The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-09-10

iflsEfi LEADvItIE DgD TIE s.per,,.,,.' 6.
Ttiii,os ron DeAD Men

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sslssss fS,ls Dad a1EN
81
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70 one who ra1es along the ssxe., :,
LeadviIls now fhere Il Inst one go
IN PARTICULAR which serves as : m.,lL -
comparison Of fhs Leadvills IL -.
with the mining camp a thirtaen -.
ago LeadviIle now i respecsaI1S
staid and - Dolemn - mining =.
can Be. but 4 INIT tbs solemnity d g.
abstract winch strikes one now. n
. specific soaemnity which concaS
itself with funerala.
To ono who has lived m the past. WI
every funeral was "A occasion for =
much ceiehraaaon % circus, the ouint
and sedafe cortege moving along Chs
nuf street rOo1y - something not 70 g
considered Is II too gloomy to suit e.
Old timer; but, alasl the old timer i =.
moro.
In 1879 the town was wild. Ever
body carried . s.gun'-not In his pockek
mind you, only the natural born fooi
did, and 10 rarely lived TO repent q Il
The weapon was stuck IN his belt rixht
handy Tor immediate action. As CO.
sequence rarely aday passed without
violent death. Added to this the wurk
OF pneumonia kept the gravedisg9 or
IN the valley 1t work night and dr..
This may sound hike exaggerstiou. II.
II isn't The twinkling lights n r.
valley presented . groWsome appear,noa
at night and more 50 when their purpu-
was known. They Lit the grsyedier.r
at work. Pneumonia was . fessfd
enemy. Men Wero strong. fearlem
healthy In the morning, and when eyen.
ing came with it was the physician ~
the next day the undertaken. No -
commodations fit to be called such w.
obtainable. and man after days of hsra
work In fhe rnines vere Obliged - So.
In that frosted atmosphere wherevat
they c0uld.
Rev. T. J. Mackey was the most norl.
ular clerpyman in town at that t;mes
He WA loved by the GOOD reonla -
resDected. almost yenerated Inv -.
gamblers and the miners. which io..,,,
imply that miners were NOT in tben,..
selves reputable people. Whenever 8
miner or q sporting man or woman did!
It was Parson Mackey who was cslleal
In. There was ona dav IN nayt;crls.
when the parson held four funer.ls. -
that was the record. Four was r..
auentIy .eaualed, but II stood as the toa
notch for one clergyman.
Mr.. Mackey, who was an Episcou6l
clergyman, held services In the Tahot
opera house. Fifty dollars a day wm
the rent, and the collection never fell
short. III was necessary to Close tia
doors then long before the time for tae
beginning OF the service to keen back
the crowds. This four funeral dsy
spoken OF was the day ON which ]. B.
Omohundro, known all over the wckl1
~ ssTexas Jack, was buried
LeadviIie never did funerals BIZ halves
A brass band was q regular thing. Ee
funeral was held without one. II
band attending upon Jack was made up
OF fifty pieces. being a combination q
several Fay Templeton's opera com
pany was playing an engagement N
Leadville then, and Fay agreed to sup
ply her company to act as choir. Tbs
coffin WIS set upon the stage loaded
with flowers, and flowers were rarer
than mines In Leadyille, and Rev.
Nackey 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 yociferously as
though they were approving 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.
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