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Fishing in June by Earl Trousdale

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent most of his life in Carlin, served as Mayor, and passed on at the ripe age of 99.  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

It was the middle of June and time for our annual fishing trip to Beaver Creek. Cremer, Wise, Livingston and I left town about five o’ clock in the morning. A beautiful morning, I might add. We planned to go high on the creek and to keep only those fish fourteen inches or longer, all other to be thrown back.

             We traveled up Maggie Creek road, four of us in Cremer’s coupe. The road was a dirt road. On we went past the five mile fence, through the canyon, on past Simon’s field, through Little Jack Creek, over Coyote Creek, through Spring Creek and past the Redhouse Ranch. Eventually we reached the turn off to Beaver Creek. An hour had past and the sun was climbing higher. It was still June so it really wouldn’t be too hot. There were a few clouds in the sky, but absolutely no sign of a storm.  We forded Beaver Creek going through about two inches of water which made the crossing easy. The bottom of the creek is composed of pea sized gravel, making it very treacherous in times of high water. There seems to be no bottom in high water and I have seen a car sink down to where the water is running through the cab in a matter of seconds. But, not on this day.

             Onward we drove up the creek for about three miles and then it was time to load up our gear and our lunches before we walked another mile or so to begin fishing.

             Fishing was excellent! The water was clear and the fish were hungry. By limiting ourselves to fourteen inches, every fish we kept we ended up throwing three or four back into the creek if a fish swallowed a hook. We were very careful not to injure them if possible.

             With four fishermen in the party, it was about a hundred yards between holes and so after walking and fishing for several hours, we found ourselves to be a long, long way up that creek. We stopped to eat our lunch and to clean our fish. What a catch – we had all limited out – twenty five fish was the limit at that time.

             It had started to snow about noon, but what the hell this was June, it was probably just a spring squall. At any rate, we didn’t pay much attention to it until we noticed the snow was sticking to the ground, it wasn’t melting!

             We headed back to the car happy and contented with ourselves. A very successful fishing trip. It was late afternoon and we were going to have to leg it to get back to the car by dark. It seemed like forever and a day before we finally got to the car, those fish had become mighty heavy by the time we got there. It was still snowing and the snow was about six inches deep and the damned car wouldn’t start.

There was a heated argument about just what we would do, continue to walk out at that time, or wait until morning and daylight. It was finally decided that because we were so tired and unable to see the trail because of the snow, we would build a fire. Two would sleep in the coupe while the other tended the fire. We took turns.

             While Livingston and I were tending the fire, this dumb child let Livingston convince him that he, Livingston that is, had a great fear of coyotes. True, the coyotes were howling, but I have never seen other that the back end of a coyote. Coyotes want no part of a man, unless of course someone should corner said coyote, then I’d say LOOK OUT! Anyway, I believed the man and I spent my time gathering brush while Livingston sat by the fire and worried about the coyotes getting him, or was he laughing at this dumb, gullible child.

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The Phone Directory

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent most of his life in Carlin, served as Mayor, and passed on at the ripe age of 99.  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

By Earl Trousdale

               In going through my files (such as they are) I ran onto a 1940 Carlin Phone Directory! What a jolt to my memory. That phone book is comprised of one page. The entire directory on a 6″ by 9″ page is hard to believe.

            The reading of those names brought memories of times 50 and 60 years ago. A time when the streets were gravel, there was a bonified business district on Main Street. The highway, Highway 40, ran where Bush Street is now. I take it back, it was the Victory Highway then. There was a Standard Station and Motel opposite the school, just west of where the post office is now. The PFE and WP still put up natural ice every winter. The more I think about it those times the farther back in time my mind tends to go.

I remember some of the people, Constable “Dolf” Berning, who was always doing something for the kids like decorating the huge Christmas Tree in the school auditorium. Jim Griffin and his brothers going to the ranch early each morning and (isn’t it funny the little things you remember) I remember how furious the Griffins were when a train blocked the road home. I remember Judge Bielas sunning himself on the south side of the old Beanery at they Stop Sign on Main Street. Old George Arthur coming to town with his two dogs, one on the left running board and one on the right. People who had dogs hated to see him coming because Arthur’s dogs were always spoiling for a fight. I remember my Grandfather, Bill Linebarger, teaching me to milk cows, him on one side and me on the other. Carman Roberts, boy could she ever play the piano at those silent movies and she was mean too.

             I remember the old European Store and all the good old Italian smells coming from the cheeses, salamis, and sausages hanging from the ceiling.

            I remember swimming in the river in the summer–the baseball games and celebrations. I remember the ice skating in the winter and the dances–it was all fun.

            In my opinion, there might have been a depression and there was no television. People made the most of that which they had and although some people had it rough it was still better than the present day “Prosperity.

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Main Street Carlin By Earl Trousdale

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent his entire life in Carlin and was the mayor from    We will be sharing with you some of his stories.  Enjoy!  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

Do you remember?  The old Puett house on the corner of Tenth and Railroad.  It had a half-dug basement and the house was on what I called stilts.  The Puett family had to use a ladder to get into their hours.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The old warehouse on the corner of Eighth and Main.  It belonged to John Puett and it too was on stilts.  All the ties used for the stilts were wrapped in tin from five gallon cans to keep the mice and rats out.  Do you remember when the kids broke into that warehouse?  For a week or so, half the kids in town wore those funny “Bohler” hats.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Smyth’s Grocery which was situated next door to and east of the present City Club.  Herschel, the son of the grocer use to come back to Carlin periodically to visit old friends.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Linebarger’s General Store which was situated about where the west end of the State Hotel is now.  It had a porch in front.  The meat scales hung from the outer edge of the porch which was where the hogs and beef were weighed.  Inside the store was a wonderland of shelves, bins and barrels.  Most commodities at that time came in bulk and so crackers, pickles, corned beef and sauerkraut came in barrels and beans, sugar and flour came in bins.  Bananas came on a big stock and the clerk would cut off as many as the buyer wanted.  There was all kinds of mining equipment and supplies in the back.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Schermahorn and Vodnicks Store which was located on the ground floor of the Colonial.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The old European Store.  There was Italian sausage, salami, Italian cold meats and cheeses hanging from the ceiling.  What a wonderful small when one entered the store.  There was a porch on this store also and all the Italian men use to sit there and discuss whatever.  I never could understand them and so I never knew what they were saying.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The icehouse across the street from the European Store.  My grandfather used to put up ice from the river and store it in that icehouse for use in the bar and restaurant.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The old post office situated on the southwest corner of Sixth and Main Street.  The post office was part of Kappler’s House.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The Southern Pacific Beanery situated across the street from the post office.  At one time it was the focal point of town.  It had a restaurant, barber shop, rooms upstairs and everything could be paid for with a pie book.  A pie book was a lot like a book of stamps and was issued to all S.P. employees as an advance against their wages.  My Dad always had a pie book to give me for haircuts and candy.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The concrete abutment on the south side of the Beanery right at the stop sign.  Old Judge Bielar used to sit there every day if the weather was good, and I do mean every day.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The freight house and it’s long loading dock on both sides.  In the spring, after the sheep were sheared they would load those huge sacks of wool on the dock.  Boy, that was a kids delight.  We would play on the sacs, find tunnels and crawl under the sacks, crawl between the sacks.  What fun!!  It’s a wonder some of us didn’t get killed or smothered.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The silent movies.  There were benches in front for us kids to sit on.  The piano player would watch the movie and play the music accordingly.  One of the bigger kids would read the words to the rest of us and when the movie got too exciting we’d all whoop and holler then Carman Roberts would yell at us to shut up.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Going to school in what is now the Senior Center.  I remember a huge swing on the west side of the school and one da Willis Drake and Quito Libro were both on that swing going ever higher and yelling that they were going to pump so hard they would go all the way around!  Well, they almost made it but not quite.  When the swing was almost straight up in the air, the law of gravity took over and down they crashed.  It damn near killed them.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The school on the southeast corner of Eight and Cedar.  Well, I don’t but maybe some do.  If so, their older than this old timer. 

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Gravel Road Memories by Earl Trousdale

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent most of his life in Carlin, served as Mayor, and passed on at the ripe age of 99.  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

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Do you remember when all the streets of Carlin were gravelled? Even the highway was gravel!  A trip to Elko was an ordeal, not a Sunday drive.

          My grandfather owned a 1925 “Star” sedan, cloth top, open sides, top speed – 40 miles per hour. My Aunt Ezzie and my Mother decided to lead up the kids and make a trip to Salt Lake City. Four kids in the backseat, Mother and Aunt Ezzie driving —I mean that literally– they argued all the way! Aunt Ezzie drove 25 miles per hour and no amount of pleading could change her mind. It took us 2 days!

          Finally we reached the “Point of the Mountain” and low and behold–pavement! My Mother then asked Aunt Ezzie to increase the speed to which she replied, “I have never driven on pavement before, therefore I must be more careful”! She reduced speed to 15 miles per hour the rest of the way!

          Black was the favorite color for autos prior to 1928. Remember? Model T Fords were black, Franklins were black, Stars, Chevys. Buicks, all black. I don’t remember any other color until about 1928 or 29′. Maybe some old timers can recall. BUT, wasn’t it odd? –Black, everything black.

          Ralph Scott used to let me tag along with him when we were kids, we had some wonderful times together. Once we went to Elko in his Dad’s Buick, vintage about 1925 or 26′ — big, blocky, square, and of course black. The highway was gravel. It wound around and over Triolite hill, through the canyon, over Moleen, (the meanest, most dangerous hill between Carlin and Elko), anyhow we travelled over a small hill doing about 35 or 40 miles per hour (we were flying) and suddenly we were in a bunch of cows lying n the middle of the road–How Ralph got us through them , I’ll never know!–We were crossways, longways, and sideways, that car leaned, slipped, zigged, zagged, and skidded, then, just as quickly as we came upon them, we were past them. Most of the cows were still lying down, it was that fast. Ralph was just as pale as felt to be. We laughed hilariously and went on our merry way!

Want to know more about the history of Carlin?  Stop by the Carlin Museum at 718 Cedar Street to learn more about Carlin. Open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.!