The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-29

| made the record breaking gold discov-
| cry of the age, which has never, within
| human knowledge, been surpassed nor
| broken. Fairweather, as a matter of
course, was entitled to, and did, amass
good deal of wealth from his opera
| lions in the district which bears his
| name. But he was not man for whom
riches had an affinity. A typical soldier
| of fortune, he only craved wealth for
| the qualification of spending ii which
| it afforded. Many are the stories of his
| prodigality which those who are left of
| his old-time associates are fond of re-
/ lating. How, one day, mounted on his
horse Antelope" with the reins on the
| saddle horn and purse of gold dust in
each hand, he galloped down Wallace
street at the full speed of his horse,
| scattering the gold on either side, mere
ly for the pleasure of coming back and
watching the hoboes and boys of the
| street sweep up the dust of the road
way and pan OUT the more precious
dust with which he had plentifu,ly
besprinkled it. How, again. when
man asked him for the price of a. meal,
he took the fellow to a saloon, gave him
several drinks and then weighed him
out an ounce ($10 wherewth to go
and fill his belly" These, and many
more such were common stories in the
days when "BilP' Fairweather was in
days did not last long, and the pioneers
nature was such that when the flush"
times began to wane, his restless soul
longed for fresh woods and pastures"
rev, and it would not be long ere he
would be seeking lost riches in new
fields. He only remained in Montana
about three years after the time of his
great triumph, when he left for the far
northwest, penetrating every state and
territory on the Pacific SLOPE meeting
with varying success, and everywhere
the same. prodigal in affluence and
happy go-lucky," but rollickng and
jolly when fortune frowned upon him
Occasionally he would return to Mon
tana, but never to stay any length of
time, and after a visit with old friends
would remount "Old Antelope" and
strike out for new fields of adventure
In 1872 he went to the Kootenai dig
gings and explored and prospected in
British Columbia as far north as Peace
river and the Stickeen country. He
was gone nearly three years on this trip
and only OCCASIONAL news was heard of
FairWeather during this time. At last,
in the spring of 1875, he appeared in the
Ruby valley, where he took up his resi-
dence with Peter Daily, who kept the
Well-known hosiery at the mouth of
Ramshorn gulch, which is known by
his name. Fairweather had not been
here long before 1t became plainly evil
dent that he was not long for this life
Consumption, consequent upon the
many exposures and vicissitudes Incl
dent to his nomadic career, had made
deep inroads upon his vitality, and al
though Mr.. Daley and several friends
of the now prematurely aged pioneer
prospector and discoverer did all that
was possible for his relief, he breathed
his last at that place on the night of
1,N s1a,- a.
nouncement of his death was made
in Virginia City on the following morn
ing, when the Virginia City Montanian
itemiZed it in the following three-line
paragraph:
1T is reported that William Fair
weather discoverer of Alder gulch
died at Dailey's last night
The paper was hardly issued when
confirmation of the report was brought
to Virginia City by Mr.. Daley himself.
who communicated the fact to Sheriff
Thomas j. Farrell. together with the
information that he was on the way to
see Hon. G. l.. Dahler, chairman of the
board of county commissioners, to try
and obtain county aid for the funeral
of Fairweather adding that he had al
ready made arrangements for the dig
ging of the grave in the cemetery at
Sheridan. Mayor Baker happened
along at this moment and the sheriff
informed him of the purpose of Daileys
errand, adding with emphasis:
Il think it would be a lasting shame
and disgrace for the people of Virginia
to allow Bill Fairweather to be buried
by the county, or at Sheridan either,
when we have a burial ground right
within sight of the spot on which he
discovered the richest gulch in the
world
Fairweather's Burial.
OF course the mayor conceded. and
the trio being reinforced by Capt. H. S.
Howell, the council was adjourned to
the store of Hon. r. o. Hickman, where
a plan of providing for appropriate con-
duct of the obsequies of the deceased
pioneer was formulated. Mr.. Daley
was sent home with the assurance that
he would be at once relieved Of any
concern about the details of the funeral
the orders for the grave at Sheridan
were countermanded and measures
were at once instituted for an impos-
ing funeral service to be held in Vir-
ginia City. A finance committee was ap-
pointed with the energetic Sheriff Far
rell at its head, and in less than three
hours they had more than as many
hundred dollars contributed toward the
expenses, which sum was largely aug
mented by subsequent donations. The
citizens were greatly cheered and aided
IN thelr desire to give as much eclat as
possible to the event by the fact that
an eloquent new stone church had just
been completed and the ministers who
participated in the dedicatory services
were still in the city, so that the first
public service and the first sermon
held and delivered in the new church
after its dedication were the funeral
service and the funeral sermon of Will
lam Fairweather, the discoverer of AL
OF 1nh Sc a., L.
which unlocked the vaults In which
were hidden away millions of rich
treasure which have been released to
bless the world since he gave the "open
sesame" to the secret recssses in which
they were concealed.
So, in his death as in the day when
he made his famous find. In the lat
ter, when he had been driven for days
by relentless savages to dig without
food in his hiding, poverty and hunger
opened the way to the possession of
countless wealth and in the former