Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-07-02

area il is essential for us to put down
in order to give a correct fullness to
this biography.
Suggests National Park.
Mr.. Fergus was the first person to
suggest the establishment of the Ma
tional Yellowstone Park, that wonder
land of America. When his personal
friend. Ignatius Donnelly. was repre-.
senting Minnesota in congress along
in the COS he acted as agent for Mon
tana. In a letter to him Mr.. Fergus
gave his views concerning a park.
Mr.. Donnelly heartily approved and
urged their consideration upon con-
gress, which not long after created
the park upon practically the lines
indicated by Mr.. Fergus.
Broad and Liberal.
He was ever br~oad-gauged, was in
favor of the utmost freedom in all
things. and was a pronounced Liber.
al in religious belief. He had ever
been a great student; one winter he
studied law, another medicine, while
for years works of abstruse philos.
ophy and those pertaining to mechan-
les had been his favorite reading.
He has taken the New York Tribune
and Scientific American from their
first number, also the Helena Herald.
He had the largest library of any
stockman in the state and had made
general contributions to public librar-
les. Over thirty different monthly
and weekly publications we're sub
scribed for by him, while his generos-
ity to local publications was well
known. He was a man of strong
character who had read and thought
much and had ever had the moral
courage to say and do just what he
thought was right under any and all
circumstances. and he was m whose
integrity no man could ever question.
His hospitality had ever been as lib
eral as his views and hundreds have
been the recipients of his bounty. In
an article in an early newspaper Mr..
Fergus said: 81 have neither sued
nor been sued in the years | have
been in Montana" He had never car
ried a weapon.
Contributed to Literature.
When Mr.. Fergus came to Bannock
in 1862 there was nc newspaper pub
lished in what is now Montana. From
the time of the establishment of the
territory's first newspaper, the Mon.
tana Post, published at Virginia City
in 1863 or 1864, he had been a free
contributor to the state press on all
lines. politics, science, philosophy and
free thought. He used the best OF
English in his speeches and written
articles and had a vast fund of hui
NOR with which to flavor them. HI
was an example of the best type oil
an American citizen, and as a speci
men of his style and language and
his views of citizenship we quote
from one of his writings. Taking
mankind by the hand as We would
boy, we would fain ask. What dc
you want? You are simply a spoiled
child. You have everything the heart
could desire. You would be better
contented IL you had palmer food
less wages and more work. In fac
there is too many of you. The sup
ply is greater than the demand. We
can spare all the anarchists thieves
gamblers, swindlers and idle cayusei
in your band. We want thorough
breds, with more moral training, more
manhood and a loftier sense Of Amer
lean citizenship"
MI. Fergus was happily married
and enjoyed a welded life of nearl,
half a century before his loved com
panion was called away by death
He now leaves as his direct descend
ants three daughters, Mrs. s. c. Gil
! patrick. of Helena; Mrs. r. s. Hamil
J ton, of L%ewistown; Mrs. Frank Mau
of Dilley. Oregon, and a son., An
', of this county.
lanes Fergus half brother, William
Fergus, is a prominent stockgrowe
of Box Elder creek a few miles iron
the Fergus home on Armells creeI
and is now sixty-pine years of age
He accompanied the remains to Lewis
town, but failing health would no
: permit him to undertake the journe
to Helera during the prevailing cold
wet weather.
William Fergus is the last Twin
member of the family of which ther
. were six full brothers Of James. Wi
liam being the only child after tn
s fathers second marriage. The Las
n of the first family-two brothers
died but a few years ago. each at tn
age OF eighty-two years. william
Fergus came to the United State
u with nine Of his family in 1882. Mr.
Fergus died ten years ago and Ale
ander II. vas laid to rest in 1879
The other sons and daughters, OF
of whom Is Mrs. David Hilger of Lei
istown. reside In Fergus county, Il