The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-04-23
THE WEISER SIGNAL.
POOR sooTTY.


BILE, penniless, friendless, hopeless
and forlorn, the bitterness and gloom
OF his fading days drove him to u
death OF his own counting, and in the
absence OF q single tender hand of
his own blood to smooth his last
couch, public word is onl y a proper
token to mark the unmourned passage
OF the broken wreck from n world
which to him must have seemed cold
and gloomy at best. Born in Ireland
be early came over the sea and after
the lapse of time and various mean
derings lie came to Washington
county way back in SO. He was n
pioneer OF Florence, Warrens, Orc
tino and other camps. At one time
he was locator OF the Peacock mine
IN Seven Devils--about "a He
spent all the subsequent years in
southwestern Idaho. He used to
have mines in Ruthburg on which be
never realized. Years told their re-
lentless round on his old shoulders
and times ever grew harder with him.
He had interests which would have
brought him enough for the little
needs of his old age, but for the f.
nancial tuberculosis which is eating
the lungs of the country; and to
these evils the causes OF his self-de-
struction can logically be traced. as
can thousands Of other cases. A few
years ago he sold ranch in Boise
valley to one johnson, whose note he
took. johnson sold the place and
went to Heppner, Oregon, without
paying. A year ago last fall Scotty
took his feeble way to Hepner to try
and get something. johnson had
put all of his property out OF his
hands. The old man returned bro
ken and detected and eked out year
on his little place at Brownlee. He
could not support himself there and
decided 1t to lady in Weser to keep
him through fall aud winter. When
she was to leave this spring, Scotty
straddled his one old cayuse and
started to the little Brownlec patch.
The cold storms OF spring came upon
him few miles out and the sleet
struck to his old bones with icy
touch. He returned to town aud
Jim BARLEY kindly boarded him
three weeks. He bewailed his for
lOrn destiny, his iniirmities and that
he was in his own and every one
else's way, and spoke of suicide. He
asked Frank Harris to get him some
poison. Frank told him he could
get aid from the county and made
out his application on Friday last,
which he late in the evening took to
the court house and, naturally, did
not find the proper officer then
About ten or eleven that night John
Mulloy gave him fifty cents to get
bed and breakfast and he started to-
wards the hotel and was seen standing
gloomily by the door He perhaps
clutched the poor lone coin in his
pocket, felt its miserable, hopeless
and overwhelming smallness and the
sure promise it held of n more hope
less condition for him the next morn.
and with the terrible blackness and
oceans and worlds of gloom stagger-
ing upon him he turned and shufiled
his trembling way in the dark to
where the chill water called with
eheerless, harsh and gurglng voice.
Who knows what hosts Of hideous
demons may have swarmed his path
IS he went? What ghosts OF past
disappointnents, OF present tOrtures,
OF loneliness, OF homeless, friendess,
loveless dispair, OF blasted hopes,
may have clattered at his heels, tear
ing at his old locks and gibbering in
|s face2 Who knows how, with
nuIr115,uusuuuu,-.....