The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-01
SAMUEL LEWIS DEAD
One Of the Old Time ColOrtd BARRIERS
Of Montana.
HE WAS A RESPECTED CITIZEN
Coming Here in Early Days and
Working Faithfully He Gained
Quite a Fortune and
Host OF Friends.
HE WAS A RESPECTED CITIZEN

Special Correspondence OF the Standard.
Bozeman. March 30.-Samuel w.
Lewis, colored barber and prominent
and wealthy citizen of Bozeman. died
here last night, he having been suffer-
ing from strangulated hernia for two
weeks past. A difficult surgical opera
ton was performed Saturday morning
and piece of the intestines being re-
moved, with the hope of saving his life
but he only lived one day after this.
Mr.. Lewis came to Bozeman in 1869 and
set up barber chair in the Northern
Pacific hotel, where he waited on table
TO pay his board, working behind his
barber chair between meals, and in this
way accumulated enough to open a
shop. He had run a barber shop in
this city ever since that time. his pleas
ing manner, his strict attention to bust
ness, his painstaking, industrious and
saving qualities having made him one
or the wealthy and respected business
men or this place. He owned numerous
1ine residences and business houses
mere, among these being his present
home on Bozeman street, this place be-
ing one of the finest and most ele-
gantly furnished homes in Bozeman.
Mr. Lewis was great lover of music.
one feature of his home, not found in
any other in this city, being a music
room, where he has gathered together
every kind of a musical instrument,
and where he and his family spent
much of their time. Mr. Lewis married
Mrs. Malissa Bruce, formerly Miss Ma
LISA Raillia of st. Joseph, Mo-, in 1883,
she having five children at that time,
and one little boy has been born 10
Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis. Two of the step
children are now at home, one of the
three away. the only daughter being
married. Mr. Lewis also leaves a sis
ter, Miss Edmonia Lewis, a famous
sculptress of Paris. France, his sister
having had a large exhibition of her
statuary at he Centennial exhibition i'm
Philadelphia in 1876 Mr. Lewis
educated his sister, she graduating
from Oberlin. Ohio, and later studied
In Rome. until the trouble with the
Italians In New Orleans a few years
ago when her best friends there turned
against her owing to the feeling over
tnis little affair in America. Mr.. Lewis
was born in the West Indies NAV 10.
1885, his father being a West Indies
Frenchman and his mother part Afri-
can and partly a descendant of the
educated Narragansett Indians Of New
York state. He lived in Newark, N. J.,
until IL years of age, when both his
father and mother dying, he Travelled
as tight rope walker and bare back
rider with a circus for six wears. He
then opened barber shop in San Fran
cisco and was a resident of California
for 10 years, after which he Travelled
with minstrel show as sleight of hand
artist. visiting Europe as well as the
cities of this country.
Mr.. Lewis then came West again.
settling at Idaho City. where he made
l,..N
Il again through a fire. He had a bar
Der shop in Virginia City in 1866. was
In the same business in Helena in 1867 /
ana than at Radersburg and other /
Montana mining camps until 1869. when /
he came to Bozeman. He is mentioned !
1t length in the History of Montana.
published in 1894. In the early DAYS 1
Mr.. Lewis deposited $1,000 in two San /
francisco banking houses and both
these house failed in one day. He had
Intended visited his sister, then In
Rome, using this money for the trip. 1
but had to give that up. The houses 4
alter paid back that amount and II
$ invested to-day in San Francisco 4
savings bank. His will leaves all of /
as estate, which includes this money,
% his sister and his wife, his wife
being made sole executor. without 1
ponds.
b. F. Osborn, the Bozeman druggist.
Who came to Montana I'm 1876. says:
sam Lewis was the first man that /
'pent dollar with in Bozeman. Il
anne in on the stage. got off and went
% his barber shop. / gave him so cents
or a shave and 81 for a hair cut"
Many an early timer, coming in tired
md dirty with the long trip from the
Cast and going out to hunt a shave.
with pleasure, Sam Lewis.
IS the first man they met in Bozeman
His funeral occurs Tuesday afternoon
Il o'clock from the family resi-
Ience.