A Trip By Melvin and Lloyd Olsen
Jan. 9th 1933
An experience Melvin and Lloyd Olsen had when they left Beazer
and drove over to Browning with a team and buggy to get some clothing and fruit
that was left at Kalispell in the fall. We had to come to Cardston during the
summer of 1932 on a caravan and had stayed and got a job haying for McGraw,
then Gane (Melvin’s brother) had offered him a job for the winter to help
him feed cattle. We were to get a couple of rooms to live in, our flour, cereal,
and vegetables, also our wood. We moved there around the 20th of September.
When Faye came over to get married in November, they were to bring over my trunk,
washer and buffet, in the trailer. Coming down a steep hill near Kalispell the
trailer broke and nearly tipped the car over, but it broke loose and rolled
over and smashed the buffet to bits. It didn’t do very much damage to the
electric washer, or the trunk which was packed with clothing and fruit.
They had to leave the things there and come on without them, however we needed
the things quite badly so Melvin decided to go after them. We had very little
money so the team was the only way to go the first half of the way, or to Browning
any way. Accordingly they started out, and this is Melvin’s own account
of his experiences.
Monday Jan. 9, 1933
Left home 1:00 PM and arrived in Babb at 4:30pm secured a barn for the team
and we were given a nice cabin to sleep in. We built a fire and warmed up, as
we had a very cold drive.
Tuesday Jan. 10, 1933
Left Babb at 10 am, it was snowing, we followed tracks for a few miles, then
they were snowed full. We traveled on not knowing just where we were going,
soon the wind began to blow and we could not tell where we were going, soon
the wind stopped and the snow ceased and we made our way on for miles following
an old un-traveled road. Finally we came to a ranch house, there we fed our
horses and the man gave us dinner, then we carried on bucking snow drifts and
finally reached Browning at 9 PM. Bother Hyrum Maughan was living there at that
time, so we stayed with them, not having the price of an hotel ticket to spare.
Wednesday Jan. 11
Harry Maughan , Melvin’s brother-in-law, decided to take them to Kalispell
in his car so they started for Helena, as they had to go around some of the
highest mountain passes. Started for Helena at 10 am, we reached Cascade and
found the road closed. We then went to Great Falls and found we would have to
go 339 miles from there to get to Helena, so decided it was too far as it would
be a 1400 mile round trip. We left Great Falls at 6 PM and reached home at 11pm.
Thursday Jan. 12
Left Maughan’s at 7:30am, walked to the station and found I could buy a
round trip fare for $4.90 and check my truck on my ticket coming back, so am
waiting until 9:30am for the passenger train. I arrived in Columbia Falls about
noon and took a gallopinug goose to Kalispell and arrived there about 1pm. I
hired a truck and went to Summers and got our things then returned to the depot
in Kalispell at 3:30PM. I crated the washer and got it billed to go out on the
4pm freight. Then I went up town for a little while and caught the galloping
goose back to Columbia Falls at 5:45pm and had to wait a short time for the
train, and arrived in Browning about 10 PM.
Friday Jan. 13
I looked the town of Browning over, and late in the afternoon I went to the
station and waited for the freight to come in, when it arrived I got our things
and got back to Maughan’s at 7 PM. So here we are all loaded to start for
home in the morning.
Saturday Jan. 14
We left Browning at 8:45am. We came as far as Galbrath’s by 4pm. The team
was tired and we were invited to spend the night, so we put the team in the
barn, and had supper and slept on a good bed in the bunk house.
Sunday Morning and there is a very bad north blizzard, so we did not
leave the place. We helped Jack Balbrath fix a sleigh and nearly froze to death.
Then we came to the house and had a big supper, and now I am sitting in a big
arm chair by the stove enjoying myself but wish I was home.
Monday Jan. 16
Left Jack Galbrath’s at 9am and the weather is clear with
a cold south air, and reached home about 7pm.
I don’t know where this story came from or who is writing the first
part but I assume Lloyd. If any one knows where it comes from, let me know.
Thaine Olsen