The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-27
Bozeman Men Who Buried the Dis
coverer of Alder Gulch
i'm 1872.
Three Helena Men Met Him Two
Months Ago in San
Francisco.
Mr.. Jockey Says FAirweathcr May 30
Found Mt the Russ House, Near
the Golden Gate.

ana snow himself Nc can WIN u DIR po1 u
money from the men who say they buried
him at Virginia City in 1872. Richard
Jockey was in San Francisco two months
g and shook hands with the discoverer of
Alder oulch at the Palace hotel. Martin
M. Hotter and Con kohrs also had Il chat
with him about the old days when the
famous gulch had n population equal to
that Of a modern city. 'Con Kohrs," said
Mr.. Jockey, 'knew Fairweather intimately
at Virginia City, and recognized him at
once when he saw him in San Francisco.
When / got back l told Major Anderson
about meeting Fairweather, and he spoke
of it over at Bozeman a few days later.
Now | ace by his paper that the man l met
in the Palace hotel two months ago was
buried in 1872" Mr.. Jockey showed the
following clipping from the Courier: "Sey-
eral prominent citizens nave spoken to us
during the past week regarding al article
published in the Courier, mentioning that
Richard Jockey had met Bill Fairweather
Mt the Pacific hotel, San Francisco, during
a visit there last winter. The following is
what some of them nave to say about it:
Mayor H. A. Pease says: ! was a resident
of Virginia City for many years and Was
personally acquainted with Bill Fair
weather. When he died, in the year 1872,
/ attended his funeral. He died a pauper
and was buried at the expense of the county.
The citizens were gong to erect a monu-
ment to his memory, but DR.. Smith dying
about the same time and many citizens
leaving the camp, the matter was dropped.
AL. Orion says: l sat up with the CORPSE of
! Bill Fairweather after he died, in 1872. I
~-~1 ~I-- 500 - ~ ..-lJ ---.-- Il Il L
funeral, l saw the body placed in the
coffin and deposited in the grave. VIM.
Award, Will Morris and a number of others
now in Bozeman were present.
s. H. Crockett says: / attended the funer'
al of Bill Fairweather in Virginia City in
the year 1872. | am very much surprised
that he should now turn up in California,
and still more surprised that he should be
drinking whisky straight at the expense
of the president of the 'Prohib' organ of
Montana. The salt water or the sea breeze
must have had a queer effect upon Mr..
There are certain kinds of fish which will
bite at anything"
Mr.. Locky stood at the postoffioe corner
last night and asked Col. Wheeler. of the
Historical society, if he had ever met Fair
weather. He said he had not. The colonel
and will write to him at the Russ house in
San Francisco and ask him if he was buried
at Virginia City in 1872 and whether al
Orton sat up with his corpse. There are a
good many old-timers here who knew Bill
Fairweather and would have no roubl in
be sure that they buried him but
Mr.. Kohrs and Martin Hotter saw him in
the flesh and if any two men in Montana
ought to know Fairweather they are
the gentlemen gen ;m ,6 Con Kohrs when
ness at Virginia City in the early six
tics saw Fairweather frequently and
Hotter was we'll acquainted with him."
Mr.. Jockey, who was not acquainted with
Fairweather in the early days, said he first
noticed him in San Francisco because of
his resemblance to Hugh Kirkendall of this
city. Afterwards he met him again in COM
any with Messrs. kohrs inc Hotter. MIR.
ID. IL. Weston knew Fairweather very we'll
in Virginia City. He is of the opinion that
he died at about the tim stated by the
Bozeman gentlemen.
w. A.. Clark, of Butte, says Fairweather
was buried in 1875. In an account of the
first gold discoverers he says in February,
1863, Fairweather and Others left Bannack
to prospect the Big Horn mountains. They
were driven back by the Grow Indians on
the Gallatin river. Returning home the
party camped one day at noon on Alder
creek, 80 miles east of Bannack. and while
the midday meal was preparing Fair.
weather washed a few pansful of gravel
near the camp, and obtained thirty cents
in the first and as much as two dollars in
subsequent pans. On June 6 Fairweather
district was organized, with DR.. Steele as
resident n James Fergus as recorder,
and mining began in this famous gulch.
this place. says Mr.. Clarke, 'in Au-
gust, 1875. near the wild spot where. twelve
years before, the hidden treasure was first
revealed by him, William Fairwcather was
laid down to his rest. Like the unfortu-
nate discoverer of the Comstock lode,
whose bones also repose in Montana, this
erratic soul stranded on the shoals of dissi-
patton, although each in his day had turned
Il key, one silver the other golden. which
unlocked millions to others.' The horse
which carried Fairweather to Alder guloh
was known as Old Antelope. In later years
this animal was taken by George Smith to
Lost rlver under the impression that luck
accompanied him.
The only man who can settle
this question is Fairweather himself,
and Col. Wheeler hopes to get an answer
from him in a few days.