Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-12-05

was actively engaged in promoting the
I interests of the territory until his res
. ignation in July, 1866.
There were other than financial
reasons why the coming of General
Meagher was eagerly anticipated. He
had an international reputation and
his Irish compatriots fairly worshiped
him for his efforts in behalf of the
freedom of Ireland. The British gov
eminent had convicted him of treason
and sentenced him to be hanged. This
was later committed, and he was
! transported to Tasmania, where he was
prisoner for two years, until he es-
capped and came to the United States.
Received Hearty Welcome
The immigration problem was I'M
known in those days, and any exile
! for political reasons was assured of
hearty welcome here and protection
When General Meagher reached New
York city, he was enthusiastically re-
ceived by his fellow countrymen, and
others, who regarded him as the vic
! tim of British persecution or admired
his spectacular career. And this was
| the man President johnson had made
territorial secretary for Montana.
After his coming to Bannack, Gen
eral Meagher was a frequent visitor
at our house, and I had fine oppor-
tunity to observe him. He was tall
and proportional. and had the
Celtic combination of black or very
dark hair and blue eyes, the latter
not the sapphire blue of the Teutons,
but a blue that has been described
| t1,n I,,,n Of Et,,r wiz
manner was more English than Irish,
| and I never saw in him any trace
of that quick sense of humor, for
| which his countrymen are everywhere
noted. He apparently took himself very
seriously, which is not surprising, con-
sidering his experiences and the
adulation of which he had been the
object. On giving me his photograph
he said, Il present you with my photo
graph, taken in full uniform; and also
| the address of my wife. on Madison
Square" the fashionable residence
section of New York city at that time,
as George William Curtis had just
made evident in his poem on Flora
McF'limsey."
General Meagher did not impress
me as one who was in sympathy with
the common people; but as an aris-
| tocrat. with English caste prejudices
Perhaps this impression was due to
an incident my father witnessed while
, in company with him. On the street
| of Bannack, soon after the generals
arrival they met an Irishman who
| had previously asked to be introduced
| to Meagher, as he had lived in the
| latter's home town. This he told
Meagher after being introduced to
him. Yes" was the generals reply,
land presume you were one of those
who bounded me out of there" and
passed on with no further remark
In telling of this, my father said he
never felt so sorry for a man as for
the one General Meagher had SO
causelessly pronounced guilty, without
| giving him a chance to defend him.
self.
His Speech Was Dull
The evening following this occur
renee, my cousin, Lucia Darling, and
I heard Meagher deliver an address
Because of his wearisome journey just
ended. he could not have been at his
best, for he gave no indications of the
fiery eloquence for which he was
| 1dIilCO. nave always tC6lSteCo eAioe
did not hear him under more favor
able circumstances.
A day or so later, according to the
Montana historical reports, Governor
Edgerton turned over the archives of
the offices of governor and secretary
to General Meagher, who, the next
! day, put the complete archives of the
two offices into his pocket, and left
Bannack for Virginia City where he
established the executive office in the
leading hotel" This In brief IS the