The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-03-09
-. w. w. MONTGOMERY.
Some Reminisence.

| RlgDy, Idaho, February ~, 1913.
! Some one, | presume it was at the
instance of my sister, Mrs Ed. Brewer
who resides in OSkalOoSa, has been
kind enough to send me a copy Of
YOUR industrial Number" and | take
this occasion to congratulate you and
! the entire force on being equipped to
! get out such meritOriOus publiCa-
tt on as | well know the work s
! issue entails to say nothing of the eX-
pense connected Herewith. 1t is all
the more interesting to me from the
! fact | learned, or tried to learn, the
! trade in the Herald office in 1866, No
vember of that year being the date of
commencing work, and for three
years thereafter | labored behind an
old Washington, manipulating the roll
Ter end of the concern, and once a
week [ was permitted to carry the
Herald to its town subscribers, the
paper then being a weekly. When |
first went to work the paper was being
published by Fisher, Leighton & Need
ham, and afterwards to Leighton &
! Needham, the editor being Henry G..
/ Leighton. and a most splendid man
and excellent editor he was. The Of
IL v W 90 DNt NY CiulIbSi, anu 'llSIl
IA Gordan jobber was added, there was
great dOings around the Herald Office
and the Old Washington press was
made to set w and take notice. The
entire office was not worth over two
thousond dollars, at that time. My,
how times have changed, since that
date AMI how the Herald has grown
but evidently not without effort, per-
sistent and hard grinding effort. You
are deserving of all you have and
what you are. May you continue to live
and prosper.
Being in a somewhat reminiscent
mood this reminds me that it was fifty
two years ago yesterday that first
saw Oskaloosa the first glimpse haY-
ing been from a hill top east of town,
and between there and Fremont. An
uncle, John Green and myself, being
on our way from eastern Ohio to OS
kaloosa, each driving a wagon, my
father having taken a train at Bur
lington for Eddyville in hopes of over
taking my mother and the other four
children, who came through by train.
Little did ! imagine then that | was
destined to see much of the future
At the time of which speak, Eddy
willie was the end of the railroad, the
Keokuk, Les Moines and Minnesota,
the cars at that time being so labeled.
Lumber for the first yard at Oskaloo
sa. was hauled by wagon from Eddy
Vile, being the Kalbach lumber com
pany. That year, and the year follow
ing, the road was built through Des
Moines and we all know how the road
missed O5kaloosa, although it was
just impossible in the minds of all
"old timers" for the road to miss
such an important town as Oskaloosa,
even then assumed to be- Meetings on
the subject were held, money sub
scribed, but not enough, although the
road.bed was graded to Oskaloosa, (af-
terward occupied by the Iowa CENTRALLY
and the road continued on IN the
creek, stapping long enough at Beacon
to establish station. thus supplying
Oskaloosa with service, the servic i
being furnished by Downing & McMul-I
lin in the way sof a stage line, which
lasted forlmany years. Ecan see Major
hanging on to- the rearl
Of a. bus and yelling, 'iall aboard for
beacOn<sSl 3H e5ffrH essti III ~ |
Al the time ofiwhich speak. Charles