The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-12-21
Misfortunes That Overlook Ma
than Parker.
A CLERGYMAN WAS INDICTED
lie Was Ambitious TO Become a Stock
Raiser and a Cattle King.
but lie Failed.

The past three months have been re-
markable for the number of old pioneers
of the state who have been laid away in
the grave, says the Helena Independent.
Not since the state was admitted has
there been a period in which the ranks
of the trail blazers were so vigorously
attacked. The list of the past few
weeks includes the names of p NC
Knight the venerable pioneer of Meagh-
er county, Robert Barnes, one of the
oldest residents of Last Chance gulch;
David McCraynor of Virginia, who was
part of the history of Madison and
Deer Lodge counties and one of the first
residents OF Alder gulch Jack Lang
rishe the veteran theatrical man, who
lived at the time of his death in Ward
ner Idaho; Colonel Bean, the old-time
gambler. and last but not least MEM
orable, that of Nahum Parker of Vir-
ginia City. whose death was as tragic
as the last years of his life had been.
| A few years ago Parker was one of the
rich men of the territory. He was
successful placer miner, and If he had
contented himself with the wealth he
could have made that way he would
have been rich to the last, so it is said
! by those who knew most of him and
! his affairs, and, indeed, might be alive
| and we'll today. But he branched out
! into fields that he knew not of. He was
ambitious to become stock raiser ana
a cattle king" and he lost heavily
A series of disastrous failures came on
him in crushing succession when the
financial crash came.
About the same time he met a serious
accident while riding, by which he
crushed his leg and suffered It's loss
| Not long after that, to add to his weight
| of woe, his son, who was in college in
the east, became mentally unbalanced.
! That was the worst blow of all. The
son returned home, apparently cured
for a time, but the malady returned,
and the awful tragedy in which the
mother was murdered was the result
Parker came to the territory in 1864,
locating Immediately in Alder gulch-
From that day he was part of its his
tory.
Then there was Jack Langrishe, the
pioneer thea trical manager of the state,
? whose death occurred in Wardner, Ida
no, where he was the editor and pro-
prietor of the Wardner News There
We're few in the territory in the sixties
who did not remember him-some OF
them recall the theater ne built in Hell
ena on the west side of Main street,
near State. 1t was a rude theater in
it's way, but there were some good act
ors in the territory those days even.
They were attracted by the big prices
that We're paid by an unorganized but
even then discriminating public. Wal
dron and Couldock We're among the
stars. 1t was in the days when San
Francisco had the greatest aggrega-
tion Of good actors that ever gathered
together in one city, and Jack Lang
rishe secured the best that could be
induced to endure the hardships of that
day and stage it over a rough country
into what was then an almost track
less territory. Langrishe did not build
+ a theater in Alder gulch. but he con-
verified store building into one, and
= there he produced some good plays. The
A., best feature of it all waste the play
: ers-that it cost $3.50 in gold to get into
y the house, and the best seats were from
e that upwards, according to the occa-
t sion and demand, But people paid the
= price and said nothing.
= Langrishe was a middle-aged man
= when he came to Montana. He was
g so years old when he died He is re-
g membered by the old-timers in Montana
v as a liberal, great-hearted man, but
5 one not given to the excuses that were
commonly regarded as being associated
with theatricals in that time He was
married when he came to the west
a and his wife still lives.
T. The intelligence of the approaching
= death of Captain Jack Smith, who is
q now at the sisters hospital, makes the
}. record of fatalities for the closing days
f of the year more impressive still
:, 1t is estimated that there are still
e remaining i'm the state but 200 men who
e came here in time to come within tn,
: requirements of membership in tn,
Montana Society of Pioneers. To be-
a pioneer in the official sense the mem
Der must have come to the territor,
. prior to Christmas. 1864. From this day
,. forward the ranks will be depleted fast
er and faster, and it is a question of bu
# a few years when there Will be nom
y to form a membership.
AT an early meeting of the societ,
;, an amendment to the law will be sub
:, mitted to extend the date" said one o
= the members last night. 1.-The PROPOSE
S ton will come up at the next meeting
h no doubt, and there is little doubt in m,
mind that it will prove acceptable t
the majority"
If IN Greek.