Morris tribune., 1883-02-10
The Death of Josephine Meeker


In city laden with joyful anticipa-
| ton at this very moment lonely, grief
stricken man, bereft and solitary
brother, i entering a railroad station,
but few blocks off, with the dead body
of his young sister, starting off with it to
the far-off heights of Montana. She
was the little sister" of his heart and of
his boyhood. \ boy of Is when she was
born, he named her, and ever since in
lonely hardships, in many wanderings,
the man has borne her upon his heart,
| half child, half sister, the little jose
phine whose body he is now bearing
forth to bury. Not many weeks ago I
told you of the funeral of a young and
beautiful woman, the daughter of
a justice of the supreme court, whose
little mission-school scholars gathered
around her coffin and heaped it with
flowers. l speak now 70 another mis-
sion school teacher, whose children
gathered around her coffin this morning;
another woman, young and lovely, the
daughter OF misfortune, whose father
was murdered by the Ute Indians, but
little more than two years ago, and who
herself suffered from them indignities
worse than death-Josephin Meeker.
What world of tragedy can be con-
centrated in the history of a single fam
lily. The father Of Josephine Meeker
was an old friend and worshiper Of Hor-
ace Greeley, who during the latter's life,
was long engaged on the New York Tri-
bune. After Mr.. Greeley's death mis-
fortune and extreme poverty were en-
tailed upon his family. At the time OF
Agent Meeker's appointment as Indian
agent his daughter Josephine, though
delicate girl, was working far beyond
her strength, in the employment of
tent and awning maker in Denver.
Friends urged her not to enter upon the
hardships and dangers of life upon the
far frontier, among the most uncertain
it not treacherous savages. The girl
only said: My mother is old. She
will be lonesome, and it will be hard for
her out there. must go with her"
The country knows the result of this
self-abnegation. ''She was always think
ing of what she,could do for others, never
of herself" said her bereaved brother,
yesterday, his eyes full Of tears. Jose
phene Meeker, young girl. less than
in the Ute country with her father and
mother. She helped her mother; she
taught the Indian children; she covered
the Indians themselves with her kind
ness: for what? To see her venerable
father butchered before her eyes; to see
her become, with her mother, the cap
tive of these savages, upon the march;
day after day to see her mother sink
under her load on the weary road-the
horror, the terror of those months Of
captivity can never be told. Their last
earthly results goes forth from this CITY
tonight in the dead young body. What
strange i.nmunities from degradation
came to her that time she owed an In.
uian woman, whose human instinct of
kindness made her cover, with what
scanty help she could, the unfortunate
girl. The rest she owed to her own her
Osm.
When "braveT held pistol to her
fBce, declaring he would kill her ifshe
did not do,his bidding she looked him in
the wretch, craven though he was, had
vet manhood enough to shrink and Sink
out Of her sight. After her redemp-
ton by General Adams, broken in health
and in spirit, Josephine Meeker OBJ
tanned minor appointment in the in
terror department. in Washington.
Alone, in a sense beyond speech to ex-
press, she gave all the strength she had
left outside of her daily work to the
founding of mission school in the sub
urbs. to forget and to serve others. This
was the life of this young woman of %
in this gay capital, so thronged with
youth and beauty that never suffered.
Secretary Teller, of the interior de-
partment was an old friend of her father,
and when he came to be the chief of this
department Miss Meeker was promoted
to his own office. She was an accom-
plished stenoprapher, and the little rem
nant OF her days was filled with satistac-
tory and honorable employment. From
behind Il great screen, in a small office
between the office of the secretary and
the assistant secretary, passers-by heard
the quick click ola type writing machine.
This was manipulated with great rapidity
and skill by Josephine Meeker. Few
saw her, fewer knew her, none dreamed
Of the tragedy in which her youth died;
yet she had not lived on earth twenty
three years!
Tuesday, the day after Christmas, was
her last day at her post. On Saturday
morning she by death entered into life.