The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-05-01
DEATH OF JESSIE RICE

Jessie Rice died at Blackfoot on
Sunday, April 26th, at the age of rs
years. He had house on a piece
of land which he bought of the state
at the north end of Schilling avenue
and lived alone but his neighbors kept
vigil to see If he missed being out
and they dropped in at intervals to
offer dainties for HIS table as good
neighbors will. Mr.. Rice was exclu-
sive in his habits and relations with
others, and it was a little difficult
to keep in close touch with him or
to know if he was not we'll or need
ing anything. In his last illness he
was in a sad plight when found, and
was taken to the hospital where he
died day or two afterwards. His
heart had beein affected for many
years and it was known to his &C
quaintances that life was uncertain
with him.
He came to this locality about fif-
teen years ago, and became acquaint-
ed with Mr.. George F. Gagon, who
was county clerk at that time, and
it was while attending quarterly to
his pension papers that he came to
know the county clerk and to have
rather more confidence in him than
he had in most people, for he had a
diffilence in that respect. He lived
in a little house near the Keeney
ranch until year or two ago, when
he moved to town at the solicitation
of friends who wanted him to be
nearer other people.
A few years ago he had a serious
illness, and had Mr.. Gagon make out
his will. He was living as simply
as possible and was sending his saw
ings to crippled niece in Indiana.
He was good mathematician, and
spent much of his time with his slate
and pencil and his arithmetics, of
which he had number. He some-
times wrote to Mr.. Gagon for solu-
lions of problems that were difficult
for him, or as to those he was in
doubt about. If there were two ways
of arriving at results he wanted to
find both ways and he wanted them
both capable of being proven. Mr..
Gagon's relation with his was merely
that of friend, and whatever he
did for Mr.. Rice was done as a part
of the duty we all owe to the aged.
Once Mr.. Rice handed him a letter
to be opened after the death of the
writer, and Mr.. Gagon asked him as
to the contents. Mr. Rice stated that
he had a little money saved up for
paying the expenses that follow the
sunset of life, and the letter would
explain where to find it. Mr.. Gagon
hvised putting it on savings de-
post or in safety vault, where there
would be less risk of loss and less
risk of somebody doing him harm
in a possible effort to get it away
from him, so Mr.. Rice went to the
third coal oil can from the door and
took out lot of horse shoes and
nails and then picked out gold coins
to the amount of 5000. 1t was placed
on interest for couple of years and
then it was used in fitting up the
little home on Schilling avenue.
Mr.. Rice always kept a dog, and
few years ago his companion got
poisoned and suffered long and hard
before he expired. Mr.. Rice was
greatly affected by it, and wrote a
dogs solliloquy, expressing what
were probably, a dogs reflections on
the trouble and agony he brought
upon himself by eating something
that 1t was his nature to eat and
what custom in the ,neighborhood
seemed to decree that he should sub
sist upon. 1t was a sad paragraph,
and was severe but kindly reproach
upon the man who puts out poisoned
meat. It was published in the Re-
publican at that time. Mr.. Rice Sc
cured another dog and had one at
the time of his death.
Mr. Rice was a soldier of the Civil
War, was a member of an Illinois
company of infantry, and after the
war lived in many western mining
camps. So far as is known here he
was never married. The remains
were shipped to Veedersburg, Indi.
ana, for burial, at the request of his