A Noble Death – Hovey Polleys
The article below is from The Missoulian, Aug. 3rd, 1910
POLLEYS DIES WHEN TREE FALLS
Prominent Young Business Man is killed in woods near Tammany
Passes Away on Train
While Returning to Railroad Station from Fighting Fire, Trunk Falls Without Warning on Leader of Crew, Crushing in His Skull – Graduate at University
William Hovey Polleys – Hovey Polleys he was to all Missoula – was killed yesterday in the woods near Tammany, a station on the Coeur d’Alene branch of the Northern Pacific. He was returning from fighting a fire that threatened the timberland owned by the Polleys Lumber company, of which he was the youngest member, and was struck on the head by a falling tree. The accident happened at 11:30 and at 1:40 the young man died on a train that was rushing toward Missoula, where his father, E. H. Polleys, awaited him. A telegram from the train told of his death.
Hovey Polleys, young, handsome, strong, debonair, had hundreds of friends. Three years ago he graduated from the University of Montana and since then he has been traveling as a salesman for the company of which he was afterward made a member. Thus he made friends in every city and town in Montana. As a university student he was popular. He had a winning way that was not to be resisted, a great heart that shone from his eyes, an optimism that nothing could change. He was still a young man – from 1882 to 1910 is not so long – but he had made his mark already as a clever, capable, honest business man.
Hovey Polleys was a good man; not so much in the namby-pamby way that sometimes goes for goodness, for he had too much of youth and strength and joy in life to be sedate, but in his intercourse with his fellow men was he good. Honest, straight-forward, sincere, jolly, pleasant, strong in character, he was – the highest title that can be bestowed – a man. Today as his body is borne to the grave, his friends may look back along his life and see nothing there that is cause for shame. He was a man.
The Accident
The accident happened as Polleys was returning with a crew from fighting fires. The party was coming along the trail, when a tree crashed down without warning whatsoever and struck him in the back of the head, knocking him up against another tree. His skull was fractured by the blow. His only other injury was a cut lip. The accident happened at an opportune moment, as the Coeur d’Alene train was just due. Members of the party flagged the train at Tammany, and it was backed up to the scene of the accident. Polleys was placed on board the train there, and 10 minutes later was under the care of Dr. Jones of Saltese. Everything that could be done to revive him was resorted to at once, but with no avail, as he never regained consciousness. The accident happened at 11:30 and he died at 1:40, just as the train was pulling into Iron Mountain. The body arrived in the city at 4:25 and was taken to the Marsh undertaking establishment.
The accident was made doubly sad by the fact that Polleys was coming down to take the train for Missoula to assist his father in staking out the lumber yard for the new mill here.
His Life
William Hovey Polleys was born in Melrose, Wisconsin, on October 15, 1882. He lived in Melrose until he was four years of age. At this time the family moved to LaCrosse and lived there until 1900, when it came to Missoula. His education was received in LaCrosse schools and in Missola. He attended the preparatory department and the University of Montana proper, graduating with the class of 1907. After graduation he immediately went to work as sales agent for the Polleys lumber company and worked in this capacity for two years. His winning personality and good business instinct made him of incalculable value to the firm. At the time of the incorporation of the new company he was made a member of the firm and his death will be a great loss. He is survived by his father, E. H. Polleys, and two sisters and a brother. His sisters, Evelyn and Dorothy, are visiting near LaCrosse. His brother, Edgar, is an employee of the forest service in Colorado and the local forestry office is trying to locate him there.
Funeral services will be held here at the home of Mrs. Olive M. Rankin on Madison street at 4 o’clock this afternoon. The body will be taken to Melrose for burial in the family cemetery on No. 2 on the Northern Pacific this afternoon. The services will be in charge of the local Masonic lodge, of which he was a member.
The deceased was a member of the Beta Delta chapter of Sigma Chi and was also a member of the Missoula alumni chapter of the fraternity. Members of the two organizations will escort the hearse to the depot.
From The Missoulian – Aug. 4th, 1910
DEATH OF POLLEYS IS HERO’S
REPORT TELLS HOW END CAME TO YOUNG MAN – BODY TAKEN TO WISCONSIN
A report was received in Missoula yesterday which throws more light on the manner in which William Hovey Polleys met his death near Tammany Tuesday morning. It seems that Mr. Polleys was coming down the trail at the head of the gang, with whom he had been fighting fire during the previous night, and heard a tree crack. He whirled around and yelled at the men following him and pushed the man next to him clear of the danger zone, he then started to run himself, but too late, as the top of the tree broke, struck the ground, and rebounding, hit Polleys in the head before he could clear himself. It thus appears that he sacrificed his life for those who were working under his orders, making his death a fitting climax to a noble life.
His body was taken to Melrose, Wis., yesterday afternoon on train No. 2 on the Northern Pacific. At 4 o’clock funeral services were conducted at the residence of Mrs. Olive Rankin, 134 Madison street, with Missoula lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M. in charge. The Methodist church quartet, J. H. Inch, G. A. McAllister. George Miller and C. R. Perry, sang several selections. The pallbearers were: Professor F. C. Scheuch, Leo Greenough, Ward Rathbun, T. J. Farrell, Jr., George F. Weisel and Gilbert Heyfron.