The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1910-01-13
L. II. Washburn, Man of the Old
Time West, Dies Suddenly.
DROVE STAGE 40 YEARS
Crossed the Plains in '5S-Was
80 Years of Age.

TOO proud to beg and too honest
to steal"
This tribute from a friend ex.
plains the death of Lewis H. Wash.
burn which occurred Tuesday after
noon. For some time Mr. Wash.
burn has been making his home In
the little frame building near the
old stage barns in the eastern part
of the city, and It was here that
Death came. His absence from his
usual haunts downtown for day or
two was noticed and upon investiga.
ton his lifeless body was found
upon the floor of the hovel.
The appearance of the rooms in
which the aged man died bespoke
conditions sadly pathetic There
were no provisions, or as Lew would
have said, mo grub" save few
frozen vegetables and q bit of flour:
no fuel except that in the stove. un-
kindled. The body was found near
the stove, clad in the usual gar
ments with the addition of heavy
overcoat. The stove door was open
and disclosed an old singletree, still
attached to the evener, which the dy-
ing man had tried to kindle by burn
ing bits of newspaper and matches.
Death from old age, cold and hun
ger, with friends near and yet un-
knowing; no comfort, no goodbye,
nothing but the end of life-bleak
and pitiful.
Lewis II. Washburn was about
eighty years Of age. He came or
iginally from Wisconsin, crossing the
plains in 1858. From letters found
among his possessions these fig,
ures are learned. Several of these
missives bore dates of a time before
ie civil war and are well written,
interesting letters, bespeaking for the
recipient host of friends and rela-
tives of the better class.
He was only a. stage driver, was
Lew Washburn. For forty years he
made it his life's work. Practical.
ly all this time he was In the en-
pioy OF one company and there was
never complaint of his efforts. His
story of his life would be a mar
rative of the typical west His ca
reer was replete with adventures and
events characteristic of the cow coun
try and gold camp but he, himself,
would never tell 1T. At one time in
Montana his stage was held up and
IN the fight which followed he re-
ceived six bullet wounds. Like Incl
dents were crowded into his life all
through its living, incidents that tax
Cd the nerve and capacity of the man
and made him known to his fellows. /
he lived, perhaps, as he died-driy !
ing into the very teeth of the winds
OF adversely, and never flinching. !
In later years he gave up the strer-t
uous duties of handling the ribbons
ana took charge of the stage barn.
Inc stock and rigs were never in
better condition than when Lew
Washburn was caring for them. Driv
ers say that he was always on duty
10 open the doors and received the
stages no matter how inclement the
weather or what hour of the night
OF day. When the railroad came
and the stage line was abolished the
old driver lost his familiar surround
lngs. His life grew, more than ever, !
INTO an existence of solitude and rem
'niscences. And thus he died.
Burial took place Wednesday aft
ernoon at Prairie View cemetery and
was attended by few friends of the
deceased. The county provides the
sum of thirty dollars for burial ex-
penses in such cases and to insure
proper preparation of the old mans
last resting place his friends In
creased this to fifty dollars by in
contributions.