The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-01-04

i.uthsr butord mas bought the Lyons
residence and is fitting it up for occu-
,ancy.
The Bachelors Club was dined by
Mrs. Robert Vicksrs New Years eve,
and as u souvenir each member was
presented with corn cob pipe and 3
package of smoking tobacco.
At recent meeting OF Montana
Lodge No. ?. A. f. & A. M, the fol.
lowing officers were elected; J. M.
Knight, worshipful master: George
Rief Senior warden; w. A Clark,
junior warden; Thos. Duncan, 5ecreta-
ry: John Reid, treasurer; Joseph
Haines, senior deacon; Lucious kel-
logg, Junior deacon; Leroy Southmayd
senior stewart; Chas Simpson, junior
stewart; James 3. How, Tyler: Jno.
Reid, trustee.
Captain Jack l.. Smith, we'll known
in this locality before the railroads
came into Montana, died in Helena
last Friday. Speaking of him the Hell
ena Independent says: Captain Smith
was born II years ago in Pennsylvania,
When mere boy he ran away from
home. At Allegheny City he found
work on boat and iloated down the
Ohio river with it to the Mississippi,
finally landing at New Orleans. Steam
boating was in it's palmy days then,
and life On the river had a peculiar fas<
cination to the country boy reared in
the north. From the time he reached
the river. Starting as cabin boy he
reached the height Of river mans
ambition-the pilothouse. He spent
most of his younger days in the south.
When the war broke out it was only
natural that no should enlist in the
cause Of the confederacy. He had be-
come q southern man instinctively, and
possessed to the day of his death, the
traits of character that 80 often mark
southern gentleman. He was q captain
then and it became his duty to transfer
troops up the Red river. Later he was
assigned to duty on the Mississippi. It
is related of him that while transfer
ring Gen. Kirby Smiths troops across
the river that firery confederate officer,
interfered, as Captain Smith thought,
with his duties. Notwithstanding
that General Smith was his superior,
Captain Smith cursed him roundly and
did not stop until put under arrest. The
ranking S Aith had the captain court
martialed and put in Jail. That was
only an incident, however. Captain
: Smith was not kept in prison long. He
was too valuable man. Captain
Smiths next work was in blockade
running. New Orleans was shut of
from the world by Union gunboats
Captain Smith successfully ran the
blockade a number of times in making
trips from New Orleans to Cuba. When
the Union ironclads had cleared the
river Captain Smith entered the lan(
| service, but took minor station there
After the war Smith followed the river
> two years and then in 1867, went with {
boat as mate up the Missouri river to
, Fort Benton. He returned to the states
but later in the same year came bacl
to Montana, crossing the plains with :
train. He engaged in the freightinl
. business and was successful for years
J.. He freighted between Ogden, Virgins
: City, Helena and Fort Benton. Whel
! he first came to Helena he secured
a contract to haul wood for the Witlatcl
= Union company at Unionville. Wit
q the advent OF the railroad, Captai
y Smith gave mp long distance freightin
q but established transfer business i
q Helena.
A recent edition of tho Black Hill
+ Tiwes contains an article OF particula
interest to the men that mined in A
der gulch more than 80 years ago, as
> may revive recollections Of an occu
70 renee with some portions of whic
u some OF them were, no doubt, qui
familiar At the time. The occuren'
referred to ia mentioned in q letter
C the New York Tribune written fro
u Washington, u. c., April IL, 1854, al
IL copied from the files of that paper al
. sent to the Times by resident
Is Deadwood who happened to be in M
3 York recently. The Times correspO
70 dent said that he had occasion to ovt
u. haul tho Tribune files for tho peri