Wild Horse Roundup

By Curtis Schrimp

November 21, 2003

Lee received some very sad news this week when she heard of the passing of Ida Einertson of Limon. Their friendship goes back when they were kids. Their folks would visit back and forth once in a while for church at Walks Camp and our Lutheran Church here. They still liked to get together for coffee and visiting. We didn’t make it to the funeral, but our thoughts and prayers are with Nate and family. She was well known as she worked in the drug store in Limon for many, many years.

The FFA boys hauled bales from Charles Oswald’s for us and finished Saturday. Those kids really work and twice came after dark and used car lights to unload.

A fellow came to the door today and when Lee opened the door he spoke and he said "fix me a hamburger steak" and then gave her a hug. He then shook hands and sat down. We still didn’t know him. He said, "you know when a lady cooks: she puts in a smidgeon of this and a smidgeon of that," and then I tumbled and I said "Claude Schmatjen." I don’t think we seen him for maybe 30 years or so. He used to eat in Lee’s café, the reason for ordering hamburger steak.

Wednesday evening 59 people gathered at the Trading Post Café for a very nice meal. It was a thank you to the folks who sit at the museum during the summer. I failed to get the numbers when Vic Gibbs read them off. It was such a nice get-together of friends visiting. It seems like people don’t have time to sit still that long.

The old depot the museum brings back a memory to me of when I sat in it in 1927. We were coming to Wild Horse to live, my mom, little sister and I. The train’s last stop, I think, was Sharon Springs, but the conductor said "I think we are going to have some trouble in Kit Carson so have your luggage ready to get off." We had to wait for a train they called the Jitney. It had a coach and baggage coach and was run by two Pierce Arrow car engines that stopped for everything and so we got to Wild Horse.

Marty and Kirsti spent Friday and Saturday in Denver. First to Kirsti’s dentist and then out to Steve’s. Friday evening a birthday for our four year old great granddaughter. Saturday afternoon went down to the Convention Center to a craft show. Such a mob it was hard to see things.

Wednesday is our 65^th wedding anniversary. When we got married Burr Keller used his car to take us to Limon and then Denver. I had $25, but I owed $10.50 on a 1930 Chevy so that didn’t leave much. Lee’s dad bought dinner and we headed for Denver. Oh yeah, I gave the minister $3.00. In Denver I bought a 49 cent quart of sauterne wine and eight of us drank it so you see we didn’t party too much. Burr bought Alice her engagement ring. They got married the next June. We got a hotel room for $1.00 or 50 cents and got up the next morning and went home and back to stacking feed. One thing now, I don’t owe a $10.50 payment.

Yvonne Schallenberger served club Thursday and it was a good meal enjoyed by a nice crowd.

Ernie and Judy Hammer returned from Missouri and got here in time for club dinner. They were checking on some cattle they have there. They said the cattle looked good and even some green grass.