Home * January 1, 1949 * Cattle * Interviews
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minutes after we had gone to the cabin. Two of these had there hands and feet partly frozen. These cars had tried to go on ahead to Cheyenne but were forced to turn back after going about four miles. There a large transport oil truck was stalled right across the highway where blowing snow had melted on the motor and shorted it out. A final count of the group present revealed that there were 49 people at this station over night Sunday night.
After getting the Fire going the children got up one at a time and I took them over to the station, first Dorinda then Pauline and at last Rally and Dorothy accompanied me . It was necessary that we move into the station with the rest since the coal supply was running low and since the children at least should have some food. I did find that one of my former pupils from Cheyenne was in this group, P. Afferbaugh and his wife.
Monday was a day of getting acquainted. Bill the station manager was a nephew of the owner of Joe's service Station who was left in charge of this station and cafe combination. He was a congenial young fellow that was much concerned about the safety and comfort of all. He asked a boyfriend of his Don and his girlfriend to see that all got something to eat for breakfast. All were fed and seemed to get along nicely just like one big family. Soon some started rushing for the few blankets that were along one wall of the station where they would lay in shifts and get a few winks of sleep. The station consisted of four rooms--that is the filling station room and a garage where one car could be driven in, then the cafe room and the back kitchen room and bedroom. However the oil heater was in the cafe part and was able only to heat that room and kitchen. During the morning we also learned that a transport trucker stalled with us had this truck filled with cases of eggs. So several men walked the thirty yards out to the highway and got a case of eggs from this trucker, Bill Nelson. To pay for the eggs one member passes a hat and collect $17.00 for the eggs. From then on we enjoyed eggs all styles, kinds etc.
The Surrett family stayed in their cabin since they had a good heater and felt that the young children would be better with only their family and with them also were the Logdon's from Fort Collins. So Monday Bill kept that stove supplied with coal and we took them some eggs and pancakes. However the worries were for the 10 month old child that didn't have its bottle and the one quart of milk that we did have at the station was almost gone. The baby did drink or take food from a spoon and for a pacifier some sugar was tied in a cloth that the baby would take and put itself to sleep.
Shortly after dinner two men walked into the station all bundled up with clothes over their faces to keep them from freezing. They told us that they came up in a greyhound bus from Pine bluffs with 11 men and scoops. They were looking for Mr. & Mrs. Monger who they feared where stalled somewhere between Cheyenne, and Pine Bluffs. They had enough fuel to last for 30 hours to keep them warm and also some food. From them we got some milk for the Surrett baby.
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