The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-08-10

pose and strong in its strife,
And ain life not be stronger and
purer thereby"
| Owen Meresdfth
Presto Bnrrell departed this life at
the home of his daughter. Mrs. B. F..
Boling, in BlackfoOt, Tuesday even
ing at 10 O'Clock. He had beal in
failing health for sometime past, yet
che news of his demise came aE a
shock to his lnmlmerable friends, as
but a few days since he was ON the
streets meeting old friends, renewing
old aCQCaintancecs, amid exchanging
| pioneer reminiscenc rs.
| One by one, as they respond to the
! dread summons of the pallid messen-
ger with the inverted torch, do the
| life stories of the hardy pioneers of
this section, whose h roic and untir-
ing efforts tr:,-sformed this great
Western Empire from vast waste
and savage wilderness to realm Of
system tic productiveness and prog
ressive civilization, round out their
finish as th,ay pass to their eternal re
ward.
Time rewards each pioneer
Who clears higher path for
man."
Presto Burreu sprang from al race
Of pioneers. His parents were ma
tives of New York, and in the early
part of the nineteenth century pos
se.ssed themselves of fertile acres i'm
the state Of illinois, locating there in
1918.
Mr. Rurrell was born in White couI
ty, Illinois, ON September 9Th. 1929.
His educational advantages and op-
porkunilties were very meager and
limited. However, i'm the hard school
CT experience, whose preceptOrs are
the stern realities on the world and
the poignant vicissitudes of life;
whose teachers bring Quickness OF
perccpEio i. ro dinesS of action firm
+ ISIS iof purpose, ahd a wide knowl-
edge of mon and the elements of
their characters, Hndl Thorough uny
Outstanding of human, nature, Mr.. Bur-
reG acquired most useful and val
| liable educatii-n. He was careful
| md close student, and had gathered
wonderful fund of knowledge. His
familiarity with current events and
-hings Political was remarkable. For
years he had devoted much time, each
day, in his study, and had surrounded
himself with considerable library.
His educ-tiou measured up to the
adnge, e,-"Educaticl is the bringing
ut oil all the good qualities pf which
the n,ture is susceptible
Attaining his majority in the state
| f Illinois. Tie came west i'm 1854
to Geld Canyon, then Oregon terrific
ry. n-w the state of Nevada, rAmain-
iyg there until the year follow
ing when he went to California,
there Identifying himself with the
mining Of gold until the historic year
ck 1861.
Mr.. Burrem WIS one of these men
WIFI Sc first all lag1ance was to his
country, and his mE st religious devo-
ti-r: itol the flag of his nation. Res
pointing to the CT II of his, country he
enlisted in the Union Army ON Sert-
ember &c, 1861, at Mckelumne Hill.
California, in Comp,Ey H Third Cali
fCrnia Infantry, under the command
II Colonel P. E. CcnnOr, going to-
the camp of instruction at Stockton.
In July, 1862, the command started
for Sa1t Lake City, arriving there OH
October 18th. Mr. Burren was on
guard duty the dEy that the pest at
Fort Douglas was established, and
o. stell the first sentinel ct that place
In 1868 the company was detailed
as tn escort to tho Morrisites and
proceeded to Soda Springs, Idaho,
where they erected Fort Connor. He
was honcrably discharged at the ex-
piraaiCm Of his enlistment, at Salt
Lake City, in October, 1864.
Mr.. Burrela, upon his ischarge re-
turne1 to Soda Springs. and removed
later to Wyoming, where he was en-
ployed f-r a number of years at Salt
Springs.
| In 1870 Mr. Burrelp returned TO,
Idaho, and filed homestead ON the
l. Uds where, for tho past forty-two
years he has resided With Jhdget