Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-01-27

pulent to the verge of apoplexy, his large,
red face, which turned purple in excite
ment, was a danger sign in controversy
and a beaming sun in pleasantly. He
loved dogs, horses, a glass n a heavy
meal. Though short of stature for his
weight he vas a giant in strength. He
could wrestle or box in his earlier years.
He could argue or crate but it is not re-
corded that he ever ran. No one ever
heard him whisper. That was not in his
nature. When he talked ne shouted,
when he made q speech he thundered
and when he laughed he beloved,
pounded the bar, Jared the furniture.
When he smiled, which was frequently,
his good humor was contagious. 1t spread
to his associates n radiated n en-
veloped his colleagues.
His profanity covered a wide range.
usually er )hasizing the fundamentals
of truth ard honesty. You simply had to
like a man like that, whether or not you
were inclined to. He believed in hui
manity--all humanity. He extended
most liberal credits and started many a
young man in business. From this very
fact he failed in the end to have amassed
any great fortune. But he lived "a hours
a day and missed nothing of the rich
ness and fulness of life. He had the
Cornishman's sympathetically religious
temperament-well concealed-but his
HAND was In his pocket for every solicit
ing clerical. He donated lavishly to every
church, mission, or charity and punctu-
ated his donation with oaths which made
the recipient blush but which would
have made a pirate envy.
Loyal to Countrymen
The pioneers of many a Cornish family
in Butte today came to Montana on
money advanced by A. F. Bray for pass
age from st. Just or st. Edmunds. He
was paternal. almost feudal in his in
terest to his people, but free from preju-
dice and Irish, French and Austrians
were numbered among his friends.
AS a drinking man Bray's capacity was
Gargantian. 1t was his custom to en-
tertain constantly his out Of town Gus
toners and local friends. In Donat Do
rails saloon, the colonel held forth 30
faithfully that one instinctively looked
for him there. Red liquor was his only
tipple and large n continuous were his
rotations.
IF Mr.. Bray, he quit trade here. I
close up my saloon" Dorais used to say.
IF / owned your saloon and you owned
my wholesale business we'd both get rich, /"
Bray used to laugh. He was a p%rodigious
spender. Everything he did was IN a
large scale.
His pride was to ride q white horse
from his residence to his office. though
he was not a romantic figure IN horse
back. Arriving at his office, lie tossed
the lines over the horn OF the saddle,
gave the horse a pat and a lump OF
sugar and sa d, Now go home. Baby"
For years that pretty white horse thread
ed Its way riderless through the maze OF
traffic to the west sid home, where
it was unbridled to Craze on the lawn.
Bray's horse was known to every police
man and newsboy In Butte until the
time OF his death.
Bray had an Englishman's love for
things military, though he had no mill
itary training. Any derelict soldier
drifting into Butte found in him a friend
and helper. He was sympathetic to the
G. "A. r. and in local militia affairs and
was finally given q commission as col
onel OF the Montana national guard. He
Was thus In fact a colonel duly commits
stoned, and not one by mere courtesy.
He tried to study the code but he had
not the temperament for the discipline
q soldier and he never mastered the
of martial procedure. Primar-
ly his duties were SO perfunctory that
his was not apparent and he gloried in
ais title. his uniform and his authority.
It was n OF his few vanities which
,ould well be forgiven.
Colonel Bray was q good merchant but
IN Indifferent commander. In action he
have led to success a forlorn hope
over the battlements of hell with an in
oath, but in wars niceties and
he failed. Finally a compli-
;ation Of long accommodating ailments
developed and he died, not heroically as
lie would have liked but pathetically,
ret none the less bravely.
Leaving but a small estate after his
ears of intensity, his business and or
'anization vanished; even the building
vas razed. Yet his memory clings in
Suite and If 1t does not point a moral it
Idorns many a tale. When standardized
men of Montana meet now in
olemn conclave one misses the outstand-
ng individuality Of Bray; his impromptu
'ratory with its dropped and misplaced
h's'; the strident personality OF his
larion tones which enthused the color
ess and the insipid. Bray is missed for
he Vitality he injected into community
for he had optimism in adversely
nd courage during depression. His good
blood he freely infused into the veins
I the body polite and today would con-
titute a needed rehabilitation TO the
aenemia of commerce. :