The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-12
DriftWOOd from
the River of Life
w. BY L. p. C0NWELL
THE OLD LIVERY STABLE

THE OLD LINE Rl STABLE
An old prospector from somewhel
down in the Gunnison country, VIII
was attracted to Red Lodge by tn
news of the recent gold strike herr
drove up Broadway last Saturda
afternoon. He was looking for
hitehing rack where he could tie hi
burrows while he staked out a claim
Finding none he anchored them t
the door latch of the United State
National bank. went across to TIL
post office and inquired the way t
a livery stable.
Time was, not SO many years ago
when the livery stable was leading
institution in every prosperous town
but now now A recent survey dis
closes that there are but two suef
institutions left in Carbon county
one in this city and the other al
Bridger.
There are many who read this who
will recall the old livery stable of
ancient times with mingled feelings
of tenderness and regret and | cast
no reflections on, and make no refer
ence to our local livery barns when
| aver that there are many men IN
Red Lodge and Carbon county who
We're 16 years or more of age before
they learned that there was any diff
ference between a livery stable and a
saloon.
In the local option counties of Iowa
and Missouri as well as in the entire
state of Kansas, they were in fact,
one and the same thing, where in
the dark days before prohibition any
one who was athirst could gdt a
draught or two of liquid dynamite by
entering the front door, giving the
distress sign to the proprietor and
proceeding to the rear right hand box
stall
It was at the livery stable in local
option communities that men fore
gathered to partake of the nectar
that was designed to cheer them on
their earthly pilgrimage. 1t was
there that first aid was administered |
to hurt hearts and where stories were
told to sympathetic listeners that had
to do with the woes and griefs and
sorrows of down-trodden man. 1t was
there that men entered bearing a
score or two of heavy crosses and it !
was from there that they emerged an
hour later trying to loan one another
money.
1t was at the livery stable that the
decadent scions of a noble line of
Round Table Knights gathered bed
time to indulge in "the boast of
heraldy and the pomp of power" Sit
ting in front of the east door of the
livery stable of a long hot summer
afternoon on the old whitfield bench,
which adorned those classic shades,
were gathered the last remnants of
mighty race. The perfume of the
livery stable goat was heavy on the
air where men recounted brave deeds |
on the field on honor and great feats
of rural love making To the livery |
stable came the pioneer inquiring his
way into the wilderness or, broken
and discouraged, there he stopped to
inquire the road back to his wife's
folks.
From the livery stable of old and
by ancient and honorable right came
the candidate for sheriff. Livery |
stable men, of course, always were at
the head of any posse seeking to
avenge the flouted law. And, so, the
livery stable man became the laws
defender and the sheriff of the pioneer
Back to the livery stable
came the rising statesman of The
court house, having served his time as
sheriff, as deputy, as city marshal or
constable. He came, broken and
to sit whiting on the
old bench and rail at the ingratitude
# republics.
Here the young lothario of the grip
found guidance for his dallying steps
as he pranced the primrose path with
The peach orchard sirens of the vii
Iage. flere young Lochinvar hired his
rigs and went galloping out over the
floor and out across the
sidewalk into the dirt road of Sun
lay afternoon seeking his Dulcenia
20 re urn at midnight half asleep on
-he seat with the lines around the
whip socket, worn and spent and
happy, ready TO- work another week
or the fleeing JOY OF single after
noon.
Gone, or nearly gone, is the old
livery barn of song and story. Some
lay the American people will build
! monument to the livery stable
Keeper. On its PEDESTAL will stand
he sculptured figure of man to
whom posterity owes debt Of filial ;