The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-02
AN UNFORTUNATE GUIDE
Gov. Tanners Unknown Attend
ant a Brother of the Shunks.
RESIDENTS OF ANACONDA
His Last Prospecting Trip Ends Disas-
trously-Drowned While Fording a
River With Illinois Executive
and Party of Friends.

Last month the Standard published a
dlspatch under Boise, Idaho. date giving
meager details of the drowning of a
guide in the employ of Governor Tanner
Of Illinois. The account did not give the
name of the guide and local interest in
the Anal was naturally limited to that
mart of IL in which the governor of a
big state figured. Yesterday. howeve-.
word reached this city TO the effect that
the unfortunate guide was f. N. Skunk.
a brother of D.. w, NJ. w. n c. w.
Skunk o" this city.
The finding Of the dead body of the
guide was the merest accident. A few
days ago the mail carrier who covers a
route leading to Meadows Postofhce,
Idaho, a small village. notified Post
master w j. War; of that place that he
had found a corpse lying in the Payette
| river. near the bridge. Immediate steps
were taken, the authorities notified, the
body removed to town and given a
Christian burial by the good people of
the town.
The corpse was not in condition to
warrant any attempt at Identification.
But in the clothes were some papers,
among which was a letter addressed to
F. NJ. Skunk, Lewiston, Idaho, of date
April -. 1t was written by ID. w.
skunk of this city. This being the only
clue to identification, the authorizes
at once notified Mr.. Skunk here. The
brothers have no doubt but that the
unfortunate guide was their brother,
because the latter had written to his
brothers that he was going into the
mining district of which Warrens is the
center.
1t appears that Skunk. who was a
prospector and experienced packer, mad
gone TO Boise to outfit for a trip to the
mining interior. There he met Governor
Tanners party, who engaged him &c
pack their train and act as guide
through the mining districts, where the
governor bonded some property.
While on the trip to Warrens, Whlcf
took the party through a widely desc
late region, Governor Tanner and those
with him came near losing their lives
They attempted to ford Payette river
a swift, and at this time of the year
very dangerous stream. When abou
in the middle of the river the guide
horses went off the ford, and after Z
brief struggle. went under with tn
guide, who was drowned. This threw
the entire party into confusion. Gov
ernor Tanner also went off the ford
and after a desperate struggle, man
aged TO TBdCn SICIt HlOIt dcdu ina
alive. The governors horse became un
manageable in the water, and in orde
to save his life the executive was force'
to leave the animal n swim. Whe'
about half way to shore he began I
give out. He felt himself sinking an
thought it was all over. But summon
ing all his strength, he made a suprem
effort and succeeded. in a couple o
strokes, in gaining a position where tn
o,trranf wa not So swift. The Othe
members of his party were not in $
great danger. The body of the guild
had disappeared completely and scare
for II in the swollen stream was out G
the question.
Mr.. Skunk was drowned about the Is
of June. He had lived in n abou
Lewiston for several years. He we
{ single, and Al years of age. His parent
: reside in Indiana. His brothers in tn
d city are under lasting obligations
Postmaster War; and others in Mead
: ows who took it upon themselves to Civ
? him a Christian burial. and notify the
Z SO promptly of the finding of the bod,