Time Capsule: From the archives of local weeklies

Mission Valley News, Jan. 13, 1977

Ski run operators face uphill battle

RONAN – John and Ruth Adams have been hard at it on the site of the old Mission Ski Club east of Kicking Horse Job Corps since August. But their efforts to develop a ski slope for the area are mostly uphill. The weather — first snowless, then mild — is fighting back.

Last weekend, though, things were lively for the skiers who fought their way up the steep grade to the just-opened facilities. Only 11 made it on Saturday; but by Sunday the word had spread, and the Adams’ soon lost count. Some snowplowing was underway, too, which made things more accessible.

At the hill, arriving skiers found a 1,000-foot rope tow in operation, a snack bar doing a brisk business and enough snow to provide the expected number of spills and excitement.

The owners came here from Massachusetts last summer and with the help of their three boys are handling all phases of the operation. Expansions are already in the planning stages, “if the area response warrants it,” Ruth explained.

Cross-country skiing is to start next month with the possibility of slope enlargement and a T-bar for next year. But in the meantime, the real contest will be between the operators and the weather. The couple would be delighted with a few inches of snow each night and snapping cold in between.

“Think snow and, while you’re at it, think freezing,” was the word echoing down from the hill where a good deal of work and hope are at stake.

The area is reached by following the Job Corps road east to A canal then south along the canal bank to signs which route skiers across a bridge and up into the hills where, hopefully, weather will cooperate.

Early Days, by Miss Adeline Beaver

About 1924, Ruben Schall was determined to have telephone service from Arlee, north to the Schall ranch, then up Valley Creek for the farmers and the Moderie Lumber Camp.

Rube Schall, a well-to-do sheepman, ran two large bands of sheep in the valleys drained by the Jocko River. His outfit was known as the “Bunkhouse and Schall Company.”

He owned a big touring car, a Studebaker, which he used almost like a truck. He dragged (telephone) poles behind the car and loaded rolls of wire inside, then took off cross country to where the work was to be done.

This story is told: “Once the car was loaded with wire and Rube started off; running over young Bob Schall in the process. Bob was not hurt at all but jumped up and took off on the run.”

About 10 miles up Valley Creek, near the Upper Valley Creek School, lived the Axelson family, while nearer the Schall ranch lived the Hansons, right across the road from the Lower Valley Creek School.

Mrs. Axelson had been one of the early settlers and was so isolated that when her first child was born, she had no help. Mrs. Axelson longed to visit with other women, especially her friend, Mrs. Hanson, so she wanted a telephone.

Many of the farmers put in their poles, but her husband said if she wanted it, she could pay for it. She thought she could pay for it with the butter and egg money. The poles were another matter; to get and put in the poles was one thing she could not do.

But there were the fence posts. She heard someplace that they would do. She had Rube string the wire along the road, then she fastened the wire to the top of the fence posts. It was not as businesslike as wire on regular poles, but it worked.

It worked for many years. When I boarded at Axelsons in 1933, this was the regular pattern of line maintenance. When Mrs. Axelson first got up, she lifted the receiver to see if the line was dead. When there was no answering sound, she would hurry with the morning choirs, the milking and care of the milk, breakfast, do the dishes and cream separator, and give the “Mister” his mid-morning coffee. Then, when Jim Axelson returned to his work, there was time to fix the line.

Mrs. Axelson took a hammer, pliers and nails to walk along the telephone line looking for fallen posts, broken or loose wires, brush or trees leaning on the wire. Whatever was wrong would be right, and then friends could visit on the phone.

Additional information from the next week’s letter to Miss Beaver in care of the newspaper —

Miss Beaver,

After you left yesterday, Bob was reminiscing. Can you use this fact?

When the telephone line across the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks was being built about one mile north of Jocko Mercantile (now called White Coyote Lane), according to specifications required by the NP for a certain height necessary above the tracks, Ruben Schall had no climbers to crawl the poles to put up cross-arms and insulators, so he used an 18’ ladder on top of a load of loose hay Arthur Morin was hauling with the old high wooden-wheeled wagon to be used for feeding sheep.

A tricky feat, to say the least.

– (Mrs. Bob) Marjorie Schall