Railroad stories have been prominent in recent editions of the Korner.
After reading a detailed email from Jim Donelson, BSH-63, the Kornerman couldn't help but think how unhurried, how simple life "used to be." Folks who missed those days.......well, I'm sorry they never got a similar "taste."
Jim wrote that from the time his family moved back to Boone County from Californian in 1954, impressionable railroad memories began sprouting. That was when he and brother Dale, BSH-66, were growing up.
First, renting a back apartment over Dan's Tobacco Shop on the west side of Story Street at mid-block, "we had a great view of the interurban tracks looking west," Jim relates. That started a longtime relationship where the brothers could never, "get far from the B&FE tracks."
When the family moved west of town to an acreage (with the little white block house on the curve at the top of the waterworks hill), Jim and Dale walked down to the nearby tracks to catch the morning interurban trolley. After a stop near Dan's on Story Street, they were just a two block walk from Sacred Heart school. Jim said, "we thought we were in for the long haul but passenger service was discontinued in 1955, leaving us with a couple books of tickets."
A return trip after school took longer but was, perhaps, even more enjoyable. Jim wrote, "In the spring and fall we walked along 11th street, past Deeter's Grocery and followed the tracks beginning at Division Street. It was a pleasant walk of a couple miles, with plenty of ballast rocks to throw. However, we never passed up an offer to ride the work cart from a friendly section crew. I take it that another generation of grade schoolers in Boone will get a similar experience from the new railbikes."
When the family moved to 12th street, "we abandoned the west line and walked east to Shafer's Grocery on Linn Street, then to the tracks on 11th and continued as far east as the north side of the hemp plant. I loved growing up in Boone. Where else could a couple teenaged brothers carry their single shot 20 game Savage shotguns from their front door to the railroad ROW to hunt for pheasants, quail and rabbits?"
"My next personal connection with the FDDM&S tracks was in the fall of 1966 when Al Dannatt, BHS-66, and I worked, after our Boone JC classes, at Standley Transfer and Storage. We helped unload many freight cars full of boxed, canned and bagged staples headed for Fareway, but what I remember most fondly, were the 100 pound sacks of sugar to be delivered to the Archway bakery. Al and I would race with our individually named oak hand trucks stacked six stacks high to see how fast we could empty the car and make the delivery to Archway. Our reward was $1.50 per hour, lots of self-directed weight and cardio exercise and a big box of hot, right out of the oven, broken cookies."
In conclusion Jim wrote, "these days I am relegated to the status of a paying tourist rider on the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad when visiting Boone. It's good to see it's no longer the B&FE. What's that? "Back and Forth Empty" was the name affectionately used by my brother-in-law, Steve Mathis, BHS-1964, who worked the section during his home from college summers. Steve likely worked with his classmate and my Sturtz Texaco Red Sox teammate John Hendricks, BHS-64. One final thought, Steve's mother, Mary Jean, was one of the naming contest winners whose entries were combined into the new line's Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad name."
EDITOR'S NOTE: I, the Kornerman, had indicated to Jim that I had remembered his mother as a very successful Boone beautician. Jim answered, "my mother, Leone, started a one-stall beauty shop in our home at 1027 12th Street. Eventually, the entire house was converted into Leone's Beauty Salon with six stations and we moved to the house on the alley at 1021 12th. he lots, from west to east, have been vastly improved with the construction of the Sacred Heart rectory and the home built by the late Carold Pearson and his wife, Mary.
P.S. The Kornerman noted that Jim signed off his email with .....BN-R Route #41, 1957-59 and BSH-1963, a shout-out to his Boone News Republican delivery days. Thanks so much Jim. So many great memories for our KK viewers. I''m sure they enjoyed them.
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BOONE CONNECTED/AREA DEATHS
Darlene Ann Fangman Mosman, 89, Boone. Born in Alta, IA. St Angela's Academy-1951. Married Rolland Mosman. Faith and family were the most important things in Darlene's life. Served on Parish Council. Was a lifetime member of the Altar Society. Bowled in a league for 50 years and won a state title in the 80's. Also enjoyed roller skating. Loved following all sports. Survivors include two sons, including James Mosman of Boone, and three daughters, including Kris Ann Hickle and Shari Anderson of Boone. Services in Boone.
Carol Jean Hume Mowrer, 92, Perry. Born near Jamaica, IA. JHS-48. Married Harold Allen Mowrer in Perry in 1950. Survivors include a daughter and two sons, including Thomas Mowrer of Ogden. Also surviving are a daughter-in-law, Chris Mowrer, and grandchildren, Josie and Maddie Mowrer, all of Madrid. Services in rural Bouton and Perry.
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