Semi-weekly herald., 1909-08-09
FUNERALS AT DEADWoop
IN THE EARLY DAYS
(WiIlism E. Curtis, Correspondent. of
the Chicago Record-H Herald)

Is buried is the grave of an eccentric
woman who used to go about this
country dressed in mems clothing and
was regarded as a pestilerce. She was
always predicting disaster. hence she
was known as Calamity Jane" She
was poor. miserable. degenerate
creature, but when she died big-heart-
ed miners gave her decent burial
and erected stone over her grave
which is inscribed:
MRS. NJ. e. BURK,
Calamity Jane"
Died August 1. 1903.
Aged SO Years.
A few rods distant. also protected
by screens of Ylre- is another statue
in red sandstone. sculptured by the
same artist who made Wild Bill's. The
figure appears in ministerial frock
and whiskers, with the right hand
thrust into the bosom in the attitude
which is supposed to represent ora,
tory. The epitaph reads as follows:
REVEREND HENRY WESTON
SMITH,
Minister Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, Pioneer Preacher of the Black
Hills, Killed by Indians, August 20.
1876, While on his way from Dead,
wood to Crook City to preach. Faith
full u-1o death.
Smith was Methodist exhorter
from Missouri, an earnest, devout man
who went from camp to camp in early
days, exhorting the miners to abstain
from vice and sin, performing mar.
riage ceremonies, baptising infants
which We're very rare in those times
and burying the dead. He was high.
ly respected, and. while his ministra.
tions were not very effective, 1t was
the fault of the material he had to
work with and not due TO any lack or
zeal or piety on his part.
AS the epitaph states, he was on
his way to preach at Crook City when
ha was attacked and killed and scalp.
ed, and his body was found on the
trail the next morning. There was
great excitement, with sincere mani
festations of sorrow among the min.
ers. who held him in such high esteem
that they called mass meeting. as
was customary on occasions of great
Importance, and appointed a commit.
tee OF arrangements to take charge
of the funeral This committee con-
sisted of Red Clark, Jim Vandanecker.
Tom Short, Jim Matkin and Seth Bull
lock, who had recently come into the
hills from Montana and was then a
boy of "a years. Bullock has since
made national reputation as a fear.
less officer of the law, rough rider
ard an intimate friend of Theodore
Roosevelt. who has Invited Mr.. and
Mrs. Bullock TO meet him and Mrs.
Roosevelt In London after the African
trip is over. Bullock is now United
States marshal of South Dakota.
The committee met and completed
N''N N'i Uita lOl lilt IuHtEal, aDuI
were seriously embarrassed because
they were unable TO find any clergy
man or other person of experience TO
read the burial service. Therefore.
after long and anxious discussion,
they concluded that they would have
to do II themselves and agreed to draw
lots to determine wrc should assume
the responsibility. setI Bullock drew
the short straw, and, as he says.
Went up against the most desperate
emergency of my life"
We went to Doc Carter's gambling
hell" said Bullock. which was then
the bureau OF intelligence and center
OF social activity in Deadwood. and
made public inquiry if anybody knew
OF a prayer book in the camp. Doc
promptly answered.
I've got one of my own: my mother
gave 1t TO me when left home to go
to California in 81 It's in my trunk
and I'll get It.
When Carter returned with the
prayer book the committee of arrange.
ments sat down on row of beer
Kegs and looked II over for somethinp
appropriate for the occasion. They
found prayers for men who are lost
at sea, for women in child-bed, for
persons who are about to depart upon
a Journey, and for various other oc.
casions in human experience. but notb.
ing for the funeral of a Methodis,
parson who has been killed by The
lhdlhns. So we selected the Lords
prayer, which. you know, fits every
and two or three Others
mat we thought appropriate, and We |
put slips of paper between the leaves |
50 That | shouldn't lose the place.
The coffin was lifted into a wagon
irawn by pair of mules. and started
or the cemetery, followed by every
soul IN town. Business was entirely
suspended.
we went to the old cemetery, which
iad eleven graves in a row at tia;
lme' all of them occupied by men
yho had died with their boots on ex.
iept one which was occupied bv