Hi-O-Lay! “Blee-Blee-O-Leh, Hi-O-Leh, Hi-O-Lay,” a song I still can hear, Though the rest of Sixty-Three, really ain’t all that clear. Gunny Buell countin’ cadence, beneath his Smokey Bear, Chest full of ribbons, though we never asked him where. There at the Depot, the Grinder was his home, Never let him catch you, lettin’ your eyeballsContinue reading “Boot Camp”
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The Great Glasgow Jailbreak Glasgow, Montana 1903
I first heard the story from Tom (T.H.) Markle sixty years ago. As a young man he had come West to seek his fortune. He got off the Great Northern passenger train in a little place called Glasgow Montana one morning in 1903. Glasgow had started off as a railroad siding in 1887, but hadContinue reading “The Great Glasgow Jailbreak Glasgow, Montana 1903”
Royal Enfield Bullet:
The Bike That Wouldn’t Die There have been many great motorcycles over the years. The Crocker, the Knucklehead Harley, the Triumph and BSA Twins and the Brough Superior were all ahead of their time. They introduced new technologies, went faster and looked better than their predecessors. They all faded into the dustbin of historyContinue reading “Royal Enfield Bullet:”
Tulsa ’21
Black smoke boilin’ o’er Tusla town, Greenwood section is burnin’ down. Rebel pride won’t rue this day, Colored man got in the way. Viola was seven, she won’t forget, A hundred years of sad regret. Unmarked graves, lay them out, Forget it all, leave no doubt. Wipe it from the history book, Never give itContinue reading “Tulsa ’21”
Section 2, Row 7, Site Number 1
The band it was ‘a playing an uplifting martial beat, He maybe had a sweetheart, young and soft and sweet. His mother she stood bravely, holding back her tears, Surely he would be OK, in spite of all her fears. Hissing and ‘a huffing, the train blew off some steam, Rollin’ to the platform, likeContinue reading “Section 2, Row 7, Site Number 1”
The “Laid Down” Engine
Today is the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. As a 13 year-old I listened to the 1958 race on KLTZ radio in Glasgow. The year before there had been a technological revolution in cars. Someone got the idea to lay the Offenhauser engine that dominated the race on its side. This lowered the profileContinue reading “The “Laid Down” Engine”
100,000 Miles at 100 Miles an Hour!
Caliente Means Hot In the Fall of 1963, Beatlemania was sweeping the land. Meanwhile, Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury Division was engaged in a spectacular stunt to prove the power and endurance of it’s sporty 289 V-8 equipped Comet Caliente. Five Comets would attempt to circle the high banks of Daytona Motor Speedway for 40 days and nightsContinue reading “100,000 Miles at 100 Miles an Hour!”
Long George Francis
The Outlaw and the Schoolmarm They said he rode with Curry, but we can never tell, but at the ridin’ and the ropin’ we knew he did excel. Perhaps he had a long rope, an orphan calf or two, those farmers and the ranchers never had a clue. Tall and slim and fitted out inContinue reading “Long George Francis”
The Comet and the UFO
One time I bought a Comet, blacker than the night, And while I’m drivin’ in it, I took my greatest fright. In the state of Utah, a Junction called La Sal, Got a call from Chi-town, gotta’ weld the rail. Got a job a’ waitin’ in that Colorado land, Workin’ for Mister Muncie and hisContinue reading “The Comet and the UFO”
La Sal Junction
Just south of Moab Utah is a junction called La Sal, Sittin’ ‘neath the red rocks, it’s a beautiful locale. Sure to take your breath away each time that you pass, Where sits a lonesome station that used to pump the gas. Once it was a truck stop, the diesels they rolled in, Double-clutchin’ upContinue reading “La Sal Junction”
Outlaws, Outrages and Outright Lies 