Being it it winter I would like to related another experience that I had in Eureka. The snow would get deep at better than 6000 feet and the wind made it difficult. But first I would like to talk about the winter of 1947-48. At that time I was would turn 8 in January. We were living in Pleasant View, which was north of Provo,Utah. We lived in a small 16 x 24, one room house. There were 4 of us, Father and Mother, my younger sister Konda and myself. The snow got real deep and Dad was afraid that the chicken coop, barn and shed adjoining the house would collapse from the weight of the snow on the roof. Dad shoveled the barn and chicken coop and I worked on the shed by the house. This was on the north side of the house and covered the area where Mom's washing machine and the cream separator sat. Next to them was the door that had to be lifted up to go down into the cellar that was under the house. To the west was area for coal and kindling storage. Beyond that next to the lilac bush was the outhouse. We had a one holer not a big 3 holer like my Grandfather Perry did. I can remember the snow on the shed was as high as my shoulders. I was able to get some of it shoveled before Dad came to help me. This winter killed deer by the hundreds as they starved to death as the deep snow covered the vegetation they need to eat.
Back to Eureka and the winter of '47-48. This had been a very bad winter all over.
Old timers in Eureka told me about the train with its steam engine getting showed in east of Eureka near Homansville canyon. It spent the winter there and all rail traffic to the mines was stopped. Burtis Jameison told me of the problems keeping the road between Eureka and Delta open. When the spring came they found that had plowed about 3/4 of a mile of road that wasn't even on the road. It had gone out thru the sagebrush but traffic had gotten thru never the less.
In the winter of 1972-73 we had bought a '73 Chev short bed 4 wheel drive pickup. It was the first 4 wheel drive we had owned. Bought it at Painter Motors in Nephi, Utah. It cost a little more than 4300 dollars including tax and license. I would take that truck and bust open the road down Eagle street which came straight up the hill from town to the Chief Con mine yard and into Fitchville. Going down I would hit the drifts and snow would come over the front and you could not see out the windshield until you got thru the snow drift. I always hoped there wasn't any cars that had gotten stuck and wind had covered them over. The grade of Eagle street was pretty steep and I could break it open going down hill. Upon getting to the main street of Eureka I would clean out the snow from the front of the radiator. Then I would be able to come back up the street. This would open the road until they could get the snow plow to do it right.
Many times I would go to the Post Office in Eureka on snowshoes. Would strap on the snowshoes and head right down over the hill cutting through the peoples property and yards. One time I was walking on snowshoes between 2 houses and a lady was doing dishes at the sink. When she looked out the window and seeing my legs she got a start. The snow was deep enough that the snow had drifted up to the bottom of the window ledge. The fences did not bother you as they were covered with snow but the clothes lines were a different story. They were generally about high enough to catch you on the shins. Guy was just a couple of years old at this time. He enjoyed riding in a kiddie backpack we had while snowshoeing. One Saturday morning I decided to go to Post office and take Guy with me in the backpack. We got to town and almost back to the house with no problems. I was in the field on the west side of Elmer Tompkins house and had to come up over the snow berm Adrian Underwood had made pushing the snow out of the road. I topped the berm and started down into the road which was filled with snowdrifts. I hooked the toe of my snowshoe in the snow an fell forward into the fresh drifted snow. This threw Guy, who was on my back over my head and into the snowbank. I rolled over and pulled the kiddie pack off and dug the snow out from around his head. He was crying but soon quit as I got all the snow off him. Put the backpack back on and went the remaining distance to our house which was just to the east of Elmer's house.
When Guy was just a baby and was learning to stand I would hold him out at arm's length and he would stand on my hand. I would hold him this way for a time, then would toss him up in the air and catch him. We did this many times and he really enjoyed it and laughed at the time. Dori and my Mother did not think too much of the idea as they were afraid I might drop him. I would also hold him so he was facing me with my hands under his arms and around his chest. I would toss him up toward the taller than regular ceiling. As he came down I would catch him. He thought this was a lot of fun. Again it was highly frowned upon by Mother and Grandmother. I did not do this with any of the younger kids as I saw it really disturbed Dori and my Mother, Yvonne.