The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-09-21
THE RED BAR \
of Blackfoot was reading this one:

Nome, Alaska, October g., 1900.
Friend Harry:-1 write you to ac
cept that offer you made me when !
| was getting on the train to come here.
That is, if | wanted to come back
and take my old job you would ar,
range to let me have it as soon as
you could | would like to see the
Pacific coast while I am out here
have always wanted to see Califor'
| MIA and if you don't mind | may see
some of the world while have the
chance and then come home and set.
tie down for life in Blackfoot. 1t
looks better to me now than 1t ever
did before.
l saw Ralph Strong Aft Ericsson and
Frank Lamb today. They are all 60
ing home as soon as they can. I'll
wire you when l get my feet on the
continent at Seattle and you can an
swer by wire at my expense
Yours truly,
ROBERT HOUSTON.
When he finished reading the let
ter he went home to supper AMI while
at the table received the following
telegram:
Hotel Butler, Seattle, Wash, Sat
urday night.
Landed safe. Stout, looms, Lamb,
Mester, coming on steamer Ohio.
ROBERT HOUSTON.
Lily Lightfoot's younger sister was
just finishing piano practice and was
ready to 60 home but stopped to
listen to the reading of the telegram
and what Harry was telling of the con-
tents of the letter She got things
Just little confused and when she
reached home she told the good news
that Robert Houston was in Seattle
and that he had just seen Ralph
Strong and Alfred Ericsson there
that day. Lily had just finished read
ing her letter the second time. ami
was siezed with an impulse to an
swer it before she ate supper BY
the time she got some writing ma
terial in her hand she had decided to
answer by telegram and she re-wrote
her message until she got 1t In this
form:
Ralph Strong, Seattle, Wash. Care
Hotel Butler.
Your Nome letter received All is
acceptable. Come at once.
She had reasons for not signing
her own name, and knew that Ralpn
would know who It was FROM She
took 1t to the depot AMI met man
coming out who had just sent this
message:
Robert Houston, Hotel Butler, Seattle,
WASH ~
Don't need you now. Go see the
world. Bon voyage.
During the night these two. mes
sages were transmitted to Seattle and
had each man received the message in
tended for him, he would have been
happy. The two men stood In the or
fee Of the hotel Sunday morning
ready to go out to church when mes
senger boy from the Western Union
Telegraph and Gable company came
in and asked for Robert Houston and
Ralph Strong. They responded quick
ly and signed for the kilograms. The
boy shuafled several yellow envelopes.
took out two, looked at the addresses
again and handed one to- each man
who was waiting neTvously to see
what was In store for him. They had
not heard from home for months and
knew not what might have happened
in the meantime. Each one tore open
his envelope and read the message
eagerly without looking at the address
and the messenger bow did not know
that he had made little mistake IN
the last second that CHANGED the rate
of two rneu Robert resd Ralph's mes
sage that said: Your Nome letter re-
ceiyed All is acceptable. Come at
once" And turning to the hotel clerk
he as'Sea if the south train. had let.
THE bus is just ready" said the clerk.
IF yGu are going On that train you'll
have TO hurry He got his vaiise,