GREAT DAY

The Food Bank delivers bread and sweets to us each Tuesday. The quantity corresponds to their resources. Lots of sweets today, very little bread. Someone needs to be in the commons to receive the bread. I usually try to help. Last week I headed over to the other building about 9:00 am. They were already here. So I left to be there at 8:45 today, just in case. I was the only one in the coffee room at that time and the coffee ready. I don;t usually come that early. I skipped breakfast to be there. They use to come between 9:30 and 10:00. Today they were here at 8:55. Doris had just walked into the room and Harlow was on his way down. His room is just above the entrance to the parking garage. The truck backs up to that door so he knows when they are here. When he steps out of the elevator he says They're here! We jump and are on the run. They mostly had sweets today (Yeah!), Most were cinnamon roles (double YEAH!). It's going to be a good week. There wasn't much bread but I'll get that at Orowheat tomorrow.

Dixie came in pushing her walker and began to ask questions about an antique photo she bought at a thrift store. She brought the photo down and it was a panoramic format 4'x1'. We got magnifying glasses and searched for clues to it's age. It was circa 1940 and a photo of a huge crew of Union Pacific at a rail yard. We do not know what rail yard it is. The photographer is Bill Shipler from Salt Lake City. The family business began 1890 and continues today. The photo was taken by Bill #3. They all go by Bill. Except for Bill #1 the rest have William as a middle name.

I can find some history on the family and the business but not the photograph. The Utah Historical Society has over 63,000 of the Shiplers photos and the largest portion of the collection is the work of #3. He photographed the development of Salt Lake City and has 1000's of the businesses. Our best guess is that it was taken in SLC. There are 2-3 hundred people. 99% are wearing hats. 5% wear ties. 60% have bib overalls. Those stats are a wild guess, but it sounds good. With the table filled with history buffs, the discussion took me to my roots where my father worked in Omaha for Union Pacific. I have a similar era photo of dad and his crew. Wouldn't you know it, the damage on the photo cuts right through dads face. Sad.

Shipler took many railroad photos but the majority were of Oregon Short Railroad. Never heard of it in all the 29 nine years I lived in that state. Of course, I never looked. Think that might be a problem?