Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-12-19

contained bread, cheese, bologna and
bottled honey with no vegetables nor
fruit, although I could have purchased
for 10 cents each an apple, orange or
banana from the news agent. Such
luxuries were not for me.
Diners and sleeping cars were lux
uries-unthought of by the common
people. A basket of food and blan-
ket or overcoat and a seat in the
smoking car or day coach was good
enough.
Rail Travel Wasn't Swift
Travel by rail in Montana in the
nineties was anything but swift, even
the trains on the main lines were
unhurried and stopped at every sta
ton, or no station if anyone wanted
to get on or off. The branch lines,
of course, were still lower. An example
or two will illustrate their leisurely
speed.
The train from Great Falls to Mel
hart, about 60 miles away, went up
one day, staying at Neihart all night,
and returning to Great Falls the next
day. I remember one time the train
stopped to let the engineer and fire
man take their shotguns and go OIL
a quarter of mile away, In full view
of the passengers, to shoot ducks.
Another time I inquired of the con-
ductor as to how long the train would
stop at village as wished to visit
some friends there. He said, go
ahead. We will wait until you return"
I cannot vouch for the story heard
of the engineer stopping to wash and
drv his shirt before arriving In Great
Falls.
A narrow gauge road ran from Great
Falls to Lethbridge. 1t took all day on
this line for the train to go from
Great Falls to the junction at Shelby,
100 miles, where 1t stopped for the
night. On this line have seen cow
bows sit at the window Of the day
coach and shoot at gophers with their
revolvers.
No Variety in Menu
The branch line trains stopped for
meals and the fare was uniformly the
same, large platter OF beefsteak WIN
boiled potatoes, bread and nutter'
coffee and canned milk.
The red section houses along the
railroads were a great boon 10 the
traveller who had to get of at some
out of the way place, Tor ne coulo
always be sure of shelter and food at
these buildings, not perhaps the kind
he would choose if there was any
choice.
The first railroads were of course
built as cheaply as possible, no more
grading was done than absolutely nee
essary and we're therefore easily de-
stroyed by storms. WashoutS and dirt
or rockslides in the mountains would
put the roads out of commission for
days.
Wrecks were a common occurrence
in the Rocky mountains mainly on the
freight trains. AS the travel was slow
there was not much loss OF life. Al
a hearing before the railroad commas
sion it was testified that during one
month in the winter there was
wreck on the mountain division every
day but one in single month. A
lawyer arguing against the railroads
stated facetiously that the road was
still in the experimental stage, that
the management was trying to pass
trains on single track.
Road Bed Washed Out
In 1892 I was living In the mining
camp of Glenderning, Mont, on
branch railway back In the mountains.
The road was built at the bottom OF
a canyon or gulch and crossed the
stream many times. The track on this
railway has since been taken up. In
June of that year there was great
rainstorm and the roadbed was washed
out so badly that there were no trains
for over a month. The rails were not
gone but were in some instances hang
ing and holding up the ties In the
canyon bridges where all the trestle
was washed away beneath leaving the
rails as sole support and making
decided sag In the track over tho
swollen creeks.
There was to be q Fourth of July