Like a lot of pioneer families, things didn’t always turn out the way dreams were planned. The following year, (1893) old man Kik died, leaving a farm at Edwall and Rocklyn, a string of youngsters, his second wife, lots of problems, and a transition period for the two oldest boys. Events and lots of work made time not available for Dave and Charlie to leave home, since the Spokane Falls wagon trip.
When the stress of family problems started to level out, Spokane, again, entered the boys’ minds. They managed to save some money of their own, so they could satisfy a desire to purchase full-length, adult, dress-up suits. These teen-agers had long since outgrown their old model “Sunday” pants, with trouser legs ending at the knees. Those outfits were called “high-water pants” because wading in creeks could be done without getting the pant legs wet.
Eighteen-year-old neighbor, Max Mecklenburg, had the same idea and joined the 16 and 17 year olds on their first train ride in the pursuit for new suits. It didn’t take them long to scramble off the train in Spokane and to locate the I.X.L. clothing store on Riverside. The suits averaged the young guys $10 apiece.
For accessories, Charlie laid out three bucks for a “solid” gold-plated watch that had a long chain; Dave, a fancy stickpin for his tie; and Max, a pair of patent leather shoes that never needed polishing. A barber shop took care of their faces and excess hair.
When the three young lads figured they were all fixed up with the right equipment, a walk across the street from the barber shop took place. An arcade type of photo studio was located there. When an image of themselves was recorded, the guys rented a three-cot room located above a saloon. Then they were ready to investigate the town.
"Wild Ones Of Yesteryear" Kik-Backs, page 30, part 2 (continued) (previous) (home)
The Gilson Scrapbooks, 4 volumes. / DigitalArchives.WA.gov
The Gilson Scrapbooks consist of 4 volumes of memorabilia, photographs, newspaper articles and personal letters relating to the history of Adams County. Place names include Ritzville, Cunningham, Lind, Othello, among others. The Gilson Family settled in east Adams County in the years 1890-1910.
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