Mr. N.S. Bates, more familiarly known to our citizens as Governor Bates, died yesterday afternoon at three o'clock and the duty of paying a just tribute to the memory of an old and worthy citizen of Council Bluffs devolves upon us. He came to this place nearly twenty years ago, and during his long residence, was ever regarded by all as an honorable and upright man. Strict integrity characterized all his business transactions and his associations with our people were most friendly and agreeable from first to last. This is the legacy which he leaves to his family, after a long and active life which is so far richer one than gold or any other representative of worldly wealth.

Mr. Nathaniel S. Bates was born in Brattlebero, Vermont, on January 19, 1811 and was consequently verging on the allotted time of man, three score years and ten, when called to the world beyond. His early life was spent amid the rugged scenes of his native state, but on arriving to man's estate he started forth to become a pioneer in the settlement of the then but unknown west. He first stopped in Ohio where he lived for a few years and then removed to Springfield, Illinois, where he entered the service of the Western Stage Company as agent, and remained in that capacity for nearly if not quite thirty years. It was an agent for that company that he came to this city and he acted for them here until the modern "Iron Horse" superceded the old fashioned stage coach and made its existence no longer necessary as a means of travel and communication.

Mr. Bates was married in 1848 to Miss Frances C. Goddard, of Lafayette, Indiana, and she with five children, all grown to manhood, survive him. After his marriage he made his home in Springfield, Illinois, for about six years, after which time, he again started westward and located in Fairfield, this state, in 1854. There he remained four years and finding the wave of civilization still sweeping onward towards the setting sun, joined it, and continued with it until it struck the Missouri River, where he stopped and became a citizen and afterwards Mayor of Council Bluffs. He came in October 1858, and since that time he has continuously resided here. He acted as agent for the Western Stage Company up to 1867, the date that it quit business. He then commenced keeping hotel, but for one year only when he secured the contract for carrying the United States mails to end from the depots and also hauling the baggage for the Omnibus Company. This he continued to do until about two years ago, and many of our citizens will remember how faithfully he discharged the duties whether in storm or sunshine, both winter and summer.

The disease which was the immediate cause of his death was dropsy and towards the last was a great sufferer. He approached through the pangs of his disease to that point where he welcomed death as a relief, and when his son John returned on Thusday evening from the west he called his family around him and in a touching manner held his last conversation with them. He then expressed himself as satisfied and ready for the final change which he fully realized was near at hand.

His sickness covered a period of nearly eighteen months. A year ago last March he cut one of his fingers while pruning a tree in his yard and crysipelas resulted. From that day he never enjoyed good health but was able to be about and attend to business until about six months ago when the dropsy set in. Since that date he was confined to his house most of the time.