The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-17
STILL In THE LEAD
Captain Shepherd, Everybody's Friend,
Crosses the Great Divide.
END OF A USEFUL CAREER
The Old Warrior. the Leader Of All
hat Is Patriotic and Noble.
Bids Farewell to His Com
rades on This Side.
END OF A USEFUL CAREER
Captain Shepherd is dead.

out of a pleasant summers day. AL
though his demise had long been pre-
dicted by himself and had been expect
ed by his most intimate friends, Ii came
like shock to every one. for the old
man was near and dear to the people
of Butte. He was a part of their lives,
and hundreds will miss the CHEEKY and
amiable spirit of the old warrior.
His death occurred at 800 o'clock
Wednesday night at the county hospi-
tai, to which place he was removed for
care and treatment by DIR. Alvord.
about 10 days ago. He did not leave his
bed from the time of his arrival there.
and he slowly wasted away until the
last spark of life fiickered and went
out. He had been ailing for many
months and failing so surely and grad
ually that he himself knew that his
days were numbered. After his par
ticipation in the last Fourth of July
celebration, the old patriot remarked,
resignedly, that he would never live to
see another anniversary of the nations
great day. When the people of Butte
so literally testified to their love for
the old man last Christmas day, he
again said he knew 1t would be his last
Christmas on earth, and when, on
Washington's birthday, on the 22d of
last February, he labored earnestly and
successfully for a public observance of
the day, he wondered who would take
the lead in celebration of the next an
niversary of Washington's birth. He
knew he would not
For years Captain Shepherd has held
the position of general overseer of the
gallery at Maguire's opera house.
About three weeks ago, in the perform
ance of his duties, he remained in the
gallery few moments after the au-
dience had left and, unaware of the
fact that the old man was still in the
house, the ushers turned off the lights.
In trying to make his way down stairs
through the darkness. he slipped and
fell to the bottom of the stairs. AL
though, fortunately, he sustained no
broken bones, the fall shook him up
and bruised him so badly that 1t SEEM
ed to affect his beneral health. His left
arm and shoulder were severely bruised
and for several days he was confined to
his bed as the result of his injuries.
His general health then failed more
rapidly and ii was found necessary
that he should have constant attention
and care, which he could not be given
in his room in the Iron block on South
Main street, and DIR. Alvord suggested
to him the advisability of going to the
county hospital, where he could have
the services of a nurse and would re-
ceive better care. The captain was will
ing to go and about 10 days ago was
taken out. He Immediately took bed
on his arrival there and his vitality
seemed to leave him very rapidly. In
few days he was so weak he could
scarcely move, and little by little his
life ebbed away, and when the end
came on Wednesday night there was
little but a shadow left. DR.. Alvord
saw him last Wednesday morning and
recognized that the old man had but a
few hours more to live. He never COM
planned, but resignedly awaited the end
he nd
dertaker were not notified of the cap
tain's death until about s o'clock yes
terday morning, when the body was
brought to the city and taken to the
Butte undertaking rooms, where the re-
mains were viewed by hundreds yes
terday.
John Calhoun Shepherd, according to
the best information obtainable, was
born in Philadelphia, Feb. %, 1928, the
year General Jackson was elected presi-
dent, which would make hi ma little
over 6S years of age. The house in
which he was born, as he had after
said, was located at the corner of what
is now Ninth and Market streets. His
mother died when he was six years
old, and after that he had a rather
checkered career until he reached man.
hood. His father moved to New York
city, taking with him his children, John
c., and another boy and two daugh-
tiers, and established a grocery store,
in which John c. was employed for a
number of years, and finally he ran
away from home and went to what
then was the West-Ohio and Virginia.
After a few years of roughing 1t, he
returned to New York. walking most of
the way, and made his home with a
married sister. He remained in New
York until the beginning of the trouble
with Mexico and then enlisted in the
a and w undar ColOnal
who later became General Kearney.
Later he was sent to Governors island
and then back to Fort Leavenworth,
and from there, in the spring of 1876,
he was sent to Mexico and became or
derby sergeant of the First dragons,
under Captain Enoch Steen. He re-
manned in Mexico until the close of the
war; in 1s4S. but was never actively en-
gagged in any battle. Captain Connor,
afterwards famous as a captain of the
Texas rangers, was a member of the
same company of dragons at the time
Captain Shepherd belonged to them.
At the close of the Mexican war he was
returned to Fort Leavenworth. and
there obtained his honorable discharge.
He went back to New York and visited
his father. brother and sisters and in
short while he succumbed to the Cali
fornia gold fever and took passage on
the Unicorn, which left from New York
Apr1l Z3 1919, TOT san ffdnclScO, or
rather what is now San Francisco The
trip was made by the way OF Cape
Horn and they reached San Francisco
on Dot. 81, of the same year. The rec
ords OF the Society of California Pho
neers' gives the following list of
names among The Argonauts of Cali
fornia." as being passengers on the
''Unicorn:" r. L. Putnam, DR. ]. b.
Garland, j. NJ. Garland, s. Chinn, o.
Sthreshly. Mr.. Newman. DR.. De la
Montague and wife. ]. Dobson. j. Tin
ME, W. c. Disbrow. r. Glover. W. A.
Green. NJ. Mcdonald. Theron Minor. II.
G. Reganor. G. w. Coffee, ]. Desotell.
T. Mahoney. J. c. Shepherd. T. ].
Smith, T. Jones. z. Townsend. ]. B.
Brady. 5. Osborn, A. Andrews. w.
Haywood. ]. Perry. A. Coles. p. Jones.
O. r. Halves. E. c. Jenny. c. Bishop.
Mr.. Ravenhill. G. Simpson. Mr.. Cox.
w. p. Perley. l. p. Spafford, w. c.
Gv,afr "a