The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-05-02

| MS business ana the horses recognized
master; after the common plac
talk of the weather, the roads ant
other Indifferent subjects, we lapsee
into silence; till suddenly chirping tc
to his team, shaking his reins, with
perhaps slight flourish of his whip
he would then break into wierd re-
ligious song, with queer refrain, with
strange wavers, such as l had never
heard before on land or sea; he would
again be silent for miles and then
break out in a similar manner, each
scrap of song was wholly different
from the others; l began to be inter-
ested in my driver and watched him.
After an unusual burst he turned to
me with a queer twinkle in his eye,
and wrinkled smiles al over his face
and sand: "Say, stranger, don't you
think I'm queer Dick.?" told him
| was interested in his songs! this
seemed to unlock his tongue, and he
| told me he had homestead in Long
Valley, but his daughter was away
from home and his boy in the navy,
their mother being dead, and he was
lonesome, had come down into the
Snake river valley and squatted on
an unclaimed island in the river, had
been to visit his ranch and was now
working his way back to the valley;
his language was not college English,
but clear-cut and it was delight to
listen to him. He said he was from
Missouri. which I had suspected, al
though he did all the showing" His
home in that state was in the northern
tier of counties; his father was red
hot in sympathy with the south and at
the outbreak of the war joined the
state troops under the Governor, who
was opposed to the National troops;
but shortly after the battle of Will
sons Creek his father appeared. at
home having had all the war he want
ed, and resumed his farming, and his
neighbors did not modest him; at this
time my driver was about sixteen
years OF age, and fired with military
ardor that his father could not quench |
replying to his fathers expostulations
he told him he (the father) had felt
the iresistable drawing to fight and |
had tried it. and now he felt the same
impulse and he would try it; so be-
tween two days he sulked off, travel
ing nights until he crossed the state |
and Joined Prices army, "When,"
said he. 81 got my stomach full Of |
fighting and not daring to return
home I lighted out for the far west,
and did not stop unit. I got beyond
all fighting; and have been miner, cat
tie puncher and ranchman. But isn't
it queer about the songs? Did you
ever hear anything like them?" I told
him I never had "Well," said he,
Those are snatches of camp meeting
songs l used to hear in my boyhood
in Missouri and the funny thing
about it is that l cannot repeat one
If them; but when / am. thinking
bout something else, before I know
t, l am singing them" He was an
interesting character, and l never saw
lin AGAIN; but his conversation and
descriptions enlivened what was usual
y. a wearisome stage ride of fifty
niles.
But that working of his memory!
lie had heard those songs at an i'm
'ressable age, and now when he could
lot recall one of them to repeat them,
he would sing many of them through
without being conscious of what he
vas doing. 1t reminds me of story
used to hear "back East" fifty years
lgo. There was man living on Cape
God who came to this country from
England before he was twenty years
# age; in his youth he had frequented ,
he field meetings" of the Wesleyans
tut in this country had not been
:hurch goer; one day when he was al
most eighty years old he was hoing [
orn, and without his having recalled
he facts for more than sixty years,
o far as he could remember, he began '
o live over a day in his youth, when,
With some of his mates, he had at
ended great outdoor services on :
he moor when Richard Flavel preach !
d; the scene seemed as vivid as :
hough it had been the day before; d
e seemed to see his mates, to hear
lavel and his sermon, with the ex- e
ortion and songs; and the impress s.
ons he had then came again to him.
UGH facts raise the question: as a
verything we have ever heard or h
zen imprinted on the mind like j
record, liable to be re-
allied at any time in the future?" a
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