The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-01-29
WILD-WEST FUNERALS.
Some Humorous and Pathetic
Tales of BOrderland Bur1als.
CsvalcAds OF Mourners who Hreks
Ranks and Chaasd Rabbtts ON the
way to tho Grave-A Girl's Jour
ney with Her Dead Lover.

ney with Her Dead Lover.
Everyone who has had good taste
of life upon the border and great
plains kiows the peculiar pathos OF
burial there. Poets and writers OF ro-
nance have done some of their most
pathetic work in telling OF deaths
among the pioneers on the borderland
of civilization and of the lonely graves
there, hundreds of miles from any COM
munitv or home. But there have been
some circumstances connected with in
tern,ents in the west, as known to the
cowboys of twenty-five years ago, that
was SO unexpected as to be highly
humorous. One of the first funerals to
occur at Great Bend, Kan. says the
Philadelphia Times, possessed unprece-
dented circumstances enough to make
it humorous, if the unexpected is an at
tribute of humor.
An old and somewhat disliked man,
Henry Turley, had been confined to his
bed several weeks by disease which
baffled the skill of the would-be ply
sicians who attended him. He seemed to
grow steadily worse and his death was
hourly expected. Then the cold wealth
er, which had continued for nearly 3
month, was broken by few spring-lil1c
days. The citizens of the little settle
ment took Turley's case ia hand and
decided that as his death was certain
to occur in few days at most, it was
better to take advantage of the mild
weather and dig grave for him than to
await his death and the probable return
of cold weather, when grave-diggin2
would be extremely difficult. The
grave was accordingly dug. Turley
was so full of wrath at having his grave
prepared in advance that he rose from
his bed and the same day left town in
disgust. 1t appeared that he had been
shamming all the time in order to OBJ
tain free victuals and care. Regrets
were expressed that he had not been
buried without waiting for the usual
preliminary of death. The pleasant
weather was soon followed by a severe
storm of snow and sleet. During the
first night of the blizzard bibulously
inclined attorney. Godfrey by name,
being, as was his won't, in an advanced
state of intoxication, lay out all night
in the snow Two days later he died
from the effects of his freezing. His
relatives were telegraphed for and re-
sponded that they would come immedi-
ately. The storm increased in violence,
and, lasting nearly week, blocked
the avenues of travel in every direction.
A few days after Godfrey's death
nearly the entire male population OF
the settlement congregated at the com
bined post office, saloon, grocery, etc,
to swap stories, eat crackers and i'm
bibe whisky. When all hands were
pretty well warmed up, the subject Of
Turkeys shameful deception and un'
occupied grave was freely discussed
1t was decided that such good grave
ought not to be wasted, and that In
order to make e'of it, Godfrey's re
mains should be speedily inferred in it
This met the approval OF all present
and, with the rude coffin in one wagon
and as many as could crowd into an
other, and q number OF horsemen a
either side, the funeral cortege started
| in falling snow. Several times on th'
way dog belonging to member o
the party started a jackrabbit ant
! each time the horsemen assisted in th'
chase. The further the procession go
from the starting point the more th'
mourners jumped from the wagon ant
aided the horsemen and dog in chasing
! the rabbit. The grave was reached
and found to be partially filed witt
snow. Then another attorney, VIII
/ differed but little from the one in tn
coffin except that the latter was dead
proposed, as there was no minister
| the gospel present, to do his best t
/ deliver a funeral grafton. He ha
hardly got more than well starte
when some one shouted that the do
had started another rabbit. Ava
went horsemen, footmen, orator
mourners and all in pursuit of the rabbi
and dog, leaving teams, coffin an
corpse to take care of themselves
The chase was long and exciting, 9
the dog, while always seeming abou
to ret the rabbit, failed to do it. Lei
to themselves, the team got tired {
standing in the storm and ran ava
toward home. When the crowd straf
rled back the snow had filed the grav
and obliterated the wagon tracks. A
the cemetery consisted of only ths
one grave and had no other marks
distinguish it from the rest of the pra
rie, they were by no means certain
its location in the snow. So the
trudged off home in the snow, and
J rived to find the teams were there b
fore them. The ''tail board" was out
the impromptu hearse, and the coff
had disappeared. 1t was not recovcre
. till the snow had partially melte
. more than week later. Then Il
relatives arrived and took the boz
, east with them.
There is little world of pathos
/ the simple story Of the first burial
: Lawrence, Kan Moses Pomeroy q
rived from Illinois in 1854 and
} bravely to work to make home Tor
} dear one left behind. BY dint OF mu'
labor he improved his homestead co
t siderably, and erected tiny but COZ
: Portable house. Then, full OF hi
= hopes for the future. he wrote for
Visiting sweetheart to come. ~
. Journey, mostly by stage and wago
was long one, and when she arrlv
the girl found that her lover had
pired the day before. The day al
the girls arrival the body OF her lov