From the Archives - Sept. 8, 2022
A photograph of The White Caribou Bar, Main Street, Bonners Ferry, circa 1905.
(Photo courtesy BOUNDARY COUNTY MUSEUM)
THE WHITE CARIBOU BAR
Professor O’Dell, “a visitor” (ca. 1908)
If you go to Bonners Ferry, I will tell you what to do —
Go into Mr. Fisher’s and see a Caribou.
He has all kinds of animals. He’ll show them with delight.
And this caribou’s the only one that ever was snow white.
The buffalo and moose are there and hang upon a wall.
But if I tried my very best, I could not name them all.
The mountain goat you read about is standing in plain sight.
And under him you’ll see a skunk that every hair is white.
Now while you’re looking at this skunk, gently turn around,
And see another little skunk that every hair is brown.
The mountain sheep is also there, as natural as can be.
The common deer and little fawn are lying by a tree.
And a finer mountain lion you seldom ever see.
The birds I will not mention, but I think he has them all.
And the pictures of all sporting men are hanging on the wall.
The guns and knives the people used two hundred years ago —
He has them there, you’ll plainly see, to help fill up the show.
He has the Indian relics, as old as old can be.
He has a good-sized boulder that growed into a tree.
Now if you happen in this town, just for a day or two,
You never will regret your trip to see the caribou.
This poem appeared on a White Caribou Bar business card, Fred C. Fisher, proprietor. The card is in the collection of the Boundary County Historical Museum. The poem was recited by Craig Anderson of Bonners Ferry for the "Songs and Poems of the Early Idaho Panhandle" song project created by p. Gary Eller. Join Gary on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m. in Portrait Hall for this enjoyable music program. The photograph is of The White Caribou Bar, Main Street, Bonners Ferry, 1905.
Your Boundary County Historical Society and Museum, 7229 Main, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, sponsors this column.
Visit the museum Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and you can visit the website at www.boundarycountymuseum.org or the museum’s Facebook page for historical photos and stories, and to see upcoming events. The museum can be reached via email at doyouremember@meadowcrk.com or by telephone at 208-267-7720. Thank you for your continued support.