My Genealogy Hound

Prof. W. U. Simons, United States Signal Service sergeant, and observer for the territory of Arkansas, Northeast Texas and the Indian Territory, residing in the suburbs of Little Rock, is a native of St. Louis, Mo., and a son of John and Virginia (Deck) Simons, of Kentucky and Virginia, respectively. The parents resided in St. Louis for a great number of years, where he was engaged in mercantile life and steam-boating very extensively until his death, in 1853, from yellow fever, while on a steamboat from New Orleans to Memphis. The mother is still living, and resides at St. Louis. Prof. Simons was reared in that city and educated at the public schools, and also at the McKendrick College, at Lebanon, Ill. In 1872 he entered the Signal Service department, and went direct to Washington for instruction. He was first stationed at Jacksonville, Fla., where he remained from August, 1872, until January, 1876, and was then transferred to Smithville, N. C., remaining there fifteen months. During the summer of 1877 he was stationed at Philadelphia, and next at New Orleans, from 1877 to February, 1879. San Diego, Cal., was his next station, where he remained for one year, and at the last two places mentioned Prof. Simons had entire charge of the Signal Service. In the spring of 1880 he came to Little Rock, and took charge of the station established in 1879. At that time reports were received from three other points only by telegraph, Little Rock being the only station in the State. Now there are forty-nine stations, of which thirteen in the district report by telegraph, and each county in Arkansas reports daily by mail. Indications and warnings are sent out by telegraph to about twenty different points in the district. In 1882 Prof. Simons recommended the establishment of the Fort Smith station which is now in full operation. When he took charge of the work he was the only salaried man in that district, but now there are seventeen, and a monthly paper has been operated for the last two years in the Signal Service, called the Arkansas Weather Review. Prof. Simons has been authorized by the department at Washington to make predictions daily twenty-four hours ahead as to the state of the weather, and during the first month of this new arrangement (July) his predictions were verified by a percentage about equal to the one at Washington, 85 per cent. Prof. Simons was married in St. Louis to Miss Caroline Schick, who died from yellow fever at New Orleans in 1878. He himself suffered from this scourge at the same time, and was stricken down for a month. Three children were born to their marriage, of whom two are yet living: Justain E. and George A. His second marriage occurred in New Orleans, in 1880 to Miss Mittie E. Crawford. In secret societies, Prof. Simons is a member of Capitol Lodge No. 49, K. of P., at Little Rock, and is Chancellor Commander of his lodge, having been the first regularly elected officer to that position after the organization of the lodge, and when he had only been a member of the order two months.