The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-10-18
\ Dream of Death.

me Denver tribune O1lnss us NEWS Vi IAe
death of John McConylle, who will be re-
mem bered as ( former coachman for Hon.
B {. Cook in this city, and subsequently for
Mayor Z. c. Allen. He was man with
h.tory, it appears, which is so interesting
trat We copy from the Tri5uEes account:
In 1877 the guests who daily arrived at
and departed from Charpiots hotel in this
city never gave second thought to the two
powerful porterS who handled their heavy
ba ggage as though it were done up in small
parcels, and otherwise behaved as most well
disciplined hotel porters usually do. These
two men were noticeable among their asso-
ciates, however as being travellers who had
gone around the world Boru in Ireland and
educated in Massachusetts,, they had tramped
arm IN arm with varying adversely and pros.
perIty, to all quarters of the globe-the gold.
fields Of California and Australia, the dia-
mond.tields Of Sosth Africa, through the jun
giles of India, over the Andes of South Amer
lea and every spot that tradition had iuclu
ded among the lands of fabulous or mysteri-
GUS riches they had penetrated. In these
ramblngs they had well learned the laws OF
labor, and when they landed in Denver bank
rupt they did not hesitate to appear in the
roles OF hotel porters.
These men were Michael FUR and John
NcCouville.
When they had boarded sufficient money to
purchase Il small outfit, FUR and McConville
went to Leadyille to again try their luck as
prospect ors. In their first location on Car
Donate hill, the AgaZZiz-they struck ore
and sold out for S25, 800 each. After having
spent the better portion of this money in Il
series of trips to the seaboard, they went to
work on the batch o. claims mentioned. In
the Columbia, which adjoins the Rock and
other mines of the Stevens II Letter group
south of California gulch, good ore was dis
covered. At the time, the discovery was the
talk of the camp, as establishing new car
Donate belt in a neighborhood that was con.
coded by everybody to be barren. For weeks
the wealth OF FUR and McConville was esti.
mated anywhere from million to ten mill
lion dollars, the title to their twelve claims
buiug clear and undsputablc. Flatterng Of
fCrs were made for the purchase OF the prop
erty; but no, they woulI open it up and OBJ
tain the full value by consolidation sale.
They worked along steadily for weeks, until
the excitement had subsidized, and then only
found that no great good had been accom-.
pshed in the additional work.
Early in October, 1850, FUR and McCon-
vile had dream simultaneously which, II
would seem, foreshadOwed their deaths. In
| tie night McCoBville awoke in fright, alter
having passed through all the Imaginary tor.
lures OF q snowside. He had seen the ava.
|
heard its awful and destructive roar, and
wnen in his dream it struck their cabin and
| killed his partner by his side, he awoke with
| the smOthered groan of living tomb. While
| " dc awake and still unable to believe him.
! self alive, his partner arose in the bed with a
! loud cry, Help! help we are killed. In
| few moments both had partially recovered
! from their fright, and an explanation proyee
! that they had the same dream, with the oil
! fe renee that FUR had broken from the spell
! before the slide euguifed the cabin. During
| tn remainder of the night, their slumbers
were haunted by visions OF violent deaths
az when they arose in the morning to e
| in o the mine they were so weakened by the
! excitement az TO be incapable of work. Eve
after that their life in Leadyille was an un
broken torture. Both were OF peculiarly
sensitive nature and possessed of all the su
porsttions Of the Celtic race. Wherever thel
went or whatever they did, the grim. shadow
| Of death seemed to hover over and appal
| them.
They finally accepted that dream as
| rning that unless they left Leadyille the
were destined TO soon die, and McConyill'
IL mcdiately started for Chicago to under
L. sc the sale of the mine. In his absence
FUR continued 10 work, retur ming to the cit.
every night One evening he appeared a
his boarding house in apparent good health
bLs depressed in spirit, and went to bed ear
Is. lie never again was seen in the streets
Pneumonia was the disease, and In three day
poor FUR was dead. McConyille was tel
eyraphed TO at Chicago and Immediately re
turned to Ieadville. He had the remains o
his old partner embalmed and accompanies
them TO Lynn, Mass, where they were in
tered with high ceremony.
! n Jess than three weeks, the two who ha
h,en sd faithful compa lions through lii1
' efe lyil.- side by side III toat Lynn gray
yard McUcuville went back TO Leadvills