Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1922-04-06
CONTINUED LETTER
FROM F. HOPKINS

day. Their numbers being few, they
were dependen. on each o.her a
bond existed taat bound them ~
each other with bands llaC rC4-
stronger than hooks of steel, having
gone thru the hardships and priva-
tions insident TO frontier life, they
knew how TO sympathize with the
new conner. If the new conner was
disposed to play the game fair he was
given a hearty welcome, but if he
was a fake, better had ne not been
born. The family OF NJ Pence "ll-
sisted Of himself, wife, Mrs. Pence s
brother, Peters neice, and ! think
three children. The quarters where
the hired help lived was near by, and
was occupied by AL. Jackson and
! Will Claussen, who rode the plains
after the stock. Al Williamson, a
freighter, who wintered there with
his teams, and Al Williams, a pc
fessional horse trainer. Al JaCka-l
was the foreman OF the cowboys a-1
was a fine outstanding fellow. =.
/ Soon after we arrived, Pence
moved across the river for the win
| ter, as | was gone much of the time
| nv wife vas alone with the children.
| AS | remember now, there was not a
family on our side of the river with
| in four miles. 1t would not be at
all surprising if it at times she had
feeling of lonliness. u was under
these circumstance that We learned
he real worth of these young men.
They took in the situation. Those
of them who had homes were away
from them, that there was a woman
TO whom they could 80 as to sister
meant much to them, had she been
their own sister they could not have
been kinder. Al Jackson vas Just
human. like the rest OF u, and as
such I suppose forgot some things
hut there was one thing which he
never forgot. he never forgot TO b.
a gentleman. Riding after cattle or
at home resting, he was the am
unstanding manly man. II he is liy-
ing. and shall read these INES WISH
he might know that the woman
whom he so often beirlended ana
oheered. passed to her home years
since, but to the close CT life she,
thot and spoke kindly OF him. Just
across the river lived Cal Johnson
Mr.. and Mrs. King, and Samuel APP
plegate, Apologize was STOCK fals-
er. rancher, Baptist preacher, and as
an honorable outstanding CHRISTIAN
man. he was one of the salt OF the
earth. He had q brother whose nrst
name I do not recall, his funeral was
the first at which I Officiated in lda-+
no | united one of his daughters IN
marriage to Charley Hart, and his
son John, to Lizzie King. Then there
was Cal johnson and wife, always
dependable. Speaking OF weddings
am reminded OF one that, for few
DAYS proved somewhat embarrassing
both to the couple, and to myself. |
had preached at the Pence school
house at eleven o'clock and went
direct from there to a neIghbor
where l officiated at the marriage OF
the daughter and young man who
lived nearby. After dinner, l pro-
ceeded to the Mckinney appointment
where | preached and then returned
to the Pence school house where L
was to preach at 1880, The young
couple and l arrived at the school
house a the same time and in shak-
ing hands the young man left some
thing in my hand, II was dark and
| couldn't see what it was, but Slip
ped it into my vest pocket and went
into the house. The next morning
remembering the incident 1 drew it
from my pocket, a twenty-five cent
piece. or what we then called two
bits. I was quite sure it was a mis-
take, the young man was not built in
the narrow gauge. OF course l could
not say anything. The second day
thereafter, the young mans father
called on me, and after good visit
he said, accompanied with a hearty
laugh, have you detected any mis-
take made Sunday night? He told
me that when his son detected the
mistake he was so embarrassed that
he could not face the music, but had
asked his father to call and give me
five dollars Later the young man
explained the matter, he said he
knew that beside some silver, he had
three five dollar gold pieces in his
purse Sunday when he was married,
and Monday morning. on looking in
his purse, found that he still had the
three five dollar pieces. 1t then
dawned on him that in the dark, he
had given me twenty-five cents in.
stead of five dollars. If he is alive
he is not an old man, and it is not
supposed that he would leave so fine
country as Idaho. where he was
making so fine q start. If he should
read this, I think he will remember
the circumstance. Young Baker,
from New York state taught school
in the little shack, which we called
school house that stood near the
Pence home. Our boys "A and IL
had to cross the river in boat to
get to the school house. The WAGER
was very swift, and just below the
place of landing were the rapids,
over which l was told more than one
person had gone to their death.
Soon after taking possession of
Buckskin, Al Jackson told me that
she was not reliable yhen in deep
water, shortly before l took her she
had drowned a man, when reaching
deep water, instead of swimming,
she would rear and strike with her
forefeet and if she did not succeed in
unseating the rider, would fall back
on him. Jackson having a day off,
Il =