The Marshall republican., 1906-08-10

Ss1-0 country as a kind of solemn
GlaJ fcstlvity. In those days, for
the most part. men died in their boots
and were planted with much honor
and loyal libation. There was often
neither shroud nor coffin, and In the
far west many n poor fellow lies rs be
fell. wrapped In his own or his com.
rade's blanket.
II was the manager OF the y l. com.
pany's ranch that introduced Grape.
The occasion was the funeral OF one Of
the ranch cowboys. killed by his bron.
co. but when the pallbearcrs and
mourncrs appeared with bands and
stoamcrs OF Grape this was voted by
thu majority ns too gay That cir
Gu Eatance nlonc was sufficient 10 rem.
der that funeral famous. but IL was re-
membercd. too, as having shocked the
proprictles In another and more serious
manner. No one would loo 80 narrow
minded as 90 object TO the custom o:
the return procession falling into q
series OF horse races OF the widest dc.
scriptlon and ending up at L.atour's In
q general riot. But 10 race with the
corpse was considered bad form. The
''corpsc driver" rs he was called. cauld
hardly be blamed on this occasion.
His acknowledged place was at the
head OF the procession. ana II was q
point OF honor that that place should
be retained. The fault lay clearly with
the driver Of the y l. ranch sleigh.
containing the mourners ian lnnova-
ton, by the way, who felt nggricvcd
that III Kendall. driving the Ashley
team with the pallbearers nnG,her
Innovation. should be given the place
OF honor Lcxt the corpse.
The y l. driver wanted 10 kaow
what. In the name OF all that was blacG
and blue. the Ashley ranch had 10 do
with the funeral? Whose was taat
corpse. anyway? Didn't II belong 80 the
y l. ranch? III. on the other hand.
contcnded that the corpse was In
charge Of the ~pallbrarers, II was
their duty 10 see II right TO the grave.
and II they were not on hand how was
II goin' 10 get there? They didn't OK.
pect that II would git up and get there
by Itself, did theyi Ill didn't want no
BANKED mourners fo0lln' round thLi
corp til II was properly planted: after
that they might ST. In their work.
But the y l. driver could not accept
this view. and az the FIRST opportunity
slipped past Ill and his pallbearers
and took the place next the sleigh that
carried the collin. II IL possible that Ill
might have borne with III y nl'ront and
loss of position with eytl mind, but
the Jecrlng remarks OF the mOurners as
they slid past triumphantly could not
be endured, and the next hloncnt the
three teams were abreast Ia u race rs
for dear life. The corpse d yer. hay.
ing the advantage OF the ben IN track,
soon left the other two bchlnt running
neck and neck for second place, which
was captured finally by Ill ana main.
tained 10 the grave side In spite OF
many attempts ON the part of the Y LIS.
The whole proceeding. however. was
considered quite improper. and at La.
tours that night, after full Gnd bibu-
lous discussion, 1t was agreed that tne
corpse driver fairly distributed the
blame. For his part. lie said he knew
lie hadn't ought to Eake no corp
git any SUCH move on, but he wasn't
goin' to see that there corp tikc second
place ut his own funeral. Not IL lac
could help It. and as fer the others. ne
thought that the pallbeareFs had a
BANKED sight more 10 do with the
plantin' than them giddy mou tpers.
But when they gathered at he Mere.
dith ranch TO carry out the Plot TO his
J grave 1t was felt that the f~ootiill
try was called TO Il new experience,
They were all there--the men from
the P%orcupine and from betond the
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