The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-06-20
Early Day Miner
Wins Fame at
Front
HIS HOME In MULLAN
Voice Suggested Nickname
---Stirring Story Told
in Magazine


be more specific, Mullan can
claim tie distinction of being
for several years the home of a
man who has won his way to fame
in the Canadian army; who spurned
the offer of an officers commission and
who proudly donned the uniform of
private and was among the first Can
aGian troops to go across to fight the
Huns. And there he is today, one
or the very few of his battalion who
survived the fierce charge that drove
the enemy from Vimy ridge and which
won undying glory for the valor of
Canadian soldiers. He is no longer
a private. He now wears the insignia
of major and upon his breast hang
medals that tell the story of his val
liant service His remarkable mill
tary career his soldierly bearing, his
free and easy manner of speech which
is a reminder of the early mining
camps of the west all combine to
make a most interesting and unique
personality, while his deep base voice
at once explains the keen sense of
lumor that prompted a Mullan wag
to give him the name by which he
is now known to fame.
"Foehorn" Macdonald.
1t was probably thirty years ago
that four brothers, Dan, Joe, John and
Neil Macdonald came from Canada to
the Coeur d'Alenes and made Mullan
their headquarters. All of them en-
gagged in mining and all are well re-
membered by the pioneers of that day.
The last named was tall, erect, mus
oular fellow, forceful and with that
peculiar characteristic that suggests
leadership. But the thing about him
which impressed every one who met
him was his tremendous voice, which
one pioneer describes as being so
strong that it could be heard block
away when he attempted to whisper.
Neil Macdonald had not been long in
Mullan until his first name had been
forgotten and he was known to all as
"Foghorn'' Macdonald. He left Null
Ian a short time before the labor
troubles Of 1892, going to Butte. He
was next heard from in Tonopah, where
he made "a fortune in mining and
which he dispensed with a free hand
for he was liberal spender and liked
a good time. Cobalt Ontario, drew
him back to native land, and there
he engineered a big mining promotion
which netted him another fortune. He
was in the wilds of the Hudson Bay
country when the news reached him
of the war and that troops were be-
ing rushed to France from Canada
From Private to Ma jor.
I. is from this point that the facin-
ating story of "Foghorn" Macdonald
is told by Mary b. Mullet in the July
number of the American magazine.
The story is the feature of that issue
having pictures of "Foghorn" in var
icus poses and giving much of his
eNentfnl career in his own language.
Additional local interest is given ID
the story in the fact that "Foghorn'
Macdonald Is a cousin of r. j. Mcleod
of Mullan, and of Sam Macdonald, the
Sunset miner who owns the Roy
group Of claims. The story as pub
lished in the American magazine Is
here given in part:
Story of "Foghorn" Macdonald.
When the big wireless station, away
UP on Hudson Bay. snapped out the
news of the war, in August, 1914. Neil
Macdonald did not waste time of
words.
"Say!" he said. "where can / get
a canoe?"
He was fifty-three years old then
But he was as straight as ramroc
and every inch of his six feet of heigh'
was as hard as nails. He was a nat
ural leader of men, afraid of nothing
on earth-banker or bully, prince ol
petticoat The kind Of man that goes
cut into the wlds and whips nature
to q standstill. The kind that walks
into drawing room and says Damn
to duchess and gets away with 1t.
Every camp from Mexico to Mani
toba knew "Foghorn" Macdonald al
mining engineer and royal goo'
fellow. He was born in Canada. Bu
thirty years ago he drifted into Mon
tana and took out his papers as al
American citizen. He was never sic
day in his life. And he never We
saw a square fight that he didn't IT,
to get into it on what seemed to hir
the right side.
When the war broke out he kneY
that he had only to ask for com