Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-05-29
Idle thoughts By
An Idle Traveller
(By the Editor)

Wy Tic I<OllOi
On board the Empire Builder Sun
day morning, west of Minot.
was talking with the Pullman conduc-
tor at breakfast this morning and ref
erence was made to the highway work
done along the G. N. right-of-way at
Libby do you know" said the con-
ductor, that there was rock on the
track there yesterday morning and the
engineer had to give her all the
Juice he had to stop the train?'
That lead to comparison of road
building through our mountainous
country and through this level unin-
sptrSng land through which l mn now
travelling on this truly great train of
the Great Northern
Yesterdays ride through the noun
tains was one continuous delight. 1t
was a ride through paradise Spring
time had clothed every bush and tree
in a new fresh gown; wild flowers
nodded at us wherever one looked;
deep chasms were noisy with the
springtime flood of beautiful green
waters carrying off the winters SHOWS,
mountain peaks still carried their
white mantle. Everywhere was beauty;
everywhere something to make the
heart of man glad-Then saw hawk
swoop as we speeded by and pick
some creature out of the grass. Para
disc? But with a beak and tooth and
claw hidden in it.
Yet my heart filled with pleasure and
pride and love for our marvelously
beautiful mountain home. We have
just pulled into Minot The wind is
blowing a gale Clothes on line are
whipped in a straight line from the
wire by the force OF the wind. The hor-
lion is brown, dirty haze, filled with
dust in the air Men walking up and
down the platform for little fresh
aid pull their hats down little tight
err; they lean against the wind. None
of this for us. AS for me and my
house" we shall choose the noun
tains.
AS we pulled out OF Libby and sped
along we noticed the several pleasant
farm homes. The A. c. Herbst ranch
home was most prosperous appearing
from the car window. The Boothman
place loaned up in great style across
the river. We noticed Bob Bakker and
son Jess working In the edge OF fine
field of alfalfa We were intrigued by
hasty glimpse of the big gravel
plant at Warland where A. ]. Jones
holds forth Then we saw some things
that were not so pleasant
i We passed through Warland- Is there
anything more desolate than a desert
ed mill town? Houses, once the abode
of happy families, now with the win
dows broken out, doors open and sag
Ung, tar paper roofs torn in strips.
A few more minutes and VIZ passet
through eureka. An important indus
try has ceased there. The hum ans
screech OF the saw and planer, tn,
third Of the newly cut lumber as j
drops in its travels through the mill
the puff Of steam jets are no longe
heard nor seen. An important indus
try Il dead; wheels are silent Worker
I are gone. Pay-rolls have vanished.
That set me to thinking. Now an
a then we hear criticism and fault find
ing with big industry. Sometimes som
: criticism is justified This paper stand
for justice for the worker; for rea
!, sonable safety appliances proper hour
of labor and living wage.
r, But we have no sympathy with tn
t bolshevistic claptrap that damns all in
dustry because it happens to be bi
I, Wouldn't it be better for Lincol
county If a sawrnill at Warland sti
: gave employment and wages to 20
: 300, or 400 men? Wouldn't Eureka
happier if the Brooks-Scanlon sawmi
: still hummed and clattered with moi.
n, and poured its payday checks I'M
business? Wouldn't Troy welcome bat
with open arms its one, time Gre
re Northern payroll, its sawmill, and
is Snowxtorm concentration? All that
Continued on last pagc)