American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-12-25

HHtOn Dug a BriHy pfpoiHi vi !"
3acco out OF his shirt pocket. He
filled his little greasy pipe. lighted
{ and leaned back against the forge
putting th~oughtfully. The half built
shack. VIII en- was honored by the
name OF a shop. was open ON the
side FADING the west. The sun had
ct. beaylng a dull red glow which
matched tho sploCch OF fire In the
qu et forge. Tho early dusk was
q coping ahead OF the night.
Harton moved ~uneaslly and start
ed 70 talk again. 1 settled back
" ntohing the red in the west
through the open side OF the shop
Christmas la Butte yes sir
that's M old stamping grounds. !
was young in Butte wtnen Butte vas
young. Learnt my trade in Butte
and I'm going back TO spend Chrisd-
mas. See the old boys, go around
TO the old places; Nn be like old
tines. | guess il Will be kind Of
changed because | admit been there
for quite a while, but Butte will
still be there. smoky. grimy, ugly
Butte. And still just like am old
home to me. You can't forget a
town that has given you the first
taste OF life when life is youth.
tell you I'm going back for Christ
mas"
He shook his pipe at me by way
OF emphasis as III he expected me
to deny him the right 10 go. | did
not interrupt him.
And l got a sister in Butte, too.
She's married and got a bunch OF
kids. Poor as the devilEher old
man hits the booze pretty hard and
she has TO hustle to keep the fam
ily fed. You be sure and look up
that thdrty dollars the old man for
got TO credit me with-that will
make those kids a pretty good
Christmas"
looked at my watch and 1t was
six O'Clock and the men would soon
be coming i'm from the works
Through the gloom we heard the
rattle of harness as the skinners
unlocked their teams and came on
In to camp. While the horses con
tentedly drew I'm big swallows Of
cold water. the skinners u~nfastened
buckles and got the harness ready
10 pull off. The muckers, or labor
ers, passed by ON their WAY to the
tent to wash and the skinners LED
their teams TO the corral TENTS. Ii
quicker time than 1t takes to tel
II. harness and collars were off anc
halters ON. The horses SHOOT
themselves and plunged their sof
noses into their boxes Of oats. This
turnkey over by the cook tent be
gan his mad tune on the triangle
and Harton and | followed the
scramble Cor supper.
A grading camp seems to be
rather a humdrum, un~interestinl
place at times and yet this night
D. pageant OF horses and men hur
rying In to their warmth their sup.
per and their rest, after the hare
grind of the day. is a scene which
a man never forgets IL he once livec
Il.
Harton always soldiered a littl,
through the week il he saw thai
work was scarce so that he coulc
get IN the time on Sunday. | never
saw such a man to work. He never
wanted to lay off as long as there
was an excuse for work. He never
gambled and all his expense consist
ed OF a pound OF STAR a week
What little tobacco he smoked h
moOched from some one else
The next day | was sitting ii
the shop and Harton was industri
ously pounding on the anvil to lie
the walking boss u ON the works
know he was busy. The watkins
boss was a pretty wise guy himsel
and he had told me he could tel
when Harton was striking the anvil
'eself and when he had a piece o
iron ON Il. Harton was again talk
ing of his Christmas in Butte.
Now Jack. you want to be sur,
and see the old man about tina
thirty dollars he forgot to credi
me with. or curse i've got a good
bunch OF money without II. but
want what I'm entitled to. Entitled
entitled . entitled. that's a good
word isnt it,"
Haven't you got some folks back
eastg" he continued Il want you
to send and have them get me a
suit OF clothes and some gray flan-
mel hrts to wear TO Butte.
can't get away from camp o and
anyway we can send east and get
them cheaper"
So after some discussion I mea-
snred him as best l could for
la haud-mo-dOWn sukf and ,~r.ka n