The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-10-03
THE OBSERVATORY.

ssssse;'
aonce upon a time" ! had a rhission
.,ndv the geology, history and att
TO SONS OF one 81 the largest lakes
trash e east, I asked f0r some mani
IN .ne on the lake. who had spent bus
Doll or IN the waters, who knew 1t as
years sw his fathers farm on one of
he k aIands who was found and placed
US d;snosal with his steam launch,
anch And comfortable. ! had an
s.s at along to make sketches. with a
arAst IA ! verse writing friend for
son a~ After an early breakfast
cor a August morping the hotel people
eaen h;o hamper OF lunch and chunk
pW:ss on the launch, and away we
o. in a different direction soon
w. lawn each day. The lake was
sM ,sesv the islands seemed floating on
surface. aud were covered with
NJ ", laden bushes Of blue and huckle-
bagrTiess; cbaTacter;S fs,il 81 the lore Of
~ lake and all its surroundings,
- every island and encircling rocks,
IVA Il seemed to us he knew every
s1 ane within a rod of each shore.
~ Wsords cannot describe the enjoy
ments of those days. We were taken
10 one cove which was covered with,
literally D.. rm
Al another point the captain
.teered boldly at an opening between
two small islands with deep water
4 channel so narrow that we could
,onch the. oyerhanging bushes on
e;ther side. Many Of those were high
hmsh blueberEies, and we could bend
them down and nick to our content
those Mcious berries, than which, in
nv Judgment, there are none finer in
III The world. There were beaches
offine white sand where we had noon
dav baths, and then our lunch under
fraorant pines; one island had several
farms and occupying families; the
next largest one had eleven families,
with fields, orchards and buildings.
lint change in position had sent them
ali away, leaving just one big farm
house and barns, but several decrepid
cid orchards; and as we passed the
landing place Of this islandSwe saw
party Of men and steam propelled
scow. the story Of whose owner so in
terested us that we afterwards sought
him out and became intimately &C
aaa'a1ea 4 YANKEE s Genius.
One of those men of inherited
ability, with p country school edusa.
ton, hidden N baek-corner Of the
hill country, extremely shy, with sur
prising mechanical ability, but so self
distrustfui that he would not launch
out Into the unlnown world, but
suck close 10 his birth place on the
like here, which he still called .
pond" He had impoundcd the watel
Of a. small stream which gave him
rnill-power part of the year and here
lie irnproyised a machine shop.
Inghis boyhood the lake had BECOME
so much rof summer resort as t6
Rave several excursion steamboats,, OF
which as q youth he sought employ
ment, and became engineer and pilot
absorbing information. The famil,
home was on the main land, but the,
owned a large part of the adjoinint
Biz island, which was now mosti,
used for cattle pasture, and for thei
transportation a big scow was uset
which WAS -propeiled by great oar
sweeps and long poles. This geniu
vas appropriately named solomon
and in his wisdom, after learning 8
much on the steam boats, he scorns'
to use hand labor to propel his cattle
laden scow; therefore he, proceede,
to manufacture power" for himself
Having carefully made his plans, h
bought an upright boiler and piping
and made his own engine; every par
except the boiler he fabricated him
self. In his steamboat experience h
had known such mishap as an en-
CINE catching on the center" and 4
save himself any such trouble h
made three cylinders. and he ais
made in the main shaft OF the pre-
peilar' what is called a "toggle-joint,
by means of which he could steer hi
unwieldly craft.
Many Picnic Parties
Having made an extra large an
good scow he could transport his cal
tie to and fro or any other desire
freight, and many a merry picni
party have i enjoyed with that CON
Portable ark, three or four families,
e S&H Gnu uu(tA 42t Inv hNNs. -
occasion he bought bar of steel an
made himself 4 rife of excelleI
quality, and il seemed to me Z
though he could do anything wit
metals and tools.
People called him "odd;" he ha
one OF the sweetest of Yankee wome
for wife who was a cook OF marvc
Gus ability. To our island home !
brought each early morning mil
eggs and vegetables; once upon tim
when he mad acres of hay maxim
with, men IN the field he was ask
about an ,excursion, and before lea
ing nor the mainland home ne T
marked he would pc along with q
scow In shout two hours u We won
be ell ready, when ! said "But VIII
about your hay~ He replied +
ths,hay take care Of itself; I'm goii
to take your party on that trip" a
he did; an ail-day berry party to
mid-lake island, and no passage pa.
I11ent exccot 10 "saw wood" Tor q