Vignette Vol.3 No.1
[Resource: BEHIND THESE MOUNTAINS ]
McClung, Walt
Late 1920s. Noxon. Excerpt--After Walter Lake left forest service employment and moved to Noxon, Walt McClung was Ranger Benjamin F. "Ben" Saint's man at Bull River.
H.R. Bob Saint, Ben's son, said, "[Walt] McClung was a big, black Indian. Just as black as they come. His brother was great big man, too, only he was blonde and blue eyed. Their dad was full-blooded Irish and their mother was full-blooded Indian.
"He [Walt] built the road into the Heidleberg Mine with a pick and shovel and a box of powder. He worked for my dad for years and years. He was an excellent worker as long as he kept sober. He had the Indian trait that he could not handle liquor.
"Clyde Scheffler lived just above the Bull River Guard Station, right at the mouth almost, or just up on the East Fork of Bull River," Bob said.
"[Walt] McClung used to tell about when they came to town one time in the winter. They come in on the sled. And, of course, Scheffler got drunk. Walt said they started up the canyon [Bull River Valley]. 'My God,' McClung said, 'about every half mile Clyde would fall off the sled. And he'd lay there and yell until I'd stop and go back, pick him up and help him up on the sled.'
"Walt simply got tired of it after about four times. About the fifth time Clyde slipped off again and started yelling, Walt said he just took the axe off the front of the sled, you know, and went back and said, 'I might just as well kill the son-of-a-bitch here as anyplace'.
"Walt said, 'You know, Clyde got onto his feet and got onto the sled and no more problem until we got home.' It just tickled McClung to death."
Clark, Jack
1929. While building the first highway through western Sanders County, west of Trout Creek. Excerpt--Clifford R. Weare said, "Jack Clark's folks lived on the north side of the Clark's Fork River, in a big white house at the bottom of the hill on the mouth of Swamp Creek. When they were building the highway, Jack's dad got into a row with the state engineers. He didn't want them to go through his orchard. So he planted Mason jars of dynamite out there. Buried it." Years later, when Weare recounted the story, he laughed heartily. "Hahaha."
"When they plowed that first jar of dynamite out, they quit! Hahaha. Everybody got off Clark's land! He was an ornery old cuss. I knew him. That was as far as the road came west from Trout Creek for a long time, right there. They quit right there."
During the years residents pushed for a highway through western Sanders County, throughout the year, summer or winter, residents nearest the Montana\Idaho border, like these unidentified ladies, crossed from the south side to the north side of the Clark's Fork River in the traditional way, on the Heron ferry, courtesy Melvin Reginald collection.
Visit: Five Star Review
[Resource is also available free online @ Behind These Mountains, Volume III ]
Please visit often, and share with friends and acquaintances. If you find anyone with family ties, please leave a comment and contact information and share a memory to grow your family tree!
[Resource: BEHIND THESE MOUNTAINS ]
McClung, Walt
Late 1920s. Noxon. Excerpt--After Walter Lake left forest service employment and moved to Noxon, Walt McClung was Ranger Benjamin F. "Ben" Saint's man at Bull River.
H.R. Bob Saint, Ben's son, said, "[Walt] McClung was a big, black Indian. Just as black as they come. His brother was great big man, too, only he was blonde and blue eyed. Their dad was full-blooded Irish and their mother was full-blooded Indian.
"He [Walt] built the road into the Heidleberg Mine with a pick and shovel and a box of powder. He worked for my dad for years and years. He was an excellent worker as long as he kept sober. He had the Indian trait that he could not handle liquor.
"Clyde Scheffler lived just above the Bull River Guard Station, right at the mouth almost, or just up on the East Fork of Bull River," Bob said.
"[Walt] McClung used to tell about when they came to town one time in the winter. They come in on the sled. And, of course, Scheffler got drunk. Walt said they started up the canyon [Bull River Valley]. 'My God,' McClung said, 'about every half mile Clyde would fall off the sled. And he'd lay there and yell until I'd stop and go back, pick him up and help him up on the sled.'
"Walt simply got tired of it after about four times. About the fifth time Clyde slipped off again and started yelling, Walt said he just took the axe off the front of the sled, you know, and went back and said, 'I might just as well kill the son-of-a-bitch here as anyplace'.
"Walt said, 'You know, Clyde got onto his feet and got onto the sled and no more problem until we got home.' It just tickled McClung to death."
Clark, Jack
1929. While building the first highway through western Sanders County, west of Trout Creek. Excerpt--Clifford R. Weare said, "Jack Clark's folks lived on the north side of the Clark's Fork River, in a big white house at the bottom of the hill on the mouth of Swamp Creek. When they were building the highway, Jack's dad got into a row with the state engineers. He didn't want them to go through his orchard. So he planted Mason jars of dynamite out there. Buried it." Years later, when Weare recounted the story, he laughed heartily. "Hahaha."
"When they plowed that first jar of dynamite out, they quit! Hahaha. Everybody got off Clark's land! He was an ornery old cuss. I knew him. That was as far as the road came west from Trout Creek for a long time, right there. They quit right there."
Visit: Five Star Review
[Resource is also available free online @ Behind These Mountains, Volume III ]
PDF copies of Behind These Mountains, Vols. I, II & III are available on a DVD - $50 S&H included, plus author's permission to print or have printed buyers personal copy of each of the approximately 1200 page books which contain about 1,000 photographs from homesteaders personal albums.
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Order here:
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Please visit often, and share with friends and acquaintances. If you find anyone with family ties, please leave a comment and contact information and share a memory to grow your family tree!
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