Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-08-11

Grandpa promised me-" Adeline re-
called: that never would be whipped
and that no one ever would run over
p me N bis general general. dealings He always
Life again claimed the interest OF
the young colored girl on the farm
near Gravelton. There were 10 chill
dren in the family by this time and
Adeline became attached to the second
youngster, a girl Of named Rosie
the little girl now is Mrs. Alfred
Skaggs, 81 years old, living at the
ranch home with her five sons, a
daughter-in-law and a granddaughter
Mrs. Charles Haines, daughter of Will
liam Skaggs.
Then came the Civil war to tear
Missouri apart. 1t was hard struggle
to live on the farm. 1t was near a
main highway and troops were pass
ing constantly. Horses. fodder, food
money. all were taken. Then came the
outlaw bands and often the terror
stricken children had to hide out in
the timber for days while the mounted
gangsters raided their home.
Was Needed, So She Stayed
The war came to an end. Order was
restored and farming resumed. Slaves
received their freedom and Adeline's
sister came to take her with her. 81
didn't see how I could better myself
so I just stayed on. Grandma was
needin' me and I'd passed my promise
| to my folks and I didn't need what
they called freedom
Life swept on. A young man named
Alfred Skaggs, who had lied about his
age. entered the Union army at IL
years and served through most of the
| war, returned home. He saw Rosie and
when she was Is, he married her and
the couple set up housekeeping on a
farm near the .Hoffman's. Soon Hoff-
man needed help on his farm and the
| SkaggS moved there.
Adeline then was past 40 and hao
become the family nurse: Then the
| HoffmanS and the SkaggS, both having
come from long lines of pioneers who
| settled America, served at Valley Forge
and who always welcomed a new from
| Gallatin river near Bozeman, Mont
Soon all of them had swung westward
again to settle in that valley.
Gold was discovered in central Mon
tana and the town of Giltedge in the
Judith mountains doomed as the Gold
rich rewards. The Hoffman and Skaggs
| families moved to Giltedge in 1896
| after 10 years in the Gallatin.
1t was in this boom camp, IN and
| near which the families lived from
then on, that Adeline ceased to be Just
]
to limit her work to the immediate
| family as there was only one doctor
in the community and no nurse. After
| all, she had nursed one family OF IL
| the HoffmanS, and their children's
children, and the Skaggs family now
numbered 8, so what were few more
babies.
Answers All Appeals
BY day and night. on foot and In
wagons, Adeline answered the never
ending appeal Of those about to be
born Snow filled the canyons or spring
| freshets rushed down the coulees but
Adeline kept on going. By the time the
ore ran out and the mines closed down
Adeline's new children" numbered In
| the hundreds and there are today
people in all parts Of the United States
who were llshered into the world with
her capable hands.
Adeline's activities didn't stop with
the children. She mothered cowpunch-
ers and miners, gamblers and touts
no one was turned down. II can't re-
member Adeline ever saying no e
anyone" says william Skaggs. ITO a!
the family she was the boss and still
Is to most Of us now. When we were
hurt We went to Doc. When we were
hungry We went to her and. Il she
had nothing on hand, she cooked
something for us. Not only US but the
neighbours kids. After payday the
miners and cowhands would come to
her broke and hungry after q party
and be cured Of hangovers. Everyone