The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-10-04
OLD TIME FUNERALS.
WHEN LEADVILLE DID THE PROPER
THING" FOR DEAD MEN.


Whole Town Turned Out-There Was
Brass Band, q Chorus from an Opera
Company ard q Long Procession.
To one who passes along the streets OF
Leadville now there is ust one feature
In particular which serves as a mark Of
comparison of the Leadville Of today
with the mining camp of thirteen years
ago. Leadville now is respectable,
staid and as solemn as mining city
can be, but it isn't the solemnity IN the
abstract which strikes one now. 1t is
a specific solemnity which concerns
itself with funerals.
To one who has lived in the past, when
every funeral was an occasion for as
much celebration as circus, the quiet
and sedate cortege moving along Chest
nut street today is something not to be
considered. 1t is too gloomy to suit the
old timer; but, alas! the old timer is no
more.
In 1879 the town was wild. Every
body carried ''gun''-not in his pocket,
mind you, only the natural born fool
did, and he rarely lived to repent Of it.
The weapon was stuck in his belt right
handy for immediate action. AS a con-
sequence rarely day passed without a
violent death. Added to this the work
of pneumonia kept the gravedigger over
in the valley at work night and day.
This may sound like exaggeration, but
it isn't. The twinkling lights in the
valley presented grewsome appearance
at night and more SO when their purpose
was known. They lit the gravediggers
at work. Pneumonia was a fearful
enemy. Men were strong, fearless,
healthy in the morning, and when even
ing came with it was the physician and
the next day the undertaken. No &C
commodationS fit to be called such were
obtainable, and men after days of hard
work in the mines were obliged to sleep
in that frosted atmosphere wherever
they could.
Rev. I. j. Mackey was the most pop
ular clergyman in town at that time.
He was loved by the good people and
respected, almost venerated, by the
gamblers and the miners, which doesn't
imply that miners were not in them
selves reputable people. Whenever a
miner or sporting man or woman died
it was Parson Mackey who was called
in. There was one day il particular
when the paTson held four funerals, and
that was the record. -Four was fire.
quently equaled, but it stood as the top
notch for one Clergyman.
Mr.. Maclkey, who was an Episcopal
clergyman, held services in the Tabor
| 1oll il.
the rent, and the collection never fell
short. 1t was necessary to close tie
doors then long before the time for the
beginning of the service to keep back
the crowds. This four funeral day
spoken of was tie day ON which j. L
Omohundro, known all over the world
as "Texas Jack" was buried.
Leadville never did funerals by halves.
A brass band WAS Il regular thing. Nc
funeral was held without one The
band attending upon Jack was made up
of fifty pieces, being a combination Of
several. Fay Templeton's opera com
pany was playing an engagement in
Leadville tEen, and Fay agreed to sup
ply her company to act as choir. The
coffin was set upon the stage loaded
with flowers, and flowers We're rareI
than mines in Leadville, and Rev
Mackey appeared in his regimentals as
chaplain of the Tabor Light Guards tC
preach the funeral sermon. AS he pro
ceeded, whenever he made an illusion
to any good quality in Jack the congre
cation applauded as vociferously d;
though they were approving a fin.
feature of play. There was no dis
order-these people meant it all. They
wept at the preachers words and stamp
ed their feet in approval of his hope fol
Jacks chances over there.
Before the services Mr.. Maclzey hat
been waited upon by the Tabor Ligh
Guards. They recited to him the fac
that all the senior officers but the chap
lain were absent from the city, and tol(
him that as he was ranking officer o
the day he must don his regimental
and lead the company. At first he de
INJURED vigorously, but finally, equipped
with blue and gold and a sword tina
knew not its place and the propriety o
keeping it, he marched upon the stag
to help Jack along. When the service
were over he found they had provided
horse for him to lead the column.
The preacher wasn't the most remark
able horseman in the world, but he wa
game, and he mounted and starteC
away. Directly the band struck up the
dead March in Saul" the preacher an,
his steed became almost as prominent a
the corpse-or they would have beel
elsewhere than in Leadville. Her
everything went. The dominic waltze,
to the graveyard on his fiery charger
actually waltzed, but nobody notice,
that. That was regular thing, or a
, least not a striking innovation.
At Omohundro's funeral, as at al
funerals in Leadville, work of al
: kinds was suspended. Men and wome,
thronged upon the sidewalks-packe
them. One could really have walked o.
the heads of the people and nobod
would have noticed it. In those day
the undertaken took great pride in tn
turning out. Riding in the carriage wit
: the preacher he would look back Low
ingly and say:
''Ah, now, this is funeral that is
funeral. This is something like. Loo
! at the crowds, parsOn, and we've sc
l seven more pieces in the band than al
, tended the Swede that McClOskey burie
: yesterday" Cor Omaha World Herald
l Due to Carelessncss.
3 BY being q little careful and thought