort Dodge but resigned in the fall of that year, having been nominated by the Republican State Convention for Lieutenant-Governor. In 1866 he was elected president of the Board of Trustees of the State Agricultural College and for several years gave a large portion of his time to the building and organization of the college. He carried a proposition through the board for the admission of girls as students, against strong opposition. As a member of the committee on organization, he visited the Agricultural Colleges of the country and was instrumental in selecting President Welch and the first corps of professors. Mr. Gue has always taken a deep interest in the growth of this college and by voice and pen defended and supported it through all of the years of its existence. In 1872 he removed to Des Moines and became editor of the Iowa Homestead. Receiving the appointment of United States Pension Agent of Iowa and Nebraska from President Grant, he gave his entire time to the duties of that position for eight years. Upon retiring in 1881 he again became editor of the Homestead. For more than fifteen years he took an active part in the political campaigns as a public speaker for the Republican party. He was one of the founders of the “Iowa Unitarian Association,” of the “Pioneer Lawmakers' Association,” and is author of a History of Iowa.
DAVID J. GUE was born in Farmington, Ontario County, New York, January 17, 1836. He acquired a common school education with one year at an academy. In 1853 he came to Iowa and assisted an older brother on a farm in Scott County. He studied law in Tipton and was admitted to the bar in 1860. In 1862, as counsel for J. S. Maxwell, he won a noted case for his client whose seat in the General Assembly was contested by Milo Smith, who retained Judge C. C. Cole. Mr. Gue was chosen assistant secretary of the Senate at that session. In 1859 he connected his name imperishably with history, in a secret effort to save the lives of John Brown and his companions who were then organizing the “raid” on Harper's Ferry. The particulars of this episode are to be found in Vol. II. of this history. When a small boy David J. had possessed a remarkable talent for pencil sketching, especially of portraits. In 1865 he located at Fort Dodge in the drug business. But his love for art grew with the years and he finally sold out and gave his attention to portrait painting. Among his Iowa work are portraits of John A. Kasson, Bishop H. W. Lee, Governors Merrill, Carpenter and Larrabee; Chief Justices of the Supreme Court
