94 Years Ago at Castle Gate

94 Years ago my Great Uncle George Stevens Sherwood had returned to Wisconsin from WWI and decided to seek his fortune out west where his older half-sister Dora and her husband were living in Utah.  George came west and worked in a variety of interesting places over the next few years including such romantic sounding towns as Winter Quarters, Raines, Castle Gate, Soldier Summit and Helper. The romance ended with the names of the towns, but the mines did provide work provided work for a time.  Just after Christmas of the same year he had come home from war, he penned the following lines to his sister, my grandmother,  Susan, her husband Herman and their son William Philip AKA Billy Phil.   The photo of George Sherwood below was taken in Raines before he left there. 

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Castle Gate, Utah

Dec. 26 – 19

Dear Sister, Brother and Billy Phil,

            We got your Xmas letter and were sure glad to hear from you to know you were all well and that all was going well.  Since I left Raines I have made several attempts to write to but each has been a failure for one reason or another.  I spent the better part of the week with daddy or alone procuring the little Xmas tokens we got for you folks and the few others we graced with more than cards.  I sent Grace a purse, one of those new back handle affairs and Norine a breakfast and boudoir cap.  Mother and I got father a pair of gloves and Father and I got mother a pair of gloves. We got Guy a pair of motor gloves as he drives a company Ford at times, wow.  That about completes the list except for the vacuum cleaner we all got Dora. I got a photograph from Norine, a handkerchief from Guy and Dora, a book from mother  and $20 from mother and dad, and best of all we got a long newsy Xmas letter from Susan and family and I got the letter with insurance dun that you sent to Rains.  I am enclosing a letter I got from Wash and the Dec receipt.  After reading letter you will see its importance so keep safe with regular receipts.  Oh, sister, while we all thank you all for the added joy our share of your gift of money gave us, can’t you realize that the chance to have the folks out here with us and the chance they have to be here is the greatest Xmas gift you could make us.  At what sacrifice you have made this great Xmas possible we can only guess.  We can only say a very heartfelt merry Xmas and Happy, Happy, New Year to the Weber family.  Thank you all many, many times.
            Let us know if the package fails to arrive with everything -- should contain Thermos Bottle, Baby spoon, mittens and jack knife.
            Tell aunty I’ll try to drop her a real letter soon.  I am working on the Tipple here now, spragging[1] and slowing loaded cars.  Pays $5.20 per day for 8 hour hours.  All young fellows work there as you sure have to be up on your toes and watching your step there.
            Well, I tried to step off a few last nite for the first time since leaving home, so I’m too sleepy to make this longer.  Besides, there is really nothing to say.  We sure are having a Gee-lorious time but are getting dead for lack of sleep. 
            The other nite I took Dora, Mother and the kids up to a movie.  Dad felt a little off feed so did not go. I thot I’d surprise Guy as he did not know we were coming but he is sure hard to startle for he only smiled when he saw us come in and came over and sat down with us as tho he expected us all the time.
            Paper is running out so bye by with love to all, a huge hug for W.P.W.  Make him laugh.

            Love again to all,        George

  

The photo above is of Guy Lindsey taken at Castle Gate while they were living there.  The houses are now all gone, moved all together to an area on the edge of Helper.  Today the coal mines are still there in Castle Gate -- creating electricity for the grid and to power electric cars (but I digress).  Castle gate today --

 A vein of coal along the highway

 The train then was the lifeline of these small mining communities. Years before Uncle Guy had been a detective for the railroads and had chased after notorious thieves.  Aunt Dora made him quit because of the danger.

 Castle Gate today producing it's share of the electricity for the energy driven nation.  

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[1] http://www.dailyitem.com/sprecken/x1280778439/SPRAGGING-can-save-your-life-Part-1/print Here is a longer description of stopping railroad cars with wood for friction – or digging in your heals in a pinch!  Spragging can save your life!