Recollections of My Life and Reflections on Times and Events During It: A Memoir by Father W. J. Howlett Main Menu Introduction Table of Contents Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Other Writings by Father W. J. Howlett Timeline Howlett Family Tree William J. Howlett Family Tree Maps and Geography: Howlett's First Trip West Fr. Howlett moved with his family to Denver when he was a child, and then moved to St. Thomas Seminary in Bardstown, KY several years later. This map recounts the path he took to get to both places. Maps and Geography: Howlett's European travels Fr. Howlett traveled far and wide during his trip to Europe. Here is a map of the places he recorded visiting. Maps and Geography: Howlett in Paris, 1872-1873 This map shows the locations that Fr. Howlett mentioned visiting while in Paris, France. Maps and Geography: Howlett in London, 1874 This map shows the locations that Fr. Howlett mentioned visiting while vacationing in London, England Maps and Geography: Colorado Missions with Terrain Fr. Howlett's Colorado mission locations, with Colorado terrain. Index Acknowledgements Contributors' Biographies HIST 394 at CUA, Spring 2020

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would give me lessons in Latin. I had a room in the priest’s house and the arrangement suited us very well, only I was very slow in Latin. I also took some lessons in music from our church organist, Mr Schormoyer, but my success at music was about on a par with my Latin. Father Faure may have got some benefit from my lessons but they were mostly conversation, for his spare time was spent with a penknife and a glue pot making a model of the Cathedral of Santa Fe out of cigar boxes. He was very skilful [skillful] at this work, and years later I saw among the pictures and postcards a photograph of the model. There was no indication of who had made it but I recognized the masterpiece as his.

          I did not teach long enough to turn out any great scholars. The boys were not numerous anyway, and of those I had I remember but few names now. There was Johnny Vought, who became somewhat of a politician, and Johnny Kuykendall who became head of the Denver Cab and Omnibus Company, and Will and Alex Davidson, James F O’Hayre, Henry Keeler, Bernard Doyle, John Phillips and others whom I forgot. I don’t think my term lasted more than six or seven months, but in that time I came to know at least by eight many who became identified with commercial, industrial and social Denver, and I might add political, professional, financial and religious Denver also. But I will not trace them in their varied careers; it might be a humiliation for some of their descendants and it might be a source of pride for others. I know of no millionaires and no beggars; both classes came later making Denver a more metropolitan city but perhaps not happier.

          During the summer of 1867 Father Faure was taken down with typhoid fever. There were no professional nurses in Denver at that time, but it happened that a couple of Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati were staying for a time with the Sisters of Loretto, waiting a safe opportunity of going to Santa Fe to look up the prospects for founding a hospital there. These Sisters cared for the sick priest during the day, while I volunteered to act as night nurse. I attended to my school during the day, and it is probable that the extra work laid me open to infection more readily and I was the next victim of the disease. I went home to the ranch and for several weeks lay in bed with the fever. It was several weeks more before I was strong enough for any work, and then I concluded that my next work would not be teaching others but learning from others as a student in the seminary.

          My choice of St. Thomas’ Seminary in Kentucky was made definite by the [f]act that its president was an old friend of Father Machebeuf. They were both from the same Province in France, and had labored in the same province for some years in America, so with a letter from Father Machebeuf in Denver I felt sure of a welcome from Father Chambige in Kentucky.

          December 12, 1867, was the day of my departure from Denver. I did not this time make the trip over the plains in a slow wagon but by stage to Hays City, Kansas, and by rail thereafter.

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