The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1942-07-23
,.s,sYssss.sssss,s.,Y..sss
Just Strolling
Round the Town
BY THE OBSERVER
xxsx<<s*<xssx<<x<<xxxs&xsx


ing recent weeks of the sort of peo-
pie my parents were" said man
to me the other day in my strollings
around the town. | was visiting
with a second-generation American
and in the story he told there was
something that all Americans of
today should know.
All this talk we hear now DAYS
about the value of our liberties
and our American way of life has
caused me to realize more than ever
what a real debt we of the present
generation owe to those men and
women who bailt this nation and
who developed its frontiers" he
continued as we sat in comfortable
chairs in a cool office and chatted.
Both my father and mother were
immigrants into this country from
Europe he continued My father
came over when he was 10, landing
in America. the promised land to
them. in l849 He was young, stall
Wart and healthy but with hardly
a dollar in his pocket. I often think
of how he and mother used to talk
over those early experiences and
their struggles. He first found en-
plovment on the farms of New Eng
land. at the princely wage of from
$40 to SIS a month including room
and board. That was for summer
work. Winter wages were less. |
remember he told about working
for New England farmer one win
ter. good and kindly man. He was
paid $500 a month and board His
Job was to get up at o'clock in
the morning. milk 20 cows, then eat
breakfast and afterwards drive to
town with a load of wood. After
disposing of the wood, he returned
home, helped work up another load
of wood and did other similar
chores until bed time.
This employment didn't long sat
isfy him, however and he soon had
employment in one of the many
New England cotton mills There
the wages were in keeping with the
low wages of the times and there
was a common practice that has
since become largely outlaWed The
workers were required to live in
company houses and trade at COM
nany stores, which left them pretty
largely at the mercy of the mill
owners. But despite the low wages.
my father soon saved enough money
| TO send for his brother and pay his
- A Ard fEnv, - q
only a few years until they had
helped bring all of the family to
] the United States. And every one
of them, just as soon as they could
took out their papers and became
citizens. That was one thing they
! longed to accomplished become
citizens of this great and free ma
ton.
1T was about this time that father
met and married mother She and
a young girl cousin had embarked
on the great adventure Of coming to
America. Mother was II years old
her cousin about the same age. They
took ship from Liverpool and were
ilS1 w GGho Ill lio1oAAiS tilG OlGdIi
III remember hearing mother tell
about her high expectations She
was coming to America, gain riches
in about two years and then return
to the old country and live happily
ever after among relatives anc
friends. That II year old girl never
did return to The old home anc
never again did she see her parents
or brother or sister. | often hearo
her speak of that disappointment
with tears in her eyes.
Coming from Europe, they were
to land at a place named Sugar Hill
In her young and eager simplicity
mother thought Sugar Hill must o.
course be a wonderfully beautiful
place. She said she found it ont
of the rockiest, drabbest and mos
disappointing places she ever saw
Mother came over here to an uncle
and first found work as domestic
Later she took employment in ;
cotton factory and became an ex
pert worker Then she and fathe
, married
They were ambitious young PEG
pie and were determined to get
home of their own. / often heart
them say their ambition was to &c
land. Land cannot burn up or b
destroyed, was conviction close t
their hearts. Pursuing that ambi
ton thew moved to what was thel
: the frontier, out in Wisconsin B.
that time the family had been in
. creased by the birth Of three sons
} Father secured employment in tn
woods of Wisconsin. And 1t wa
there that mother had some Of he
most. narrowing experiences. On
winter father could not secure wor
: near home, and had to be ava
J from his family much of the tim,
y They had a house far from any 9th
y err habitation, in the deep tirnbe
! And right close to that house "a
an Indian trail. 1t is needless |
say that mother was deathly afrai
Il Of the Indians, and every few day
! saw parties of them passing owe
: the trail. When she'd see thel
! coming, she'd grab the little boy
i run for the house and lock tt
doors The Indians, peaceful