Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-06-12
Lyons Section
Headquarters
For Pioneers
(By the Country EdItor)

Lyons, Or, June 5.--This section OF
Marion county seems to be headquar-
ters for pioneer settlers of the San
tam valley who, owing to favorable
circumstances and prediction for
the pursuits of husbandry, turned their
swords into the pillow, after driving
away the savage natives and improve9
the opportunity TO do something in
the way of developing a farming COM
munity that turned other veterans
green with envy While diligent in the
pursuits of their favorite vocation, they
never failed to stop long enough to see
the funny side of life. W. II. Swank.
who has lived in this settlement for
nearly half century, takes delight IN
telling of the funny things that hap
pened in his boyhood days.
His father, David Swank. was one
of the first settlers along the Santlam
river. In those days they had no roads
and of course no automobiles or rapid
means of transportation. In proving
UP on his homestead. he says, his fa-
ther used to walk from the place to
Salem and walk back. 1t was a tire
some task and required several days.
Upon one occasion he had not been
feeling well, the result of severe
toothache. Tired from the long walk,
he sat upon a stump for a minute, a
few miles from home, to rest, ana
e,.t NNfhtIa Ia
was thus engaged DR.. VIM. Welck of
Silverton, pioneer dentist, came
up the trail on horse and stop
ped In front OF the man "up
a stump" Mr.. Swank supposed 1t was
some cruiser wanting to be directed,
for everyone went to the senior swank
when he wanted to know anything
about land locations or directions.
"Say. said the veteran dentist, "aint
you got the toothache?" you're right,
/ have" was the rely. The tooth ex-
tractor laid his victim out across the
big stump and with the modern im-
plement OF the times--a turn -key--ex-
tracted the tooth. From that time on
the dentist and the pioneer farmer
were friends.
Some funny things happened In
those early days. | recall a story re-
lated some years ago by Rev. Bennett,
a pioneer Baptist minister who lived
at Mehama. He went in company with
another man one Sunday In the winter
time to hold a meeting, the town and
place he did not name, as he stateo
they do things better there now. He
went to the hall at the appointed tifne
and there was snow covering he plat
form in front OF the building at depth
OF two inches, and the only track on It
was that OF dog and he was going
IN the opposite direction. They vert
into the room and after staying there
for a half hour one man came.
''We preached TO him and IL you
ever saw tired mortal in your life 1t
was that man, In about half hour. I
did most of the talking, said the min
lister But the congregation grew
from that time on and presume they
are having good meetings there now.
The schools In Lyons will close next
Friday with the usual annual COM
mencement exercises in the evening.
Mrs, Kora Davis a former teachepI
in the Lyons school, visited at tho
home OF Mr. and Mrs Able yesterday,
Percy Hiatt motored to Albany a
few days ago to get gasoline but his
efforts were of no avail.
Announcement of the intended mar
riage of Miss Alta Hiatt to Alexander
RodaclSer was made a few days ago
and shower was given the intended
bride last evening at the home Of her
parents In LYONS