Remember When?

76 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 1, 1947

BIG PAY

Thompson Falls Lumber Co. that operates east of town, better known as Brown’s Mill, is a good place to work. Talk to any of the boys who work out there and they will tell you the pay is good, average around $300 a month, plenty of overtime at time and a half, and Arden Davis, the Superintendent, is fair and square..

The Brown mill pays tops over all the mills around, by 7 or 10 cents an hour. Some of the top men, such as the sawyers, etc., get almost $1.90 an hour. The sawyer is the key man in any mill, but all the crew from setters to loaders get top wages of $1.40 up per hour, and at time and a half for Saturday you can see they get paid well. In fact it is doubtful if accounts, bookkeepers, teachers, clerks and general run white collar men get near as good pay.

The Brown mill is Union, but Arden Davis can hire anyone he wants, but he can’t discharge without good cause, and seniority applies. There aren’t any old hands laid off to make room for a cousin’s cousin. Arden seldom hires anyone out there unless he knows them well by reputation for reliability and sobriety. Outsiders unless they have special skills are seldom hired.

Consequently even today when there is a labor shortage everywhere there are always men trying to get a job out at Brown’s and the crew is just about the same month after month. There is practically no turnover in employment. You will always find that in any mill or plant where the pay is good, men seldom quit. A mill or plant where they are coming and going, hiring and firing, generally means something is wrong.

54 YEARS AGO • SEPTEMBER 11, 1969

GROFF PURCHASES HUSKY STATION

On Monday Stan Groff will assume the ownership and management of Curran’s Husky Service from Harvey Curran, who has owned and operated the station for the past three years. Groff said the station will be known as Stan’s Husky Service.

Groff has been employed by Curran for the past seven years and began working for the latter when he operated Curran’s Conoco Service at the location of Ford’s 76 Service (corner of South Columbia and Main Street).

Curran purchased the Conoco station from Bob and Don Saint 13 years ago, when he and his family moved here from Missoula.

Note: Most recently the Husky Station was owned by Ron Turk and was located directly across the street from the Ledger.

40 YEARS AGO • SEPTEMBER 29, 1983

GRAND OPENING WINNERS ENJOY SHOPPING SPREES

Bobette Bertsch of Thompson Falls ran her way to the checkout counter during the recent grand opening of Sanders County Warehouse Foods and garnered $157.82 worth of groceries in a three minute shopping spree. Other lucky winners of the three minute spree were Kathryn Kemmerer and Lillian Albertson.. Although Kemmerer was unable to show for her prize, Albertson who is 88 years old was present but had Peggy Wood make the dash for the groceries. Wood netted $97.87 to help out the household.

In the one minute sprees, Bob Ames of Thompson Falls ran away with $143.86 worth of groceries; Frieda Park’s husband Don ran for $100.76; Joan Watson gathered goods worth $81.53; Gene Arnold collected $113.16; and Arnold’s mother, Mrs. Alma Arnold, also a winner, collected $52.73. Shoppers were allowed to collect only one of any item and had to be unloaded at the checkout counter before store owner Leonard Moody rang the bell. No carts were allowed.

Moody stated that the sprees have been very amusing in other grand openings in the Moody chain.

Note: Sanders County Warehouse Foods was renamed Sanders County Harvest Foods.

BOW HUNTERS

Thompson Falls Archery Club bow hunters Ken Quitt, Scott Gilbert and Hap Borgmann found success recently with one shot elk kills from approximately 50 to 70 yards. Borgmann bagged a 6 by 7 point, Quitt a 5 by 5, and Gilbert a spike still in velvet.