Cheney Ames

    Death of Cheney Ames.
 Hon. Cheney Ames died in Chicago
yesterday at the age of eighty-four.
 For many years of his life, Oswego
had no citizen better known than
Cheney Ames, and few residents of
this city have had a more active bus-
iness career and none has ever ex-
erted himself more vigorously in en-
deavoring to promote the welfare and
prosperity of the city.
 He was born in the village of 
Mexico. where he spent his youthful
years. In early life he learned the
trade of a hatter and for several years
was engaged in that business in the
village of Cortland, N.Y.  He came
to Oswego in about the year 
1839 or a year later, and
opened a hat, cap and fur store on
East First street, and from that time
on down to within a comparatively
recent period he was prominent as a
merchant, forwarder, miller, and bus-
iness man generally, engaging activly
in any public enterprise calculated 
to promote the interests of the city
of Oswego.
 In his earlier days Mr. Ames was
and active whig of the anti-slavery
stripe and went into the republican
organization on the formation of that
party. In the early days of the par-
ty Oswego county had no more active 
member than Mr. Cheney Ames. In
1858 he was elected state senator, and
was again elected to the same body 
in 1864, making four years service in
the senate in which he was an ac-
tive and influential member.
 Among the important enterprises
in which he took an active part for
promoting the interests of Oswego
was the railroad from Oswego to
Richland, now an important link in
the R.W. & O. road, of which he was
one of the directors and one of the
most active promoters. When the
Midland road, now the N.Y.O. & W.
was projected, he entered into the
enterprize with zeal, was one of its
early directors and exerted his ener-
gies until the road was substantially
completed.
 In the course of his long business
carer in Oswego Mr. Ames at times
had several partners, at one
time being in business with Hon.
George B. Sloan in the grain and
commission business, during which
time the firm was very prosperous.
 Mr. Ames was appointed post-
master of the city of Oswego in 1849
serving four years, and again on the
incoming of the administration of
President Hayes in 1876, again serv-
a term of four years.
 Cheney Ames was one of a numer-
ous family of men and women all
born in Mexico, Oswego county, who
arrived at maturity and filled useful
careers. The survivors of the family
are Hon. Leonard Ames, proprietor
of Ames Iron Works in this city,
Henry M. Ames of California, Mrs.
A.A. Hulett of Syracuse and Mrs.
Dr. Rundell, of Mexico.
 His wife survives him as do his
children, Coman and Cortland Ames
of Chicago, Mrs. Belle Mudge of Min-
neapolis, Mrs. Frank E. Wheeler of
Utica, Mrs. Frank Penfield and Miss
Kate Ames of Chicago.
 The remains will arrive in Oswego
by the R.W. & O. road at 1:10, to-
morrow. Services in the Congrega-
tional church at 2:30, conducted by
Rev. B.W. Bacon.