Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-06-09

AVE GAG s0A41GFs BIS son and the
girl came TO Midland township and
settled on the 30 acres next 20 my
place. Huyt related sitting in a
stiff backed chair beside his base
burner. In the dining room Alrs. noyt
quiet, motherly and with q tw1nk1y
sense Of humOT, was packing butter
In jars. They planned 70 live in the
tent until they could build houee
One day / was tssd me girl was
sick. when / reached the tent q
doctor from Midland. standing beside
the bed. was shaking Bis head
srimly. The Young wife had but a
few hours 70 i've, he said /"
Hoyt asked the doctor. the old
soldier ana che son 70 step outdoors.
While they at0od in the snow with
bowed heads the elder knelt beside
the bed Ia prayer A woodskOye, his
sing and sputfering with green logs.
cast a sickly Light on the girls face
and the blank wall Of canvas shove.
gun. an axe or two and dis
ordered heap Of clothing completed
the scene.
At the conclusion Of the prayer the
girl opened her eyes Between set lips
she muttsred something All but snatch
ed away by an eerie whoop Of the
wind Il feel better" vas the mes
sage. and her head fell back upon
the soiled pillow.
"She can't stay here . minnie
longer. was HoyE.s Ultlmaaum.
sEverb0ay lend q hand"
Wrapped in blankets. the girl was
placed on q stretcher made hastily
Of burIap and poles. With Hoyt lead
Ing the way with q lantern, the pro-
cesion struggled thru the murkfness
to the Hoyt house, where the patient
was placed in an upstairs room.
For week the elder ana his wife
endeavored to restore strength to the
weakened frame, but the girl died.
The old soldier was touched BY the
Kindness. His visits to the farm house
became frequent For hours the two
men shared the quaintness Of the Hoyt
parlor, where tales of the rumb
ling Of the guns Of Gettysburgh and
Shiloh were answered BY stories Of
spiritual cOnQuests In fishing villages
and the tar paper shanties OF squat
ters They must have been an ed
pair: one trained to kin, the other
to save. but each admired the others
hardthood and militancy.
one day the old soldiers tread
seemed feebleT He twisted his cam
palgn hat nervously In HIS hands and
his gaze seIdom left the floor. Res
pondfng to the invitation In the ell
.der's eyes he admitted finally he was
In desperate need OF money. Would
Hoyt loan him $500 so he could buy
team for his son?
II took his note without security"
Hoyt continued He was never able to
pay, OF course. His crops failed, his
house burned and then while visiting
his aormer home he toppIed over from
heart failure. short time later re-
ceived letter from his widow, who Of
fered me the 40 acres II / would clear
up his debts"
Hoyt's savings we're all but exhaust
ed. The old soldiers score at the gem
eral store and feed mill required $500
Then the elder discoyered an additional
$500 was needed for delinquent taxes
Though he knew the land was OF lit
tie valae, the obligation was one OF
friendship and he had given his word,
so he sold a portion OF lids stock to
raise the sum-
Sweet clover was planted, bnt the
soil proved too poor to sustain IL.
'sH0yt's white elephant sniggered the
other farmers, pointing at the fnrOads
OF mllk~week and burd0ck, the tangie
OF brush and small trees and patches
OF sand carved into shallow basins by
the wind Turning hts reamadning cattle
onto the tract the elder allowed Il 10
revert TO nature. hoping purchaser
some day would enable him TO reduce
his loses.
ON Is Discovered
But no one was interested Year
after year che value Of the land de-
creased as vine and eraeper nndid the
work Of the old soldiers axe and brush
usurped the charred foundation OF his
home. Fires kEndled by campers ate
their way thru the tract. leaving .
saith OF deg0lafion. and the grass with
cred ia the drouths or died beneath
the lash Of the sand.
1T became Increasing difficult for
me to pay the taxes But ] held on
because OF sentiment Il nothing else"
Came the nj. Pleasant Oh boom.
An army Of scouts. spectators. con-
tractors, aralIerB and proapsctofs Dour-
cd into aaao &ownshap, prying into