BEHIND THESE MOUNTAINS VOL. I
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Caption: Emmett Thomson's first car in Noxon, Montana. Courtesy Ruth Mercer McBee collection.
Noxon also was creeping into the automobile era in 1917. Sanders county commissioners bought the first car for the sheriffs' use on August 9. Teasing Grandma Baxter good naturedly, or ribbing Charlie Munson about the latest incident with his topless 1914 Ford, was a safe bet.
"I've lost the spark!", he growled, curbing his urge to swear. Ignorant about these these newfangled contraptions.Being ignorant about these newfangled vehicles, Grandma replied,
"Well what does it look like? Maybe I can find it."Birdsongs twittered from the willows near the wooden plank bridge across the slough behind Noxon's railroad depot. It linked 'Hampton's Island', the ferry's south landing, to the rivers south shore. Marion helped George Jamison nail some plank on one of the piers of the bridge to prevent the rock ballast from falling out between the logs, his mind on Madelaine. Sunshine warmed the chilly April air drifting down from the snow-clad mountains. It was a heady Monday afternoon.
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David Evans' first car, a band new Chevrolet. Courtesy Edna Evans Cummings collection.
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President Wilson asked Montana for 2,058 men for the Second Montana Infantry. Recruiting offices opened in every Montana town at which an infantry company had its headquarters. The newspaper editor encouraged enlistment.
"Montana's war record is one of which any state may be proud ... How many people are there in Montana who know that the First Montana infantry of the national guard, when President McKinley issued his call for troops, was the first guard regiment in the United States to be mustered into the federal service ... That was at the beginning of the Spanish-American war for the freedom of Cuba ...
"The regiment participated in every engagement of consequence in the short but bloody Philippine war ... The Second Montana served in Butte during the labor troubles of a couple of years ago, and under Col. Dan Donahue, restored order where chaos reigned. Its conduct in Butte at this trying time was such as to commend it to all well thinking people."
In addition to this regiment Montana furnished four troops of cavalry for Grigsby's rough riders.1.
Conscription for the armed services was approved - the date set for June 5. Who would go? Who would stay? With scarcely enough men in the valley now to keep ranching, logging, mining and trapping going, how could women survive this hostile climate without their men?
Community picnics, designed to arouse "practical patriotism" and instruct in subjects of "particular importance in war time," took place all though the county in June with Noxonites staging their first one, Monday, June 18th, 1917.
Baseball games, sack races, egg races and horse racing rounded out the festivities after the picnic dinner. About 75 people from the vicinity of Noxon, Heron and up Bull River attended.2.
James Lux had driven safely over the narrow, rutted dirt road climbing to the top of the steep grade on the west side of Tuscor hill. There the engine stalled at a very narrow place in the road, one of the worst in the entire stretch of main road through Sanders County. A slight turn of the wheel sent the car slipping over the edge of the cliff before he could set his brakes, the editor wrote.
"The cook for a road crew working just across the canyon, was watching the car as it climbed the grade. He saw the car plunge over the edge of the cliff, strike the bank, overturn and dump its passengers out. It seemed to then bound completely over the people on the ground and continue on its way to the foot of the bluff, a distance of about 150 feet," he said. B. B. Bunn of Noxon and his son, also driving west, arrived, took the women to Noxon and returned for the men.
"A hurry call was sent to Thompson Falls for a doctor."
I. M. Wade rushed Dr. Peek to Noxon on the NPRR speeder. It was considered a miracle the automobile's passengers escaped alive with only broken bones and bruises. The car was a total wreck.3.
DRAFT CALLS & SOCIALIZING
On July 5, 1917 Chairman of draft board, Sheriff Hartman, was John McKay's wife's uncle, Dr. E. D. Peek, physician and John F. McKay, clerk, completed the Sanders County Draft Board, all having filed their oaths with the governor.4.
Caption: 1916-17 photo of group of students and parents at the old Cabinet, Idaho school which occupied the bench south of the town. Courtesy Mary Easter Younker collection.
Twenty-one of Noxon's forty-three men were given exemptions: Eleven to men with dependents, eight for physical disabilities, one for conscientious scruples. Forest Ranger, Ben Saint was exempt as a federal officer.5.
"It is the failure of the courts and the military authorities to act which has caused (the lynching) ... Unless the courts and the military authorities take a hand now and end the I.W.W. in the west, there will be more night visits, more tugs at the rope and more I.W.W. tongues will wag for the last time ..."(insert photo)
Caption: Logs for log drive in the Clark's Fork River from Cabinet, Idaho, just west of the Montana-Idaho border, circa 1915-16. Courtesy Mary Easter Yonker collection.
"They (I.W.W.'s) are insulting the flag, belittling the authority of the government and are increasing in numbers. For weeks they have terrorized the lumber camps."The Missoula businessmen demanded that federal troops be sent at once "to disperse or arrest these ... traitors."
"Fire on anyone refusing to halt at the third command."Coyotes, howling eerily, shivered through the starless nights. Myers wasn't surprised. For months letters bombarded him, predicting a reign of terror in western Montana. Federal troops had to be sent; something had to be done about brash, young United States Attorney, Burton K. Wheeler and the finely woven legal strictures of Federal District Judge George M. Bourquin.
Caption: Cabinet Gorge on the Clark's Fork River in Bonner County, Idaho, near northwestern Montana-Idaho border. Circa 1948. Ross Hall photo, courtesy Wallace 'Wally' Gamble collection.
Lumbermen were certain Germany was financing the 1917 strikes. ACM manager, Kenneth Ross, wrote the governor that,
"there is no doubt in my mind but what the tieup in the woods and mills has been forced on lumber manufacturing companies in the Northwest by German sympathizers and the spies of Germany."
Senator Myers claimed, "it is very plain to me that the head men of the organization must be working in the pay and at the instigation of German influences and that they ... cripple and handicap our country in the war in which it is engaged."
But in truth, the I.W.W. workers concentrated their attention on the issue at hand, reasonable hours, living wages and decent conditions.
Wade P. Parks, Sanders County attorney, interviewed several strikers about the war and they always refused to commit themselves explicitly:
"They would not give any expression pro or con on the war ... their chief demand was better living conditions and a fair wage."
Compounding this, western Montana was hard hit with a dry, high-fire-danger summer. The forest service of District One hired known Wobblies and when lumbermen tried to persuade District Forester, F.A. Silcox to blacklist I.W.W. strikers, he refused. Most of the forest service's 5,000 firefighters were strikers. Silcox personally asked the I.W.W. leaders for help.
"Whether it was because of the fact that they were on a strike and needed work and could fight fires on Government land without being charged with any form of scabbing, or because their leaders were talked to and shown the labor rules to govern the work on fire lines, or a combination of all of these, the fact remains that we never had better fire fighting crews than we had this year."Federal arrests took place all around, but not in any Montana towns. Over 130 leaders were charged with violating the Espionage Act. In order to attract strikers back to work and prevent future strikes, Montana lumbermen began to improve camp conditions.
Caption: High water flow through Cabinet Gorge on the Clark's Fork River, Bonner County in northern Idaho. Courtsy Mary Easter Younker collection.
Draft drawings began just as hay ripened in the meadows. Based on a population of 6,000, Sanders County's quota of about 60 men, to be raised for the first 650,000 troops, got orders to report for training the first of September. Enlistments made between April 1 and June 30 were credited towards the quota, reducing the draftees needed by between 20 and 30 men.6.
One band of Indians, camped across from the David Evans home, traditionally bathed in Pilgrim Creek. One time an Indian buck came to the house, asking for drinking water.
"Go down to the creek and get it, that's where we get ours," David told him.
"No. I took a bath in it," the Indian replied.7.
Other than the children, few people paid any mind to the band of Indians who camped behind the Noxon railroad depot on the flats between the railroad track and Hampton's island during the heat of summer days. But everyone closely watched whenever small bands of gypsies came through.
As early morning mists rose from the river the band of Indians peacefully continued their annual trek between Arlee, Montana and the state of Washington.
Arthur H. and Charles E. Raynor, sons of Civil War veteran, Henry Raynor, Paul R. Meyer, William E. Marlow, Lafayette Ranes, and Frank M. Connelly from Noxon received greetings from their government.8.
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Dam and flume on Elk Creek near Heron, Montana. Circa 1880s. Courtesy Henry and Bessie Knott collection.
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Ben and James Saint, Roy Shockey, George Burdette, and Ole Gunderson, were called for draft but were exempt. Drafted men included John Watson, Henry J. Meyer, Harry E. Kirschbaum and W. T. Geske. In October, Bryant Bunn and James Meadows decided to enlist.9.
Mrs. Watson hugged John. He shook hands with little brother, Eugene. All the Watson's, including John, tatted, sending their handiwork to Hennessey's Store in Butte for sale. One pair of hands would be gone now.
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Dam and flume on Elk Creek near Heron, Montana, the water used to power a sawmill. Circa 1880s - 1920s. Courtesy Henry and Bessie Knott collection.
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Art Raynor, framed by the bunting decorating
his send-off party for World War !. Circa 1917.
Courtesy Edna Evans Cummings collection.
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C. H. Smith, principal of the Noxon School, expecting to be called to the colors about May 8th, left for Nebraska to visit with relatives. Miss Conley, the intermediate teacher, took his students, but the ninth and tenth grades he was teaching were suspended until next term.11.
"I had my first years of high school right there, although we had no high school building, you know, the credits were official," she said.Golda Fulks, just turned eighteen years old, joined Essie and Ruth Thomson in planning a party at the Thomson's ranch on Bull River the evening before Jim Raynor, Elmer McFee and Urie Thomson left for the army.
"We played cards and ate cake. Although we laughed and joked, it was a sad, sad time," she said.When would they come back?
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Charles Mercer, 35 years old, stationed at Fort Harris, Tacoma, Washington, and then Fort Lewis during World War I, 1918. Courtesy Ruth Mercer McBee collection.
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World War I soldier from Noxon. Courtesy Edna Evans Cummings collection.
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Caption: Frank Berray, soldier from Bull River during World War 1. Circa 1917. Courtesy Maxine Higgins Laughlin collection.
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David Evans with his rifle at Noxon, Montana. Circa early 1900s. Courtesy Edna Evans Cummings collection.
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Cupid's arrows struck. And sometimes rivalry followed. Elmer was Golda's boyfriend. Mabel Fulks sweetheart was Jessie McFee. But between Essie and Olga a tug-of-war for one heart was waged. When the fellow sent his picture postcard to Essie, Olga was furious. Essie told her,
"If you can't push, pull. And if you can't pull, get out of the way!"12.
In Thompson Falls, the county seat, the draftees were given grand send-offs. The editor reported that they were treated,
Later in the evening, a dance was given by the citizens of the town."to a bountiful chicken supper ... at the Union Cafe and the Cummings restaurant, guests of E. D. Peek and A. S. Ainsworth."
They marched to the train in the evening's dusk to depart on the first of the four special trains provided by the Northern Pacific to handle those called from Montana. Accompanied by the Boy Scouts and the school children in a body to bid them good-bye, they stepped jauntily aboard, watched by the whole community. The train whistle floated mournfully back as the clickity-clacking wheels hurried them away.13.
Caption: Fern Fulks, 18 years old, at Noxon, Montana. Courtesy Ben F. Saint collection.
William McDougall wrote to the local exemption board saying,"The most rampant spirit which has so far been manifested by incoming draft men was displayed from Montana, the members of which made the camp ring with their shouted jests and whoops. Even the events of the recording process and the infectious disease examination, which have a curiously sobering and even frightening effect on most delegations, could not check the Montana spirit."14.
"... We sure had some time of it. This is Saturday night and the boys are all complaining of their sore feet. We drill almost all day and then they hike us about two miles to the lake to take a bath. It is nice but awful cold. But it is fun here for all of us.
"The Y.M.C.A. is sure some place; there are six of them here and they furnish baseball, football, prize fighting and all kinds of sport ... P.S. ... the Montana boys have all been put together. You might send a Thompson Falls paper."15.
Members of "C" Company, 319th Engineers, wrote soliciting the home folks in May 1918 for a bear from Sanders county for their mascot, to be shipped to Camp Fremont, California.16.
FOOTNOTES
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, April 12, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, June 21, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, June 21, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, July 5, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, April 26, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, July 19, 1917.
- Edna Evans Cummings, tape-recorded oral history April 13, 1987.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, Oct. 4, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, Oct. 4, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, Nov. 29, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, April 25, 1918.
- Golda Fulks Hollar, tape-recorded oral history, January 31, 1984.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, Sept. 27, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, Sept. 27, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, Sept. 27, 1917.
- Sanders County Independent Ledger, May 2, 1918.
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