The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-04-04

salt and provisions from Corrnne, Utah, bound for
the mines of Montana and there were freghters
turning empty from the mines. Thus hundreds of
and thousands of cattle huddled for days, weeks
and even months either bank to avail themselves
of this modern mode of safety and security against
the swirls of this vicious river.
Happy was freighter and herder and proprietor
when the glad day came for moving. The revenue of
the first week, for it took almost a week solid, day
and night, to move the two transient cities of
human and brute life over the bridge was rich re-
ward for its owners. Likewise this long delay and
the consequent congestion of freight and stock and
drivers served advertisement of this
venence all the intermountan country that
turned all travel toward Old Eagle Rock and over
the toll bridge across Snake river 1t
of haven of rest to the fregher forerunner of
Western development, of modern Improvement that
1ghtened the heart to other convenences of thrift
and of which he dreamed in his blankets at night
with the ground for his couch, heather for his
pillow and the blue canopy of heaven for his roof
During the construction of his bridge, two broth
ers-in-law of Matt Taylor, Robert and John c. An
derson, came out from Missouri and became partners
in this undertaking and after few years. they bought
Tay1or's interests and the bridge was thereafter
known as Anderson Brothers Toll Bridge, whereas
it had been previously known as Tay1ors Bridge
One dark Summers evening, long after the last
CLEAN of the summers sunlight had left the Western
horizon, Taylor hailed by passenger, on horse
back, on the Western bank of the stream who asked
for lantern Taylor responded to the call to find
an old acquaintance named Soper, well-known
freghter to those plains for years past Soper
who usually of good spirits, was sorey
detected. He related to Taylor the reason of his
remorse He had sold his large freight outfit consist
ing of several good wagons, dozen or more span of
mules harness and entire equipment; the accumula-
ton of years of toll and hardship, for fabulous
of money which the purchaser had paid him in the
Montana mining camp, in gold dust. This he had
carefully placed in a pouch strapped it to his saddle
and started back over his old trail for Corrinne,
Utah. where sweetheart awaited him whom he
was to marry and return with to his old home
back on the comfortable prairies of Iowa.
He related that when he dismounted to hail him
he had discovered the loss of his pouch representing
his toll and privatons of years past, well his
buoyant hopes for the future including his marriage
and his return to his old home.
Taylor warm hearted man of genuine west
ern quality and offered him words of encourage
ment and of confidence gave him his lantern, just
filled with OIL and told him he would leave the
gate to the toll bridge unlocked and to leave the
lantern by the door of the house. after he passed
over the bridge.
The morning after Taylor found the lantern where
he had asked Soper to leave it but it remained
matter of western mystery to Matt Taylor whether
his good friend Soper went the bridge empty
handed and remorseful or whether he held safe in
his grasp the representation of his years of hard
ship and privaton.
More than 20 years passed when young di-
rect from Iowa came to Old Eagle Rock and found
his only assistant school teacher, the youngest
daughter of Matt Taylor.
On a return from trip to his Iowa home, the fol-