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INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT HRUSKA
STUDENT AT HAWTHORNE SCHOOL 1904-1908
JULY 17,18,1978
BY ANNA ZELLICK
F.C.H.S. GRADUATE, 1935
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO- A.B. 1941; ~.A. 1945
LECTURER, COLLEGE OF GREAT FALLS AT LEWISTOWN COLLEGE CENTER
PREPARED FOR DR. RONALD B. MADSON, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND LEWISTOWN
SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 1
MR. DAVID L. MOODIE
MRS. ROBERT L. JOHNSON
MR. AL MCRAE
MRS. DONN R. PENNELL
MR. JOHN THUNE*
MRS. CHARLES W. WICKS
MR. WM. E. BERGER*
MR. ALAN C. FOLDA
MR. FOY MCCOLLUM
* SUCCEEDED BY MR, GEORGE THORSON AND MRS. JOE C. WICKS FOLLOWING ELECTION APRIL
4, 1978,
The following is a transcript of the visit with Albert Hruska, July 17th, 1978 at the Eagle Manor.
Because Mr. Hruska had to leave for another engagement, we decided not to record the
conversation. It is given as I remember it. The interview was continued and conducted on July
18th.
Zellick: The other day Mr. Hruska, you told me that you attended the old Hawthorne School.
Hruska: Yes, I attended the 4th, and the 5th grade. I was a fourth grader in 1904. I was eleven
years old at the time, having been born in 1893. Last Saturday I celebrated my 85th birthday.
Zellick: What do you remember about your school at the Hawthorne?
Hruska: I remember my teachers.
Zellick: What do you remember about your teachers?
Hruska: Well, some were good and some I didn't like.
Zellick: Do you remember their names?
Hruska: Oh, yea, I remember them well. There was Alice O'Hara, Jennie Fulton, Mabel Miller,
Hazel Dunphy, and a Miss Metcalf. I never did know Miss Metcalf's first name. I didn't like her
because she gave hell for everything that happened or you did. I like the others because they
were willing to talk to you, and visit with you.
Zellick: What did they talk to you about?
Hruska: About our farm.
Zellick: Were there any other teachers?
Hruska: Well, there was Mr. Herman Davies. We called him "professor."
I think they called him "professor" because he was the principal. Then there was a Mr. Silloway
who, I believe, came in 1907.
Zellick: P.M. Silloway?
Hruska: I believe so.
Zellick: Isn't this interesting? In 1899-1905, he was the principal of the County High School, for
sure. I thought that he had served even longer in that capacity. Yes, records do show that he
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | Hruska, Albert. Interview.. |
| Description | Albert Hruska was a student at the Hawthorne School 1904-1908, in Lewistown, Montana. |
| Creator | By Anna Zellick, F.C.H.S. Graduate, 1935, University of Chicago, A.B. 1941; M.A. 1945. Lecturer, College of Great Falls at Lewistown College Center. |
| Genre | documents |
| Type | Text |
| Language | eng |
| Date Original | 1978-07-17 |
| Subject (keyword) | Fergus County, Montana; Hawthorne School; Catholic Schools; Jawbone Railroad. Horseshoe Bar Ranch; |
| Subject (AAT) | Schools; Teachers; |
| Rights Management | No copyright restrictions. |
| Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana |
| Publisher (Original) | Prepared for Ronald B. Mattson, Superintendent of Schools and Lewistown School District #1 |
| Geographic Coverage | Fergus County, Montana. Lewistown, Montana |
| Digital collection | Central Montana Historical Documents |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Physical format | |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Full text of this item | INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT HRUSKA STUDENT AT HAWTHORNE SCHOOL 1904-1908 JULY 17, 18, 1978 BY ANNA ZELLICK F.C.H.S. GRADUATE, 1935 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO— A.B. 1941; M.A. 1945 LECTURER, COLLEGE OF GREAT FALLS AT LEWISTOWN COLLEGE CENTER PREPARED FOR DR. RONALD B. MATTSON, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND LEWISTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 1 MR. DAVID L. MOODIE MRS. DONN R. PENNELL MR. WM. E. BERGER* MRS. ROBERT L. JOHNSON MR. JOHN THUNE* MR. ALAN C. FOLDA MR. AL MCRAE MRS. CHARLES W. WICKS MR. FOY MCCOLLUM * SUCCEEDED BY MR, GEORGE THORSON AND MRS. JOE C. WICKS FOLLOWING ELECTION APRIL 4, 1978, The following is a transcript of the visit with Albert Hruska, July 17th, 1978 at the Eagle Manor. Because Mr. Hruska had to leave for another engag¬ement, we decided not to record the conversation. It is given as I remember it. The interview was continued and conducted on July 18th. Zellick: The other day Mr. Hruska, you told me that you attended the old Hawthorne School. Hruska: Yes, I attended the 4th, and the 5th grade. I was a fourth grader in 1904. I was eleven years old at the time, having been born in 1893. Last Saturday I celebrated my 85th birthday. Zellick: What do you remember about your school at the Hawthorne? Hruska: I remember my teachers. Zellick: What do you remember about your teachers? Hruska: Well, some were good and some I didn't like. Zellick: Do you remember their names? Hruska: Oh, yea, I remember them well. There was Alice O'Hara, Jennie Fulton, Mabel Miller, Hazel Dunphy, and a Miss Metcalf. I never did know Miss Metcalf's first name. I didn't like her because she gave hell for everything that happened or you did. I like the others because they were willing to talk to you, and visit with you. Zellick: What did they talk to you about? Hruska: About our farm. Zellick: Were there any other teachers? Hruska: Well, there was Mr. Herman Davies. We called him "professor." I think they called him "professor" because he was the principal. Then there was a Mr. Silloway who, I believe, came in 1907. Zellick: P.M. Silloway? Hruska: I believe so. Zellick: Isn't this interesting? In 1899-1905, he was the principal of the County High School, for sure. I thought that he had served even longer in that capacity. Yes, records do show that he left the high school position in the spring of 1905. Hruska: I knew that Mr. Silloway followed Mr. Davies. We called him "professor", too. So, he must have been either a principal or a superintendent. Zellick: You attended the 6th and 7th grades at the "Sister's" School. Where was it located? Hruska: It was in a small building that is still standing near the old St. Joseph Hospital, later known as the Central Montana Hospital. It was closed last January. Zellick: Tell me about the students, in this catholic elementary school. Were there any Indian children in attendance? Hruska: Yes, there were. There were the Laverdures, Swans, Janeaux’s. I can't remember their names. But were friends. We got along well. Zellick: How long did you go to the Catholic school? Hruska: I went back to the public school for the 8th grade. Zellick: That school did you attend? Hruska: I went back to Hawthorne where they held the 7th and the 8th grade. Zellick: How many students were there in the Hawthorne School? Hruska: There were 42 students in the 4th grade. I can't remember about the 5th grade. Then there were two sections of the 7th and the 8th grades, each. There were Sections "A" and Sections "B". All four sections met in the Assembly room. Altogether, I'd say that there were about 150 students in that big room. Zellick: Tell me something about your curriculum and extra—curricular activities. Hruska: Classes started at 9:00 A.M. and ended at 3:30 P.M. with only a 30 minute break for lunch. So there wasn't much time for sports. There was no recreation to speak of. During lunch, we practiced basketball. But there was only one ball. You were lucky if you could even touch it. Zellick: What were youngsters like back in 1904? Hruska: Oh, every now and then they got spanking or a licking. Zellick: Did school kids get spanked? Hruska: They certainly did. Zellick: Why? Hruska: Because they misbehaved. Zellick: Did you ever get spanked? Hruska: Oh, Yes. Zellick: How were the mischievous youngsters spanked in your school days? Hruska: That's hard to say. Sometimes a switch was used; sometimes a student would get slapped. Zellick: Did the teachers have switches? Hruska: No, the professor would. You were sent to his office for a spanking. Zellick: And the professor had the switch? Hruska: And a good one too. Zellick: What was the switch made out of? Hruska: Steel. Zellick: Steel? Hruska: It was a walking stick. Zellick: Did the steel bend? Hruska: Yes, it was flexible. Zellick: I bet it hurt. Hruska: Yes, it hurt plenty. Zellick: It hurt so that a student wouldn't be tempted to misbehave again, right? Hruska: Yes. Zellick: And you remember those episodes, vividly don't you? Hruska: I do. Zellick: Did many students misbehave? Hruska: Not many, but several. Zellick: Several, I see. And it was Mr. Herman Davies who spanked you mischievous boys, and he did it in his office. Then he was followed by Mr. Silloway. "Was he known to spank people? Hruska: No, he was never known to spank students. He never spanked me anyway. But he was a small man. Some of the kids were a whole lot bigger than he was. Zellick: Mr. Davies was not a small man? Hruska: No he was a big man. Zellick: He was big enough to be able to hold his own. Hruska: Yes. Zellick: We're talking about mischievous boys. What about mischievous girls? Can you remember how they were treated? Hruska: I remember only one instance. She was Cleo Deeton, and she was expelled from school. I don't know what she did, but she was expelled from school. Zellick: for good, or for a certain period of time? Hruska: I never saw her back in school again. Zellick: We haven't talked about youngsters who deserved special commendation because they excelled or did something special. Hruska: They were advanced from one grade to another. Those who were accomplished in their own grade, they were advanced to the next grade. Zellick: Even, say in the middle of the year? Hruska: Even in the middle of the year. Zellick: Was promotion done very frequently, do you remember? Hruska: It was done occasionally. Zellick: Can you remember any of your classmates who were promoted? Hruska: Yes, "Bud" Evoy and Charlie Hartzell, and Bruce Wagner. They were transferred from the "B" to the "A" sections in the 8th grade. Zellick: Anyone else? Hruska: Well, Rachel Snyder. She was transferred. Zellick: Would she have been from the Snyder family out near Cheadle and Fort Maginnis? Hruska: I don't know. There was Genevieve Burke. Zellick: Well, I think you’re doing remarkably well, Mr. Hruska. After all these years, more than seventy years, you remember your teachers and classmates by their names, first and last. You have a terrifically fine memory. What else do you remember about your school days at the Hawthorne School? Hruska: Well, there were so many things that happened. It's hard to distinguish between them. Zellick: Didn't you mention statues before we put the tape recorder to work. Hruska: Well, there was a statue of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. Zellick: These statues, you said, were pure white and made out of alabaster. Hruska: I believe so, and they were placed on the pedestal stands which were in the corners of the classroom. Zellick: Were there statues in each classroom? Hruska: Only in the Assembly Room where the 7th and the 8th grades met, too. This room was upstairs. I tell you, now that I think about it, there were statues of Lincoln, Washington, and I'm sure about McKinley. Zellick: Yes, McKinley was president in 1897-1901. He was the president when the Hawthorne School was built in 1899. Hruska: There were four statues, one in each of the four corners of the Assembly room. Zellick: The fourth must have been Teddy Roosevelt. Earlier this morning you said there was a fire in the Hawthorne School. Hruska: There was. There was smoke all through the school. A two day holiday was declared until they cleared the smoke out and repaired the furnace. I don't know what happened to the furnace, but it was a furnace fire. Zellick: This is interesting because the school building was still rel¬atively new. It was built in 1899, opened 1900. I bet you boys were happy not to have school for two days. Hruska: We were. But the school was condemned. I'm not sure when. My dates need to be checked. I think it was around 1908. There was no fire escape. Zellick: You also said that you walked to and from school. Your farm home was two miles west of town. Apparently, you didn't use a wagon or a horse. Hruska: We always walked, except during storms. When it stormed, the folks would use a team of horses and a wagon, and they would come and get us. My brother Joe, who was the eldest, would come and get us. Zellick: How many children were there in your family? Hruska: There were seven of us boys, and five sisters: Joe, Charlie, Frank, Jim, George, Ernest, and me. My sisters were Julia, Mary, Anna, Martha, and Carolyn. Among us, a little later on, we sent thirty—seven youngsters to the Lewistown schools with most of them graduating from the Fergus High School. I could be off by one or two numbers as I am not the "official" historian of the Hruska family. But this number is plenty close enough. Zellick: that's a nice lot. And your beautiful farm, west of town is still in the family, isn't it? Hruska: Yes. It is owned and managed by two of my brothers. There were three of us brothers who formerly owned the ranch. I owned 400 acres. Ernie had 200 acres and Frank had 200 and some acreage was sold to John Valach. The parent place is owned by Frank. Zellick: Thanks for your school information. Can you give us a short background on how and when the Hruskas came to Central Montana? Hruska: We came here March 29, 1904. Zellick: Yes. Just before you entered the Hawthorne School. Hruska: Yes. Dad, Vaclav Hruska, bought the farm. There wasn't a furrow plowed. It was all virgin sod. There was a big garden. Zellick: You mention the virgin sod. Did this apply to all of Fergus County or this immediate area or just to your property? Hruska: Only along some of the creek bottoms, the land was plowed. But all the benchlands were virgin sod. Zellick: Benches and rolling hills, too. Hruska: Yes. The original airport site, north of the highway and west of town, was a school section. Somehow they forged the numbers on it, and Dave Hilger bought it. Zellick: How were the numbers forged? Who did it? Hruska: I don't know, but the numbers were forged, and the school section came up for sale, and it shouldn't have because the land belonged to the State. Dave Hilger bought it. He had it plowed. Then my family farmed it for years. My brothers and I. Zellick: But Mr. Hilger owned it. I'm still a little perplexed about all of this. What happens when public lands, and that's what school sections are, go into private ownership? I didn't realize that they could be purchased. I did know that they could be rented from the State. What happened after this land west of town was privately bought? Hruska: Well, a man by the name of Good from Denver bought it from Dave Hilger. Then Harrison Green bought it. But somewhere in all of this there was litigation, but I can't remember the details. Zellick: Your family originally came from Schyler, Nebraska where you dad homesteaded. You sold your land, 160 acres, for $54 an acre. So your family was able to come out into Montana in 1904, and purchased 1,080 acres for $12,500. That was a lot of money for those days. This property originally belonged to Pete Weydert whose name appears frequently in the early newspapers. Tell us a little about your very first trip to Montana from Nebraska. Hruska: We left Nebraska the 2nd of March. We got to Lombard two nights and one day later. We stayed in Lombard for two weeks. There was a Chinaman by the name of Billy Key who owned a hotel, and that's where we stayed while in Lombard. Then after two weeks, we were called that the trained was going to depart. We boarded and went as far as Summit. We were snowbound there. We couldn't go any further. We were seven days straight in one snow bank. We never turned a wheel. We were all lousy. Zellick: Were there other passengers? Hruska: Yes, there were twenty—six on the train. There was a family from Missouri. There was Tom O’Neal. He was a gambler. Pat Fahe, he was a sheepherder. George Evans was a mining engineer. Those were the other passengers besides us. Zellick: Were they lousy too? Hruska: Of course, they were. There was no chance to clean up. The only way you could clean up was to open the car window, and get a wash basin full of snow, set it on the heater. When it melted, then you could wash yourself in the snow water. Zellick: There was enough heat in the railroad car? Hruska: Yes. Zellick: And you were traveling on the old jawbone? Hruska: The old jawbone, yes. Zellick: Did you have enough food? Hruska: Yes. "We had plenty to eat. There was a cook car along for those snow shovelers. There were six cars and those snow shovelers. They were in a boxcar. And those boys are not healthy unless they're lousy. They would come into our cars, and sit on the cushions. How could you keep from getting lousy? You could not keep from it. Zellick: The snow shovelers were lousy? How many cars of them were there? Hruska: Six. Zellick: Was this an unusually bad winter? Hruska: It was an unusually bad winter, 1904. Zellick: How frequently did the jawbone run? You mentioned staying in Lombard for two weeks. Hruska: Well, we stayed there that long because we were snowbound. Zellick: But the jawbone operated every day, weather permitting? Hruska: That's right. Zellick: How far did the jawbone go? Hruska: In those days, it terminated here in Lewistown. Zellick: Do you have or do you remember what your first impressions of Lewistown were when you came in 1904? Hruska: The Main Street was a mud hole, as far as that goes. The wagon tracks were deep, you know. There were freighters. There was one ox team of ten or twelve oxen. There were the freighters. They would have six or eight teams and they used just one line to guide them. They called it the jerk line. The freighter sat at the front on the off horse that had a saddle on it holding a jerk line in his hand. The leaders (horses) were trained and they would swing either ray depending on the signals given them: one jerk, two jerks, or three jerks, each signal meant something. The leading horse knew that they meant. Zellick: In other words, there was no driver behind the horses or the teams, somewhere on a wagon. All the directing or driving was done from the side. Hruska: That's right. Zellick: This freight came in from where, Fort Benton? Hruska: From Fort Benton, Great Falls, and Billings. They freighted wool from here to Billings. Zellick: Then when the jawbone came in latter part of 1903, it freighted in the goods from the south. When did the freight teams start to disappear from the Lewistown streets? Hruska: They didn't disappear right after the railroad came in because there was Gilt Edge, Kendall, and Maiden and none of those places had railroads. Zellick: Goods, merchandise, and people had to be transported to these outlying towns by wagons and stagecoach even after the railroad came in because there was Gilt Edge, Kendall, and Maiden and none of those places had railroads. Zellick: Even after the jawbone came in? Hruska: Yes. There was a freight line to Roy. Zellick: Oh. Yes. The railroad did come there, but not until 1914. As you say, there was a freight line up there to "Spud" Stevens ranch just outside of Roy. Hruska: "Spud" owned the horseshoe Bar Ranch, too, out on warm Spring Creek. Zellick: You mentioned the Horseshoe Bar Ranch. It should be pointed out here that this ranch was very important historically. So whatever information you have on this ranch will be much appreciated. As it is now, we do have information on the DHS because Granville Stuart wrote about it in his Forty Years on the Frontier. Teddy Blue Abbott mentions his ranch in his book We Pointed them North. And that's it. But the truth of the matter is that there were many big ranches in operation here during the open range cattle business in the 1880's and the 1890's, Horseshoe Bar Ranch was one of the. In my opinion, there should be more information on all of them. As far as the Horseshoe Bar Ranch is concerned, there was one extensive article on it in the November 22, 1883 issue of The Mineral Argus what information do you have on this ranch and Henry P. Brooks? Hruska: Henry Brooks was a foreman, and later became a part owner of the Horseshoe Bar, I believe. He built a big house out there on the present Dean Burnham place. The Dean Burnham place, Sam Phillips place, and George Wente place—all three— made up the Horseshoe Bar. Zellick: It should be pointed out that, originally, Brooks was financed by T.C. Power, the pioneer merchant who is referred to, by some historians today as the Merchant Prince of the Plains during the Gilded Age. Hruska: That could be true, but then Spud Stevens got into it, too. And then George Wente bought it from Stevens and Powers. Zellick: at the very beginning of its history, in the early 1880's the ranch was owned by T.C. Power; and Henry P. Brooks was the foreman who also bought in. The people you mention came in a little later, I'm sure. What was Henry Brooks like? You once told me that you remembered seeing him when you were a boy. Hruska: He was a big man who wore a full beard. When I used to see him, he stayed with the catholic sisters. He gave a part of his estate to the Sister's School. Zellick: He also gave a $5,000 contribution toward the St. Joseph Hospital building project. It was a gift. Hruska: Probably. But he and his brother stayed in that one room in that little building that is till up there on the hill by the old hospital. Zellick: Henry Brooks was a well-known colorful pioneer. He was a petty officer on the Missouri River steamboats and he became known in the Territory of Montana as the "Governor of the Badlands". Later he became interested in some gold mining in and around Helena, I believe. He came down here about 1879 and established the once very well-known Horseshoe Bar Ranch on warm Spring Creek. It was there, in 1884, that twenty of his horses, including a very fine stallion, were stolen by the cattle and the horse thieves. This incident instigated the first organized Vigilante raid in which Andrew Fergus was a participant. The outlaws were caught, and then hung down on the Missouri River. Secondly, Henry was very civic minded. You mentioned his gift to the catholic school. He, as I started to say earlier, gave a $5,000 contribution to the St. Joseph Hospital building project. And lastly, Henry was a grand uncle to Robert Brooks Jr. the former justice of the peace, Nettie Brooks Snyder, and John Brooks. They attended the local schools. Nettie was graduated from the F.C.H.S. in 1928; John, about 1930, and Bob in 1938. Bob and Nettie still live here. Hruska: Yes. I was just a kid in those days. We, kids, used to see him sitting on the porch of the Sister's house, when we were outside playing at noon time. His brother was with him. I was going to the Sister's school at the time. In some way Brooks was related to the Weingarts who had a big ranch, east of town. They also had a coal mine on the Divide. Zellick: Is that so? One of the ladies in the Brooks group must have been married to a Weingart. Or I should say, "maybe". Tell us more about Henry P. Brooks. How did he become known as the "Governor of the Badlands"? Do you know? Hruska: No, I don't. But he built a big house on the Horseshoe Bar Ranch. According to the rumors, he built this beautiful house for his future bride who three days before the wedding day took off with another man. It broke Henry's heart. The house was very nice for those days. It was said that the walls of the living room and, maybe, the other rooms, too, were made out of plaster paris. There were decorations on the ceiling. The wooden part of the house, floors, doors, and so on, were made out of hard oak. Zellick: How interesting. The house was mentioned by the reporter for the Mineral Argus in the article he wrote on the Horseshoe Bar Ranch. He referred to its fine appearance. Hruska: I don't know if Brooks ever used the house, but when he left the ranch, the house became neglected. Cattle were on the first floor. Zellick: Why didn't Brooks live in the house? Hruska: Because his future bride left him. Of course, I can't vouch for these things as being the truth. I'm only telling you what was said at the time. Zellick: I understand. Yesterday, you told me that after the 8th grade, you apprenticed yourself out as a steam engine operator. Can you tell us a little about that since steam engines are seldom seen these days? Hruska: In those days, it became the only power replacing the horse driven machinery. There were thousands of acres broke up in this county with these steam engines. Zellick: What years are we talking about? When did this begin? Hruska: 1906. Right here where the airport is now there were three brothers by the name of Cervenka brought in a steam engine from Minnesota. They plowed up that land. It belonged to Herman Otten. They plowed it for the first crop. Otten's farmed it afterwards. Otten's bought a 25 horsepower Reeve's engine. Billy Moffet was their engineer. Otten's farmed it them¬selves then. Zellick: Driving those steam engines must have been quite a novelty in those years, wasn't it? Hruska: Yes, it was. One had to have a steam engineer’s license. Zellick: Is that so? what did it take to get those licenses? Hruska: You had to pass a state examination. An inspector would come down and give you a lot of questions. If you passed, you got a license which cost you $3.00. Zellick: You learned this trade on the job, and not in the high school? Hruska: I learned from the actual experience right on the engine. Zellick: How long did it take to learn this trade? Hruska: It took the first year. You learned it the first year, but you didn't get a license because you were just a kid. Zellick: In other words, you were under sixteen years of age. Hruska: I was sixteen years old, and I got my license when I was eighteen. Zellick: You worked on these benchlands. With these engines, you were ushering in a new era, beginning to a close the cowboy and the open cattle kingdom. Hruska: On these benchlands, yes. I plowed thousands of acres. I plowed for Christie, John Sweeney, Frank Strouf, and I don't know how many others. Zellick: Everybody, seemingly was plowing or having their lands plowed, this fresh virgin sod. Apparently, the rainfall was ample. Hruska: Yes, it was. The crops were real good. Zellick: Do you remember if any of the high school boys were involved as operators? Hruska: No, I don't. I know I was. Zellick: What kind of machines were these steam engines? Do you remember? What t were some of the common trade names? Hruska: There was the Reeves, Case, Geyser, Nicholas & Shepherd, Buffalo Pitts Advance, Advance Rumley. Zellick: How much did they cost? Hruska: They cost by the horsepower, one hundred dollars a horsepower. Zellick: On the average how many horsepower units were there to a tractor. Hruska: They averaged from 20 to 40 horsepower. There weren't many 40 horsepower engines. Zellick: They cost $2,000 to $4,000. Did many have their own engines? Hruska: Some of them did and some hired their work done. Zellick: And did you work with a commercial operator? Hruska: Yes, I worked for an operator who went from one customer to another. Zellick: I see. Tell us about one of your big jobs. Hruska: I worked for John Sweeney at Belt. I used his steam engine, and plowed 2,200 acres there in the summer of 1912. In that fall, I didn't know if I was going or coming. I was a young man then, but completely worn out. I plowed all week and washed the boiler on Sunday. Zellick: What do you mean wash the boiler? Hruska: You wash the scales out. Zellick: You burned coal to produce rusty flakes? Hruska: No, it produced white lime scales. They had to be washed out before rusting took place. Zellick: Hruska, you went to schools here. You received good grades, on a few occasions, you got a spanking. You were a licensed steam engine operator. And now you tell me that you were also a musician. Could you tell us a little about that? Hruska: I fed one hundred head of cattle for my violin lessons. I took lessons from Mr. Jim Vanek out at Brooks. And then I organized my own orchestra. I had two saxophones, myself on the coronet and a violin, a trombone, piano, and drums. We played all over Fergus County: Moore, Hobson, Stanford, Moccasin, Grass Range, and Winifred. Zellick: Where were these dances held? Hruska: They had community halls. They were held in the community halls or in the school gymnasiums. Zellick: Is that so? Hruska: And we played in the Fergus County High School. Zellick: When did you play at the Fergus High? Hruska: Well, I played at these dances from 1912 on to about six years ago. Zellick: But not at the Fergus. When you played there, who was the principal? Hruska: Mr. Manning. Zellick: Did you ever have to play Mr. Manning any rental fee? Hruska: No. We never paid him anything. He hired us, and it was for the Farmers' Short Course. We played in the afternoon for entertainment, and, at night, we played for the dance. Mr. Manning paid us $5.00 each. Zellick: Tell me a little bit more about this Farmers' Short Course. Was this a social event? Hruska: To, we had a speaker. I was on a committee. I got a speaker. And Dell Manning from Great Falls came down, but his brother, Professor Claire Manning wouldn't let him speak. So I had to go get another Speaker. I got R.R. Renne, then a professor at Montana State College. About the time that he was supposed to speak, people came up there and said that there was a drawing at the Milwaukee Depot (where the Yogo Inn is now). The whole crowd left. And my speaker spoke to five people. I liked Renne very much. Zellick: Dr. Renne is now president Emeritus at Montana State University. He has an office for life at Linfield Hall. I didn't realize that Mr. Manning had a brother and that he was also affiliated with the Farmer's Union. Hruska: And what's more, Mr. Manning did not agree with the philosophy or the Farmer's Union program. Zellick: These dances that were held in the old stone gymnasium of the Fergus County High School. Were these dances well attended? Hruska: Yes, there were. First, there was a banquet. After the banquet, there was a dance. The Farmers' Short Course was the same thing as our Town and Country Days are today. Zellick: Where was the banquet held? Hruska: In the spring. Zellick: Mr. Hruska, we have been visiting here, and we've had such a nice time, yesterday and today. You have given me a lot of information. Have you enjoyed visiting with me? Hruska: I have. I really enjoyed it. Zellick: What do you think of this school project recently launched by Dr. Ronald Mattson and the School Board of District No. 1? Hruska: I think it is a wonderful thing. What I said here is the early history here in Montana, and my experiences. They are the factual truth. Zellick: Oh, I know that. There is no question about it. It's nice to know that you think highly of the project. Hruska: Yes, yes, I do. Zellick: Mr. Hruska I want to thank you very much for your time, kindness, and willingness to share your memories of your school days with us. Hruska: You are entirely welcome. |
| Local Identifier | LH 978.6292 INTERVIEWS |
Description
| Title | Hruska, Albert. Interview.. 1 |
| Type | Text |
| Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Full text of this item | INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT HRUSKA STUDENT AT HAWTHORNE SCHOOL 1904-1908 JULY 17,18,1978 BY ANNA ZELLICK F.C.H.S. GRADUATE, 1935 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO- A.B. 1941; ~.A. 1945 LECTURER, COLLEGE OF GREAT FALLS AT LEWISTOWN COLLEGE CENTER PREPARED FOR DR. RONALD B. MADSON, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND LEWISTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 1 MR. DAVID L. MOODIE MRS. ROBERT L. JOHNSON MR. AL MCRAE MRS. DONN R. PENNELL MR. JOHN THUNE* MRS. CHARLES W. WICKS MR. WM. E. BERGER* MR. ALAN C. FOLDA MR. FOY MCCOLLUM * SUCCEEDED BY MR, GEORGE THORSON AND MRS. JOE C. WICKS FOLLOWING ELECTION APRIL 4, 1978, The following is a transcript of the visit with Albert Hruska, July 17th, 1978 at the Eagle Manor. Because Mr. Hruska had to leave for another engagement, we decided not to record the conversation. It is given as I remember it. The interview was continued and conducted on July 18th. Zellick: The other day Mr. Hruska, you told me that you attended the old Hawthorne School. Hruska: Yes, I attended the 4th, and the 5th grade. I was a fourth grader in 1904. I was eleven years old at the time, having been born in 1893. Last Saturday I celebrated my 85th birthday. Zellick: What do you remember about your school at the Hawthorne? Hruska: I remember my teachers. Zellick: What do you remember about your teachers? Hruska: Well, some were good and some I didn't like. Zellick: Do you remember their names? Hruska: Oh, yea, I remember them well. There was Alice O'Hara, Jennie Fulton, Mabel Miller, Hazel Dunphy, and a Miss Metcalf. I never did know Miss Metcalf's first name. I didn't like her because she gave hell for everything that happened or you did. I like the others because they were willing to talk to you, and visit with you. Zellick: What did they talk to you about? Hruska: About our farm. Zellick: Were there any other teachers? Hruska: Well, there was Mr. Herman Davies. We called him "professor." I think they called him "professor" because he was the principal. Then there was a Mr. Silloway who, I believe, came in 1907. Zellick: P.M. Silloway? Hruska: I believe so. Zellick: Isn't this interesting? In 1899-1905, he was the principal of the County High School, for sure. I thought that he had served even longer in that capacity. Yes, records do show that he |
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