The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-02-28
HIRTY-SIx years ago today
but let's begin at the begin
ming.


~. ). L platform In .~illon ani watch
ed the evening train retch forth its
daily consignment OF passengers.
Lown the steps and stringing the
Iuii length OF the aisle, visible
through the lighted windows. they
Jostled each other in their impa-
thence to reach the fresh air of the
outside and the outstretched, friend
! ly hands OF the little city. Plenty Of
seating room tonight, 1 thought, idly
watching for familiar faces. Then.
~ chanced to glance around-string-
ing from well within the station door
TO nay very elbow, trailed in solid
phalanx similar consignment. lost
iing each other in their impatience
TO reach lice. warm, breathing the
breath OF roses. comfortable inside.
Well. thought, standing room
only. But the distance to AEastead
! was not great, and my not too email
feet were comfortably shod, SO lott
cred along in the rear to my later
chagrtn for wher the nice. patient
brakeman took my grin, and-no he
mt weigh 1t. 'ook at it 1udicfally,
hoist 1t to his ear and shake it. but
VIXEN he put 1t up the steps found
myself facing a packed coach.
Not quite. Near the coor-I like
being near doors for some reason
was one vacant seat, touching elbows
with prosperous looking prsi
man, who was nervously folding and
unfolding an event. paper AS a
rule am far from pushing but there
was no other seat. So l settled that
grip. which by the way was loaded
with paint-pearl-gray lead paint,
from Hughes & McCaleb's, no wonder
the weight startled that brakeman,
but my friends it didn't gurgle-I set.
tied that grip at my feet and sat
down by my o. S. L. seat mate.
Now, reserve Is a very hard thing
to maintain when an evening paper.
which you haven't read, with staring
black headlines, is in the other fell
lows fingers instead of your own
However, my seatmate seemed to be
OF the same mind, for with friendly
smile and significent glance upward.
he handed me the paper. remarking,
4 can't see to read the lights are so
very POOR" Goodness, thought, was
my desire SO obvious, that the man
was dealing me gentle rebuke for
my too egidenf srtiD beringvS OF, d3d
he mean to be truly courteous? l
preferred, of course, to think the lat
ter, and with l trust commendable
grace, took the coveted sheet. By
the way, it was The Butte Daily
Post upon which our friend Ed Han
mer marshals great armies of ideas
and deploys them strategically in his
mighty editorial efforts. was anx-
ious to see If there was anything in
1t. Don't misjudge the latter part of
the foregoing sentence.
A long whistle sounded ahead. |
had just finished my unavailing
search listed conveys to sail for
home are"-and l turned as my seat
mate spoke. This train is terribly
slow tonight; we are only at Bar
rett's station
Courtesy begets courtesy. Some
times ventured. "it does seem
that way. / travel this strip of road
often and at times the miles fly like
a speed demon, then again l wonder,
will We ever reach the next tie"
My seatmate proved truly court
eous. He seemed to understand my |
witless words. They are running un-
der slow orders" he said thoughtful |
ly. looked inquiry THE road bed" Z
he answered.
My seatmate did not seem inclin-
cd to talk of Gar, peace, labor prob !
lens, or any other topic usually .
found of passing. interest; even .
Jeanette Rankin aa theme proved I
tasteless. But the weather-poor
abused weather-proved to be the I
key that fitted the lock in the door
that led to the land of bYgone days. /
1T is very unlike thirty-six years
ago this last January h9 remarked
He looked at me, looked away. Ic.k-
ed back again, nervously foldei his
hands, had the paper-and as am 1,
good at reading sigus. having never 4
missed lookout for the cars" ore,
knew that mighty soon might |,
hear something interesting.
Can you distinctly remember (
what happened thirty-six years ago
ast january" l asked | couldn't, |
iidn't believe he could
why, yes, I recall that there was /
lust a hundred degrees difference in /
he temperature of January seven
eenth thirty-six years ago and Jan
nary seventeenth of this year was
working in n inc in Butte; our fore j
mans wife died; we had to dig the |
grave and such time as we had. +,
degrees below zero l re- I:
all also that / had neither gloves or I
,yershoes. Ii did mot seem so cold {
but / was an Indian In those days for Z
cold. | couldn't do IL now" II
What a history wrapped up in that
orief paragraph, Butte then and
low. Thirty-six years ago and Butte /
\ Butte with stage lines debouching
n all direction. What history max 4
ng years they had been. said as
Durh