The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-03
These Bones Will Get Together and
Tell How it all Hap
pened.
"A CHASTITY Find on the Site OF the
New High School Build
ing.
m. Relatives or Pauper Were Satisfied
Int the Wrong skeleton
Was shipped.

O,Rr;en. the plumber. have been engaged
for some DAYS laying six-lnch sewer pipe
fro,, tho rear of the new high school build
;,o IN Warren street, to connect with the
,.rra eewe- on Jackson street. About sew
entv-fiye feet from the building they ran
across the end of square pine box, which
,,ro;ected over the trench they were dig
c;nc II was only a few feet from the sur
face and as the men we're digging six
+ean-foot trench, the box did not interfere
~r;tb +hair operations. So it was not dis
trr,ed Had it not been for the peculiarly
s;clanino odor which reached the men, the
hoY would probably have been covered up
og.in when the work was finished, and
nothing more thought about it. But it was
this ye.y odor which prompted one OF the
men to investigate. II am going to see
what's in that box he exclaimed yester-
aav afternoon, With these words
he cave his nick swing over his head and
atrnck the protruding corne- OF the con-
cern. Time had rotted the boards, and the
bottom, or SO much of 1t as waE exposed,
Tell out. With it came shower OF bones
down IN the head of the man who had 80
dexterously nsed his pick, while the latter
almost oyerpowered him. 1t seemed that
tina tenant of the pine box was taking
hia revenge on the disturber of his rest. All
work was at once suspended ana the men
crowded around and gazed curlously at tho
remnants of what had once been man.
Then the bones were collected ana tnlust
back into the coffin, and the occupant left
TO take out his sleep until the trumpet OF
Gabriel summons him to get himself to-
cether and join the great procession that
marches up to be judged according TO their
deeds done on this earth. The contractor
for the work is building sewers, not hunt
ing up skeletons, SO, unless the city wants.
to have the box placed IN regular cene-
tery, it will be allowed to remain where
it is.
just wher the box-forit is box and not
a coffn-came to be buried on the present
site of the new high school nobody seems
to know, Some suggested that 1t was
graveyard there, though others failed to re.
member it. But it was regular burial
place, just the same, even in the days when
everyone was supposed to run his own Gem
nard. Among those buried there was
Farmer Peel a gambler who tlourished il
Last Chance gulch about twenty-five years
ago. He ran stiff bluff on another gam
bier one day. 1t didn't work and they
buried feel VITA great honors. A woman
with whom he had been intimate put up
wooden headstoEe over his grave with these
Lord, will repay 1t is not known
whether he did. Most of those buried
where the high schoo! building is now died
violent deaths. When the cemetery was
moved it was thought that all the bodies
were moved too. 1t appears that at least
one Was forgotten. Whether the gentle
man in the pine boz was ono of those who
l. /, l,>A F-
that the bones might be exhuned and bur-
led elsewhere. Then an examination may
disclose some clue to tho mystery.
The agitation of the cemetery question
has brought to light sono facts about the
bones of the paupers who lie in the coun-
ty's Gods acre. 1t is said that in many
cases there is no way of telling whose re-
mains are III some OF the graves. Com
missioner Knight, when talkin:. about 1T
yesterday, said that the only way one
could identify burial plot with the bones
of the person in it was by the headstone.
No record is kept in the county archives of
the poor who are laid away at the expense
Of tho taxpayers This state Of
n6airs has led to uncertainty in
several instances where relatives have
discovered ths; kinsman had been buried
as pauper, and wished to transfer his re-
mains. One case is told where the bones of
q pauper were taken FROM grave in the
,potter's field of the county and shipped to
wealthy relatives i'll the east. There was
no way of identifying what Was left per-
haps of prodigal son for whom no fatted
calf was killed. The bones were boxed up
and sent to their detination to repo5e in a
family mausoleun,. 1t was decided at the
time of the shipment that the relatives
would accept the bones without question
They must have done 80 for nothing more
was heard from them. This happened II
the ancient times of tho county and tradl-
ton has it that the wrong skeleton wal
sent.