The Senior Voice - February 2008

The Senior

I O C V E Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8

Local Attractions • Scenic Places • History • Money • Health • News

He Knew Gunman Ghost Tom Horn

Town

Pioneer Doctor in Cheyenne

In Northern Colorado

First Women Longs Climbers ofPeak Longs Peak Pioneer Climbers

Ghost Outlaws Town In Early Caribou Colorado

In the 1800s

Skiing Cover Picture: Steamboat Eagle taken Springs by Jim Laybourn, see page 3

2 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

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The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 3

He Knew Gunman Tom Horn

The Senior

VOICE Published Locally Since 1980 VOL. 28, NO. 3

email [email protected] www.theseniorvoice.net PUBLICATION INFORMATION The Senior Voice newspaper has been published locally the first of each month since 1980 for residents age 50-plus.

ADVERTISING For rates, call 970-229-9204; or see www.theseniorvoice.net. Ad deadline is 20th of month.

Wolfgang Lambdin Advertising Director Associate Publisher Fort Collins (970) 229-9204

SALES OFFICES:

Building the transcontinental railroad west of Cheyenne in the 1800s. Wyoming History Museum. Editor’s Note: Wyoming historian Margaret Laybourn wrote the following story years ago. By Margaret Laybourn

W

hen Dr. George P. Johnston arrived in Cheyenne in 1892, he made a courtesy call on the local doctor, who left the 6-foot 4-inch young man standing on the step. “My advice to you, sir, is to get on the stagecoach leaving town in two hours and get out of town,” the unfriendly doctor said. But young Doc Johnston was not to be daunted. His lifelong dream was to get a medical degree and go West to practice. He found himself an office and hung out his shingle. At first, he made his rounds by bicycle, then by horse and buggy and later by automobile. Throughout the 60 years he practiced, he was on call all the time. His secretary, Jennie McIlquham, recalled dusting the doctor’s desk every morning and said she could not count how many times he opened the top drawer to show visitors Tom Horn’s cufflinks. Horn had given the cufflinks to Johnston as a sign of respect for the

man who would declare him dead by hanging, which Johnston did. “Tom Horn never killed Willie Nickell,” Doc Johnston maintained. “I performed the autopsy on Willie; so I ought to know.” Horn had been hired by big cattlemen to scare off small farmers and ranchers. He was accused of shooting Willia Nickell, a local boy and son of a sheep rancher. Horn was hanged at Cheyenne in 1903. Dr. Johnston was one of several people who believed Horn was innocent. Once a man called Doc Johnston frantically in the middle of the night to report that his wife had a heart attack. When Johnston arrived, he found that the wife was ready to give birth to quadruplets, which he delivered. Afterward he asked the young husband why he said his wife was having a heart attack. The man answered, “I was calling from a neighbor’s phone, and I was too embarrassed to say she was pregnant.” The quads were among more than 11,000 babies Doc Johnston delivered during his long career. He also pulled over 1,000 teeth and helped hundreds of ranchers

and farmers with ailing animals. He was credited with saving more marriages than all the preachers in town and solved more litigation than most of the lawyers. Johnston called himself a country doctor, but he was a nationally known figure, having helped form the American Medical Association after writing Wyoming’s first medical laws. He received Wyoming Medical License #1 in 1897. He also founded the first hospital in the state and the first training school for nurses. Johnston’s mind was still sharp at age 85, his wit still quick and his surgeon’s hands flexible. But his vision began to fail. Jennie read him all the scientific and medical publications he subscribed to. He kept office hours six days a week until his death at 93. ________________ COVER PICTURE: Bald eagle in flight, taken by professional photographer Jim Laybourn of Jackson, Wyoming. He provides custom wildlife photo safaris for all ages in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. For information, call 307-413-3777, or see his website at www.WyomingPhoto Experience.com ■

Ft. Collins and Greeley (970) 229-9204 Loveland and Estes Park (970) 482-8344 EDITORIAL DEADLINE Announcements and stories must be received by the 10th of the month. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Senior Voice welcomes readers' letters and contributions. Enclose a self-addressed envelope and return postage to: The Senior Voice, 1471 Front Nine Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, or email [email protected]. The Senior Voice assumes no responsibility for damaged or lost material submitted by readers.

© Copyright 2008 The Senior Voice EDITORIAL OFFICE:

1471 Front Nine Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 223-9271 email [email protected] www.theseniorvoice.net No material may be reproduced by any means without permission of the publisher.

Dr. William Lambdin, Publisher

4 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

From Greeley to Estes Park in 1902 (Editor’s Note: Greeley historian Hazel E. Johnson wrote the following story years ago.) By Hazel Johnson

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reeley pioneer E.H. Soper recalled a trip to Estes Park in 1902 when he was a young man: “We rented an old horse and spring wagon, threw in some blankets, grub and frying pan, and started out. “The first day we got to where the Dam Store is now (west of Loveland). Next day we got to what is known as Drake. The third day we arrived in Estes. “We walked and fished a lot of the time. We saw very few people on our way but caught lots of fish, which we fried and ate till we didn’t want fish anymore. “The road was horrible, constant going up hill or down, not graded as it is today. Just a narrow road with turn-outs now and then. We were

Early travelers headed for Estes Park. Hazel Johnson Collection. scared to meet another wagon because we were afraid of backing into the river. “When cars came into vogue, you had to have a good one to make the grades. Often you got stuck. Then it was the job of the women and children to get out and push.

“The road we traveled was the stage road. The stage would leave Loveland one day and come back the next. It didn’t operate in winter. “There were a few business houses in Estes Park at that time, with a good many livery stables. I decided to stay on in Estes for

several weeks with ‘Daddy Griffith,’ a preacher who owned a sawmill just east of Estes Park.” Later, Soper owned the Soper Implement Company in Greeley. He said, “For years I was the only one who handled tractors. I always opened my store at 6 a.m.” ■

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The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 5

Investment Scams By Bill Lambdin

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rooked salesmen are putting millions of retirees into bad investments and causing them to lose money, according to reports from The New York Times and other sources. Calling themselves “certified senior advisers,” “certified elder planning specialists” or some other impressive sounding name, they earn high sales commissions by convincing people to invest in things like deferred annuities. For retired people, deferred annuities are almost always a bad investment, says AARP official Jean Setzfand. Such annuities often require a 10-year waiting period before the investor can begin withdrawing money. The investor may be dead by then or not live long enough to get even his principle back. Deferred annuities might be appropriate for some wealthy people seeking tax breaks to transfer savings to heirs, but they are not appropriate for most retired people, said Setzfand. Salesmen talk retirees into them because they pay high commissions.

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Such salesmen often attend a one or two-day meeting to get a “diploma” that allows them to call themselves a “certified senior adviser,” etc. Such diplomas are as worthless as those offered by numerous flim-flam businesses that call themselves universities and sell degrees on the internet or at store-front “campuses” throughout the U.S. You can buy a Ph.D. these days; you don’t have to earn it. And you don’t have to know much about investing to hand someone a business card with “certified senior adviser” on it. Unfortunately, many people over age 65 grew up in a different time and don’t see through these scams. They are easy prey, and they control over $415 trillion of assets—the largest amount ever held by Americans, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Most financial planners in America are well qualified to help people with investments. It is unfortunate, say analysts, that their professional organizations have not been able to weed out the charlatans. ■

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6 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Loveland Settler By Arlene Ahlbrandt

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cKee Hospital in Loveland was named for Tom McKee, a pioneer farmer and businessman who became a major philanthropist and community benefactor. Born in 1885 in Iowa, his Irish father James Murphy McKee and

mother Mary Jane McKee brought the family to Loveland in 1890. Tom graduated from Loveland High School and attended Colorado College for one year. His father died at age 54; so Tom returned home to help with the family

Tom McKee, for whom McKee Hospital was named in Loveland. business of farming and cattle feeding. In 1919 he married Mable Stoddard, a school teacher. She died, and he married Leora Sherer, another teacher. She died, and he married yet another teacher, Iva McKeever. Tom never had children of his own, but he loved them and supported Foothills Gateway Center, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. In 1968 Tom donated 30 acres of his farmland in east Loveland for the hospital that was named in his honor.

In 1979 he deeded an additional 90 acres to the hospital. He was recognized for outstanding service to Loveland through his work as president of the Big Thompson Milling and Elevator Company and a member of the board of directors for Home State Bank and the Farmers Ditch Company. Tom didn’t retire until he was in his 90s. Northern Colorado lost a great pioneer and generous man when he died in 1985, three months before his 100th birthday. ■

The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 7

Ghost Town from the 1800s By Lois Hall

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hen President Ulysses S. Grant visited Central City, Colorado, in 1873, the street in front of the Teller House Hotel was paved with silver bricks to impress him. The bricks were produced at the Caribou silver mill west of Longmont and Boulder. Caribou was where Colorado’s silver boom began in 1869, ten years after the gold rush started in 1859. The Caribou mine produced over $8 million worth of silver and was one of the biggest mining camps in the state. During the 1870s more the 3,000 people lived at Caribou. But they did not live well. The town was so high in the mountains (over 10,000 feet) and the winters so severe that even the hardy miners found it difficult to survive there. Today you can quickly freeze to death in the fierce wind and snow storms that occur in these mountains. To make matters worse for the early miners, few accommodations were available. Many had to sleep in tents or shacks with dirt floors. The shacks were made of wood, and the miners built campfires or used wood-burning stoves. Inevitably a fire got out of control, and most of the town burned in 1879. That fire and the severe winters discouraged the miners, and many left after 1879. But it was just as well. By then the silver mines had begun to play out and the boom was over.

Caribou in the late 1800s. Colorado Historical Society. By 1900 only about 50 people lived at Caribou, mostly diehards and dreamers who still thought they could strike it rich. During Caribou’s boom days, a few had struck it rich. One group of miners hit a rich vein and took out more than $6,000 worth of silver in just a few days. The standing joke among Caribou’s miners was: A newcomer asked, “How long does winter last here?” A miner answered, “I don’t know. I’ve only been here four years.” ■

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8 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Insurance for Coloradans Taxes on Social Security

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olorado is one of several states that is trying to arrange health insurance coverage for all state residents, but that effort may be stopped by an obscure federal law that says states cannot require businesses to provide health insurance for employees. The federal law (the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act) was passed in 1974 and is strongly supported by most businesses. It says states cannot require

employers to provide health insurance, and part of Colorado’s plan is to require that. In some states, judges have cited the federal law and stopped states’ efforts. In other cases, judges have supported the states. California’s proposal may be the ultimate test case that sends the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court. And that’s where the issue will probably have to be decided. ■

By Scott Burns Financial Writer

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n 1983 a Presidential commission recommended that Social Security benefits be taxed. The recommendation became law in 1984. At the time, few retirees were affected because benefits were only to be taxed when other sources of income were quite high. With the initial income level set at $25,000 for a single return and $32,000 for a joint return, it was expected that only 1 percent of beneficiaries would pay any taxes on their benefits. But there was a catch. The income levels weren’t indexed to inflation. As inflation and economic growth increase, more and more retirees will pay the tax. For a couple, the taxation of benefits begins when your other sources of income plus one-half of your Social Security benefits exceeds $32,000. Today the average Social Security check is $12,576 a year. So an average two-earner couple may have benefits of $25,152. Subtract one-half of this amount from $32,000

and the amount of income they can have from other sources before Social Security benefits become taxable is $19,424. Once their other income (401(k), etc.) exceeds $19,424, every additional dollar causes either 50 cents or 85 cents of benefits to be added to their taxable income. According to the latest Social Security trustees’ report, the average worker retiring in 2008 will receive benefits of $16,260 a year. By 2024 the average worker will receive benefits of $19,972, measured in today’s dollars. Assuming a 3 percent inflation rate, this will mean cash benefits of $32,954. Apply the formula for taxation of benefits and guess what happens. The average two earner couple that retires in 2024 will start paying taxes on their Social Security benefits with the first dollar they take from their 401(k) plan. Workers who are about 50 years old today can expect to pay income taxes on their Social Security benefits from day one. Workers who are younger than 50 can expect the same result. ■

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The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 9

Estate Planning Tips For The New Year By Ron Rutz, Attorney Legal Correspondent Q. I am watching a family disintegrate, fighting about money that various members received over the years from their mother. Any thoughts? A. Money transfers by the deceased to family members is one of the biggest estate settlement issues. And the responsibility for this kind of family melt down almost always rests with the deceased. Before any asset is transferred, the deceased needs to make the hard decision of how to treat a loan, gift, repayment of debt, or a business investment. The choice will also answer questions involving inheritance tax, legal, and personal issues. • Transfers as a loan. Hard feelings have been generated over the perceived intent of the deceased. One segment of the family often feels a transfer to a child was a loan with the recipient often claiming a gift was made. If a loan is intended, the transac-

tion should be documented by filling out a simple promissory note that can show repayment amounts and dates. At death, the debtor will receive the note as his or her part of the estate settlement, which automatically balances out the estate division with other beneficiaries. The note does not have to have interest or installment payments, but the IRS, for income tax purposes, would require at least “imputed” interest be reported. If a demand note is signed, it needs to be resigned every five years or so. Otherwise the estate may be barred from enforcing the note under the Statutes of Limitations. • Transfers as a gift. If a gift is intended, then some documentation is necessary, even if it is just a notation on the check. Remember that only $12,000 of value can be transferred per person per year without additional gift tax consequences. Also, unless provided for in the Will, gifts are not part of the estate and will not be taken into account in the estate settlement. But gifts them-

selves can cause conflict if the others do not feel that they have been treated fairly. • Repayment of Debt. A number of times, the deceased was the one who borrowed money from a child. If the transfer by the deceased was actually a repayment of debt owed by the deceased, then some type of documentation is needed. Otherwise the “creditor” will not have much of a basis to file against the

estate in order to be repaid. In addition he will be open to having the amount questioned or possibly the transaction labeled as either a gift, or perhaps even a loan repayment on sums supposedly borrowed from the deceased. ________________ You can send questions to Attorney Ron Rutz at 2625 Redwing Road, #180, Fort Collins, CO 80526; email [email protected]; phone 2238388. ■

Pain Patches Can Be Dangerous

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ome people are dying from misuse of the pain-killer skin patch sold by Johnson and Johnson, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The patch delivers a very strong narcotic, fentanyl, to the bloodstream. Deaths have been caused by people applying more patches than prescribed, thus getting too much of the narcotic. Also by replacing the patches more often than prescribed. The patch is used mostly by cancer patients. But some doctors have

prescribed it for headaches and other conditions for which it should not be used. FDA officials said they have “continued to receive reports of deaths and life-threatening side effects after doctors have inappropriately prescribed the patch or patients have incorrectly used it.” The FDA is asking manufacturers of the patch to put stronger, more visible warning labels on the patch containers. ■

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10 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Social Security Just for Women By Michael Hollis Social Security Office, Greeley

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omen need to understand Social Security because they tend to live longer than men and are more likely to get Social Security survivor’s benefits. Also, women will probably have a greater financial need for Social Security benefits, and women are more likely to be affected by some Social Security provisions such as changing their surnames after marriage or divorce. Social Security has two ways for women to conveniently get information that directly addresses their needs. They will find our special webpage on women’s issues helpful at www.socialsecurity.gov/women. On the left side of the page is a listing of “roles” that a woman may play in life, such as working woman, beneficiary, bride, new mother, divorced spouse, caregiver and widow. When you click on any one of these roles, you are taken to information that would be of interest. For example, “new mother” leads you to links on getting a Social Security number for your newborn child, bene-

fits for children, and more. On the right side of the webpage is a listing of Social Security programs—retirement, survivors and disability as well as links to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicare programs. And in the center of the page are links to such topics as “Don’t Outlive Your Retirement Savings.” This link is one that many working women will find particularly helpful because it takes them to Social Security’s financial planning website at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners. They can use the calculators there to test different retirement ages or different scenarios for future earnings amounts. It also provides some detailed financial information about how marriage, widowhood, divorce, self-employment, government jobs and other life or career events can affect Social Security. And it includes a link to a nonSocial Security worksheet that will help visitors decide how much they need to save and invest for a comfortable retirement. For all this, and other useful information, visit the “For Women” page at www.socialsecurity.

See it on the web at www.theseniorvoice.net Serving Northern Colorado since 1980.

THE AREA’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED SENIOR NEWSPAPER In news stands and on the web at www.theseniorvoice.net For advertising rates and information, call 970-229-9204 in Fort Collins.

gov/women. In addition, Social Security offers a booklet entitled “Social Security: What Every Woman Should Know.” This 24-page publication is a handy reference tool for any woman who needs a basic understanding of how the Social Security retirement, survivor’s and disability programs work. It also includes information on what to keep in mind about the Social Security program if they become widowed or divorced. And it addresses

other Social Security issues that a woman may encounter, such as how to change her name, get Social Security numbers for her children, and ensure Social Security coverage if she is selfemployed or a household worker. Free copies of the “What Every Woman Should Know” booklet can be printed by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10127.html or can be ordered by calling our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1800-325-0778). ■

Causes of Staph Infection

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ospitals are not the only place we acquire antibiotic-resistant staph infection (Staphylococcus bacteria, also called MRSA). A main source may be the meat we eat, says researcher Michael Pollan, author of the book “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.” About 70 percent of the antibiotics used in America are fed to cows, pigs and chickens in commercial feedlots. Antibiotic-resistant strains of staph develop in those animals and can be

passed on to us when we eat them, says Pollan. The animals are given antibiotics because they would otherwise die by the millions from the overcrowded, filthy conditions in which they are raised in confinement at factory farms. “Public health experts have been warning us for years that this situation is a public-health disaster waiting to happen,” said Pollan. He is a contributing writer for the New York Times and other publications. ■

The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 11

Reverse Mortgages: How They Work By Barbara Read Better Business Bureau

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any retired Americans in need of supplemental income to pay for day-to-day living expenses as well as healthcare bills are looking to tap into their home’s equity via a reverse mortgage. They can do it without having to sell their home or take on additional bills. The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips: In a reverse mortgage, the lender pays you money, and you don’t have to pay it back until you die, sell your home or no longer live there as your principal residence. To qualify, you must be at least age 62 and live in your home. The proceeds of a reverse mortgage are generally tax-free, and many reverse mortgages have no income restrictions. The three basic types of reverse mortgage are: single-purpose reverse mortgages, which are offered by some state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations; federally insured reverse mortgages, which are known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), and are backed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and proprietary reverse mortgages, which are private loans backed by the companies that develop them. Reverse mortgage loan advances are not taxable, and generally do not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits. You retain the title to your home and do not have to make

monthly repayments. The loan must be repaid when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or no longer lives in the home as a principal residence. Lenders generally charge origination fees and other closing costs, and also may charge servicing fees during the term of the mortgage. The amount you owe on a reverse mortgage generally grows over time. Interest is charged on the outstanding balance and added to the amount you owe each month. That means your total debt increases over time as loan funds are advanced to you and interest accrues on the loan. Reverse mortgages may have fixed or variable rates. Most have variable rates that are tied to a financial index and will likely change according to market conditions. Reverse mortgages can use up all or some of the equity in your home, leaving fewer assets for you and your heirs. A “non-recourse” clause, found in most reverse mortgages, prevents either you or your estate from owing more than the value of your home when the loan is repaid. Because you retain title to your home, you remain responsible for property taxes, insurance, utilities, fuel, maintenance and other expenses. Interest on reverse mortgages is not deductible on income tax returns until the loan is paid off in part or whole. Ask a counselor or lender to explain the Total Annual Loan Cost (TALC) rates, which show the projected annual average cost of a reverse mortgage, including all item-

ized costs. ________________ For reliable information on consumer

finance issues, go to bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 in Fort Collins, or 800564-0371. ■

 

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12 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

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38. 40. 42. 45. 46. 47. 50. 53.

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Logan County town east of Sterling Logan County birthplace of radio and TV host Ralph Edwards of such hits as “This is your life” and “Truth or Consequences” Mount ___, La Plata County 14er named for Greek God of Wind Monogram of The Wasteland poet His car broke down so he had to take ___ ___ to work. Junction near Vail Burr – Hamilton, eg. Yao of the NBA Pollution monitor, for short Car wash items ___ cone One of the Collegiate Peaks: Mount ___. Medicine cabinet items, often City established at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek Bailey, et. al. “I didn’t see him before the game ___ ___.” Alley ___ of the comics The ___ Project was a 1969-70 attempt by the U.S. Government to release natural gas by the use of nuclear energy in western Colorado LSU and Florida play in this conf. Shock jock Cloud of dust and gas existing in space Ran for a touchdown, say Type of “position” Trail Ridge, for one Tax paper I.D. Eastern Colorado county which holds the record for producing more corn than any other county in the U.S. It’s county seat is Wray. Fan sound? Mucho Tiger’s sponsor

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59. Adult insect 61. Short-lived mining camp in RMNP: ___ City 62. Wide shoe width 63. ...the old ___ bucket 64. Henry of the Broncos 65. Bond man?

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 12. 13. 20. 23. 25. 28. 29. 30. 31. 33. 34. 37. 39. 41. 43. 44. 48. 49. 51. 52. 55. 57. 60.

___ Pena is a former Denver mayor whose slogan was ...”Imagine a great city!” Popular Chicago area Broncos’ #7 Dry wall compound, to a contractor Horse of the Nuggets He won the Academy Award for his direction of “Braveheart” (1995) Mascot for #33 down Wading bird Town on U.S. 85 between Greeley and Cheyenne Mining baron who built the Redstone Castle in 1900 which is now a B & B Fisherman’s colorful choice near Leadville Ushers, often Rubber gasket for holding in screening in a door Money source, briefly Relationship actor of James MacArthur to actress Helen Hayes ___ carrier (mason’s assistant) Serviceman’s mail address, for short Expensive Music played for Japanese wrestlers? See #7 down Sushi fish Cowboy’s home? Teammate of M. Camby and A. Iverson Stamp on a bad check Big squeezer Town at the junction of the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers Heavenly hunter Town on the Big Thompson devastated by the flood of 1984 Campaign attack, often Band leader Artie Shaw’s theme Teen follower “S” followers Isle of ___ .

Colorado Crosswords are created exclusively for The Voice by Tony Donovan, who lives in Loveland.

The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 13

First Women to Climb Longs Peak By Peggy Hunt

E

arly climbers of Longs Peak included several courageous women, some of whom died in the attempt. In 1871, Addie Alexander was the first woman to reach the top of this 14,255-foot giant with a small group of male climbers. Little is known about her except that she was from St. Louis, Missouri, and may have come to the Greeley area with a group of settlers, according to early newspaper accounts. More is known about Anna Dickinson, who climbed Longs Peak in 1873 and was probably the first woman to climb Colorado’s highest peak, Mount Elbert near Leadville. Anna was a beautiful, 30-year-old woman from the East Coast and a leader of the suffrage movement when she climbed Longs Peak. One newspaper called her “the spice, the pepper and the brains of the woman’s movement.” She climbed Longs with a group of men that included Ralph Meeker, son of Greeley founder Nathan Meeker. Her group probably named Mount Meeker, next to Longs Peak,

in honor of Nathan. Anna was an avid outdoors woman and climbed many other mountains. She lived to age 90. British traveler Isabella Bird climbed Longs Peak in 1873 and wrote about her experiences in “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains,” a book that has remained popular ever since its publication in 1879. Isabella wrote about a romantic encounter with her Longs Peak guide, Rocky Mountain Jim Nugent, and she discussed other early northern Colorado residents. She was the first woman admitted to the prestigious Royal Geographic Society in London. The first woman to die on Longs Peak was Carrie Welton, daughter of a wealthy Connecticut businessman. In 1884, she and her guide, Carlyle Lamb, had reached the summit and were returning when she collapsed from exhaustion. They had battled a fierce wind storm all the way. Her guide went for help, but when he returned several hours later with his father, Carrie was dead. His father, Elkanah Lamb, described the event: “At timberline, the wind was so furious that sometimes we were

Anna Dickinson successfully climbed Longs Peak in 1873. Photo Colorado Historical Society. compelled to double over and touch the ground to keep a secure foothold... About a mile across the boulder field, I came in sight of the tragic spot where Carrie Welton lay at rest, having died alone amid the (wind) which was yet holding high carnival over her body by blowing every section of her garments

in its unrelenting fury.” Lamb and his son had guided many climbers up Longs Peak. In fact, Lamb’s wife climbed it with him on her 70th birthday. But the fierce, cold winds that can reach more than 100 miles an hour on that mountain were too much for Carrie Welton in 1884. ■

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Carrie Welton died climbing Longs Peak in 1884. Photo Colorado Historical Society.

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14 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Origin of Ted’s Place Near Fort Collins (Editor’s Note: Fort Collins author Rose Brinks wrote the following story years ago about the pioneer family who originated Ted’s Place, the small store north of Fort Collins where Highway 14 starts up Poudre Canyon.) By Rose Brinks

N

o one in LaPorte had a longer impact on local agriculture than Rowland (Rowl) Herring. He was born in England in 1853 and came to the U.S. when he was 19. He married Jeanette (Nettie) Garbutt in 1880, and they came to LaPorte from New York, in 1887. Later they moved into the log building that previously served as home and road house for pioneer John Provost. A railroad line and irrigation ditch had been built through the farm, and Herring saw the combination as an excellent opportunity to raise and sell produce. Herring and his wife had two more children in LaPorte: Lucy, a premature baby, and Ted, who later built Ted’s Place.

A 1943 photo of Juanita and Alton Jarrett at Ted’s Place. Courtesy of Juanita Jarrett. Ten months after Ted’s birth, his mother Nettie died at age 35. In 1898 Herring and his brotherin-law, H.I. Garbutt, purchased a

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128-acre farm from the railroad for $1,800. In 1901, Herring married the widow, or abandoned wife, of his brother-in-law Fred Garbutt. Mary (Mollie) Garbutt was a tiny (4’10”) but forceful lady. In 1905 Herring built a new barn, and in 1910 a new frame house, the first house in LaPorte with indoor plumbing. Reportedly, Mollie was tired of living with a dirt floor. Their house is where I live today, and the barn is still sturdy and useful. Herring’s family thrived. Daughter Nellie became the LaPorte correspondent for Fort Collins newspapers and later married the flamboyant attorney Fancher Sarchet. Cam farmed with his father and started the Riverside Gas Station on Overland Trail. Ted and Cam started Ted’s Place, a well known store at the intersection of Highways 287 and 14. This landmark was destroyed in the mid 1980s and later re-built. Ted also was elected state senator. In the 1920s, Rowl and Cam made “moonshine” in an abandoned house on the west end of the property. Cam and Rowl were also known for bringing wild game to families in need. It has been a privilege to live on the Herring farm and in Rowl and Mollie’s house. One hard worker after another has owned this farm, and Rowl Herring was one of the best. ________________

Rose Brinks wrote “History of the Bingham Hill Cemetery,” which may still be available by calling 970-2214261. ■

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The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 15

Small Ski Areas in Colorado By Peggy Hunt

H

ere are some of Colorado’s smaller ski areas. • Copper Mountain is 75 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70, with over 2,400 skiable acres and over 100 trails (21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, 18% expert). Condominiums are available on site and at nearby towns of Frisco and Dillon. A few cafes and bars are on site. • Eldora is 21 miles west of Boulder with about 700 skiable acres. Its longest run is three miles, and it claims to have Colorado’s best snowmaking system. It needs that because some years the area gets very little snow. Other years, skiing can be good. It’s highest elevation is 10,800 feet. Lodging is available at nearby Nederland motels or in Boulder. Some food service is on site. • Loveland Ski Area is 53 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70, with over 1,300 skiable acres (13% beginner, 41% intermediate, 46% advanced). Highest elevation is 13,010 feet. Because of its closeness to Denver, it is a popular and usually busy ski area. It has small eating areas and a bar. Nearest lodging and restaurants are at Georgetown, 12 miles; Silverthorne, 12 miles; or Idaho Springs, 20 miles. • Monarch Ski Area is 135 miles southwest of Denver on Highway 285 and Highway 50. It has 800 skiable acres and over 60 trails (14% beginner, 28% intermediate, 27% advanced, 31% expert). Longest run is one mile. It normally gets over 350 inches of snow per season. Nearest lodging and restaurants are in Salida, a few miles away. • Powderhorn Ski Area is 40 minutes east of Grand Junction on the north side of Grand Mesa, Colorado’s largest flat-top mountain. It has 600 skiable acres (20% beginner, 50% intermediate, 15% advanced, 15% expert). Some lodging and food are available locally, but most are in Grand Junction. • Silverton Mountain is about

Camp Hale in WWII. It was near today’s Ski Cooper. Colorado Historical Society. one hour north of Durango and requires a 4-wheel-drive vehicle in winter to reach the area. It is a backcountry ski area, not a resort, for advanced and expert skiers only. The base is at 10,400 feet, and the peak is 13,487 feet, which makes it the highest ski area in the U.S. A few small motels, cafes and bars are in the town of Silverton, seven miles away. • Ski Cooper is 10 miles north of Leadville on Tennessee Pass, near the former Camp Hale training area of the 10th Mountain Division ski troops in World War II. It has limited facilities but receives over 250 inches of snow per year and sits at 11,700 feet elevation. Food and lodging are in the small town of Leadville. • Sol Vista is two miles south of Granby and 15 miles north of Winter Park, with 400 skiable acres and over 200 inches of annual snowfall. Lodging and some dining are available on site, with small motels and cafes in Granby. • Sunlight Ski Area is 10 miles south of Glenwood Springs, with 470 skiable acres (20% beginner, 55% intermediate, 20% advanced, 5% expert). The longest run is 2.5 miles. It is considered an affordable option to Aspen, which is about a one-hour drive south. Food and lodging are in Glenwood Springs.

• Wolf Creek Ski Area is about one-half hour east of Pagosa Springs near the top of Wolf Creek Pass. It has 1,600 skiable acres (20% beginner, 35% intermediate, 25% advanced, 20% expert). Its

longest run is two miles. A small café and bar are on site. Lodging and restaurants are mostly in Pagosa Springs to the west, with limited services in the small town of South Fork to the east. ■

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16 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

The Oregon Trail in Early Wyoming By Peggy Hunt

P

ioneers crossing Wyoming on the Oregon Trail in the 1800s encountered many hardships. None was worse than losing family members. Catherine Pringle remembered how she lost her parents. She was just a child, and one of her legs had been crushed by a wagon wheel on the trip: “After Fort Laramie, we entered the desert, which was hard on our teams. Sickness became common,” she wrote. “Father and the boys were sick, and we were dependent for a driver on the Dutch doctor who set my leg…Though an excellent surgeon, he knew little about driving oxen… “One day four buffalo ran between our wagon and the one behind. Though feeble, father seized his gun and gave chase to them. This imprudent act prostrated him again, and it soon became apparent that his days were numbered. “He was fully conscious of the fact but could not be reconciled to the thought of leaving his large and helpless family in such precarious circumstances. “The evening before his death, we crossed the Green River and camped on the bank. Looking where I lay helpless, he said, ‘Poor child. What will become of you?’ “Captain Shaw found him weeping bitterly. (Father) said his last hour had come, and his heart was filled with anguish for his family. His wife was ill, the children small, and one likely to be a cripple. They had no relatives near, and a long journey

lay before them. “In piteous tones, he begged the captain to take charge of them and see them through. This (the captain) promised. “Father was buried the next day on the banks of the Green River. His coffin was made of two troughs dug out of the body of a tree. But next year, emigrants found his bleaching bones, as the Indians had disinterred the remains… “Mother planned to get to Whitman’s and winter there, but she was rapidly failing under her sorrows. “The nights and mornings were very cold, and she took a cold from the exposure. With camp fever and a sore mouth, she fought bravely against fate for the sake of her children, but she was taken delirious soon after reaching Fort Bridger, and was bedfast. “Traveling in this condition over a road clouded with dust, she suffered intensely. She talked of her husband, addressing him as though present, beseeching him in piteous tones to relieve her sufferings, until at last she became unconscious. “Her baby was cared for by the women of the train. Those kind hearted women would also come in at night and wash the dust from mother’s face and otherwise make her comfortable. “We traveled a rough road the day she died, and she moaned fearfully all the time. At night one of the women came in as usual, but (mother) made no reply to questions, so she thought her asleep and washed her face, then took her hand and discovered the pulse was nearly gone. “She lived but a few moments, and

Geriatric Training for Docs

M

edical schools are finally giving doctors some training on how to care for mature people, according to researchers at Brown University. Until now, doctors have received very little such training—which seems illogical since most of the people they see in hospitals are elderly. But that’s the way medical schools have been doing things. Now the schools are realizing that aging baby boomers mean doctors will be seeing even more mature

patients in the future. By 2030, some researchers estimate that nearly 25 percent of America’s population will be mature people. “Every physician in the United States needs to be educated about care of older people,” said Brown administrator Dr. Richard Besdine. Dr. Anne Fabiny at Harvard added, “All students take care of lots of older adults in the hospital, but they have not necessarily been taught how best to care for them.” ■

W.H. Jackson’s 1800s painting of the Oregon Trail west of Casper. her last words were, ‘Oh, Henry! If you only knew how we have suffered!’ “The tent was set up, the corpse laid out, and the next morning we took the last look at our mother’s face… “So in twenty-six days, we

became orphans—seven of us children, the oldest fourteen and the youngest a baby...” Catherine Pringle lived to tell that story years later. But the Oregon Trail greatly changed her life. ■

Wyoming Research By Linda Fabian The Wyoming State Historical Society will offer cash grants for projects that relate to the state’s history.

T

he grants, ranging from $100 to $1,500 will be awarded based on applications filed with the Society’s Lola Homsher Endowment Fund Committee. The deadline is February 29, 2008. Committee chair, John Waggener, said this is an opportunity for amateur and professional historians to receive financial assistance to further their research on topics relating to Wyoming Grant monies are drawn from a fund established by the late Lola Homsher, a noted historian and longtime director of the Wyoming State Archives and Historical Department. Preference will be given to proposals that promise original research on topics related to Wyoming history. Wyoming residents are given preference. Last year’s recipients received more than $5,000 for research proj-

ects. The topics included research by the Dubois Museum on the early communities of the Upper Wind River Valley. Tamsen Hert of Laramie received funds allowing her to expand her research on early hotels and camps in Yellowstone National Park. A research project by Judy Slack of Big Horn received funds allowing her to continue studies of early families in the Big Horn area. The history of the Socialist Party in Wyoming was also a topic being researched by Carl Hallberg of Cheyenne that received funds; along with a project by John Mahoney, also of Cheyenne, whose project was to study landscape architecture in Wyoming, including the design work done by noted architect S. R. DeBoer. Hudson Kensel of Edmonds, Washington received funds to research the history of the Valley Ranch near Cody. Applications can be obtained at the Society’s website, www.wyshs.org, and then by selecting “Homsher Endowment.” If you do not have access to the web, please contact Waggener at 307-766-2563 and he will mail the forms to you. ■

The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 17

Local Annoucements Hospice Office in Windsor Hospice of Larimer County opened an office at 1226 West Ash, Suite B, in Windsor. It will serve as an operational hub for administrative staff and volunteers serving Weld County, according to Hospice marketing executive Evan Hyatt. This is in addition to the Fort Collins office. Hospice will provide several support group meetings through March 31. For information, call the Windsor office at 674-9988 or Fort Collins at 663-3500. Red Feather Lakes Library • Crochet instruction, February 5March 25. • Preschoolers story hours, February 16 and 22. • Computer classes, February 20, 2 pm. • Family movies, each fourth Saturday of the month. 2 pm. • Ongoing events: sewing group, watercolor group, art gallery. Call 881-2664 for information on all events. Fort Collins Libraries • Mother Goose Time, main library every Friday morning; Harmony library every Monday morning. For babies and up to 2 years old. • Story Time for ages 2 and 3, main library Monday and Tuesday mornings; Harmony library Wednesday and Thursday mornings. • Story Time for ages 4 and older, main library Monday and Tuesday mornings; Harmony library Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Story programs for children all ages at Austins Grill on East Harmony and Ziegler Road. • Animal Afternoon, first Sunday of

each month at main library; fourth Sunday of the month at Harmony library. Therapy dogs, cats and a bunny. • Meet mascots from the Colorado Eagles, Red Robin restaurants, and other local groups, January 26, 10 am to 1 pm, at the Harmony library. • Lullaby Concert at the Harmony library, January 29 or 30 at 6:30 pm, music, stories and puppets. For information, call 221-6663. Cheyenne Fund Raiser Delta Kappa Gamma will collect used books at local supermarkets in Cheyenne through February 28 for their annual book sale that benefits college students. The sale is the first weekend in March at the Dinneen Building, 400 West 16th Street. Call 632-5406 or 632-9769. Rialto Theater in Loveland • February 8, Second City Touring company, comedy. • February 9, Gary Schmidt classical piano music. • February 10, tap dance groups from several local cities. • February 29, March 1-2, March 6-8, opera, Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” For information, call 962-2120. Book Sale, Fort Collins Libraries Used books will be sold March 69 at the Harmony Library. Call 232-9490. Peace Project Program, Loveland White Eagle Medicine Woman will lead a meeting of the Grandmother Drum Peace Project at the Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, February 8 at 6:30 pm. For information, call Sharon Kelley in Fort Collins, 223-1369. ■

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edication errors at hospitals are a major problem in the U.S., say researchers with the National Academies of Science, Archives of Internal Medicine and other groups. Over 1.5 million Americans are injured each year at hospitals from being given the wrong medicine or an incorrect dosage. That number has doubled in the last ten years. In 2005, more than 15,000 deaths were caused by such errors. Newborn infants at two different

hospitals were recently given doses of the blood thinner heparin 1,000 times higher than they were supposed to receive. Other errors commonly occur with insulin, morphine, and the blood thinner warfarin, said researchers. The most common reasons for errors: nurses and pharmacists can’t read doctors’ bad handwriting, nurses don’t make sure they administer the right medicine or dosage, and hospital pharmacists don’t stock drugs properly. ■

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18 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Prostate Cancer Test S

ome medical researchers say they are able to predict which men are likely to get prostate cancer, but that may not be a good thing, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using a DNA test and family history for 5,000 men, researchers said they were able to predict with reasonable accuracy which men got prostate cancer. In the future, that test could help men determine their risk for the cancer. But it could also frustrate men and their doctors because the test does not tell them if the cancer will be aggressive and need treatment. Many prostate cancers are not aggressive and can be left untreated. And many men who have prostate cancer will die of something else before the cancer becomes life threatening, say other researchers. Having a test that predicts who will get the cancer could lead to a lot of unnecessary screening and treatment. What’s needed is a test that can determine which cancers will be

aggressive enough to require treatment, and medical scientists have not yet found that kind of test. Some researchers say there is already too much prostate cancer screening and too much unnecessary surgery for it. “To me, it is a nightmare,” said Dr. Peter Albertsen, a prostate cancer specialist at the University of Connecticut. “We are just feeding off of this cancer phobia.” Prostate surgery sometimes leaves patients with impotence, incontinence and other problems. It can also be difficult for patients to decide which kind of surgery or treatment they want to have. Some treatments involve only radiation; others involve invasive surgery. The report in the New England Journal of Medicine came from medical researchers at Harvard University, Johns Hopkins and Wake Forest University. They examined specific gene variations and were able to determine that the more gene variants a man had the more likely he was to get prostate cancer. ■

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medical schools and teaching hospitals have strong ties to drug companies that could well influence medical research and doctors’ behavior, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). “There is not a single aspect of medicine in which the drug companies do not have substantial and deep relationships, affecting doctors-intraining, resident physicians, researchers, physicians-in-practice, the people who review drugs for the federal government and the people who review studies,” said researcher Eric Campbell, associate professor at the Institute for Health Policy at Harvard Medical School and lead researcher for the study. The potentials for conflicts of interest are widespread and need to be addressed, said Campbell. He and other researchers found that more than half of the department heads of medical schools and teaching hospitals have financial ties to drug companies. Some are on companies’ boards of directors; others serve as paid consultants, executive officers, paid speakers, and in other positions.

Researchers for the study examined 125 accredited medical schools in the United States and the nation’s 15 largest teaching hospitals. Sixty percent of the department heads said they were associated with drug companies in some way—most often as paid consultants. Many receive drug company payments for continuing education, research equipment, seminars, fellowships, food and beverages, and other things. About two-thirds of the department chairmen surveyed said they believe their relationships with drug companies do not affect their ability to do independent, unbiased research. But the study’s authors doubt that. “I don’t ever remember learning that the first thing you do is pass out food sponsored by the companies whose products you’re about to teach about,” said Campbell. “I believe there’s very little reasonable justification for why drug companies should be involved in the education of medical students.” He concluded that medical schools and teaching hospitals need to examine the potentials for conflicts of interest and change their policies. ■

The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 19

Laughter Is the Best Medicine A

little league coach called a 10year-old boy over and said, “Do you understand what team cooperation is?” The boy said, “Yes.” “Do you understand that you cannot cuss the umpire?” “Yes.” “Do you understand that you should not cuss me when I take you out of the game to let another boy play?” “Yes.” “Then go over there and explain all that to your grandmother.” A little boy asked his mother, “Why are wedding dresses white?” “It shows people that the woman is pure.” The boy later asked his father the same question, and the father said, “All household appliances come in white.” Those were the last words that man ever spoke. An elderly Italian man told his priest at confession: “During the war, a beautiful young woman knocked on my door and asked me to hide her in my attic.” The priest said, “There’s noting wrong with that.” “Yes, but she repaid me with sexual favors.” “That’s understandable under such conditions. If you’re truly sorry, you are forgiven.” “Good. Just one more question. Should I tell her the war is over?”

Little Carol’s birthday was coming up and she told her mother, “I want a bike for my birthday.” Her mother said, “Well, you’ve been in a lot of trouble lately. I’m not sure you deserve a bike. Why don’t you go to your room and write a letter to Jesus and explain why you deserve one.” Little Carol wrote: “Dear Jesus, I want a bike for my birthday.” Then she thought, “That’s not going to get me a bike.” She wrote another letter: “Dear Jesus, I’ve been pretty good, and I want a bike for my birthday.” She knew that was a lie; so she threw the letter away, went downstairs and told her mother she was going out to play. Instead, she went to the church down the block. It was empty. She picked up a small statue of the Virgin Mary, slipped it under her coat, and went home. In her bedroom, she wrote another letter: “Dear Jesus, I got your mama. If you want to see her again, send a bike.”

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A husband read a book titled “You Can Be the Man of Your House.” Afterwards he marched into the kitchen and told his wife, “From now on, I am the man of this house and you will do what I say. Today you will clean the house. Tonight you will bring me my beer, cook a gourmet dinner and do exactly as I say.” He continued, “And tomorrow morning, guess who is going to shave me?” She replied, “My guess would be the guy at the funeral home.” ■

MORRISON’S MEDITATIONS

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• A train can be dangerous if the engineer doesn’t give a hoot. • An exercise machine may keep you in shape, but not much better than a hoe or rake. • When choosing a doctor, where do you start? There’s a specialist for every body part. ■

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20 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Gold Fever in Early Colorado By Bill Lambdin

G

old fever did strange things to pioneers who rushed to Colorado in 1859. One young man, foolishly confident, set out across the plains with a wheelbarrow piled high with empty flour sacks to shovel his gold into. Another set out with a small wagon containing all his possessions. The little wagon was pulled by dogs. Some who had no oxen or horses rigged sails to wagons and attempted to let the wind blow them to Colorado. At first, they raced past the wagons pulled by plodding oxen, but strong gusts and dust storms soon left their wagons in splinters along the trail. One young farmer heard there was a shortage of butter in Colorado’s mining camps. On a cold January day, he loaded a wagon with butter and headed west, dreaming of all the money he would make. A sudden thaw turned his dream into a large

grease spot on the prairie. The most pathetic story involved a small group of young men who set out from Illinois in 1859. They were woefully unprepared, carrying only a few things in burlap sacks. After walking several hundred miles on the dry, dusty prairie, one of them died of exhaustion. The others, who had been without food for eight days, resorted to cannibalism. This happened two more times before the lone survivor, Daniel Blue, finally arrived in Denver. By then, he had fed on the bodies of his two dead brothers and was nearly insane. The realities of Colorado’s gold rush were much different from romantic views presented today. Trails across the plains were littered with broken wagons, dead animals and shallow graves of pioneers who didn’t make it. They died, not from Indian attacks, but from cholera, scurvy or diarrhea—bad food and water.

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A prospector in the 1800s. Colorado Historical Society. Of the estimated 150,000 who headed for Colorado in 1858-59, only about 30,000 arrived and stayed. The rest turned back on the trail or returned soon after arriving. Many were unrealistic dreamers who thought they could simply pluck gold nuggets from mountain sides, a view prompted by exaggerated newspaper reports. Horace Greeley, a responsible newspaper editor, came West to survey the scene first-hand at Colorado’s first big mining camp near Central City. “The entire population of the valley sleeps in tents or under booths of pine boughs, cooking and eating in the open air,” wrote Greeley. “I doubt there is yet a table or a chair in these diggings.” But something else contributed to the gold rush. The nation was suffering a severe

economic depression at the time. Banks had failed, factories had closed. Many people in the East had lost their jobs and homes. Those conditions prompted thousands of otherwise sensible men to join the rush. Often the smart ones arrived, saw the reality and did something else. Many became farmers and sold food to the miners. Others established businesses and made more money selling mining supplies than they could have made mining. John Gregory, whose gold strike near Central City started it all, sold his mine and hired out to prospect for others at $200 a day. He made the money he needed and went home. The farmers stayed, and agriculture eventually became the basis for Colorado’s economy. Farmers knew what belonged in flour sacks. ■

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The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 21

Remembering George Burns By Bill Lambdin

C

omedian George Burns won his first Academy Award at age 80 and played God (with John Denver) at 82. Before he died at 99, he was still in demand as a standup comic, TV performer and, as he said, “sex symbol.” When asked if he always took out young girls, he said, “No, sometimes I stay home with them.” He was surprisingly fit for a man who smoked six cigars and drank several martinis every day. When asked for his formula on health and happiness, he said: “Keep a healthy body. I take healthy bodies out to dinner regularly.” When did sex stop? “It stopped for me at three this morning,” he said. Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum in 1896 on New York’s lower east side, one of 12 children. “We were poor,” he recalled. “Rich to us was the Feinsteins. They had curtains.” He quit school after the fourth grade and started singing and dancing on street corners for nickels and dimes. He was doing a vaudeville act in 1924 when he met Gracie, the petite Irish girl who became his partner and wife for 42 years. “There was a lot more to Gracie than that funny little girl whose mind was made up, mostly by me and our writers,” said Burns. “She was a beautiful, elegant lady with real style and class. You never saw Gracie looking anything but perfect. “And she was charming,” he added. “She was also very smart— smart enough to become the dumbest woman in show business history.” He bought Gracie a $20 engagement ring. Times were hard when they first teamed up. But it was a long time before she consented to marry him. When she

did, they asked George’s good friend, Jack Benny, to give the bride away. Benny refused, saying, “I never give anything away.” George got even with Benny years later when they were in a restaurant whose owner, Dave Chasen, they both knew well. Benny said, “Let’s get Dave to pick up the check tonight.” “How can we do that?” said George. “We’re probably his best customers,” said Benny. “After dinner, I’ll say, ‘Dave, if you let George pay this check, I’m never coming in here again.’ Then you say, ‘If Jack pays this check, I won’t come here again.’ Dave will say, ‘Fellas, stop fighting.’ And he will pick up the check.” George agreed to go along. Benny called Dave over and said, “If you let George pay this check, I’m never coming in her again.” Then Benny looked at George, who took a long puff of his cigar. “I looked at Dave and smiled,” said George. “I never said a word.” George also remembered Gracie’s 1940 presidential campaign, a publicity stunt that took them through Colorado and most other states. Franklin Roosevelt ran on the Democratic ticket; Wendell Wilke on the Republican ticket. Gracie ran on the Surprise Party ticket. They had great fun. Gracie said if elected she would refuse to eradicate the national debt. “It’s the biggest in the world, and we should be proud of it,” she quipped. Speaking from their campaign train at Greeley, Colorado, Gracie said, “As I look around and see all these trusting and believing faces shining up at me with love and respect, tears come to my eyes. Do you know why? My girdle is killing me!” She advocated bigger farms “so asparagus can grow lying down.” She promised to “provide old age for people with pensions.” She

George Burns was still performing in his 90s and won an Oscar at age 80. Photo Maturity News Service. called for more women in Congress “because everyone knows that a woman is much better than a man when it comes to introducing bills in the house.” Gracie concluded with, “I never stole a nickel in my life. All I ask is a chance.” She retired in 1958 and died of a heart attack in 1964. George continued to perform in clubs but didn’t make his real comeback until 1975 when he won an Oscar for his role in Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys.” In 1977 he starred with John Denver in “Oh, God” and in 1980 launched a new career as a singer

with “I Wish I Was 18 Again.” Only George Burns could get by with singing country music in a New York accent. Later he kept busy with TV and night club performances. He also wrote seven books, the last one being “Gracie, A Love Story,” about his life with the woman he would never forget. He recalled: “Gracie and I had a wonderful life and a wonderful marriage. Sex was part of it, but not the major part. I have to be honest. I was a lousy lover. Fortunately, Gracie married me for laughs, not sex. Of course, she got both of them— when we had sex, she laughed.” ■

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22 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

Your Questions About Investing By Scott Burns Financial Writer Q: I am 66, have made some money and am a saver/investor. I have experienced all kinds of things contrary to my future. My big brokerage firm person put me in a government fund that I now find out is poorly rated. My other big broker churned my daughter’s accounts, causing a tax

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problem for no reason. My discount broker gave me a bad recommendation on a REIT without doing any research. The bank charges 1.5 percent to manage money. If I am going to be conservative, expecting 5 percent returns, a 1.5 percent fee is 30 percent of my income. In my 66 years I have learned to buy mutual funds from Vanguard or Fidelity, Treasury bills and notes from Treasury Direct.gov, bonds from a discount broker, and CDs from credit unions. I feel like guiding a younger person to these sources would be a good thing, but then I am not a financial adviser. So where do you find a financial adviser that charges by the hour? How do you find an adviser that is motivated entirely by an hourly charge, not commissions? I would like to find sources to pass on to my wife, children, employees and other interested parties. A: When the major brokerage houses look for new talent, their first priority is not to find people with experience in accounting, engineering or some field that might give them a knowledge base for financial advice. They look for people with prior sales experience because that’s what the conventional brokerage business is all about. Worse, the only way that salesperson can make a living is by moving your money from one product to another, generating commissions. A typical wirehouse broker generates about $500,000 in revenue each year and takes home a bit under $200,000. Needless to say, generating that amount of revenue requires moving a lot of money. The alternative you seek is an

organization called the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. They work on a fee-only basis, charging by the hour to give advice. They may also charge as a percentage of assets managed for portfolio management services. Go to its Web site, www.napfa.org, click on “Find a Planner” toward the bottom of the home page, and you can fill out a

form that will generate a list of NAPFA members in your area. I’ve gone to a few of this group’s conferences and know some members. They’re serious students of personal finance who take the word “fiduciary” very seriously. Brokers and other sales representatives, by definition, aren’t fiduciaries because they work for their firm. They don’t work for you. ■

Survey of Baby Boomers

T

he baby boomers who are now age 62 earn on average $71,000 a year, have a net worth of $258,000, and do not believe they will be “old” until they reach age 78. That’s what 1,000 Americans born in 1946 recently told interviewers at GFK Custom Research. The average value of the boomers’ homes is $300,000, and nearly 90 percent of them own their homes. About 25 percent say they plan to move to another area when

they retire. Nearly 50 percent are covered by a defined benefit retirement plan. Half have a 401K, and half have an IRA. Nearly 40 percent say they own stocks and mutual funds. About one-third will draw Social Security at age 62; another one-third say they will wait until age 65. This age group includes Dolly Parton, Bill Clinton and Sally Field. But they were not survey participants. ■

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The Senior Voice • February 2008 • 23

Uncooperative Scientists

M

ost medical scientists refuse to share their research data with other scientists, and that sometimes inhibits the development of new medicines or treatments that could save lives. That’s the conclusion of researcher Andrew Vickers with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. In a New York Times essay, he said scientists often refuse to share data because they don’t want someone to question their conclusions or inter-

pret their data in a different way. They are more concerned with their own status and career than with advancing science that could help people. Even some government scientists, supported by taxpayers, refuse to share data. Some don’t want to deal with the red tape of sharing information. Others simply don’t want to take the trouble, said Vickers. One survey showed that 75 percent of scientists refuse to share data. ■

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Questionable Test Results

D

rug makers can hide studies that show negative results for their medicines, and that misleads consumers, doctors and regulators. At least that’s what happened in the case of the antidepressants Prozac and Paxil, says a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug makers did not report about a third of the trials they did to gain FDA approval. Those one third showed the drugs to be less effective

than the companies were able to claim by selecting only positive trials. “It’s a problem we’ve been struggling with for years,” said FDA official Dr. Thomas Laughren. Former FDA researcher Dr. Erick H. Turner said the problem prompts doctors and patients to ask, “How come these drugs seem to work so well in all these studies, and I’m not getting that response?” ■

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24 • February 2008 • The Senior Voice

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