The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-01
thy woman when they make such care


There has been stopping at the Glib
son for the past few days a fine look
ing gentleman, turned 90, with ruddy
face, as though we'll used to open
weather. making a lively contrast with
his gray hair and mustache. He will
interest one more in two minutes than
ordinary men can in a whole hour
Just let him pull one of those gold mug
gets from his capacious pockets or
those chunks of gold imbedded in
quartz, as they were found in the hills
of Nevada, and then listen to him tell
of the various ways of finding gold,
whether in nuggets, in sand, in the
crushing of the rock-ribbed quartz,
and you will look and look, and listen
and listen in utter captivation.
Captain Jay G. Kelley, mining en-
gineer and expert, of Denver is the
man, and one day in looking at some
| of his peculiar and valuable specimens
and listening to his fascinating ex-
plantations he happened to mention
something about the Mackeys, and in
duiry ELECTED the fact that he had
known them all his life The CONVEX
sation turned upon this family, and,
being miner, Captain Kelley was
asked if he knew them when they
weren't as rich as they are now.
Il have known Mrs. Mackey about
all my life. Know her as well as 1 do
my own sister. We were boy and girl
in the same town, and it so happened
that when the Mackeys lived in Vir-
ginia City l lived there. It was not
because they were there. but it so
came about in my business that we
lived in the same place, and being in
terested in the mines alike [ had a
good deal to do with them. Their house
has always been ODen to me -
! Ihe reporter was curious to know of
certain matter that every once in a
While finds its way into print or gossip,
and asked Captain Kelley if it were
true that Mrs. Mackey had once been
a washerwoman. There was flash in
the captains eye as though incensed,
and he was, but his reply showed that
it was not at the writer
am really glad you asked me
that, he replied, Il have never been
asked that by a newspaper man, and
IL makes me so angry when l see such
paragraphs in the papers that | am
glad to have the opportunity to cor
rect 1t. l wouldn't do it if 1 had not
peen asked, and Mrs. Mackey, though
very sensitive to it would never make
a public correction of it.
She is the daughter of Colonel
Daniel E. Hungerford, who was a cap
tam IN the Mexican war; colonel of the
Firth Nevada infantry, and in com
mand of volunteers in the Piute war
IN 1860. He was a soldier every inch
of him, and 1 recall what a magnif-
cent appearance he presented when he
came out to receive the troops on dress
parade. The family was always in
good circumstances, and there was no
| occasion for Mrs. Mackey, as a girl. to
do washing for livelihood. Not that
there was any disgrace attached to the
livelihood of washerwoman, but in
regard to Mrs. Mackey it isn't true,
ana II often appears in slurring way,
L suppose, to make as vivid a contrast
as possible with her present life.
Her mother was French woman
and so the French tongue came to her
naturally Then her education was
carefully attended to. She was edu-
Gated at a sisters school, a convent
The Hungerfords lived in Forest CITY
Cal, and | was working in the Live
| Yankee mine pushing cars out of the
mine. I was about sixteen or seven
teen then, and 1 believe she was about
fourteen. She is about forty-nine now
Then she was married to DR.. BRYANT
and they lived in Virginia City. Min
ing interests took me to Virginia CITY
was guest at the Bryant home
many time. DR.. Bryant died in Vir.
ginia City in 1863 or 1864.
Il remember very well when she
married Mr.. Mackey, who was then a
poor man, a mining superintendent
But they always had enough.to live on
and in comparative comfort, and never
as Mrs. Mackey did she do washing OF
have to- earn money. She may have
done her own washing, as many g
good wife has done and does. But
have known them both so long and 81
we'll that l naturally resent wrone
and careless statements They serve
no purpose, and as Z said, do an in
justice to noble woman She is al
earnest, honest woman, a good, kline
woman, has a great big heart, and al
of her charitable deeds will never b.
known, though l know she would no
thank me for even referring to them.