Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

90 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 4, 1933

LOCAL SHINGLE MILL BEGUN AT TROUT CREEK

Henry Kraus before settling at Trout Creek had operated a shingle mill in Wisconsin for years. He brought his mill along with him, dismantled, and it has only been in the last few months that he reassembled it and started operating it. Now Mr. Kraus tells us he has had so many orders ahead that he cannot make deliveries without delay until he catches up on his orders.

Mr. Kraus is turning out a very good grade of shingle. Before Mr. Kraus started his single mill,the closest mill to us was one located at Priest River. There is apparently a good market in this section for shingles. Mr. Kraus says that he couldn’t get a job anywhere and so he decided if he wanted a job he had better make one for himself which he proceeded to do, and is now busy all the time, and hires neighbors to help him at times. In addition, Mr. Kraus is starting a little home industry that will keep a lot of Sanders County money in Sanders County. All of which proves that nothing counts like real initiative and enterprise in the long run.

ALL INDIANS DID NOT USE TEPEES

The little tepee of Indian stories was not the standard abode of many northwestern tribes, western fiction to the contrary notwithstanding. Many tribes did use the frame of poles, arranged conically and covered with buffalo and elk robes, or with mats, but where the residence was more or less permanent, the form might be varied as the many different materials used.

The Kootenais used reeds to weave lodges. Lewis and Clark reported that the Nez Perce “live in houses of straw and mats in the form of the roof of a house.” The Salish tribes covered their lodges with earth. Some of the shelters were large enough for several families. It was the general custom, apparently, when a chief had several wives, for each to have her own fire in the lodge.

In the summer, lighter shelters were universally used. The tepee of song and story was commonly used for traveling, the women developing great speed in the art of arranging the 10 lodge poles in conical shape and covering them with skins and mats.

McALLISTER COMPLAINS ABOUT DANCE TAX

On the complaint of Mrs. A.G. McAllister, operator of the Birdland Dance Hall, the County Commissioners at their last meeting as per minutes published, made a ruling assessing all dance halls operating in the county an annual tax of $10 per year.

Mrs. McAllister contended that it was unfair for her to have to pay an annual license when so many dance halls operating in school houses, community halls, etc., in the county avoided this tax.

The Treasurer’s office was instructed to collect this license, and the Treasurer’s office in turn advises that before they will attempt collection on school houses holding public dances, community halls, etc., they will first seek a legal opinion to determine whether such license collection is mandatory upon them to collect or not.

(Note: Austin and Kitty McAllister owned Birdland Park west of town. They operated a service station, park and had a dance hall. Kitty was quite a piano player and participated with the bands playing at their park; she also played for the Rebekah Lodge at their meetings. From the Sanders County Independent Ledger, May 6, 1936 - New service station west of town - a new service station is being erected west of town about three miles, just before the approach to the bridge (Birdland Bay Bridge) crossing the river.

TWO FACE LIQUOR CHARGE

Wayne Woods and Roland McDonald are in the county jail here facing charges of possession of whiskey and having materials for its manufacture as a result of a raid at Kila by federal prohibition officers. A 60-gallon still, allegedly belonging to Woods and McDonald, was taken by the officers and a large amount of whiskey was confiscated.

Note: Those lads got caught 2 months previous of the repeal of Prohibition. Amendment 21 to the Constitution was ratified on December 5, 1933. It repealed the previous 18th Amendment which had placed a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol.