The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-02-06
OLD LETTER BRINGS
. BACK MEMORIES
Communication Written
in 1890 Reminds Of
Strenuous Winter
and Trip
STOCK SUFFERS
Missive Comes to Light
Thirty Years From
Date Written

ALI COLO AOlAA
Date Written
Not long ago, Richard Stevens OF
Blackfoot was rumaging among
some old relics at the Stevens ranch
and found letter that excited his
interest and called up memories of
strange events. AS he thought over
the long friendships of two families
and the political friendships and
later the political and legal battles
participated in by the persons con-
cerned in the letter, he decided that
is was quite some relic, and he sent
it to Mrs. Byrd Trego on the morn
ing of the thirtieth anniversary of
the day it was written. He accom-
panied the letter by the following
little note:
Dear Mrs. Trego:
In rummaging around among our
old papers we ran across this letter
from Byrd to Jim. ] thought per-
haps you might like to have it be-
cause it was written so long ago.
| You can. also have some fun with
him about it.
Truly,
DICK STEVENS.
Here is the Letter
Howe, Idaho, Jan. 10, 1890
Mr.. James M. Stevens,
Blackfoot, Idaho.
Dear friend:
We are having lots of snow and
cold weather here, but school goes
on just the same. | spent a few
days up at Hawley's during the
holidays and, of course, had a very
agreeable time. l am going out
hunting antelope tomorrow. The
snow is about one and half feet
deep here. There are lots of hungry
cattle here eating willows and sage
brush. When they try to gather
them, lots of them give out and can't
get to hay. :.
How are you all coming along? !
mean yourself and John, Fred, Bert,
Ben, Vesta, Matte, Alice and the
others. When are you coming out
to see your girls? Is Emma going
to school?
Tell Fred to write if he can tell
anything funny, newsy or otherwise.
really can't. find much to write
about here, but l wish to get copy
of the song entitled Just Before the
Battle, Mother,' and would esteem
it favor If you could find and copy
it for me. Major Danilson used to
have it in some of his National
Airs" that he kept in the office at the
store.
Mrs. Hawley says you have been
trying to get an organ for the school,
have you succeeded?
My school is quite small, but they
are good workers. There are only
five here today. Sometimes l have
a dozen, but make my precious $42
a month clear just the same, and
have good deal of time for reading
and studying.
l expect to go home about the mid
die of April.
Hoping to hear from you soon, ] |
remain,
Yours truly,
j BYRD TREGO. |
The letter referred to was written |
January 10, 1890, and Mrs. Trego |
lCCClFCu IL dAu lCdu IL " uCI uuO-
band thirty years from the date 1t |
was written. He was plainly sur
prised, and laughed softly as he re-
called the queer turns of events since
that time. Jim and Byrd were
schoolmates, business and political
friends and opponents and finally OPP
posing each other with all the power
at their command.
Thirty years ago. this winter was
the time of the starvation of stock
due to deep snow and lack of feed.
Then the school funds of the Howe
district we're exhausted in February,i
Mr.. Treg0 canvassed the situation to
see how he could get out to the rail-
road, with the result that he and
two other men wishing to get out,
started with team and wagon and
attempted to make the trip to Camas
via the sinks of Birch creek. There
had been a chinook wind and some
of the snow had melted, but the
turned cold again.
1t took one hard days plodding to
get from Howe to Renos ranch on
Birch creek. Reno had lot of cat
IAC WuACh uC Wuo lh5 W CoFC, duu
Mrs. Reno was melting snow for
them on the cook stove. There was
no water in the creek, and the cattle
had to drink something, as we'll as
eat. Her regular house work with
the snow melting added, kept her
working early and late. The party
left Reno's early the morning of the
second Fday, having exchanged the
light wagon for sled. A few miles
out on the Birch creek plains they
bare ground and de-
cided to return and get the wagon
Trego guessed correctly that when
they got back to Reno's ranch they
would stay there the rest of the day
and perhaps give up the trip, so he
took some boiled beans and bacon
done up in a -four sack and con-
tinued the journey afoot, following
the road leading eastward towards
Camas. He walked all day and until
late in the evening and arrived at
great fiat, where he could no longer
follow the road in the darkness, but
a fipo11u va ~ s~I1 |