Ghost Town Adventure

by Rutherford G. Montgomery

"Is Ruby a town?"

"It's a ghost town," the ranger explained.

Its only inhabitant is white-bearded Mayor Abe Winters--until a rock slide and broken piston rod add the hard-up Deans--Dad, Tom, Betty, and Chuck.

How they revive Ruby, foil real estate sharpsters, and lure tourists with fishing, flapjacks, and gold dust is a ghost-town adventure. Another Rutherford Montgomery story--fun and romance.

Genres: Young Adult

187 pages

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Rutherford George Montgomery
Also published as Everitt Proctor, Al Avery, Art Elder, A.A. Avery and E.P. Marshall.

Montgomery was born in Straubville, Sargent County, North Dakota, "a true ghost town" as of 2005. to George Y. and Matilda Proctor Montgomery. He studied at Colorado Agricultural College, Western State College of Colorado, and University of Nebraska; taught elementary school in Hot Springs, Wyoming; and from 1917 to 1919 served in the United States Air Corps. During the 1920s, he worked as a teacher and principal at junior and senior high schools in Montrose County, Colorado.

Montgomery married Eunice Opal Kirks in 1930; they had three children. He served Gunnison County, Colorado, as a judge from 1931 to 1936 and as county commissioner from 1932 to 1938, then became a freelance writer.

While still at school, Montgomery began writing stories about the wild animals that lived around his family's farm. He went on to write books about aviation and the people, landscapes and animals of the American West, particularly horses. In all, he wrote more than 100 books.

From 1941 to 1946, Montgomery was a writer for Dick Tracy. He worked as a creative writing teacher 1955–57 and as a scriptwriter for Walt Disney Studios 1958–1962.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Carrie]

This just seemed like a fun read, so I picked it up cheap while living in Massachusetts. I didn't read it until I moved to Southern Colorado, and boy was I surprised to find out the ghost town in the book was in part of the Sangre de Christo mountain range, the same range we live among now! For anyone wanting to get a good idea of the area as it was in the Forties (and really still is), this is a well written book. And just plain fun.

[Wendy]

Fun and interesting when I was a kid, freaking hilarious as an adult.

[Judy]

3.4

re: the cover
Young Betty is only 13 years old, but a very capable youngster. The cover art is deceiving -- she looks to be more like 16, and the back cover promises 'romance.' I most certainly hope they weren't referring to Betty ... perhaps to the older cook???

Anyone who isn't a fan of old cars should skim the first several pages.

The ghost town (which apparently is holding up quite well) is located just downslope from pika territory - one of my favorite ecosystems.

Several mistakes wrt plants/trees/animals of the area.

A 16 year old gal sets off on a burro ride with white slacks! And she sits on an old fallen log and rusty railroad rails. She slides down the 'smooth side' of a boulder, and settles down among damp spruce needles. Nothing is said about the appearance of her clothes when they make it back to town.

[qoheleth]

This was a very enjoyable story. I cared about the characters, and the locations were described well without being overdone. There was a bit of a conflict, but with a satisfactory ending.

I will keep my eyes open for other books by this author.

[Jeremy]

This was a fun little read. The characters were well defined and the setting was described in such detail that I could easily imagine what everything looked like.
There wasn't really any danger or drama, but that makes the story all the more charming.

[Jen]

This was a cute book. I was taken aback by the ranger openly flirting with thirteen-year-old Betty, though. They didn't specify his exact age but he was probably in his early 20s.

[Brian]

Very good story, the writer could have gone further with the story.

[Rodney Haydon]

I have been meaning to read this one for quite awhile, and finally pulled it off the shelf and started reading. A fun adventure set in a Colorado ghost town.