The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-07-27
WuDWEST FUNERAIA


Some Humorous aud pot1gt3D
Ta1sa Of BCrdsx1and Du1dalG
\ CevalshAo Of 1GeoxnsFe Whe Nseoo
aanm aad Chased nsabsss - ~
Way % the 0save-A olErs Je1g-
ney with Her Decd AsveA
Everyone who has had . good tas4o
Of life upon the border and CREST
plains kiows the peculiar pethos e
burial there. Poets and writer's Of ro-
nance have done some o4 their most
pathetic work in telling Of deaths
among the pioneers on the borderlAnd
Of civilization and Of the lonely Qrxves
there, hundreds of miles from any COM
munity or home. But there have been
some circumstanees connected with in
terments in the west, as known to the
cowboys of twenty-five years ago, that
was so unexpected as to be highly
humorous One Of the first funeralst te
occur at Great Bend. Kan, ssys the
Philadelphia Times, possessed unprece-
dented circumstances enough to make
it humorous, If the unexpected II IN st-
tribute of humor.
An old and somewhat dis1ileed man,
Henry Turley, had been confined 70 his
bed several weeks by . disease which
baff1ed the skill OF the would-be ply
sicians who attended him. He seemed t.
grow steadily worse and his death was
hourly expected. Then the cold wealth
er, which had continued for nearly .
month, was broken by few spring-like
days. The citizens OF the little settle
ment took Turley's case In hand and
decided that as his death was certain
to occur in few days 1T most, it was
better to take advantage Of the mild
weather and dig grave for him than to
await his death and the probable return
of cold weather, when grave-digging
would be extremely difficult. The
grave was accordingly dug. Turley
WAS 30 full Of wrath at having his grave
prepared in advance that he roee from
his bed and the Same day left town In
disgust. It appeared that he had been
shamming all the time in order to OBJ
tain free victuals and care. Regrets
were expressed that he had not been
buried without waiting for the usual
preliminary of death. The pleasant
weather was soon followed by . severe
first night Of the blizzard q bibulously
inclined attorney. Godfrey by name,
being, as was his wont, in an advanced
state Of intoxication, lay out all night
in the snow. Two days later he died
from the effects Of his freezing. His
relatives were telegraphed for and re-
sponded that they would come immedi-
ately. The storm increased in violencs,
and, lasting nearly week, blocked
the avenues of travel in every direction.
A few days after Godfrey's death
nearly the entire male population Of
the settlement congregated at the COM
bined post Office, saloon, grocery, ETC.,
to swap stories, eat crackers and Inn
bibe whisky. When all hands were
pretty well warmed up, the subject Ut
Turley's shameful deception and un-
occupied grave was freely discussed
It was decided that such . good grave
ought not to be wasted, and that n
order to make use Of it, Godfreys re-
mains should be speedily inferred In It.
This met the approval OF al present.
and, with the rude coffin in one wagon,
and as many as could crowd into an
other, and a number Of horsemen at
either side, the funeral cortege started
in falling snow. Several times ON the
way dog belonging to member Of
the party started = jaclkrabbit and
each time the horsemen assisted IN the
chase. The further the procession got
from the starting point the more the
mourners jumped from the wagon and
aided the horsemen and dog In chasing
the rabbit. The grave was reached
and found to be partially filed with
snow. Then another attorney, who
differed but little from the one in Ire
coffin except that the latter was dead.
proposed, as there was no minister OF
the gospel present, to do his best e
deliver . funeral oration. He had
hardly got more than well started
when some one shouted that the dog
had started another rabbit. Away
went horsemen, 1ootmen, orator,
mourners and al in pursuit of<ths rabbit
and dog, leaving teams, codaa and
corpse to take care Of themselves.
The chase was long and exciting, -
the dog, while always seeming about
to get the rabbit, failed to do It. Lett
to themselves, the team got tired Of
standing in tho stsrm and ran sway
toward bone. When the crowd strag-
gled back the snow had filed the grave
and obliterated tho wagon traclEA A
the cemetery .consisted Of only that