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Subject: H. F. "Frank" Reel writes from Boise, Idaho, to his old Fremont county home.
Date: 13 May 2003 13:41:35 -0600

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.

Surnames: Reeves, Reel, Mann, McKissick, Cooper, Cowles
Classification: Biography

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ok.2ADE/2075

Message Board Post:

FREMONT COUNTY HERALD. January 8, 1907. Letter From Frank Reel.--Boise, Idaho, Jan. 1, 1907. TO THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD and my old friends: This has been a lovely day of bright sunshine, one which, is characteristic of Idaho, although such has not been the case for the past four months, hence we can appreciate such a beautiful New Year's day.

Mrs. R. and myself, accompanied by Harold Reeves, arrrived home the ninth of September. We had a most enjoyable visit, one to be long remembered. Although her health was not the best, I could make up for her indisposedness, especially when it came to the table loaded with chicken, good things dear old Fremont county was overflowing with. I was brought to grief more than once, as by some misunderstanding between us and our friends we were expected to be on duty at two homes at the same time.

Alas, alas! How short our stomachs and how disappointed our friends, especially those who were unfortunate or unlucky enough to have us dine with them, and how fortunate we were to be their guests.

We had a short visit with Lon Mann and wife. They have a fine son and daughter.

As our tickets were getting smaller in more ways than one, we started for Salt Lake, where we visited with Rev. McWaynich and wife, our old pastor of the M. E. church at Thurman. We enjoyed their company very much and with them viewed the city taking in the Mormon temple and the principle buildings. On the hill toward the fort, we got a good view of the city below.

The greatest gathering ever held in Boise was the Irrigation Congress, which was in session while we were east. It was a success, and I heard one of four congresmen say in the office of Gen. Pickett of the Oregon Short LIne, that the meeting at Boise was the best ever held in the history of the organization.

Our home daily paper came out Chirstmas with 24 pages well filled with advertisements of the merchants. We enjoyed a good trade during the holidays, and ran short of many articles. It takes from four to five weeks to get a bill of goods from Chicago, so could not stock up again.

Coal is very scarce here, due to the shortage of cars on the railroad. It is alarming. The dealers will only give one sack of 500 pounds to a family, and sometimes for days not a car of coal enters the city. I got 500 pounds of hard coal from Pennsulvania, paying for it at the rate of $20 per ton. How is that for price? There is no hickory or burr oak cord wood here. Pine wood, green and water soaked as it comes down the river, sells for $8 a cord.

The fruit crop of apples, pears, peaches, plums and prunes--also vegetables of all kinds-- was a bumper, and there is more hay in the country than we know what to do with. If you don't believe me, ask Harold Reeves, of Tabor, who came out with us, and worked in the hay fields for about three months. He can tell you all about it.

Mrs. Reel's health is not the best I could wish for, but I am feeling splendid. So is our daughter, who is with us. She is assistant principal in one of our public schools. The schools of our city employ sixty teachers. My son Emmer is in Spokane, Wash. Grace lives fifty miles north of here. Edith married a druggist and is doing well. Grace and Edith have visisted with us since sour return. Emmer is married and has a fine boy eighteen months old, who is just learning to walk. He is working on a good salary.

We often meet Iowa people here, and are always glad to greet Hawkeye people as I lived there 46 years. I am one of the boys who has been at Hannah McKissick"s house hundreds of times in McKissick:s Grove. I remember John Cooper, who saved my foot from being taken off from a cut by one of Harve Cowles boys of McKissick's Grove.

Those were my first school days, and not many of them so you all can testify, for three months of school a year will not make great scholars, and at the opening of the cruel war our school days ended. We do not boast of this, but think with shame that it was so. But we have tried to make an honest living and raise our children to do the same. I hold dear my religion, which my mother taught me when a small boy, and next to my home, my country.

I do not expect to make many more visits to Fremont county--time passes fast after we reach three score years--as I will soon be 63 years old, and yet it seems but a short time since I was a boy with the boys who have passed to the great beyond and those few who are still living. Was glad to see our old friend and comrade, Ashel Mann sent to the legislature to represent Fremont county. We can't have too many men of his principle to help in the making of the laws for the good people of God.--H. F. REEL.

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