Freighters

Freighting along this route was once done by ox and mule teams. Although a five-ton truck is less picturesque, there had not been much change in the language of the drivers. Jerk-line skinners were highly fluent when addressing their teams, becoming earnest, personal, and spontaneous, with no effort about it. When they got started, they were worth hearing from a long way off, and with normal hearing there was no need to go far. Adjectives came naturally to them, though they did bog down somewhat on names, using the same one for each of their string. Those times have gone forever.

Jefferson City, Montana · United States