The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-09-01
OLD TIME FUNERALS.
WHEN LEADVlLLE DID THE PROPER
THING" FOR DEAD MEN.

w
Brass Band, a Chorus from an Opera
Company and a Long Procession.
To one who passes along the streets of
Leadville now there is just 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 a 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 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 ac-
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. T. 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 a sporting man or woman died
it was Parson Mackey who was called
in. There was one day in particular
when the parson held four funerals, and
that was the record. Four was fire.
quently equaled, but it stood as the top
notch for one clergyman.
Mr.. Mackey, who was an Episcopal
clergyman, held services in the Tabor
opera house. Fifty dollars day was
the rent, and the collection never fell
short. 1t was necessary to close the
doors then long before the time for the
beginning of the service to keep back
the crowds. This four funeral day
spoken of was the day on which J. B.
Omohundro, known all over the world
as "Texas jack" was buried.
Leadville never did funerals by halves.
A brass band was regular thing. No
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 then, and Fay agreed to sup
ply her company to act as choir. The
coffin was set upon the stage loaded
with flowers, and flowers were rarer
than mines in Leadville, and Rev.
Mackey appeared in his regimentals as
chaplain of the Tabor Light Guards to
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 as
though they were approving a fine
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 for
Jacks chances over there.
Before the services Mr.. Mackey had
been waited upon by the Tabor Light
Guards. They recited to him the fact
that all the senior officers but the chap
lain were absent from the city, and told
him that as he was ranking officer of
the day he must don his regimentals
and lead the company. At first he de-
INJURED vigorously, but finally, equipped
with blue and gold and sword that
knew not it's place and the propriety of
keeping it, he marched upon the stage
to help Jack along. When the services
were over he found they had provided a
horse for him to lead the column.
The preacher wasn't the most remark
able horseman in the world, but he was
game, and he mounted and started
away. Directly the band struck up the
"Dead March in Saul" the preacher and
his steed became almost as prominent as
the corpse-or they would have been
elsewhere than in Leadville. Here
everything went. The dominic waltze(
to the graveyard on his fiery charger
actually waltzed, but nobody noticed
that. That was regular thing, or al
least not striking innovation.
At Omohundros funeral, as at al
funerals in Leadville, work of all
kinds was suspended. Men and womer
thronged upon the sidewalks-packed
them. One could really have walked OF
the heads of the people and nobody
would have noticed it. In those day;
11,o ,,p1arta1yar took GREAT Dri1a in tht