NEW BEGINNINGS

of Steamboat Rock. I have met many splendid people here. Of all the towns in which I am acquainted, I do not believe there are any who can come up to the people of Steamboat Rock. They attend to their own business. I have not seen a drunk man since I came here (in two months). They seem to have a very efficient city management and without any fuss or bluster like we find in many places. A very safe and conservative bank, but at the same time not so conservative that worthy people cannot get a little assistance when they need it. By the way it is one of the few banks that did not have to close down for awhile some years back.” 

“The merchants are all pleasant and affable and willing to serve the public, at reasonable profit. The merchants here do not give the impression that the public belongs to them, but that they are part of the public and that both together can do better by pulling together. Taxes are lower here in town and the community than any place in the state and at the same time they are not in want of anything that makes life worth living. The only thing that I can find fault with is if I get up in the morning around seven o’clock I can hear squeaky pumps in all directions. There ought to be a city water plant here but the government promised last fall before election that Steamboat Rock would soon get a water plant. But the fact that at the election it went pretty strong Republican it may be the pre-election promise that may not be worth anything.” 

“Of course the most interesting people I have met are the Old Boys over 75 years. In this paper you find the picture of a few of them. I regret that we did not get all of them.” 

“These old men are not pioneers, but they are pioneers’ sons. In the early days the children took active part in pioneering. There was no other way. They all shared and shared alike. If the pioneer’s table menu was frugal, the boys and girls of that time shared in the frugality without grumbling. There was very little money in circulation and the boys got used to that, but what little money they got was taken care of and not spent as liberally as is now done. We did not want for many pleasures and diversions–in fact I believe the young folks 70 or 80 years ago had as much wholesome fun as the young folks have now, if not more. When we had basket socials in those days the boys had money saved up to buy the baskets. The crazy notion had not developed at that time that a 16-year-old boy had to have an automobile. Walking was not a lost art then.” 

“When they went to school they studied the three R’s and in most cases were interested in putting into actual use what they had been taught. There is more money spent in useless sports now than there was then in useful branches of study. Now it is claimed that sports of all kinds developed sportsmanship. Does it?”