Nowadays and old days
Going up to the Veteran’s Home on a recent Sunday, I saw good citizens along Highway 2 filling sacks with litter. Made me dig out a 2006 column...
Do you believe an aluminum beer can can lay beside the road for a hundred years?
Well it can... unless someone picks it up.
While my son Shannon was a Park ranger, he gave me a list that tells how long it takes various materials to decay:
1. fecal matter- one to four months.
2. Paper- two to five months.
3. Orange peels- six months.
4. Milk carton (cardboard)- five months.
5. Filter tip cig butts- 10 to 12 years.
6. Plastic bags - 10 to 20 years.
7. Leather shoes - 25 to 40 years.
8. Nylon cloth - 30 to 40 years.
9. Plastic containers - 50 to 80 years.
10. Aluminum - 80 to 100 years.
11. Styrofoam - never.
We are clueless about SLOBS who throw out tons of litter along our highways and byways each year; however, we know thoughtful citizens go out there several times a year and pick up the mess. Their organization names are posted in the sections where they voluntarily clean. It is difficult to understand how people can be so different.
(If you know a slob, cut this out and give it to him or her.)
— Fascinating Local History —
East of the Flathead River near Montford, there lie the remains of early pioneers in unmarked, abandoned graves. Their last resting place was called “Grave Yard Hill” when it was set aside by one of the settlers whose name was John Jones. Before the turn of the century, folks wanted their buryin’ grounds handy because traveling far for a funeral meant too much time lost from making a living, and life was sort of precarious. Thus it was that John didn’t have trouble convincing his neighbors to establish a cemetery.
Not long after getting space laid out on Grave Yard Hill, John spotted a coyote in the nearby woods. Hurriedly getting his rifle from the cabin, he accidentally hit the hammer against a door jam and was shot through the head.
John Jones was the first person buried on Grave Yard Hill.
Many early cemeteries were called “Boot Hill.” There are several in Montana, including the famous one at Virginia City where vigilantes planted the likes of Boone Helm, Frank Gallager, and other murderers, robbers, and low down “hoss theeves.”
The only “Boot Hill” I’ve read of in Northwest Montana was near St. Regis. One of the more literate pioneers recorded the people buried there:
“Mrs. William Randal l-- suicide; Mrs. Caddle L. Dillingham--S uicide; Uncle Joe Watson -- alcoholic; Negro Man -- otherwise unknown; Man who fell off cliff at St. Lawrence Mine -- unknown; Mr. Dagget-- died of heart failure while carrying mail through a storm to Mullan, Idaho; One fat, alcoholic piano player -- He was wearing a pair of such high quality rubber footwear the new overshoes were removed before the body was covered up.” (History does not record who got the overshoes.)
Back for a minute to 2016 ... Just this month the old Flathead County jail renovation was completed to house the current County Attorney’s offices and while we’re talking jails, here’s more history:
The first fairly substantial one in the Flathead Valley was constructed at Demersville and one major worker was the town blacksmith and part time carpenter, Jack Shepard. During construction, “old Man Foy’s” son Leslie came by carrying mail from the first post office at Salish up to Ashley. Leslie told Shepard he was making a mistake in helping to build a jail. When the building was done, Shepard took his pay and spent it all on whiskey, tore up a saloon, and became the first inmate.
(Note: I am indebted for much of the above historical facts to my late dear friend, Carl O’Neil. He saved many precious tales from the writings and old records of early Flathead county pioneers.) G. George Ostrom is an award-winning columnist.