It's time to pass along more fond memories of the Galloping Goose branch line trains of years ago:
Harvey Taylor, Fargo, writes, "My parents farmed between Oberon and Minnewaukan, N.D.
"My sister and I rode the Goose between Oberon and New Rockford to stay with cousins, and the cousins often came up to Oberon to stay out on our farm. I have many fond memories of those trips on the Goose!"
So does E. Claire Halvorson, who writes, "I'm 82 years young, I live in Milnor, N.D., and I'm writing you because of the letter Myrna Muench of Wadena, Minn., wrote you about the Galloping Goose that ran from Staples, Minn., to Oakes, N.D. I remember very well the Galloping Goose.
"Our family lived 3 miles south of the railroad tracks that ran between Hoving (in Sargent County) and Gwinner. On still days we could hear the train as it went west to Oakes in the morning and east to Staples in the evening, and yes, it sounded like it was galloping because of the uneven tracks.
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"I rode the train the first time when I was 18. It was harvest time during the war, when gas was rationed. I had severe pain in my side so I went to the doctor. He said get to the hospital; you need your appendix out. So my brother Ray drove me to Gwinner and I took the Goose to Breckenridge, Minn. I walked to the hospital, several blocks south of the depot.
"I had my surgery the next morning. At that time they kept you in the hospital several days. It was eight or 10 days for me.
"The second time was the winter of '47 and '48 in January. Our mother became very ill. She had gall stones. We had to get her to the hospital. That was the winter we had so much snow. There were many days the train didn't go.
"That evening someone called the neighbors. About six showed up and started shoveling the road so we could take mom to the train. They got as far as the Elmer Carlsons. She had everyone in for a large lunch. Then they got the road open and Ray took Mom and me to Hoving with the team and sled and caught the Goose; it had stayed in Oakes that night."
"Mom and I took it to Breckenridge. They came from the hospital and got her, she had surgery the next morning and everything turned out OK.
"This got to be quite long. However, it tells of the hardships that people had at that time."
On Tuesday, Neighbors will relay more memories of growing up in a small town where the Goose was an important part of people's lives.
If you have an item of interest for this column, mail it to Neighbors, The Forum, Box 2020, Fargo, N.D. 58107; fax it to 241-5487; or e-mail blind@forumcomm.com
