Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-02-04
Eastern Youth Writes
Of Montana Scenery
Has Talent for Telling Experiences u
Manner That viii Hold Ones
Attention.

Mrs. l. j. Olson has received copy
of letter written by her nephew, Al
fred Gates, to his brother Harold in
Minneapolis. The letter was written
from Great Falls and tells the impress
sions this great western country OF ours
has on one coming from the middle
west. It is written in such an interest
ing manner and the descriptive parts
are so good that many of our readers
will read it with interest. The letter
follows.
Great Falls Mont, August IA, 1881.
Dear Harold
Your letter was kindly reminder
that haven't written since came here
and must do SO without further delay.
| can appreciate, to certain extent
think, that old piece of advice, Go
West, Young Man, Go West There
seems to be a spirit OF adventure still
remaining here, due, maybe to the
proximity of the mountains and their
uninhabited wildness, or perhaps to the
taken place around in the not too dis
tant past. 1t has been and still is a
wild and wooley west The appearance
of some of the buns around here and
some of the joints along the side streets
would make fellow feel more COM
Portable If he were packing brace Of
skies in his belt. There is pool hall
in town that has an immense collec-
ton of old relics of Indian wars, hui
man skulls, guns and revolvers of
every sort, money Of all kinds, gold
dust and nuggets, paintings of cow
boy and pack train scenes and every
thing imaginable. spent an hour or
so looking the collection over. 1t sure
ly is interesting.
I've nearly had another vacation
since / came here Last Friday drove
to Missoula with another fellow. In
stead Of taking the regular highway
we struct across the wilds. Boy, was
that a drive! Across the Rockies we
followed trail that hung on the edges
of cliffs where you could look straight
down for hundreds Of feet and so mar
row that passing another car would
be problem in higher geography
Fortunately we didn't meet any.
was on the lookout for bear, and moi
having my trusty rifle with me / sor1
of expected TO see one, but no luck
We found summer resort way uT
there where they start the rivers 60
ing and had dinner at the hotel. They
brought us out steak big enough tr
| founder lion but it was about the
best I've ever eaten. Over the doorway
hung a sign, "This is Gods country
don't set it Attire and make it look like
hell We later passed through sec
ton Of burned over forest and it il
| we'll described.
| Took lis all day to get to Missoula
only $50 miles but needless to sa,
we weren't travelling very fast pooc
| bit of the way Saturday | checked
over the work in the office. AT moor
we had dinner with Tom Mix. Aim
that somethin'! He was in town tina
/ day with the circus and being /
Kiwanian the local club gave a din
ner to which we, also were honorec
guests He got up and gave drawing
speech like you would expect to heal
from Will Rogers Sunday morning we
started back, heading north by Flat
head Lake, Kalispell, the Park ane
eventually Great Falls. 1t was 2:3(
a. m. when we pulled in, no fatalitie.
except three flats all on the samt
wheel. This drive was even better thar
going over. We stopped on the NORTH
shore of F'lathead lake near Big Forl
to visit with fellow who used to b.
our manager at Williston. He has |
wonderful home there on little cliff
overlooking the entire lake. He seem
to be having the time of his life, takin,
care of fruit orchard, number o
cabins and a boys lodge. Each yea
he gets hold of a group of boys from
rather wealthy families and gives then
the time Of their lives. They 60 on pacl
trips in the widest of the mountains
guess he has as much fun as TIL
kids do He showed us pictures of hi
trips and stories of fishing where near
Nv every cast brought out two big trou