The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1935-11-21
Precedent Broken Saturday
When North Redwood
Man Took Job

"A precedent OF long standing
was broken Saturday when the
mail and bus route to the M and
st. L station at North Redwood
was taken over by Basil Winge
of North Redwood. The Lamber-
ton family of Redwood Falls have
had the business for the last 43
years.
Charles Lamberton, original
busman employing a horse drawn
IL passenger bus and baggage
wagon enjoyed rushing business
in the days when statesmen car
ried much baggage and travelled
on trains. Two trains, one at
10:15 a. m. and the other at 4:3O
p. m. pulled into the North West
ern station in Redwood Falls and
four trains during "a hours were
the pride of the M and St. L sta
ton at North Redwood.
Then 8 to IL head of horses
were quartered in a barn at the
site of the present Church of
Christ, some of them used for the
day and some for the night trips.
One of them, Sharkey, driven for
Fl years by Elmer (Slim) Ever
son, Lamberton's helper for 81
years, was drowned in Lake Red
wood in 1919 while he was being
washed. Sharkey had never learn
ed to swim, it was discovered.
Everson, one of the most eff
cient of horse bus drivers, was
considered an institution by the
Lamberton family through the
period of the horse-driven bus
(now gathering dust in Crate
Kniseley's barn., the period of
the hack and the period when Sal
WEIGH was the enigma of Redwood
Falls and the puzzle of his en-
ployer. Sal, employed as groom
when the Lamberton office had
been moved to the present site of
Hillger's garage, was never seen
by any of the citizens of the town
except on street corners where he
stood, dressed in his best clothes,
smoking a long, black cigar. When
Mr.. Lamberton returning from
meals saw him so at leisure, he
Immediately rushed to the horse
barn, fearful that Mr.. Welch's
work had been neglected. But
always, the barn was immaculate
and the horses well cared for. No
one was ever able to ascertain
when Mr.. WEIGH did his work.
But Slim Eyerson outlived
Welch in the Lamberton employ
and only left it after a hard-tired
motor bus had been purchased.
Slim was too nervous to drive
cars, for one thing, and his nerv-
BUSINESS was increased during one
Of his last trips when a corset
saleswoman, rooming at the pres
ent Alexander house on Fourth
street, was a passenger on the
night bus. Called while she was
sleeping by the impatient bus
driver who insisted that he could
not wait for her to dress, she ran
into the bus, clad in the most
meager of clothing and proceeded
to finish dressing in the interior
of the cab.
The hard-tired bus, bought in
1916, although it made Slim nerv-
GUS was commended by DR.. j. w.
Golden who informed the Lamber-
tons that pneumatic tired ma
chimes could never make the
trains.
Nevertheless, pneumatic tired
bus was purchased year and a
half later, followed by another
one, both huge affairs, one event.
ually being sold for house trail
er and one for a bunk house in a
road camp.
In the days between 1916 and
1920, the Is and 20 passenger
buses were always crowded with
travelling men and the LamOer-
tons recall how j. D. jackson,
then travelling for Wyman-Part-
ridge company, carried from IL
to "a trunks on each trip.
After Mr.. Lamberton's death
in 1917, his son John Lamberton
took over the business, assisted
by his brother, Wilbur. In 1880,
Walter Lamberton took over the
route, having worked on it for
seven years previously. Walter
kept the route, missing only two
trains in IL years, and those
through car trouble, until Satur-
day when Mr.. Winge took over.