Fergus County Democrat. [volume], April 18, 1905, Image 1

About Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Fergus County Democrat.
Vol, I. No. 36
LEWISTOWN, FERGUS COUNTY, MONTANA, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1905.
Price 5 Cents.
WAS JOHN QUAY
MURDERED?
The Neighbors of John Quay Think
That His Disappearance Was
Due to Foul Play.
A LETTER FROM HIS SISTER
Mrs. L. Gordon, Quay's Sister in
Ireland Writes to A. V. Rogers
and Asks for Information.
Was John Quay murdered and his
body dispose 1 of by the murderer in
so cunning a manner that discovery
is almost an Impossibility? This con
conjecture i i relation to the disap
pearance of ' ;uay is creating consider
able interest around Rogers, the lo
cality in which Quay resided before
his mysteri ms disappearance last
< >c tuber.
Though no trace of the missing man
has been found as yet, interest instead
of waning is becoming daily more act
ive among ti.j neighbors and friends
of Quay who was either killed in cold
blood by soi ■ cowardly assassian and
afterward 1 horoughly hidden or who
attacked b\ ,l temporary insanity left
his hornet..tliout the slightest pre
mediation and without telling asingle
person of his intention.
While in the city during the early
part of last week, Mr. Rogers while
talking with a Democrat man, said
that tlie general opinion in the vicin
ity of Roger.. was, that Quay met his
death and i; seems to be the general
belief that bis sudden disappearance
was due to the murderous action of
some person who lias not yet been lo
cated. The following letters were re
ceived by Mr. Rogers last Monday
week, from his sister in Ireland and a
brother in Texas:
Lis'ask, 11th March 1905.
•Mr. Rogers. Sir: Yours to hand
yesterday; just as I was about to
write to you. I have been so anxions
since I wrote you last. Such terribly
unhappy news, it is dreadful to think
of. I do not know what to do I did
so hope that he would turn up; even
yet, 1 can't bear to think "murder,"
that awful ending, would happen to
my poor innocent brother. Any death
but that. I did expect to hear that
he had been found dead somewhere,
but your 'letter points to a more
tragic ending.
I will write my brother in Texas
and tell our other friends. So sad
that lie did not come home; living all
alone in that wild place. Do accept
my heartfelt thanks for all your kind
ness in answering my letters.. Only
for you I might possibly have never
heard any news at all.
What I want you to do now, is to
write me your advice as soon as you
get this, as to what lawyer to employ
over there or how to negotiate with
the authorities in your country. All
friends here join me in asking you
to see after his little property, take
charge of it for the present and make
it pay for any expense you may incur.
The chief thing is, to find him liv
ing or dead and bring the guilty party
to justice. 1 understand his property
over there is not very valuable. It
will take some time to arrange mat
ters. What kind of police protection
is there. If it was in this country
where the neighbors live near each
other we would know what to do. 1
believe there has been severe weather
and snow storms in Montana. I will
still hope no one has been so wicked
as to slay him for his money.
As you speak of making further
search in the spring and as you know
all that can be known as to his habits
and so forth. I trust you will leave
no stone unturned to ascertain if he
has indeed been murdered, tlie pain
ful truth must be invertigated, you
know how to put the matter in the
care of the government and what
agents to employ and how to dispose
of his property to the best advantage.
1 am so thankful to you for answer
ing my questions. Do what you think
is best.
it is so long since he was seen by
any person, 1 am aware it will be dif
ficult and I know you have a large
properly of your own to attend to. If
poor John only would have had sense
to have stayed with someone like you
and not go and live like a hermit. It
is a great shock and grief to all his
friends. He was a most gentle crea
ture, even his voice was gentle; poo %
poor John: I will not believe it even
yet. Please write by return mail for
I hardly know what I am writing and
I must go and inform my sister,
Yours,
Mrs. L. Gordon,
P. S.—I will be counting the days
until I get your next letter."
AVaco, Texas, March 27th, 1905.
"Mr. A. V. Rogeas. Dear Sir: I
have just received a copy of your let
ter to my sister, Mrs. Gordon in Ire
land, giving an account of my broth
er, John A. Quay whom you suppose
is dead I have written to him often
but he seldom answered my letters.
I have not heard from him since he
was in the N. W. Territory and of
course know nothing of him. I have
been away from home 25 years and
have lost track of a lot of my rela
tions. Will you kindly let me know
how long John has been at Rogers
and what he had there. He wrote
me a glowing account of that place
and claimed to have 1(500 acres of
land. Did he take up a government
claim in Montana? If so, please state
particulars. My sister is very much
worried and wants me to find out all 1
can about the matter. Let me know
all you can and if anything can be
saved out of his effects I would like
my sisters to have it.
How far was his place from yours
and what was he doing? 1 do not
think anyone knows very much about
him: lie must have had something
saved as he had no one but himself.
Please write at once and let me know
what you think would be of interest
to me and I will be under everlasting
obligations to you, Yours truly,
S. J. Quay."
John Quay lived for two years about
five miles from Rogers. His immedi
ate neighbors are Wm. Noble and
Clias. J. Slierbino who own ranches
but half a mile from the bounderies
of Quay's property which consists of a
homestead and a desert entry. Quay
was a reserved and inoffensive being
and though not making many warm
personal friends he had no enemies.
At the time of his disappearance he
owned three head of horses and was
known to have some money. The
last time lie was seen was at the Eli
jah ranch where he had taken a mare
for breeding purposes. This was on
October lltli, from that day to this
he has not been seen and his reason
for leaving or his whereabouts can
not be discovered. When the neigh
bors went to his ranch, it was found
that all the clothing that had been
taken was a light suit which he was
wearing during the warm weather
which prevailed at that time. The
best of his clothes were left and if he
left the country on a sudden impulse,
he certainly did not take enough
clothes to "wad a shotgun" as friends
in looking over his effects discovered.
The ranch buildings were left as
they would be left by a man expect
ing to return immediately: the chick
ens were there and two horses. The
day before his disappearance he bought
part of a load of grain and from what
can be learned he had made prepara
tions to winter on his ranch. It is
known that Quay had money on his
person at the time of his mysterious
taking off. A short time since, news
was received from Ireland that he
had been left a farm, which though
not extremely valuable would have
furnished means enough to keep him
in fairly good circumstances the rest
of his life.
The mysterious disappearance busi
ness seems to be in a flourishing con
dition in the vicinity of Rogers, for
only a few weeks after this mat
ter was brought to public notice,
Clias. Slierbino, the neighbor of Quay
left suddenly and has not since been
heard from. Slierbino left his ranch
in almost the same manner as Quay
and left a mare and a colt and a large
number of chickens to shift for them
selves. Slierbino is a man well along
in the forties and has herded sheep
considerably, though for a time he
worked in the tie camp at Martins
dale during the building of the Mon
tana Railroad.
The ranchers living in the vicinity
of Rogers have decided to probe the
matter of Quay's disappearance to the
bottom and are bent on liuding out
what happened to the unfortunate
man if possible. As soon as the snow
melts out of the coulees and it is
possible to make a thorough search of
the surrounding country, steps will be
taken in an endeavor to solve the
mystery.
Remember, the Democrat and the
best state map ever published for less
than the price of the map, 83.00.
INVFNTftD^ Pine Domestic Cigar.
11^ V L.11 I UKJ- Un sa i t . at all dealer?.
WITH FERGUS
WOOLGROWERS
All Conditions Point to one of the
Most Successful Seasons Ever
Seen in the Basin.
OUTLOOK FOR THE LOCAL MARKET
Many of the Largest Wooigrowers in
the County Will Bring Their
Clips to This City.
If present conditions prevail through
out the remainder of the season,
the year 1905 wi[l be the banner sea
son for the wool growers of Fergus
county. With fevorable weather con
ditions, there will not be a woolgrow
er in the entire county who will not
nave something substantial to show
for his year's work.
Already there are a great many
sheepmen who are ahead of the game
through their lamb sales alone.
Messrs. Thompson and Kailsback,
sheep buyers from Hillings, have been
in the county for several weeks past
and have about cleaned up all of (lie
surplus lambs and other sheep. And,
what is more to the advantage of the
woolgrower, they have been paying
top prices for what they have pur
chased. It is stated that over twen
ty thousand sheep have been sold by
the wooigrowers in t he St anford,Utica
and Philbrook sections of the county
at an average of 83 a head. Several
thousand were sold at 83.25 a head.
This means the distribution of from
8(50,000 to $70,000 among t ne stockmen
of that part of the county and insures
easier times among all classes in that
end of the county.
Lambing will be in full operation
within a few weeks and the success
of this important part of the industry
depends largely upon climatic condi
tions. A large number of the wool
growers of Fergus county are nut new
so much at the merCy of the elements
as in former days or even in other
parts of the state at the present time,
as they have, generally speaking, suffi
cient hay and sheds to protect their
ewes and lambs from any ordinary
storm. Sufficient moisture lias fallen
during the last two weeks to insure
good green grass just as soon as the
sun shines warm and bright for a
week or ten days. If the lambing
season is successful, the main troubles
of the woolgrower will have passed.
It is the very general impression
that*the wool situation will take care
of itself. Seldom in the history of
the woolgrowing industry in this
state lias the competition for wool
been so keen among the various big
wool purchasing firms. Commencing
with the very close of the season last
year, the wool houses have had their
men in the west contracting for the
unshorn clips at prices from two to
three cents higher than were paid
last season. Millions of pounds of
wool in Montana have been so con
tracted.
There lias been but little of this
sort of buying done in Fergus county
but it is probable that there will be
some scrambling over some of Hie
choice clips here long before the wool
is taken from the backs of the sheep.
"Jack" Patterson, buyer for Jeremiah
Williams & Co., arrived in the city
last week and others will undoubtedly
follow. Taken altogether, the best,
wool in Montana is raised in Fergus
county. It is always light and clean
but this year it. promises to be oi es
pecially tine quality owing to the dry,
open winter. All wooigrowers to
whom the Democrat representative
lias talked, express tlie belief tHat the
average price in t his county will be
twenty cents a pound. Some of the
consarvative ones predict that twen
ty-five cents a pound will lie paid rot
wool on the local ma.ikel before the
season is far advanced.
Prospects are exceedingly bright
for a splendid wool market in this
city tiie coming season. Last year
there were two million pounds
handled from this point but it is con
servatively estimated that there will
he from three million to four million
pounds shipped from Lewistown next
fall. During the last month, the
managers of several large outfits
have been in the city talking with
our merchants over the price of sup
plies. Three or four of them have
informed the Democrat that the
prices are entirely satisfactory and
that they will bring in their wool.
Although the merchants here suffer
a disadvantage in the matter of
freight rates, they are alive to tIre
necessity of capturing this trade and
are making prices to wooigrowers
which are as good as can be obtained
in either Hillings or Great Falls.
The LanK Eared lint.
The long eared bat puts itself to bed
in wraps not only of its *>wu wings,
but supplemented by the folding of its
own enormous ears. This little lirltlsli
mammal, the body of w|tich is only
two inches long from the tip of the
nose to the base of the tail, has the
largest ears, in proportion to its size, of
any animal in the world. They are an
Inch and a half long and three-quar
ters of an inch broad, and when their
owner proposes to. go to sleep it bends
them outward and then backward,
folding them down on either side of its
head and shoulders before bringing up
the wings to cover its sides. When
waking up it is quite u business for the
little bat to get its tall ears straight
ened out and into position again. They
jemain for some time at "half cock"
and then are gradually set up and
erected to serve the animal while
awake.--London Nature.
The rCtjvcusInn "Croat Scott!"
Convsp mdents of the London Acade
my have been discussing the origin of
the American expression "Great Scott!"
One thought it arose in some obscure
way from the name of General Wiutleld
Scott. Another writes: "Surely the con
nection of this with General Wintield
Scott, mentioned by your correspond
ent, is doubtful—probably a inert! volks
etomologie or story invented to account
for a word not otherwise understood.
Russell's 'Current Americanisms' mere
ly delines it as a 'euphemistic oath of
no great force and very uncertain ori
gin.' lie must have been acquainted
with the Wintield Scott story and (as
he is elsewhere very hospitable to fan
cy derivations) must have laid reasons
for rejecting thist one, hut il is odd that
he did not record the fairly obvious cor
ruption of the German '(truss Gott!' "
Warlike, lint Polite.
Ernest Vcilel, a Paris literary man,
was once a lieutenant in the French
navy. At one time he commanded a
small warship charged with the duty of
preventing the entrance of foreign ves
sels into a Siamese harbor. A Scandi
navian ship, with a Siamese commodore
who called himself -Armand Duplessis
do Richelieu, attempted to enter by the
alleged authorization of the French
minister at Bangkok. M. Vede wrote
a note in these terms: "If you don't de
sist, I shall open tire." Then he lenrn
tliat Mine. Richelieu was with her hus
band, and he tied the note to a magnif
icent bouquet. The commodore with
the illustrious name desisted and thank
ed the polite lieutenant profusely for
the flowers.
Gray Eyes nml I.nrellpdit.
There are no finer eyes in the world
than those clear gray eyes of Quaker
gray that now and then we see In some
good woman's face. Somehow or other
they fill you with a vague desire to
pray. They are the eyes that shine
with lovelight (a beautiful old word),
the light of an exceeding kindness for
all living things.
The green iris has had a bad reputa
tion. Shakespeare speaks of eyes "green
as leeks" and jealousy as a "green eyed
monster." A person with green eyes is
often stigmatized as "cat eyed" and Is
supposed to possess all a cat's purring
and Ingratiating insinuation.—Brown
Book.
A Scotch Transaction.
A highlander who sold brooms went
into a barber shop in Glasgow to got
shaved. The barber bought one of liis
brooms and after having shaved him
asked the price of it. "Twopence," said
the highlander. "No. no," said the oth
er, "I will give you a penny, and if
that does not satisfy you take* your
broom again." The highlander look it
and asked what lie had to pay. "A pen
ny," said the barber. "I,will gie you a
bawbee, and if that doesn't satisfy you
pit on my heard again."—London Tat
ler.
The SchenierN.
"Don't you sometimes think that you
are too much attached to money?"
"No," answered Dustin Stax. "If
you knew all the schemes to pry a man
loose from it you'd realize that he has
to be closely attached."—Washington
Star.
Experience or Reminiscence.
The Author's Wife—How can you
write an up to date sea story when you
haven't been on the water for years?
The Author—Well, I've been married
for twenty years, and yet I can write a
love story.—Life.
The Hllter End.
A pupil In one of the New York pub
lic schools was asked to write a sen
tence containing the words "bitter
end." lie turned In the following: "A
Jog chased a eat and bitter end."
Without the Silence.
Snacks—Did your wife's mother treat
you with silent scorn? Jacks— No such
luck; she just treated me with scorn.
PUNISHMENT
FOR THREE MEN
Frank Wells, 0. E. Gunther and Will
iam Price all Enter Pleas of
Guilty Before Court.
WELLS GOES TO PENITENTIARY
Horse Stealing the Charge—Gun
ther Puts Ip a Big Fine and
Price Goes to Jail.
Three men who tresspassed against
the peace and dignity of tlie state
went before Judge Cheadle last week,
pleaded guilty and were given their
punishments.
O. E. Gunther, the life insurance
man who was arrested last winter on
a charge of drawing a check on a
bank in which he had no funds de
posited, came up Friday afternoon
and entered a plea of guilty to (he
charge of pel it larceny and was lined
$207 which lie paid and was permit tod
t o go his wii.v.
Saturday afternoon, Frank Wells
pleaded guilty to the charge of grand
larceny and was sentenced to one
year in the penitentiary, lie stole a
horse from John La Fontaine.
William Brice who was charged
with assault, also entered a plea, of
guilty Sat unlay afternoon and was
fined $100 lie paid $20 of the fine
and went to jail to serve out tlm re
mainder of t he fine.
Easter Music at St. Jumes' Church.
Opening hymn "The strife is o'er."
No. 121.
Te 1 >eum Jackson in F.
lilt roit hymn "Jesus Christ is risen
to-day." No. 112.
Is y tie Tuckerman.
Tersanctus Ely Service Book.
Communion hymn—"At the Lamb's
high Feast we sing."
Gloria in Excelsis Ellwariger.
"Nunc DImittis."
EVENING SERVICE.
Opening hymn "Jesus Christ is risen
to-day."
Magnificat—Runneth in F.
Nunc Dimitt is Bunnell in F.
Hymn before sermon "Come, ye
faithful, raise'the strain."
Hymn after sermon "He is risen! He
is risen!"
CLEAN UP.
Editor Democrat:
With the coming of spring, isn't it
about time that the citizens of Lewis
town got together and did something
in Hie way of "town cleaning?" More
one particularly in regards to our
yards, streets and alleys. As it is
now, old papers and all sorts of t rash
are thrown broadcast to be blown
around by the wind and annoy those
of us who want to make the city
beautiful.
Tin cans, ashes and litter of all
sorts are thrown either into the alleys
or adjacent lots to become an eye
sore and a menace to the public
health. This should be stopped and
it seems to the writer that some
means could be adopted bv which lit
ter of I his sort could be kept in cans
and taken away at stated intervals.
Some outerprisining individval could
make a good living by making a busi
ness of it, call at each house at stated
intervals and hauling it away at so
much per month.
The city is "hard up," as I under
stand it, has very little money to go
on, but the weeds and grass are grow
ing (or very soon will be) in some of
our streets. Why can't each resident,
property owner and tenant alike, take,
say thirty minutes someday and clean
out the weeds that are growing in
front of his house? Surely that is
little enough to do, but if all do it, it
will work a wonderful change for the
better in t lie appearance of some of
our streets.
Then again, (as a suggestion,) don't
put all your energy and time in the
front yard, clean up the back yard as
well, have a nice grass platt and some
flowers back as well as in the front.
Seeds cost but a few cents, and surely
the bloom and fragrance to be had
more than repay one for the labor of
planting them. And what a relief it
would be for the tired wife to look
out of tiie kitchen window and see a
nice piece of green lawn, with a
charming little flower bed or two.
Home will be a much pleasanter place,
and Hie "men folks" would probably
get better cooking if our hack yards
were fixed up a little cozier. People
are, as we all know, influenced in a
great measure by t heir surroundings,
and the aim of all should be to make
these as pleasant as possible.
We are going to have a large num
ber of strangers with us this summer,
many of whom will invest if the con
ditions are favorable, but. no one
wants to make Ids home or invest 1 1 is
money in a dirty slouchy city.
With by little work and pulling to
gether we can make this Hie most
beautiful little city in the state of
Montana. We have the water and
know what varieties of trees and
shrubs will grow. So let us all get
together and clean up, so that strang
ers and citizens alike can truly say:
This is indeed tiie "Gem City of the
glorious Judldth Basin."
One ok Them.
JOHN A. DRAKE
VISITS MINES
Famous Chicago Millionaire Arrived
•in the City Last ivening on
Tour of Inspection.
WHS TOOK OVER HIS SANTIAGO
Not S tilly Determined as to Wheth
er or Not Mill Will lie Brill
This Summer.
John A. Drake of Chicago, owner
of the Gold Beef mine hi the Judith
mountains and the largest, sharehold
er in in the North Moceashi Mining
company, arrived in Ibis city last,
night and left this morning for Ken
dall where lie will spend a day and
then go to Gill Edge to look over the
Gold Reef. He was accompanied to
this city by bis hi'oMicr-ln-law, II. M.
Kay of Chicago and Mr. Armstead, a
mining expert of New York. J. J|.
McCormick, former superintent of the
Gold Reef, accompanied the party to
Kendall and Gill Edge.
Mr. Drake would not commit him
self its to his intent ions in the matter
of putting up a mill on the Santiago
property near Kendall, lie said that
that he would he belter prepared to
speak as soon as lie has made an ex
aminalion of tiie property. It has
been persistent ly rumored for several
months that he intends to build the
mill this summer and it is likely that
he will make known Ids intentions as
soon as lie returns from his trip to
the mountains. They will return to
Lewistown the latter part of the
week.
MOORE.
The real estate ollice of Nihill dfc
Malcolm is completed and the enter
prising tirin of real estate dealers is
ready for business.
The building of the church is al
most completed and services will he
held there next Sunday by the Bov.
Lemon.
The late snow storm has proved of
great benefit to this section of the
county and the farmers.are busilv en
gaged hi breaking new land.
E. A. Watts died oil Sunday from
the effects of a paralytic stroke. Mr.
Watts was t he fat her of M r.s. Denton
of this place and also leaves three
sons and a wife to mourn his loss.
The funeral took place Tuesday morn
ing, last week, at 10 o'clock. The in
terement took place at, the Moore
cemetery and the funeral services
were conducted by Hie Bev. Lemon In
the presence of a large gathering of
friends and relatives of the deceased
who had made many friends during
his residence in this part of the coun
try.
Albert Barney will move into ids
new residence tomorrow. Mr. Bar
ney's new home is one of tiie best in
Moore.
The team being driven by Park
Newell on Sunday, became uncon
trolable and broke loose irom tiie
buggy. One of tiie horses was
scratched up a little but no serious
damages resulted.
Thomas Malcolm is in Lewistown
on business in connection wit li tiie
firm of Nihill & Malcolm.
It. F. Dadman reports that the calf
crop tliis year is a success owing to
the favorable weather during the early
spring.