The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1947-07-10

and we know as this is written
(Tuesdav morning) that it required !
the lives of at least $50 people TO
properly celebrate our great ma
tional holiday. When the full count
is reported. the final number VIII
probably be somewhat higher than
the $50. We prize highly our
American liberties, one Of when
seems to be the right to 60 out and
kill a certain number in the pursuit
of pleasure.
OF course, accidents will happen.
Death sometimes comes from mis-
Judgment in taking chances. AND
at other times many are the IN
nocent victims of some other per
sons criminal carelessness. But the
final result seems to be the same.
Fortunately no serious accidents
marred the holiday in our own cor
ner of the world and Lincoln county
apparently observed the day in a
sane and safe way A different
story might have been told. Per
haps a few guardian angels were
out on our highways taking care
of US. A friend told me OF an
incident on the highway between
Troy and Boomers Ferry. He was
tagged down by some motorists
who insisted that he stop and have
drink with them. They were
stopping everyone who drove by,
in their attempt to be friendly and
convivial and to celebrate the holl-
day in a moist way OF course, they
were more or less under the IN
+ fluence of liquor and should not
have been loose on the highways.
/ 1t is such mistaken individuals who
are often responsible for our most
serious accidents. But again we
say we were fortunate that such
excuses did not bring death or
other serious accidents to our COM
munity.
I ran onto an editorial the other
I day in the Spokane Chronicle that
/ is so good I wish to pass it on to
the readers of this column who may
not have already seen it. The edi-
torial appeared in the Chronicle on
July 3 under the caption, For
These Are Your Last Hours. y 1t
follows:
Laugh, man, and be happy while
you may. Tomorrow will be another
day, and all your merrymaking Will
be over
I have marked you for destruction.
I am Providence, and you have
tainted me once too often. To-
morrow you shall die.
Friends will mourn over you and
rail at fate, with whom so often
I conspire. They will talk of cruelty
and Injustice. But / shall know
and if you were still in the land
of living you should know, that the
blame was yours.
Taught Make the most of the
next few flying hours, for they
will be your last.
The fifth morning of July viii
: be a dark one in your household
and those of your friends and lovec
ones. They will say, Il can no
understand. He swan the lake 81
often by himself, and nothing evel
happened.
: IF he had only asked boat t.
follow himl If he only had not ha'
! such confidence, such courage"
e Call it confidence and courage
e you will. / am wiser l know, ant
J, you would know, if you had beei
S rescued by some within of my co
conspirator. fate, that it was fool
hardy exhibitionism.
i If he had not gone into tn
= water so soon after the Dime
: Ihourr your friends will say. u
: he had only needed warnings
y he had never seen that accurse
& lake at air.
n Let them curse the lake. LIZ
them cry out at me and at fat
know better. am Providence, an
I remember long. / have not FOL
Is gotten all your taunts. / mind m
h of the day when you crowded tn
1t drivers seat of your car beyon
le safety. / recall when you kindle
ID your cabin fire with gasoline, an
"a when you held a giant firecrack'
in your hand as you lit its fus
remember when you drove pa
other cars over the brow of a hi
l have not forgotten how you owe
- loaded a roWboat and set forth in
d the whitecaps.
a. All of these things you did {
Up day named for independence n
er recognizing the difference betweG
independence and folly: You ha'
had your fling. l am tired Of smi
ing indulgently at all your insolenc
II, The July soon to dawn will
es your last. Death is through wi
RI its holiday. You, too, soon will
Of through with all of yours.
Ruthless? All no, l am long-su
fering and kind. l would glad
change my edict if you would ma
it possible. But you will be o
durate. You will be vain. Y
eI will be foolhardy. And so ha
gh no choice. You think l am smili
To- as l smiled so many times befol
ID. but this time you misread the cur
of my lips.
You have this one chance lie
of You will not hear me, and so y
ky will never have another.
Zee