The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-04-07
FOUNDER OF PLAINS LAID AT
REST NEAR THE PLACE HE
LOVED so WELL.
TOWN IS IN MOURNING
More Than Five Hundred Persons
Present at Ceremony Conducted by
Masonic Orders ,ntinent EXPRESSED
nm Eloquent Tribute TO Faithful and
Patriotic Citizen.
tStaff Correspondence.l


Plains. April 6.--Ail that VAS mortal
Of Colonel J. \. McGowan. the founder
Of Plains. lies tonight IN il newly made
grave In the little cemetery on the hill
side overlooking the town and the
beautiful Plains valley. both Of which
he loved go we'll After day spent
by the general populace IN renewed
expressions of grief at his loss, the
town still maintains it's rcverent atti-
iude tonight The funeral. which took
place during the afternoon, called To
Plains more people than ever Assem-
bled here before upon any similar oc-
casion. In every detail the funeral ex-
erciscs were conducted according to the
wishes of the departed. last expressed,
and the number OF mourners together
with the sincerity of their grief, ex-
pressed In words az well as I'm action.
speak much for the worth OF the man
who Is gone and how he was esteemed
and loved. He sleeps near the town
lie founded and made and left behind
left II as n monument still unworthy
of his patriotic and unselfish zeal and
work. His ideals had only been par
Tally realized. for he was n man whose
Ideals constantly increased and en-
larged and grew. AS fast as one oh
Ject was'accomplished he had his plans
al laid for something bigger and bet
ter Today. ms his body was laid to
rest. the people of Plains fully realized
for the first time how great Is their
loss. Those who were his close friends
and neighbors feel his loss keenly.
some mourning him almost as though
he had been member of their own
family. TO his business associates tho
loss Is blow that has struck as some
great crisis. Tho taut bowstring of
the numerous enterprises with which
he has been connected for so long
seems to have snapped. ana there must
he figurative splicing of the broken
ends before things can proceed, for
lack of his active guidance.
Business Suspended.
ont of respect to the dead all busi- |
ness al Plains was suspended most of
the day. The big storc--the MCGOWAN
Mercantile company, In which the col
onel took so much pride--Nas closed all |
day; every other place of business in |
the town. even TO the saloons, were
closed from ~ o'clock noon until s |
O'Clock IN the evening. There was a I
silent hush about the streets and an
air of mourning everywhere the latter
being made more effective and appar-
cnt by the crepe hanging upon each |
doorknob in the business district. |
There were many people on the streets
all day. but they stood in small groups. I
talking In low tones and invariably |
discussing subjects which had 10 do
with the worth of the man whose
Funeral they were waiting to attenh
A Large Gathering.
The hour set for the funeral was .: 30
p. m, but half an hour before that
time the Masonic hall. where the cere-
monies were held. was crowded TO its
seating capacity. The size of the crowy
could be determined from the fact tha.
900 chairs had been placed In the hall /
tCOntluttp1 on Dun Eiual