Gets first vision of street cars

Editor’s note: Hugh Archibald was introduced last week in the Seeley Lake Timber Sale 1907-1910 series.

Hugh Archibald of Clearwater dropped into the land office yesterday to see about advertising some lands.

“First time I’ve been to a post office for nine months,” he remarked. “Yes, I’m pretty old; they used to tell me a long time ago that I’d be dead before now, but I ain’t – I ain’t dead a bit.” The pleasant countenance and friendly smile of Chief Clerk Adams seemed to invite the old man’s confidence and he rambled on. “I haven’t been down to Missoula for two years. I didn’t bring no money with me because there’s logs o’ sharpers in Missoula. What a lot of automobiles there is in the city; an’ I never see one o’ the things until a year ago. Met it out on the road by Bonner. I was walkin’ along an’ I heard the darndest chuffin’ somewhere behind me – I didn’t know what might be comin’ an’ I ran an’ clum the fence. I hadn’t more’n got on top when the thing whiffed past me – It scared me pretty near to death. You bet I was mighty thankful I didn’t have my horse along ‘cause I know it would a scared him to death.

“I come down today with one o’ them forest rangers. This side o’ Bonner I see one o’ them new street cars hustlin’ along, an’ I sez, ‘Jim what’s that?’ An’ he sez, “That’s a street car.’ Why, I never see one in my life before today. But when I go back I’m goin’ to ride ‘er – I am, by thunder, if she throws me. You know I was raised in the hills, an’ whenever I get away from ‘em I get lonesome – I don’t feel right till I get back ag’in.”

Then the old man moved on and disappeared down the street – a relic of the fast passing days of the simple frontier life, behind the time but happy in it.