The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-07-30
WRITES OF MONTANA
OF FIFTY YEARS AGO
CONTINUED From PAGE Sevenl

| NC6kxSs IN ~SSSs
replaced the horse sheer, pulled
down the charging steed sign
over the livery barn, silenced
the blacksmith's forge, eliminated
many veterinarian shingles, con-
verted vacant shacks and buildings
into repair shops where one need
ed disarrangement o g part was
! converted into a general overhaul
ing Of the machine at an unex-
pected and excessive expense to
the owner. The day OF the horse
being shod without a general ov-
erhauling of his generator, car
buretor, battery, brakes, ETC., had
passed.
The auto did so we'll that other
ventures followed. In a short time
we had the family piano, then the
photograph, with hearing tubes
attached; then the radio, movie
| pictures, a forerunner of ones that
! spoke; also the electric sewing
washing and ironing machines;
portable typewriters, recording and
computing machines. The pick
and shovel, pillow and scraper said
goodbye: horses went back to the
| pastures: caterpillarS, trucks and
| other modern machinery took pos
| session of the highways, base
mentS. railway extensions. and the
laboring man turned to other enl-
ployment, if any other could be
found.
1T is true that, at that time,
the age of the horse and buggy,
plow horse. team and wagon, we
had horse and cattle thieves, stage
and railway holdups. more fire.
| quent murders; but thieves of ev-
cry kind paid legitimate bills, MUIR
ders usually were a result of
heated passion not a financial
proposition. The axe TORCH
and tub murders were unknown.
Hospitals, except in large cities
and trained nurses we're unknown.
People were born at home and
died at home. We had the family
physician and midwife. Medical
schools graduated doctors, a limit
ed number, but few surgeons. Am
! putations were frequent in railway
centers and mining towns, but
operations were seldom. When a
man was taken i'll the family
physician was called, and wife and
children nursed him, and at the
end of a week, maybe longer,h he
! reappeared on the street with eyes,
nose, ears, teeth, tonsils adenoids,
heart lungs. liver, appendix, kid
neys bladder. gall bladder still
working a full day of twenty-four
hours every day. When a nan died
were many cases of pneumonia,
f1,rhN;I ro1r1of faror o~N~1avu
heart disease. but instant death
was not booked as a sudden heart
attack although unknown per-
sons then were and still are book
ed in police court as John Doe"
"Embalming was in an initial
and experimental stage. Funerals
as a rule were held from the home
as soon as possible.
Glasses were manufactured for
adults, not children.
In the matter of credit, the
merchant was given six months
to meet his bills; the rancher, cat
tie and sheep owner the same.
Stockmen paid when they sold
their wool. lambs then known as
wethers), Or cut their bands. Cat
tlemen did the same.
TODAY we have a shortening of
time. Wholesale houses expect a
payment in not more than a
month, many every ten days. Mer-
chants expect the same.
I'm the closing address of his
first campaign, 1882, President
Roosevelt ended with the following
prediction:
America can come back; Amer
lea will come back.
That night the total public debt
Of the United States was $19,487,-
-Four months after Roosevelt
took the oath of office it was s22,-
538.672,164.
"Toda a. the estimate at the close
Of the fiscal wear, Monday of last
week. is $35. 900, 600, 900.
AT the close of the Civil wal
there were practically no pensions
paid and when allowances to vet
Grams of that memorable event
started amounts ranged from So
to $12 oer month for permanent
and not imaginary injury.
"Toda" we still have Civil war
veterans and their widows, greatly
reduced numerically; Spanish
American, Indian and World war
veterans ; also old age, relief, So
cial security. unemployment and
railway pensions, the burden OF
which will be borne to an alarm
ing extent bv the American bust
neSsman and property owner.
In 1880, fifteen years after the
close OF the Civil war, the govern
ment was distributing to veterans
and widows a total sum of $56,-
$50 .229. WV
Pensions paid during the wear
1898 to Civil. Spanish-American
World war, and all other benefici.
aries totaled 1914, 407 ,169. 81, an in
crease in fifty-five years of $40
877. 686 IS. ~