The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-12-03

make good? Lots of them do and An
sci Rupe and his family came that
way and stayed. He had been fore
man on beet farm at Rocky Ford,
Colorado, for two years and learned
how to raise sugar beets. The lure
of the west got hold of him and he
came to Blackfoot, Idaho, because
of the sugar factory. He didn't own
it, but you know how it is, fellow
feels his oats at times and will tackle
anything, Then again, he will tackle
things when he hasn't any oats to
feel. AS we We're saying, Rupe blew
into town, possessed with enthusiasm
a good appetite, wife, nine children
all ready for a square meal, couple
of nags, some camp fixtures and six
bits" in money (Pioneer phrase for
rs cents.)
He got job over at Hinkles ranch,
it was the third of July, 1904, when
Rupe came to Blackfoot. Any other
year would have been as good, but
that is when he came That is the
month The idaho Republican started.
That is the month they enclosed the
local sugar factory. 1t was the month
when Editors Kelley and BOBBY
Smith announced that they were 60
ing to get busy and conduct better
newspapers than they had been doing.
But to get back to Rupe and his wife
and the nine. Two dollars a day di-
vided among ten people when every
body eats but father Father ate
his meals where he worked. The
baby wasn't taking much if any solid
food, so that reduced the boarders to
eight. Mrs. Rupe couldn't be idle
minute If the world was standing
still at it's own funeral. She went
to the house and helped with the
work just to be adding, and you
know how it is, Mother Hinkle
wouldn't over look sending something
out to the camp for the kiddies. Well,
do you know, the Rupees figured 1t
out that they could save little
money even at that if it wasn't for
shoes? The Riddles settled that by
going barefooted Figuratively speak
ing they 'held their shoes in abey-
ance," whatever that is. Just like
''The Ruggleses," the summer was so
short and the sun so long they left
their shoes to-home.
But Rupe was sort of live wire.
He heard of T. r. and the canal
work. In this story T. r. doesn't
stand for Teddy Roosevelt nor Tired
Rowing. T. R. was the business end
of a construction camp, and T. R.
needed men at the camp, and the
camp needed a cook. Now do you
see? Dad on the job mother doing
the cooking, Riddles rustling the
wood. Yum, yum!
Ever see construction camp?
Well, it's like an accident going some
where to happen. It's just anything
you find it, Only one thing is GER
tain-wind blowing the dust all the
time No sides to the camp, no floor,
just canvas overhead and everybody
busy. Trust the Riddles to rustic
bite now and then, Ell?
But the little kusses made good. |
There was always something to do
and errands to run, and they were a
kind of automatic step-and-fet"h-it |
for everybody within six miles. Run
business without the Rupe kids? |
Huh, uh
You might laugh about the outfit,
but in spite of yourself you'd like
'em. That canal was surveyed 40 |
miles long and forked. If there had
been a construction camp every humid |
red rods, and ten families of RUPEES
to the mile. that part of Bingham
county would have been rolling in
wealth by this time, and we'll tell
you for why. Every geeser of them
was a worker, and not particular how |
he looked. There wasn't one of them |
that would swipe ANYTHING, unless
it was a doughnut, and even then he
would be thoughtful and leave the
hole for the owner. They went along |
and laughed at hardship and figgered |
how to grow up with the country.
Land was coaxing to be bought at |
SO cents an acre, but water was $40.
Think what a country! An acre OF
land hitrhed to the whiskers of
4O-mile canal, ten years to pay for
it, and title ready on delivery of the
$2O.50.
When Rupe got to Blackfoot he
had enough money to buy an acre
and a half of the land, and when we
saw him at his home down the canal
last week he had 100 acres and the
water paid for, and Mrs. Rupe re-
ported that she had only one more
to pay on her desert
claim of so acres. 1t was all under
and the daughter was
clearing off the coyotes. Every night
she set a trap. and every morning
she skinned another coyote. And
what do you suppose she used for
bait? Why, just anything. The pre-
vious night she had used bone she
had picked up as she crossed the
ield. And the coyote fell for it."
She got him.
Every time we ever went down
hat way the RUPEES had good crop I
f anybody did Every time we ever
went down that way the RUPEES had
,ome bad luck if anybody did. A
al )rt time ago they lost team. Last
gear the county invested all it had in
7n cAnne and gave it to settlers to
lN Jack rabbits. 1t killed band
=. Ao,a-s for Rupees. All dead!
IF tGor had lost that many horses
the 72y hey blew into Blackfoot.
what hota it would have made in
their fortunes! In algebraic terms,
they wonlj nave had minus seven
hnrcoc Erlc, D..-A xxyoo falling ZIG |