The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-01-03

DIED at his residence in New
Iberia, on Tuesday, December
30th, 1902 at 10 O'Clock p IN. vii
ham IL Burk The funeral took
place from the Catholic Church.
on Wednesday, December 3lst, at
| o'clock p. M, attended by a
large concourse of friends and &C,
quaintances
HIS parents; William Burke and
Ellen Lee, were both natives Of
Ireland, reared in the city of
Waterford, where they married.
While young and ambitious, with
hope of future reward in tho new
world, they bid, in 1893, a lasting
farewell to the home of their
childhood. After tedious voy
age Of three months across the
Atlantic, they, with the few emf
grant friends who had accompani-
ed them, and who were also >Seek
ing ''the land Of the free and the
home of the brave,' made their
first landing at Quebec, Canada
They subsequently removed to
New Jersey. e&
Hearing Of great inducements
offered to emigrants to go to Tex
as, they got .heir little crowd
together and started for the pro
missed land. 1t was about the
year 1884 that the small band
landed at Corpus Christi. They
were soon enlisted in the Texas
militia and given league of land
each. which was selected in Re
fugic county, where they built
their homes and surrounded them
selves with such comforts as the
wilds OF Texas could then afford.
But they were not to enjoy it long,
as they were rutblessly driven
from their homes at night by IN
dian hostilities. 1t was not on
the order of going, but go at once
They only escaped and saved
their lives 10y the skin of their
teeth. Their Texas home they
saw no more.
On their march through Texas
and into Louisiana their first
stop was at the town of Opelou-
sas, st. Landry parish, where they
remained a short while doing a
few odd jobs. Next they turned
their faces toward the land OF
Evangeline--the country OF the
Teche, They first located in the
town of st. Martinsville, and from
thence they drifted down to the
town of New Iberia, where, in tho
year 1886, they permanently 10
Gated, and where the remainder OF
their lives was spent. William
Burke died of yellow in October
1889, at the age of thirty-two
His wife survived him until 1860
when she died in the city of New
Orleans, on the 2fst OF May
efWhere she had gone to settl'
losses she had sustained by tn
ravages of war, claiming rights a
! an English subject.
William r. Burke began bus1
ness as a liveryman, in associa
; ton with his mother and wv
brothers. Having learned Tn
carpenters trade. he also CAV
!, some attention in his early year
TO this business. He received
primary education at the publ
schools of New Iberia. At tI
beginning Of the war. in 1861, !
enlisted as q sergeant in Compall
! d Eighteenth Louisiana lnfantr.
! General Mouton's regiment, an
! served during the war. lie WI
first lieutenant when the WI
closed His field OF operati D
was chiefly in Tennessee, Missi
sippi and Louisiana. lie partl'
pated in the battles OF Pittsour
Shiloi,, Bisland and Texana. 4
\ the last named place he was tax
prisoner, with his whole compan
bv General WeitzelS brigade, al
! was paroled the next day Thr
] months later he WAS exchang
]. and dsreasslgned to his commar
j. He was at Natichltoches at 7
4 tima.eeunne surrender. After I
war Iurke resumed 'c1' 'erse