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'''STALLARD MOBILE LIFE 1915'''

By M. Berl Stallard

[[Fanning the Embers]], 1971, Range Rider Reps, Miles City, Montana

From free land in Oklahoma to free land in Montana in a two horse-powered Mobile Home averaging 25 miles on week days and only taking two months for the entire move.

Grandpa scouted the Indian territory of Oklahoma and when the strip was opened, he was either too slow or didn't give a darn because he went by all of the good farm lands. some with oil wells pumping the last 70 years, and settled on the Black Bear creek in Pawnee county.

Lycurgis, the youngest of three children, had been injured in a shooting accident with the loss of one eye and wore skirts for two years to protect one side of a leg that had been shot off. During this time of recovery, he started spinning rope and advanced to the point that when he was 16, he was trick roping with the 101 Show which started in Texas in the spring and finished in Canada in the fall.

Married at 19 and living on the farm where two sons were born, he tired of the traveling show and wished to settle down and stay home. The Milwaukee railroad had just finished building through the unsettled northwest. Our government had offered a half section of land to any one who would move in, build a home, stay for three years and apply for a patent. The lure of free land in Montana was sufficient and plans were made to leave Oklahoma the first of March, follow the season north and arrive in Montana in time to plant a crop.

Home on wheels was a nearly-new wide-tired wagon with a high side box and the inside measured 34 inches wide, 20 inches high, and 14 feet long. To this base was added an 18-inch addition on each side and covered with bows and canvas enforced with a blanket insulation.

Comfort all day for the travelers was provided by having the main bed spring mounted across the back and the bed was made up so that a person and especially the 11/2 and 3 1/2-year-old-boys could rest. Real pleasant to lie there and listen to the chock of the axles and be rocked to sleep by a speed of four or five miles per hour going downhill. Another bed was rolled up and stored in the wagon box part under the main bed-to be used by a guest later.

Tin cans with tight lids were standard equipment to store the food stuff and even clothes to keep them from the dust and rain when they had to be on the outside.

Since there was no opening in the back, the stove was mounted alongside the driver's seat in front. Wood was limited to 12 inches in length and the little jewel had an oven that would hold two loaves of bread at a time. It was a busy fixture due to doing most of the cooking in the evening to take care of a main meal the next day.

Heating the quarters was a side benefit: the weather was still chilly at the time of day that camp was made.

Water and beat being available in small quantities made bathing of the drip and dry variety. Weekend stops were planned by asking travelers where a good stop was to have water and wood to do the washing, baking and give the horses a rest on the Sabbath.

A sister of the wife was also scheduled to be a guest and this required room for two women, one man and two boys and all of their belongings needed for the trip and as a home in Montana until a building could be raised for a shelter. Recall the "house raisings" of the early days in which the neighbors all gathered and helped. This was not going to be the case due to the fact that not many neighbors were around.

Not to be neglected were the equipment and feed for the horses and this required further building of bins on the outside to hold the grain, harness repairs, horse shoes, and a general supply of carpenter and wagon repair tools. The team to be used most of the time was mature and a pair of full brothers were the spare horses, both young and to be used sparingly. The spare horses were loose and would graze along and then run to catch up. Feed was a problem once in awhile for the main team and some hay had to be carried in case grazing was not handy for over night.

On the first mile from the farm, any item that was loose or in danger of falling or being noisy had to be relocated. It is surprising how many items were not absolutely necessary after the first few days and the space was used for necessities. Foods were all staples for the steady diet and fresh eggs, milk, cream, butter and meat were a treat whenever they could be obtained in a town or from farms and ranches along the route. The Father was an avid hunter and sage hens, rabbits and prairie chickens were on the menu occasionally. It did not take long to get fed up with the sage hens because they are all old ones this time of year and taste like a moldy salt sack-if you can imagine.

Five persons and four horses were provided for in a space that would be about the size of an average table extended for a family dinner. Just for comparison, attempt to get food, clothing, tools and everything your family would need for two months on the table and then arrange it around so that all could sleep somewhere on the table or under it. Interesting, isn't it.

Surprisingly there was much to see and observe even traveling only 31/2 miles per hour. The first unusual contour of the land occurred just north of the Oklahoma line in Kansas. For fifteen minutes the horses were pulling like everything uphill and the next fifteen holding the wagon back. This kept happening at regular intervals and one of the young horses was hooked up to help. This went on for 20 miles and someone asked how they got along coming over the "devil's washboard?"

Muddy roads became a problem and slowed the progress. One night after entering Nebraska, a livery stable had very high and large doors and camp was made inside the building out of the rain. The stove would not draw very good but it was a treat to be in out of the weather. Construction of the canvas top was like a paper sack cut in half as there was no opening at the back of the wagon and the little stove had a big job to keep it warm. Next day was still stormy and when looking back about noon, there appeared to be quite a storm going over. Two days later the word came that a cyclone had leveled the livery barn which had been such a nice place to stay.

This part of the state of Nebraska was called the Sand Hills and was part of the crossroads of the travelers west and north. In fact, the travel had been so heavy that several roads were running side by side because when one set of tracks got so deep, a new road was started, Trouble was showing up with the deep sand and it was necessary to hook both of the young horses on for a few days until the Black Hills of South Dakota were reached. Talk about tough luck, for several nights camp was made alongside of streams filled with fish and no hooks.

Finally it was necessary to leave the well-traveled road which had followed the railroad to Moorecroft, Wyo., and turn due north. Soon it was necessary to open a wire gate to pass northward and camp was made about an hour later. This was unsettled country and really looked like the west was being reached. All of the horses were hobbled as usual and the halters left on so they could eat the grain and then graze some. Next morning all of the hobbles and halters were piled up and all of the horses missing. First thoughts were that they had been stolen because good work horses were in heavy demand and imagine the thoughts of being a thousand miles from home and no horses. Upon examination it appeared that the tracks went back down the road and a hurried foot trip found them at the wire fence headed back home. Never will know who or how the hobbles and halters were taken off and piled so neatly, unless someone figured they would go a different direction and could be picked up later.

Always looking ahead for something new and different, an object appeared to the north that looked like a huge fence post on the horizon. After traveling a full day it was getting larger and looked the same. Three days in sight and it loomed high and to the east, a cowboy advised that this was the Devils Tower of Wyoming. Devils washboard and then his Tower, seemed to be a habit. Anyway, the Tower was in sight for five days approaching. going alongside, and then going away from.

Appearances were constantly changing and most of the information obtained was from a cowboy or herder. Evidently the day of the wagons was about over and not many were met. About once a week previously and farther south, an auto had been seen, but in northern Wyoming and southern Montana everything was far apart.