The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-01-07

Fat jack" civil war veteran, pom |
eer Of the west and an outstanding
character among the men who blazed
the train into Montana, last week
Joined the ranks of his departed
comrades. His death, at the age OF
Is years, occurred at the Los Angeles
home of w. A. Clark, Jr.
Fat Jack" because of falling
health, left Butte nearly year ago.
He spent some time in the Soldiers
and Sailors home in California. be-
fore he left that place to live at the
home of Mr.. Clark. The transfer
from the home was agreed upon after
it was learned that Jack objected to
wearing the uniform cap provided
for the veterans, instead OF the SILK
plug hat which graced his head as
long as the oldest Butte residents can
remember.
His declining days were extremely
happy, according to those who met
him in California. Mr.. Clark turned
over two rooms in his home and a
private Automobile for the exclusive
use of Fat Jack" His every want
was also provided for. According to
the information received in Butte
the end came peacefully in the midst
of devoted friends.
With the Gold Rush
Like thousands of others who were
attracted to the west in the early
days, Jack prospered or suffered IN
common with all. Following the
gold discoveries he lived in many OF
the mining camps in the west. start
ing with DeadwOod, S. d. From
Deadwood he came to Montana. ar
SvN ~.
til his departure from the state for
California he had been familiar fig
ure in practically every camp in Mon
tana where precious metals had been
discovered.
When his health began to fail he
was living in a cabin back of the c.
o. D. laundry on Park street, Butte.
1t was here his friends found him.
He was so i'll that it was not until
several days later that he was remov-
ed to the hospital Slowly GONZALES
cling, he gained sufficient strength to
make the journey to California.
When he left Butte it was with the
expectancy of returning in short
time, a desire that was not gratified.
One to be Remembered
The career Just ended was that Of
q soldier OF fortune, and like the adj
venturer he was never tired of add
ing to his experiences which marked
and set him apart from his fellow
man. Even among the rugged pion-
GERS he was conspicuous. His wit
was as characteristic as his appear
ance, and any one who ever saw the
lank, cadaverous figure under the
silk hat never forgot Fat Jack"
Born at Bangor, Me-. in 1914. OF
New England stock, he early in life
left home and began his career OF
adventure. Enlisting in the civil war
as a drummer boy, while still in his
teens, Fat Jack" served until the
war was ended. His first enlistment
was in the Thirteenth Maine regi-
ment, in which he served for three
years. He was discharged at New
Orleans, but Immediately re-enlisted
and served until he was wounded.
After convalescing from his wounds
he entered the army for the third
Lime and remained with the colors
until the war was over. He was dis
charged at Washington.
At Fort Benton
Returning to his home in Maine.
he remained there until 1873 and
then started west. The Black Hills
first attracted him. Fort Benton was
next on the list, and from that time
on he visited several mining sections
of Montana, finally selecting Butte
as his home. He saw the mining
camp of the 7O's grow from hand
full of prospectors to the greatest
mining center in the world and the
metropolis Of the state.
Among the things that distinguish
ed him from others was his inordin-
ate love for a horse. Shortly after
his arrival here he quite the barber
business in which he was engaged
and began driving the first hack seen
in Butte. Long after the automobile
had supplanted the horse-drawn con-
veyance, Jack maintained his stable
and when he was finally compelled to
part with his horses, he did so with
keenest regret.
His Great Fame
It was as the driver of Butte's best
known hack that Jack achieved his
greatest fame. Never in the history
of the city did parsonage visit
Butte that he was not escorted from
the depot to his hotel in the hack
driven by Fat Jack" Presidents
princes and the leading celebrities o.
many NATIONS, ACTORS anu dctIesoes v
national repute, together with thous
ands of loyal friends. sought GU
Jack and his hack and completed
their journey from depot to hotel
Presidents Roosevelt and Taft. w.
Bryan. Sarah Bernhard. H. II. ROC
ers and thousands of others sough
him out. Roosevelt was persona
friend.
no nasSiny of the hack J2ct
purchased an automobile which n
operated until two years ago. TIT
car was then sold and Jack began Il