w.» :31er ‘1! PW, lint. . ,. IMP,» . tun/z. m r4 . . , ‘ ,3???“ .J 44¢ BOUND BY THE BAYLOR UNIVERSITY PRESS WACO, TEXAS . H U, i afiwflsfivxfl ska. I, a, i... 05L 5, H») u ,2 ‘ to cover 4 THE ROMANCE O F , i 'GROWING é A Bout IN TEXAS. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETGHES OF HIS EARLY LIFE AS A BOY. To be complete in three volumes. J.D. Aldredga. Pastor, Central Baptist Church, Jacksonville, TeXas. 1925. , MULTIGRAPH PRINT, PASTOR 8 STUDY' THE AUTHOR it gig C O N T E N T 8,7 Chapters Fore word 1, Recollections of earlie childhood, &home life, 2 Childhood characteristics, 5, Distressing incidents, 4, Pets, ponies and predicaments, 5. Show day experiences, 6, Boyhood work and play,. 7, Fishing, fun and frights, 8, Pleasant happenings, 9, Boyhood’s achievements and failures, 10, Meeting place of the ends of the earth, 11, Running the gauntlet, Page, 6, st 11, 52, 91, 125, 165, 191, 215. l 255. 256. 283. g 510. i J \ . 1 u. ( ) a K SEQRE WQRD 'EVEEY BOY AND GIRL desires to know the expereenoee that other hoye and girls have had. They oft“ en wonder if their own childhood expe rlen* e are peculiar to them— selves, or if ether children he— fere them under normal or abnormal entitione had like experiences with themeelvee. A Thet' this is true ie evideneed by the fact that [meet hays and girls have a shed old~ er ones again and again, to "tell some storiee about wh.en you were a little hey or pl{3"g ‘As this is true .of smaller Children, it is true eleo of hays and girls in their “’*eeno 1 And they ale 0 are eager to hear the story experien— ces of others , elder when they were pee” ng thr u Childhood days. 7 THE author has observed that the normal child wants to hear the simple story just as it hap— pened,without imbelishment preach- ment, or moral comment. He has read many biographies also, with the usual feeling that the things of most interest to others are left out. Such biographies are usually of individuals who have ' attained success in life, and the narrations are given only in suf— ficient detail to show how these successes were realized, as step by step the upward climb was made. And, most of the real life’s ex— periences, those most interesting to the enquiring mind are omitted. This narration, on the other hand is not written to show any successes. The writer lays no claim to any such merit. He has lived an humble, but variegated and checkered life, and felt that to relate it might, console, and .encourage others in life’s toils. IN writing out these narrations, therefore, from memory there has been just one purpose, in the wrié ter’s mind, and that is to record 8M;THE ROMANCE or the simple experiences of his life just as near as possible, as they were. and the hope is, that-these experiences simply but truthfully told, may he, not only interesting but helpful to other boys and girls who are like—wise having struggles somewhere along the rug- ged steeps in the experiences of life. To many readers, the incidents recorded here may seem commonplace & the author is keenly aware that the “ereonel element is of necessi ty prominent throughout the book. He wishes, therefore, that the, story could have been sent forth, without this element of"Ego" in it but lacked the genius, as a writer to clothe it in any other form ex— cept as it actually happened ,to him. In many instances no doubt the language and expression will appear common and trite. But the purpose has been to remain true to colloquial atmOSphere, and give each eXpression its time associa- tion and be true to local cast. To me the "Romance of growing a boy” is interesting indeed,and the G R O W I N G A B O Y 9 Stories here are not fictitious but true. It is not a diary nor is it chronolOgical, but the events have been grouped together,’ so as to somewhat fall under the several echapter heads. The author is keen~ H; g; ‘fly aware, however, that in many instances the arrangement form and expression could be greatly im— proved. Many of the expressions of boy "lingo" -have been placed in quotations,to make them stand out. "MY life story" is intended to be completed in three volumes. This first venture, "The Romance of growing a boy", will carry the story through ten, or a dozen years. The second volume, "The trail one boy has travelled" will deal .with adolescence and older‘ boyhood, This to be followed by "experiences of a young preacher 'in Texas". IN sending this first volume forth, it is hoped that it will 'not only be read by boys and girls but be of interest, also, to par— ents who have had like experien— ces of hardships and mingled joys, 10 which Would be more appropriate for a volume than the eteries here in related, but who shrink from the criticism which a volume of this kind may justly deserve. But it is hoped that some boy or girl_ with, a seeming .poor chance,who feels that because of adversity there is no hOpe ahead, may read of my little life of similar dis— couragements, and take courage. IT is the hope also, that boys and girls better favored with ad- vantages than the author, of this volume, will read it and determine to better improve on their life’s chances, than the subject of this sketch has done. May parents who. long to enter more fully into the lives of their children, by these simple, but true stories of one growing boy, be helped. If any thing in these lines, or between the lines, can help one such child or parent to better meet a single problem of life, the author will feel fully repaid. Yours in comradeship, J,D, Aldredge, C H A P T E R I. RECOLLECTIONS OF EARLIEST HOME LIFE: IN an old fashioned "colonial" house, built' by slave carpenters in the outskirts of Pittsburg in Camp county, north east Texas, on September, 15,th 1885,' the writer’ and subject of these sketches, was born. As is usually the case, it ghas been repeated to him that he was a very "likely" chap, "fine, 5plump, and fat", the'youngest of six Children. At the time this story begins, my parents had just moved to Pittsburg from the coun~ try near by. My father was a lum— berman and trader, and as a trader . moved frequently. He had at this time traded a milling and lumber interests for ‘sub—ur—ban property in the south part of the town. He had kept his comissary sup— plies,secured a store building and' 12 and expected to enter the mercan- tile business. While this was in preparation, a number of his friends had planned a deer hunt on Sulphur river, some fifty miles a way. He joined the party, but af~ ter several days outing came back home severely ill with pneumonia, and died within a week. I was then cnly fifteen months old, and of course,have no person— al knowledge or memory of either my father or of these early events but write them from the oft. re— peated statements of others, as they were related in my hearing long ago. My earliest recollec— tions therefore, are connected with the hardships of my widowed mother, struggling to "keep the wolf from the door",as she toiled and managed for the support of her family. There had been born into the home, six boys; Frank, Dawson, Nathan,George,John & myself. These -are all old family names, while two of them happen to be Bible names they have been in our family for a long time. “3,. ~, \_.- r: _ gen?‘ ‘13 MY own name is Joseph David. Be— ing Bible names they might seem to indicate that my-parents intended to start me off right at least. But I was named for _two uncles: Joe W. Hill my- mother’s brother and David Aldredge, my. father’s only full brother. My mother’s el— dest child, Frank had died at the age of three years, and little George died at about six months. So my mother was left with four children to support at my father’s death. ‘ Soon after his death my mother learned with great grief that his business had been left in a very unsettled state. The trades that had been made,just before his hunt ing trip,sickness and sudden death had not, been completed. He had traded a saw mill and equipment, for a small acreage in the edge of town. He had turned over the mill teams, timber and other supplies to the parties on verbal agreement but no transfer of deeds had been made for the land in town which 'he was to receive. He expected ' no doubt, that this could be very 14 easily arranged on his return from the hunt. ON his return, however, he was too eirk to think much of busineee, and as ie so often the eeee with the eer“ieuely sick, he nor fly mother beev that the end, was so veVy nee1"¢ He rarely men— ticaed the m“bb6i8 to her by way of regret that he ea Sick, not able to complete his fairs and open his ete . My mother wee one ef tLeee duti* fut neatie.QU enG. wee ma ew efi be M fl(he ewe "dildren (1,17: 111121 1 ,1. .1.» ' due iELU e)tkrue bUElflGbr &ii&lrfi 0 1th home duties children and a sick die not eeek to trieeeiee 0f the made” She cense].ed the tho1nie that if eijtla cczne all Parties CJBQL 1 $9 “0363? end up— rigfit, &9 were the promptingfi al* urya, Ci her ewe deer hearte But not 30, for with the pang of sor~ row that erfl«, in the death of her dear commenien and provider 15 with a myniad of new reSponsibili— ties, in the full care and support of her family, there came also that shook which always comes in the loss of confidence in friends who have betrayed. Some of these neighbors and townsmen entered claims of cash considerations on the trades that had been made, of which mother knew nothing, and which she could not meet. That which had been her husband’s & by right was hers was gone.That which she thought was hers in exchange had not been legally transferred. That which could have been clear— ed up in one brief evening by a living husband, could not be ex— plained at all, to her relief and peace, with her husband’s lips forever sealed in death.L The counsel of a sympathetic Lawyer was sought. The matter was gone in—to thoroughly. He advis— ed that her cause was just, and that in the end she might gain what was rightfully hers, by. a suit, but legal questions were in- volved whereby she might be loser N l. m .‘1 ,. ‘: 5i J} \. w 16 'in the end. Or if she gained, it would cost her in the long run, as much as to buy outright. A compro— mise was accordingly effected. The deeds were made to my mother, mrs. E.B. Aldredge and her heirs. Notes were made for five or six hundred dollars, after all other effects of goods were counted. This indebtedness was not a great sum,to any one accustomed to busi— ness dealings, in any ordinary time. But those were days when 'cotton sold for three and four cents per. pound. A man’s daily work brought many times, less than 'fifty cents. Men Were idle every— where, and many a strong man of the north and east, had given up, in the face of such financial stringencies, and un—employed in droves, pairs and singly were tramping and begging. It was a daily sight to see these tramps and- beggars, which but reveals the financial conditions of the times. This overhanging debt on my sorrowing mother, was there fore, an over—whelming burden. men,» .‘yw."k\‘-‘~ufin¢ . em,“ ,, A “We- . A . - v-wwwc ex ”A "EARLY‘ HOME “LIFE f 17 'I do not know whether I remember xi’thoss'visits~of-the lawyer drfinot, ,s'as he helped my mether toJ attempt ‘=-to straighten out her businesséaf— fairs. I suppose not; ,bUE these ~J'prob-lems wEre so often’repeatsdv in my ‘ presence during- ‘these 0 years of my early memery peried, that it seems that I do recall the ,3 whofle transaction;'” 'I 9d04'know “” that as a young boy, I looked Wihh ,.high regard .on' the kindly ~and ' ' ‘stately gentleman-of the Law“who befriended my mother in hér'time of great need. I knew the menialfl so Who here of the opposition in the controversy, but mother’s kind ness of heart and forgiving Spirit led her to guard well her growing b0ys.and the cultivation of their ’Characters, and we were never al— lowed to'speak evilly or express "ill will for them or any one, but 'she.had to remind us many times of '“WhatVthe goed book"said; when father died, mother'was all ‘undone and as one lost. 'She rfelt as if she oeuld not go back to her home of poverty and litigatidh and stay alone With her small children 18 EARLY‘ HOME LIFE Be on the first night' following his funeral in the afternoon, she took her baby in her arms and with her other three small children at her side, went to one of the near~ est neighboring homes, expecting to spend the night. That awful first night of her ‘long lonely widowhood. Weeping, she told her neighbor' friend, a dear good woman, herself .e widow, her heart’s fears, and there—upon receved the ehock of? her life. It was advice ‘however that caused her to set her face a-gainst fear, sorrow and adversi- ty, and to live for her children, to eucceed by the help of God, When mother had made known her desire to spend the night. This good woman, experienced in busi— ness, and schooled in some of the. 'hardehips and disappointment: of life,promptly, but very kindly re~ plied, "Jennie, et.home with your children is the place for you". "Your life and your children’s fu~ ture are before you. You must be brave, begin that bravery to— night, God will protect you"._ a r? EARLY HOME LIFE 19 Go back to your own little, home ‘ and do not allow anything to drive you away from it". My. mother was in "sobs" and I have seen the tear drops on her cheeks many a time, as she related the heart quakings that came to her as-those words fell from her lips. But she always thanked God for them, for in that little walk back home and through the long "vigils" of that night, while her little flock slept, she found anew companionship with God. A resolution incomparable was made,a determination unimpeachable was reached,and a faith unsurpas‘s—~ ed on land-Or sea sprang up in her soul. Ever after this first ex— perience she pressed onward in her firm resolve to follow out her friend’s advice, believing that God would takE care of her and her childrEn. AND HE DID. Almost all’a woman was able to do for a livlihood in those days was 'by sewing. So at once she made known her plans to the pub— lic and appliEd herself to sewing. 2‘0 EARLY HOME: tire SHE ,had grown up in those days when all sewing was done, had to be done with the fingers. Her own dresses and her first babies’dress es were thus made. I have seen her silk wedding dress, and those, treasured little "mementoes" which were worn by her first children. _ They had row on row of the most delicate little "tucks", extending all the way from top to bottom, and they were "long". There were more than a hundred of these rows ’extending all the way around. She also had a little silken baby hood or bonnet made after the same careful fashion. I think all of her babies wore the hood and the little dress, on special occasions as the years went by, and the work manship was accorded the prize on a number of occasions at county fairs and other exhibitions. Her early training, thus, made her a careful seamstress, so with this experience, and the help of her old fashioned "singer" sewing machine, she became an artist in sewing. Some of my earliest Ex. ( > EARLY HOME LIFE '21 recollections are of the -tables beds and chairs of our home being "piled up" with all sorts of dress ,patterns of variegated colors. I lived in the atmosphere of dress making talk and became familiar with the names, and; changes of names, of those articles of wom— 'an’s wear that are usually so puz— zling to masculines, 'and I knew children’s wear to perfection. School dresses house dresses, Sun— day and every—day wear, under and outer garments ’oostumes for mass querade; 'dresses. for the little folks at home, cloaks and coats, dresses for college girl away from home,sweet girl graduating oostum~ . es and also wedding gowns galore. There were sometimes, also bloom~ ers and knicker—bockers for the Small boys,and working clothes for men. IN the winter, mother also quilt— ed and in the summer she panned considerable fruit. Thus sewing, coqking, canning, and quilting, day in and day out that dear,frail but undauntedly Courageous mother of mine toiled on, and if ever 22 . EARLY HOME LIFE cQuragepus.mother of mine, toiled 'on, and if. ever ~at allgthere was ”an idea of giving up, those words of her friend came back to her; "Jennie, go back to your home your .life, and your children’s, future ‘are before youfi, AS I“ recall it now across the expanse- of more than thirty five years, I can real- ize more than eVer what a battle on r.dear mother had; with more work than she was able to do and the very little financial help thel older boys could render, it was hard to keep the family fed and ’clothed. And all the While that overhanging debt "haunted" her. Her pay at best was small; fifty or seventy five cents per. day and perhaps by working _far into the night, she could earn as much as one dollar 7 7 _ ,_; AS our elder brother, Dawson be— gan to get old enough to do out side work, he acquired some of the trading "traits" of our father. Mother had reserved one small pony icolt which was soon large enough “to work. This fine blooded colt kept from the trades had been care EARLY HOME ,LIFE 23 fully reared. He was the "idol"of big brother’ 5 heart, and yin fact had a "big" 'place' in all oUr hearts, as we each 'became old e— nough to appreciate him. ‘Mother looked on him almost as one of the family and indeed to all of us he was a family pet. He was-kind and "gentle", and many times all of us little fellows were on ~hie back at the same time. Thus when any of the children drove him aWay mother felt sure that "Pony", (the only name he ever knew), ;would bring us safely back. w -» 'Daweon and pony grew up together. That is, both grew old enough to wwork ‘"a_little"7.about the 'eame time. Mother secured a light wag— on, and Dawson 'did light hauling for the "public". .It« wae‘ in the days of livery etablee,i and many trips were made into the country and neighboring towns by travel— ihg men in buggies. A buggy wae se ”cured and with pony as the “motive power,many tripe were made,by Daw— son, which was some financial aid. ~up a considerable trade in the hon 24 EARLY HOME LIFE This was some financial assist ance but the"public" life required better clothes for Dawson and not much was gained thereby, in net earnings. In the spring—time a small corn crop and melon patch was usually planted. The corn for "pony’s food and bread for the fam ily,while the melons and many ear~ ly roasting ears were sold about town. After all theSe home—grown melons were sold, Dawson would buy from farm wagons and"peddle them out" street by street and from house to house. He would very' often go to the country, also, and buy loads of them from the farmers in the field. As we other boys grew to be old enough , we, each had our turn at this sort of"traf— fic", also, and "old pony" was our common "stand—by", in all those struggling, happy hardship years. Mother’s resourcefulness was fur ther manifest in her learning to make bonnets. In this line of work she became very skillful,and built net business. These were the days? ’ when a woman was the proud.possess% fl; ”.3; EARLY HOME LIFE 25 or of one hat. She wore it usually for Sunday and 'special occasions throughout the whole year. Or per~ haps she would have two; one for summer and one for winter, which , would alternate with each other for several years, as the seasons came and went. IT was decidedly before the day when styles changed with the regularity of the moon, or "oftener". . AND it was not necessary for a "woman’s bazaar" or milliner’s . shop to occupy every principal corner in the town. The women wore *bcnnets for week—day wear and many in fact wore them on Sundays. They were made in all shapes, sha—' des, and colors,v and style variaw tions were as common for bonnets then, as they are for women’s hat shapes, now. My mother became expert in bonnet making, and designing. VSoon, the people came‘ to her, not only'from her own town and community, but from all the country around, and from neighboring towns. 26 EARLY HOME 'LIFE Gradually she left off her sewing" ifi'general", and devoted ~her time to making b0nnets.' she usually bought the goods herself and sold- them making some profit in, addi— tion to what she could earn, 'at dress making. ” In several years of suCh work 'sevéral payments were made on the land notes, for mother never never for one day let that"burden" slip her mind. she worked with two? paramount objects by day,and pray— ed for two things at even—tide, then dreamed-of them in her rest- less sleep. One of those things was to "raise" her boys to be hon— est, industrious and honorable and the other was to "some day" 'Clear off all she' owed and face ,che world "a fnee woman", ‘Scarcely a day "rolled over our heads" but that we were reminded that we must be frugal, careful, . saving and :thrifty to help our . dear mother to "keep the wolf from the door" and pay her obligations as they came due. ' EARLY HOME LIFEl 27 BUT with four ever hungry mouths anf growing boys to satisfy.with food and their "scampering, boist— erous" bodies to clothe, and their tough scrambling feet to shoe. _ This besides all the natural ac cruments of expense -incidental to “da family’s ,upekeep, together with taxes,even then considered "heavy" and with necessary improvements of home and "premises",it was very much of an,¥up hill job". Many a time has my poor mother sobbed out her heart, as payments came due. Some times these were with compounded interest, when be— cause of sickness and other "set~ backs" she had failed to meet for— mer payments. Then too, because of former dif— .fisulties, she lost confidence in others and "feared" at all times that some inhuman turn might be made in which she would be caught in the "toils" ‘of some shark and a foreclosure ensue,& lose all she ‘had paid & hoped to gain; But more kindly friends finally bought the notes and no foreclosure ever came IT is no great wonder therefore, 28 EARLY HOME LIFE at this time, that mother’s health failed. Her eldest sister had died, too, leaving three boys and they came now to live with us. Mother had never been a strong woman, for when but a girl, she had had a spell of menengitis, ,which left her almost an invalid for life. But she was always a woman of great courage and will power. But her tasks, now, on her physical strength and nerves,' in running the old fashioned ,sewing machine day and night would be e— nough to "kill a strong person". However, mother’s managing abil— ity came out again and necessity proved "the mother of invention", as she put us boys behind the ma— chine, to propell it. I was not more than four years old at this time. I was so young that I can scarcely remember when this kind of work 'began, but it became the duty of brother John and myself to keep the machine go— ing. We sat on our knees behind the machine and propelled it by pushing the wooden connecting rod 9" fish: ‘ EARLY HOME LIFE . 29 which connects the foot rest to the propelling wheel. This enabled mother to go on with her sewing and saved her vbody from ‘ that strain which results in women con— tinuous "nerve wracking" from the working of the feet. AS well as I can recall, this discovery was made about the time brother John was old enough to"start to school" He is four years older than I, and beginning school at eight would make me about four years old at this time. This whole circumstance threw a rather heavy responsibility on my young shoulders,for all this 'pro— [pelling work at the machine fell to me. The other 'boys would re— lieve me some when they came from. school each evening. I was doubly glad therefore, when they "arrived on the scene" for I could then ac— tually "run out in the yard and play". HoWever this relief was not very constant for they had, other "jobs". Dawson and Nathan usually had some "little Jobs" to do for , . -> —e—-, 50 EARLY HOME LIFE. other_people after school. Or as boys will do, even if they did not haVe the "jobs", they were out un— til nightfall and could easily "get by" by telling mother they were working or looking for a jobr AT an early age, brother John was taught how to cook, and it was his daily ,task ‘on coming from school to get about —the prepara tion of the evening meal. Mother assisted with breakfast, each one doing his part of morning chores, and as I recall them, they were many and "irksome". But OH! they were blessed days, and ,my eyes "welllup" with tears now, as I re- call them in silent ~ meditation. I sometimes wish that those days could be lived over again, and that we boys could some—how be made to realize what a wonderful. mother we had. But we did’nt know; the wondd did’nt know, nobody knew but her God. He knew all about it, and He gave her strength and for- titude for every ordeal and task. EARLY ROM! LIFE 31 OUR brother Dawson was "the man about the place." mother looked to him and believed in him thoroughly and in those early years he wee I wonderfully "steady" studious end industrious" boy,end was obedient to our mother. I do not remember much about the part the second brother, Nathan, played, about tho place while he was there. (I‘Buls' pect "played" is right). ' . But he is related in another chapter, he, about this time, went to Georgia to liver with an hunt, our mother’s youngest sister."’ John was the cook end_milk man, and as the "years came on", I be- same "house maid"; bed maker,floor sweeper, dish washer, and "general flunkey" for the rest of the ’fem- 11y, and "seamsteréin-chief"e . But let no one think for "e mo— ment, that these arrangementl were "ideal", Or that we fitted ln-ta those tasks like smooth running as chinery "oiled and.greased"; or like the silent movement of 9 lil- very stream. For we were Juit nor- mal boys, often 'better said;_lub- Inormal, "plus, or stub" norme14n' ‘37- < ‘ 7 _‘:;_: 3;? ,1. ir' -‘.' "' . 52 LEKRLY ”HOME LIFE vSome times; there were. eLubborn fits on the part of Lindividual -_"young .Amerieens” that would: put ILhe preveroiel ”government,.mule" :rLo :ehame, and all‘of Lhie was. an :added strain on our dear mother’s heefiL and fierveeL But she was the ;'miereee. f her home, and she rul— .,ed like a Queen of SLeLe. \ Our daily duLiee were-performed under. coaxinge and pereneeions of fiverieue;kinde,l.gentle and other— Iwiee;r.duty well performed was a1— weye rewarded wiLh encouragement and duty unper formed Liy ewie .e re— "LoeiVed 1Le"jueL recompense"; ‘For' Ireguler Leeke,eueh as John’e 000k— 111g emfl my regular work.eL‘Lhe ma— Loh1v éeoh had his small weekly '"eL1pendf,ee did Lhe \older broLh— ~ere have‘ e perL of all Lhey earn— :ed; tEuL Lhe emounL wee small "and ;even Lhen,feez mother 'ofLen'said, .Lwee "noL Lo be epenL foolishly", A :Lth and - Limee "nb"° But we were ~LaughL_LheLLw1th our savings, we wwere e'Lo‘buy'our'cloLhes, books and ‘eueh oLher"Lhi figs as we were com~ pelled:Lo heVe, eno nothing more. :s:«A-_.A.n EARLY HOME LIFE 53 Mother had us to know that she could not meet all these things, and pay "land notes" too. So we learned early the genius of self preservation,and were usually anx~ ious to work, to supply our own simple needs. We came to know that whatever we had, we must be willing to work for it, and should never expect a "hand~out",from any one, We were never disappointed in this, for no handouts ever came our way. But in it all, our dear mother could not have taught us a greater lesson than that of being"se1f.supporting"and will: ing to work for what we desired, rather than to wait 'for any one else,even our mother to provide it fer us. Thus day by day the chores were done, the tasks were performed by all, and the shuttle of the "01d Singer" flew, at the other end of my slender tired muscles. ' Some times with a picture book down be~ fore me or my little letter book, trying to "decipher" my "a,b,c,s", between spells'of stitching and ruffling,I would grow inattentive, s4 EARLY HOME Line and when my mother's hand would start the little wheel at the top, I would fail to get the swing and momentum of the machine and would often turn the whole process back» warde. This would generally break the threads, and cause a coneider~ able loss of time. Mother was us— ually "gentle", and I would be kindly rcminded,or reprimanded for my negligence. ' I was often told that no one would ever want to hire a boy who did not "attend to business". Then if it should hap— pen again the rebuke was a little more severe. But if it dared to happen repeatedly,my mother’s kin~ ship with her Irish grand~parente was immediately, evident, and some times the "handle end of the ecis~ sore" were brought in contact with my "abeent minded" head, over the. top of the machine, and I would "wake up" to find my mother’s hand eternly gripping the pointed end. THE plot of ground we owned was close to town.It was open,and very level, and invariably was ueed by showe"when a circus came to town". EARLY HOME LIFE IT came to be known therefore, through the years as "the s ground", especially that part it, which lay directly in front of our home, It contained about four or five aores of level ground and was beautifully adapted to large show tents. My mother always re~ ceived a small compensation; from ten. to twenty dollars, for these priviledges, and in addition to this, some ten or a dozen compli- mentary tickets for the show. WE boys used to think that we were quite popular,with show tick~ ets at our disposal. We sold some of them but our chiefest delight was to give some of them to people whom we knew would not otherwise be able to go. We were delighted indeed with this little bit of philanthropy, and like the saying 'of the negro, of which the reader has no doubt heard; "we did our~ selves much proud". . While we boys were happy from this point of View, we also got great‘ satisfaction and pleasure out of the circus, itself, for we were just normal boys. But mother' <.. _;~‘~‘ :56 ~ EARLY HOME LIFE always rejoiced from another view point; These incomes from the show priviledges,were the ,biggest sin— gle uplifts" she had, during the whole year. And several of such, during one seasOn, would help her .greatly, in a financial way, to "make ends meet". MY mother’s business Judgment may be seen further, in the fact, that she did not give the show people "exclusive rights", to the .grounds. But she reserved the right to rent "stand priviledges", to others. She would also, imme- diately lay in a supply of bonnet goods, and with these materials, she would make up dozens of bon~ nets. These were made in all sorts of colors, sizes, shapes and sha— des, for women and children, young and oldl Our walls were soon hung with variegated assortment of "stock and trade", and my first little "examples" or problems in practical arithmetic, was in fig— uring up the amount of money that should be received for the bonnets "on hand" when they were sold. AS I grew older I learned to _g_;...'s‘.i>~;‘-: .:r"' - a L: 753‘ EARLY HOME .LIFE 37 run the machine myself. I could not sit in a chair,and at the same time "pedal" and guide the seams, but I could stand on one foot,ped— a1 with the other, and "sew like a streak". In this position I' have hemmed yard after yard of all kinds of bonnet strings. I wonld be afraid to venture a guess at how many miles in length those strings would reach if turned and to end and stretched out. This was before the days of so nu ,merous attachments, for machines, ‘ and mother had very few of such helps with her old machine,such as are now common for "fancy stitch— ing" hemming, tucking, etc. ‘ Each bonnet string had to be giv en a double turn on the edge, all the way around, with the fingers, and "creased" in the hand,to make it hold its shape until stitched. These strings were thus turned down on both edges and some of the strings were more than three feet in length, with four of them to each bonnet. Two to draw it in shape in the back, and two to tie under the chin to hold it in place 58 ' EARLY‘ HOME LIFE when being worn. These were made long enough to form a decorative bow about the neck wnen tied. Then all around the bonnet’s head piece or "crown",was a double ruf~ fle,Which was made after the same fashion, and sometimes these con~ tinued all the way round forming a sort of "skirt" to make the bonnet complete, When some of these "gethered ruffles" were 'etraight ened out they would measure ten or twelve feet in length. 80 on many of the bonnets "we made"there were twen—ty or _twenty—five feet of string and ruffle: which had to be stitched on both sides, These, I would "run through" the sewing mam chinsS as mother turned the edges down with her fingers” And I very. often remarked that those bonnets certainly had "some ruffles". I also learned, after a great while to "quilt the bonnet tops” or head pieces.: These. were made by cutting out the top piece which was the same color as the rest of the goodsi and a lining to match? or of different colored material imam-A i - .l “A“ EARLY HOME LIFE 59 then several layers of stiffened goods "crinoline Or wiggin"was put in, between. This was then stitche ed back and forth, in squares,dia~ mond shapes, Cries cross, and cir— cles, with sometimes various "flow ered" designs of stitching. I felt very proud of myself,when I had learned to do this work and I am very sure my mother was also, for it helped to turn out more work. It kept her busy with cut— ting, planning,and doing the light er work, preparatory for the ma— chine. I was glad for her, & I was proud also, because it increased my little weekly stipend, some— what. ' I thus,. really became a little "wage earner" before I was six ,years old. Not, a piddling "job— worker", but one with a daily reg—~ ular employment. As a toiler then behind my mother’s sewing machine and also as its chief operator, while yet "in dresses", I learned ,some valuable lessons on life’s responsibilities. Not however,be— cause I was any "special adept", but because of necessity’s demand. . 4O EARLY 'HQME LIFE "Show day", was an "event“,to us also but when other boys' and the negroee, were beholding the won— ders as foretold by the bill* boards, our houee~hold was a busy place, in preparation for the "big day“. Let no one get the idea how— ever that I was so absorbed with. "bueinese", that I lost sight of the pleasure. _Ae my mother’s er” rand boy, I had ample opportunity to study the "bill—boards with the other "gazere“,and I could usually recite the whole performance, "to— be". , I learned to be a fairly good ”ehopper", and mother used to "puff“ me up ooneieerably,by tellm ing the neighbors that I could drive a bargain with the clerks, almost as Well ae herself. That was saying a “good deal" for ehe was "a pretty Close trader". I did much of the buying,for ale though we lived within four blocks of the bueineee section, it was' months sometimes that mother would not go to town. 'Often there would be several busineee, Changes, and I thought it "big" to have to tell EARLY HOME LIFE 41 her Where the certain stores were leeated. Having so much of this shopping to de, I acquired a fair— ly good knowledge of oelors, qual~ ities,weights and shades of goods. II learned to mateh lawns, laces, buttons, trimmings, insertions, thread and such like, with a tol— erable good "taste” end accuracy, and I knew practically, What the prices on these various articles should be. In many instances, I had to get samples of ‘goods for mother’s inepecticn and selection, and because of this I came to be "niok~named"by many of the Clerks, "that sample boy". 7 These errands gave me an opporf tunity to get out door exercise, it afforded me the chance to see "the bill boards",and other things of interest, and to "see the other boys". It kept me from being "a regular hot house plant", and kept me likewise from feeling the accu~ sation, that crushes any boy, to have it said that he is "tied to his mother’s apron strings". I neVer was tied there, but I was pretty well sewed there. 42, EARLY HOME LIFE. But these shopping experiences were valuable,also,because in them I learned,even while thus young to meet people, deal with the public, stand up for individual rights,and maintain the principle of "give and take", a lesson that every one must learn. soon or late, if he is to figure at all, successfully, in any kind of public activities. There are two sides to every ques tion, and transaction,and the oth— er party has a right to his view as well as ones self. My mether had well learned, her lesson against over—confidence,and perhaps there were unconscious"su— per carsful,"principles instilled in—to me. At any rate I acquired early, the characteristic of look~ ing well into my side of.a bargain and not be "over much confidential with any one". I learned somewhat, to "keep my head" and hold confi— dence in myself. I sincerely hope that neither of these principles have been over~done. I do know that I have implicit confidence in others,but I also know that all of us creatures have our limitations. EARLY HOME LIFE 43 I shall never‘forget an experiw ence that came to me on one of 'these '“shopping expeditions"n I was making some purchases of."oham bray", in the store of one of the 'leading merchants of the to wn. While the clerkvwas 'wajtlng on” me the propri et01 and owner of the 7 stor e; a kindly and Chrietian gen— tleman, the superintendent of nhe methodist Sunda, —-echool came down the aisle of the et01.e and paused Where I S/COda I held a little "slouchetl" hat in my hand;my trouw eere were well Worn _and patched, but clean; except for a splotch of dirt as large as a boy7s hand on my knees which would .readily re— veal the fact that I had Just left off a marble game. I had heen.eent hurriedly on the errand, but .h é"snatohed a few minutes" for a em e(Just as boys will do), and h an "ran for dear life", to make up the lost time,so mother would nct "catch up with me". I must have "ltohed a fright", the perfect little "urChin" that I wae, ae' I stood the e "pe nting" 3le ,Al cvm m 44 EARLY HOME LIFE for breath and "mopping" my brow with hat in hand, as I impatiently waited for the clerk to cut and wrap the goods, fearing that "he would, by his slow motions cause me to be late" getting home. I shifted uneasily from one foot to the other,as the good man stood at my side. I thought I was about to get a rebuke, which I knew I well deserved, when to my surprise he laid his hand gently on my head and turned my face, wet with per— spiration, up toward his own kind— ly eyes and said to the busy clerk "Jim, do you see this boy". The clerk answered in the affirms ative and the speaker continued, "He’s the stuff,that it 'takes to make a man". "He doesnt look like 'much now, (and I know he must have told the truth), but some day we may sit at his feet as a great preacher-or judge,or wave our hats in the air at his election to the senate,or to the great seat in the president’s chair". That was strained imagination and I have often thought that he must have just emerged from the EARLY HOME LIFE 45 study of some Sunday school lesson of most pleasing and elevated thought, to have expressed such a visionary idea aS' that. For it certainly took a wild imagination to see anything like that in me; the "extreme predicament", that I was in,as I stood there. But, Oh! how it lifted me up. Just an ur* chin that I knew myself to be, I wondered if any one could see any~ thing worth while in "poor little me". ' I am sure the kindly man would hve said the same to any boy, and scarcely noticed to whom he was speaking now. It .was just his "kindly way". I doubt if the busy clerk remembered it until another customer came. Neither of them ever thought of it again. But I went out of that store that day with those words indellibly fixed on my young mind,’ and heart. I think this must have been the first encouraging word that ever came to me outside of home environ ments, and as a boy and ever_ since, it has caused me to "look up and take courage". 4.9 EASE some IIFE The one who spoke those words of- encouragement, has long since,gone to his reward.' I have, yet /the newspaper picture of him,, and the account of his death, which came after I was a grown man. I have often taken it out from among my papers,to see again the expression of those kindly eyes, _and recall again his encouraging words to a poor boy. I hear him say again, "This boy is' the stuff that it takes to make a man". Then 1 fold the paper and lay it back with the desire and hope that God will help mel remember how much those words of ‘encouragement meant to my boy— ish life and all' the days that have come after. I want them to help me as I'go forward, to be an inspiration and encouragement to other small and poor boys, by say~ ing something that will give them such an "upward look", as did his words to me that day. ' 'When show day drew on, about ten days previously,"old pony" and the little wagon were put in readi— ness for a business trip across v ““anmjy“‘.;= ,l r EARLY Home LIFE 47 the country. The bonnete in as— eorted sizes and kinds were neatly packed, and placed in the "one- horse",wagon. A roomy chicken 000p was also provided, and plenty of empty boxee and sacksa to hold any thing in the way of produce, for which a trade might be made. The older boys would accordingly set but on "a trip of trade”. The hon— nete were offered for sale or trade,at the farm honeee along the road and in the inland towns. If a sale for "cash" could not be made7 then a proposel was.made to take produce in exchange. Usually the things most desired, were, Chickens butter and eggs. Almost alweye,if any "head~gear" were needed by the women,eome sort of a trade Vcould he made, with vboth "white and black". The boye would leave the bonnet if a trade were perfected,and they designated what‘day.they would return for the things exchanged. Although several days were usually spent on one of these trips,ebout on Country roads they never got so far but,that the 48 EARLY HOME LIFE: trip home could be made in one day. This lightened pony’s load for most of the "rounds", and only loaded up heavily on the latter part of the homeward trip. Then too, the returned "cargo"would a1w ways be fresh on reaching home. If the first trip were unsuc— cessful, and the bonnets were not sold, or a sufficient supply of produce secured,a day's rest was taken and another "trade trip "was made in another direction and so on, until the desired results were obtained. ' AS I grew older, I some times went On these excursions with the older boys, and it was to me-a great event. Sometimes we would come back loaded with, corn, pota— toes, peas, molasses hams chickens eggs, and butter, pop corn and pea nuts, guineas,turkeys and geese. In fact anything in the produce line that we could get in trade, and no tradesman ever returned with his cargo in greater delight, as we drove in with our load. The main purpose of these trading eXpeditions, was to secure' such "EARLY HOME LIFE 49 ‘things as would easily make lunch— es for our "show~day stand". On the previous day before the ‘eventful time for the shew, mother would haVe two or three negro wom» . en busy all day, cooking cakes and E‘pies of all kinds; jelly rolls, ‘ tea cakes, ginger cakes, light ' bread, bunns and biscuits, and fried pies made of dried fruit in the "half moon" style. ’Then about midnight and running all through the sorning cf "show day",the fry— ,ing pans were kept "hot.and siz~ 'zling"with frying chicken‘and ham. 'A lunch counter was plsced on the grounds by the time crowds be— gan to arrive, and we "opened for business". We usually built the tables or"ccunters"to face in four ,directicns, and the space inside was used for clerks and supplies. , Sometimes in the rush of noon time there wou 1d be a half dozen or mere ef "us clerks". Chicken and ham sandwiches, were made and sold by the hundreds. Pies, cakes and jelly rolls were sold often, with the rate of the ' 50 EARLY HOME LIFE proverbial '"Hot cakes". Besides these home made "eats", we usually sold all sorts of confectionaries, cheese and crackers,fruits in sea— son peanuts and pop corn and ser~ ved cold drinks and hot coffee. We learned to make "red lemon» ade", and when this "art" was ' learned, we were fully as proud as Columbus could have been when he discovered land in the western hemisphere. - On many of these show day ven~ tares we had great success. But at other times, show day was a "rainy day",and much of these good eats were left on our hands. Our gains would then be turned to losses. But in the days following such_a calamity, ‘I would get an experience that most boys & girls are said, to never have; I would have all the chicken, and pie, and cake, that I wanted to eat. And I usually filled a man’s gplace at the job. -Mhm~»g < ‘ ‘ ' N ‘ II. CHILDHOOD - CHARACTERISTICS PRANKS, AND SPORTS. Being the youngest in the fam— ily, I was always accused of being petted, they called it "spoiled". Sometimes my brothers made it still stronger, and said I was "rotten".They would tell the story of the "negro mammy", whose baby was '"squalling” terribly, when a white man said "Auntie, your baby seems to be spoilt".The old darkey immediately retorted "No, sahl, he aint spoilt,. all nigger chilluns smells dat way”. They accordingly said I was as rotten as a "nigger baby". I was never convinced of the fact, however, that I was pet— ted, for it always seemed to me that because I was the smallest "about the place", I always had to do what every one else said. All of the older ones "picked at me", which I suSpect did make me somewhat,"bad". I of course, felt 51 52 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS then, that they did it to "impose ” on me", but I know now, that Ithey did it because they liked me and only"teased me to see me "out up". I have been often told, that I was "greedy and selfish", when a child, which I accept as partially true. I have obServed, that most ,rfl Children are fond of"feeding their Erwfiv faces", and I suppose that was my if} ~trouble. Small Children usually ”‘3 like to eat more than is good for ,,‘, them, and I suspect I was "guilty" [kWh of that. But they "accuse"~ me of t‘j wanting, always, to elaim what was Edi; left~over for my personal, future §}f‘ needs.‘ They compared me,to a lit~ Lfihf tle boy who, when his grandmother iWEV asked him what he desired for a ‘3‘ birth~day present, replied;" I want a B I G box oof candy". "Very well". she replied, "then what"?."Another w e g h t BIG box 1, of candy",he replied. Where~upon “ she said, "But little boys should not have so much candy it would l' make his little stOmaCh hurt". L§ He then quicklyreplied, "Well-den "’ I wants anod—er tum-mi’k". .CHILDHOOD CHIEACTERIéTICS 55' The; _ how fond I wee , They IelI jI IheI I was ec "gree~” . dy" IhaI weal d epéh Ihe oven; If” (II l8 etcve beiore the potatcee were? "I gel: roasted" rake Ihem ouI 1n~'pj Ilze lap Cf my aplcn and Iry to get“ away Wiih Ihem, to keep eVery one‘ elee.frCI having- any. ”I recal l 7 how good, food taeIe5v and how I de+ffi lighted to "feed my f-ace" ,“vaI I1! think they "stretch" thatm 'poIan f stcfy, for I do not remember being so greedy. MoIIIer often baked 'poIaneei by Ihe fire-place,in an old'fiaehioned" 017.911 Fire Was "placed under .1 thev oven-and on top of the lid and the potatoes weald cook quickIy;”Cook+ ” ea .in *Ihie manner Ihey~were~very' fine}muéhy, and=eweefs» This meth4'" 0d always seemed better, Io me be— cause ,I could smell them better‘ while they cooked I“); .T' = . But probably beeI o f aIl Wae- I0”Ij fake the hot ashes baCk, and put in a few large potatoes and*-tcover*fj them deep, With heI aehes and "em—”I‘ here" and leave to ceok. These Were' very ,delIclous' 1hdeed and .when 54 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS the outSide scorched peelings are‘ pulled away, the fine juicy meat on the inside is very palatable. The flavor is very-different to that of any other method of cooké ing them. My mother was reared in the days before there were any, or at least many cooking stoves; When almost all of the cooking was done on great "open fire~~p1acw es", by the negro slaves. "Baking ovens", were used altogether, and my.mother had learned"expert cook— ing" by the open fire: My9, Such biscuits, as we used to have. They would "rise up,and.up," until they would almost push the fire covered lid from its place,and when "done" were verv brown, "light",and deli- cious. Yes!, With Such "eats", I suspect I was a little,— "greedy". I was very fond of early fruits. In the early Spring, I watched the Plum trees for the first "signs"of ripening fruit. Once, my brother.John and I, found 'a "half red" plum, on the fifth of May. ' IT was his birth—day, and the occasion was such a delight that I CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 55 got his birthday so impressed on my mind that I have always remem— bered it, and his, is the only one of the other boy's that I know. We ate the plum, although it was "faulty" it was never~the—less red and that was a l we asked. The taste, did‘nt w-& ter "50 ’twas red". We likewise water. ed for the first "signs of reddening peaches and ap~ plea, .and of;en I could not wait for them tc "turn”. I would "steal away" to the orchard, gather my apron "lap" full of them, and get, behind the barn or under the house eat them. And I was wishing the time for them te "hurry— and get ripe. Many a time, frog these "escafl paieS? of eating green plums, pea~ shes, apples and grapes, I, like many another "chsp", have made my self sick. 03!, Thcse green apple pains!. I can almost feel them coming on me, now. These strange ,yet famil~ ' symptoms? not at all imaginary but very real. It was seri- They make a boy, one minute, 56 CHIlDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS want to double up in a knot and roll like a barrel, and the next minute to stretch out and crawl, face downward, like a snake. I have never understood just what the connection is,between his over done stomach and his "squall". But I do know, that when the proper application of ‘green apples is made,there is invariably a connec— tion set up with that part Of the boy’s anatomy which produces that certain noise, called "squall". I have tested that out, and the ex- periment proved true many times. {any a small boy has the name of being a "cry baby", when he is un— able to help himself, because of these anatomical connections. They called me cry baby many times,when it was my green fruit associations and connections,and not me at all. I was a sickly boy any way, and of course such practices as this would make a well boy sick. But I was naturally "weakly con— stituted". When I was quite small, I had a spell of"Spring time stom— ach trouble", which came very near ending my life. And each spring, 9...“). A ‘ A * - 1". ‘ ' CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 57 that old trouble would come back. And the trouble was of course "aggravated", by all the green fruit, which I ate. MY mother was "a great Soul" for medicine. She too,had been "sick— ly" almost all of her life,and had. to take, or at least did take "lots" of medicine. She inaugura— ted the same "system, on me; Scarcely a day went by, certainly not ever a whole week,at any time, but that I had to "dope up". If my appetite was too "ravenous", the theory was, that I was sick, or going to be, and some "physio" was adhinietered. Then if my appetite failed,? Well!, when a boy’s appe~ tits fails something is already wrcng "fer svre",and I had to take medicine, " . My tongue was always "too red" or "too brown", or tcc something, and I fell heir to all the different "ailments" ‘tc which children are subject; I had measles, chicken— pox,scrofula and itch in all their various forms, and with repeated doses, although it is thought com— monly that some of these come but 58 CHIlDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS once, I think mine all”repeated". My relations evidently extended to the family of "job" also, for I at some time in my growing period had every kind of"sOre"ithat a boy can be acquainted with;I had"boils 'common sores", "carbuncles", and stone bruises",in rapid succession and natural order of sequences. In the springwtime, I uSually had a "breaking out" of dry sores in my scalp, which one time,resul— ted in a very unfortunate circum— stance for me; Three of these sores sad grown rather close to gether near the ”orown"of my head. Several of the neighbor boys, were trying their skill at"butting a barrel over". I wanted to show how "ex—pert" I was at it, so,forw getting about my "sore top”,l took a running start and struck the bar rel "full force“, in the midst of my "sore patch“. The three sores formed a "big boil"and I carry yet a deep scar where it was”lanced. Mother warned us against wearing other boys hats. Many boys carried "strange fellows". We "got some" once. Mother was as creepy""over CHitDHOOD CHARACiEBisTIés' 59; a "Louse", in the head, as she and most other women are, of a "mouse in the house". She combed our heads with a "fine toothed" comb, until they were "raw", and we felt as if all the hair was gone. She then "saturated" us with an oint~ ment that burned like fire. 'It certainly, and evidently, was not the kind that "ran down on Aaron’s beard". The remedy was sufficient punishment. We did not need to be "warned", any more. Ever after this, we were careful "in self de— fense". Sores were enough, -we could not "entertain vermin", and its remedy. , IN those days there was much "malaria" in East'Texas and other sections. Chills was ‘a common "ailment". I had Chills, Chills, Chills,and then more Chills. I had them in the day, and in the night: The "every day" kind and "The ev~ ery other day" kind. I was as Vyellow as the preverbial "pumpd kin". ' I woeid "break them up" with quinine, and then they would return, on the"seventh,fourteonth" and' the "Twenty~first", "days". 60 CHILDHOODIIQHARACTERISTICS1 To miss a chill day was an event of WhiCh we were as proud, as Wif some- real-"good fortune", had come our way. ' One of these "continued" malaria spells "WOund up" filth me . WI a "spell of Slow 1ever". ' Fortunate— .1y, 1t was the oInly spell IOf con~ tinued fever I eVer had ' I was accuetOmed to "hot burniNg" fevers' for they always follow ch1111,gand are accompanled by a ’"burstlng" head—aéhe"- I have had my little h0dy7 to ‘shake With a chill until the Whole house seemed to he "in a 1 quiver".g -Then With” quilts and blankets piled over me; "drop Off' 'tovsleep",to be awakened an hour later= With that anul head+achefl and burning feverI "Which alWaye' fOllOWS ' But -in the slow fever there Were no] ChillS- -nor headaches. Just a slow,'censtantl y, weaWenlng fever which~leetedw withIWm tOok tWo eizé bdttle of qulnlne for thlrty'hI days, or moie. 'Dur1ng that tlme If:" three quarts Of turw;fI pIentine emu181on and a Whole large f; 'When my~1 fever "cleared? 'I WaSI almost tO011. 111‘) “.mp1...“ CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 61 weak to turn cver in bed with—out assistance. and almost too thin to make a shadow, if I had been able to stand in the suneshine. I was like it is said of "Job’s turkey". It is said of him, that he was so poor that ‘he had to stand in the sunshine three dsys to make a shad ow. Even for several days after my fever left me I was too weak to sit up, and it was several weeks before my knees were strong enough for 'me to stand alone. In Spite of all my sickness, however, I was always when able to be up, full of} as my mother used to say, "Monkey shines". I must have been a right good "entertainer". I was a good ”mim— ic"; My bodily and facial expres— sions, were something "awful", and ludicrious, in the extreme. I am sure my mother was right, when she called it "Acting the Fool". ' ' I could keep "old' and young" amused, for whole evenings,doing all sorts of unnatural, ludicrious and unexpected original stunts. 62 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS I learned their "antics", their 'silly expressions, and their funny sayings and ways. I learned to speak the negro dialect with all their colloquial accent, so per~ fectly, that it was almost all I knew, and in after years it was a hard task to get away from it. I learned ‘many antics, also, from the street vaudeville,"stunt" performances, and the "goods—box", medicine show men. I was the orig~ inal, local, Charlie Chaplin of my time, and took great delight in a— musing, and entertaining others, "free gratis", with my crude stunts. I learned all the negro songs, religious and otherwise,and anymcne Passing "our house" when I; was in my "weavin way", wOuld have thought,"surely aunt Dinah is hap~ py temaay, The neighbors used ta 'say they could always tell when If was busy washing dishes, by my "melodious,? singing", Negroes sing a great deal and for various purposes;The story is told of a good religious negro who had his preacher to spend the night with him. The next morning the CHIIDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 63 preacher was awakened by the loud. singing of the negro woman, as she was getting breakfast. AT the breakfast table he complimented her singing, by saying "Sister,you sho—ly mus’ be feelin’ relig’us, dis mawnin, yo’ singin’, was moe’ melogi’us". The woman replied, "Well, yo’ see Parson, I has no clOck, an’ I .has learn’t by de clock, at de white folk’s _house, .dat I can bile de eggs soft while I sings two stanzas ob dat song, an’to bile ’em hard I sings three. I I wuz jes bilin? de eggs, Sah". So I just had the habit of sing~ ing asll washed the dishes. My antics, and an "overloaded stomach", and probably other com~ plications, at times,was the cause probably, of bad dreams. It' was the morning’s custom, with us. to tell our dreams. Usually,we spent the time at the breakfast table, in this sort of exercise. If our dreams were pleasant we told it before brekfaet, or while we were eating,the meal believing if told then, it would come true. 64 CHIlDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS This was a childish superstition , no doubt; »gathered 'from the ne— ,,groesr But we held tenaciously to it,. and runder no circumstances 'could ‘we be induced- to tell a dream of bad omen before we had .eaten breakfast. 1 ” 3‘ I remember one of those dreams, ,very distinctly; 'l was sleeping with my mother '1 ‘ .’ 4 .1 V ' v CHIIDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 65 His long keen finger nails like claws, his black sleek body, with long forked tail, and his sharp head with little blunt horns, are as vivid to me,a8 if I had actual ly seen the "old boy". And over4 that great dark precipice, I »saw leaping flames far below, and writhing in them were the forms of human beings, and I knew it was "old Satan’s burning Hell". And more, He was about to cast me Over that great precipice, in~to that burning flame., My cries screams and scramble, ‘ econ awoke my mother and Others near by. In my imaginary "scuf~ -fle", with my captor I had pulled most of the cover off of the bed, and had so disarranged our whole sleeping_ compartment, that one could have hardly recognized it. ' When I was awakened, mother had hold of me and I was so disturbed I was almost continuing the. fight with'her. IT as Said That all dreams last for only a few brief seconds. 66 CHILDHOOD ‘GHARAGTERISTICS: If that be so, I had torn those sheets, and "disheveled" that bed with the rapidity of a so—called‘. "greased streak of light’ningf,fOr when the lamp was lighted,that,bedj looked "a fright", Not until I was made to see that I was still- in my dear mother’s bed could I be "pacified",but even after I was wide awake,it was dif- ficult to recognize that bed. I guess I was a fright, as well as the bed but I did’nt look at my self. I am still hoping, that dream will never come true. I had many ways of playing "mis~ Chievous tricks. A favorite one, was to "dres up" in some new, girl dress,that mother would get, about finished,and call on the neighbors thus disguised. I would sometimes, make a "pretty good looking" girl with bonnet pulled down over my face and play like I was some girl from across town, just moved in.It was great,"ehildish fun". Some~times I would dress up as some "old ragged tramp", and beg for a "hand—out" at the back door. U ¢.z.i_...+ ' ‘-‘ “ «2’3“? ‘~ ’ ‘- CHILDHOOD CHARACTERIsTIcs 67 The food would some-times be "forth—coming", before the decep— tion would be discovered, but when I was reCOgnized, the fun would start sure enough,for me, if I did not succeed in' making my "get~ away". This was not a hard joke to get off, for in those days tramps were very common. My stock and trade at "pass— time" and play, were making and shooting "nigger shooters", bows— and arrows, spinning tops, riding stick horses, making dog harness,' ileather whips etc, etc. , I Some times this "paraphernalia" {would "get me in bad",; My stick— ;horses were left in the wrong ,place, or the shots from my nigger ishooter and arrow shots, would "go astray,and hit the wrong spot. , Of course, I never.intended to 7hit anybody or windows, but would try to see how close I could come, without hitting them, and some* times I hit "too close". ' One day I was "poping my whip, which was forbidden,in the house. 68 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS Mother told me to stop, and I in~ tended to "mind her, but I wanted to pop it "Just one more time", and did so,without her permission. When I did,that long whip became entangled in a large picture frame on the wall. Mother started to~ wards me hurriedly, and I ran. I tried to carry my "fastened whip", with me,and it pulled apart at one of the "joints" where I had it put together with tacks. I was in such close quarters, in trying to make my "get—away", that I had to drop my whip staff, on—to which the one piece of broken leather still clung. But mother caught both the whip and myself, and then "I caught the whip". MY!, and how I did catch it, for my disobedience. My mother was "weakly", but she had a strong arm,and how! she did use that whip!. I went out to the barn"to cry",and my back "smarted" so, I ran my hand under my"waist", and found, that there were little "picked—up" bleeding "whelps", all over my back, where those tacks in my whip, had cut the flesh. CHILDHOOD cfiAR'ACTERIsTIcs 69 The blood "scared" me, although there was not much of it. But my Vheart was broken", as I medita— ted on the"thought"that mother had whipped me until she had "cut to the blood". _ I came in—to the house, pulled off my shirt, or "waist",and show~ ed my back to my mother. For I was sure that I needed "medical at tention". The only thing She said, was, that, if her boy was not so disobedient, he would not have to get "such whippings". But present— ly, I saw her shyly wiping the tear—drops from her eyes, and I knew that she was "sorry". In her haste, she had not seen the tacks, otherwise, I am sure she would not have used it. Mother some~times whipped "se— verely", like this,but usually she was patient, and considerate. She was especially so, in regard to my"pranks",and "monkey~shines". And some times, even though the joke was on her . One time she sent me to Grand—mother’s for some flower seed. IT was April, l,st and I thpught al day of an "April— 7O CHIlDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS fifOOl", and then the thought came, to get a joke on my mother, Accor» dingly, I got a little box, about the size of the one containing the flower seed, then caught a toad frog and. closed the lid down on him and after wrapping it nicely, "sped away" to see my"trick" work. I kept my real box of flower Seed concealed, and rushed in to the room and to mother as she sat at the sewing machine. I "clat— tered away" with some long”made—up message" from grandmother, as my mother opened the frog box. vAs she nnrolled the package,l was ‘telling her that grandma said for her to look, and if those were not the right seed to send me back, and she would send others, She "bit" fine; As she unrolled the box I stood behind her chair t0 hide the "sniggers", that were playing all over me” But I kept very "straight". As mother lifted the lid, that "compressed" frog leaped directly towards her face and into her lap. Her hands "flew into the air", her head was thrown back, and she CHIlDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 71' Vecreamed "like a panther". She 'would have fallen backwards,'if I 1 had not caught her chair. The frog was scared too, and in ; another second had hopped on~to , the floor. 3 I was overcome with laughter,and g rolled and tumbled in the floor, ' about mother’s chair, shouting "a— i pril fool ~ april fool". ' Mother soon caught the spirit of the Joke, and laughed heartily herself, and I was not punished for the trick. ' But when I produced the real box of flewer seed mother would not touch them. She repeatedly said "Nevsirmee, No sensible sucker, will bite twice at the same bait". Some of my pranks, were more se— rious than this one, and the re~ sults, likewise more serious for me. One Spring when I was about eight years of age, we had a fine water— melon patch. They were geTTing large enough to "Thump", and I had one "fine one", "SPOTTED", I had learned-to tell ripe one’s"THUMP". 72 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS ‘ when the thump sounded "plank",' fit was green and‘ when it sounded; :"plunk", it was ripe. Then there i is a little curl at the stem of each melon, which we learned turns brown, when the melon gets ripe. I had watched the patch, and one large melon ’in particular, very closely. I could hardly wait for the time to pass for it to mature and ripen. .So one Saturday eye~ ning, I examined it closely, and although the "signs" were not the most favorable, I decided to "risk it" the next day. My plans were, to get some of my boy chums to meet me at _the, "old wash—hole", and help me eat it. ' I had no trouble with this part of the "programme", and the fol lowing morning, at Sunday school the plans were all made. We had a good time at Sunday school, but it was not over the lesson. It was over the "thrilling prospects" of the afternoon. Little did I think of the two~ fold wrong, we were about to com— mit; Breaking the sabbath and stealing.The melons were not mine, I CHILDHOOD ,CHARACTERIsTICS 73 but I had helped to plant and work them, and I talked to the other boys, as if they were wholly mine. It was "my melon patch". But be— fore night "a show down came", and we found out whose melons they were. About four o’clock in the afternoon, the boys came by, whiS* tled, and I soon followed. I went by the patch, pulled the melon, and carried it out and over the embankment of the railroad, where the other boys were waiting for me. We all then took it time about carrying it, and hastened, toward our coveted "wash—hole". We rolled the melon over in-to the water, and soon we were all undressed and paddling about in the shallow, shaded wateg, pushing and rolling the large striped mel~ on about, in much of the same sort of glee and satisfaction that a half grown kitten has, in playing with a captured mouse. It was about the firSt of July,and the "water was fine",but we were enjoying the anticipation of that melon-"feast" more than the water. Our mouths were,"watered up" for 74 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS its red Juicy? meat. But we were to have some other experiences first. For we looked up over the embankment of the "creek" and up the hill, and "behold"! if there didnt appear, my brother Dawson. I felt at Once, that something was wrong. I felt just like I had stolen something, and that water~ melon looked as "big as a barrel", sticking up out of the water.. It was too late to try to hide. So all of us just sat there, Some four or five of us,on the "gravel— ly bottom, in the shallow water, with our sunmburned shoulders, out of the water. -Our lips were blue and quivering, and all of us had the "guilty grins”as we sat around that "bobbling" melon, trying to hold it under the water. Some, tried to sit on it but it would7nt stay under. Dawson was soon ’"upon us" and there was nothing to do,but to let him see the "whole thing". Dawson was very angry. He had seen me get the melon, and tried to wait until we had cut it, before appearing, but we waited so long with our CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 75 anticipative ceremonies, that he -could not delay any longer, His patience grew "threadbare", and so ”he bcre down upon us, and there he stood up~on the bank, He ordered us but of that water, melon and all. He made us cut the melon, and althCugh it was hardly half. ripe compelled us to eat it all, "clean out to the rine". He got our_clo_ thee, and would not give them to us, until we-"cleaned up" on "our job". He then tech the rinse and rubbed them in err faces and hair and sent us back into the water to wash it off.' he gave me a good "flogging to bcct“, and informed the other boys that he expected to tell their fathe’ we turned a~ way from that wcshwhole a sad plight which wculi seem penough punishment for cne escapade, but when I got home mether gave me an~' other "thrashing”,for such conduct on the Sabbath day. I recall two experiences which probably dates further back than this melon experience; one sh1 ““"r‘ “7:F‘"‘r~.— CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 77 the parts together, got them all mixed up, and by the time I was through with my "dissecting",l had enough works to make several time ‘ pieces. But I did’nt make any. I found out just two things: First, that a clock runs, by a spring, and Second, that I could not make one. And that is about all I know about clocks, to "this good day". But I labored a good while, at my "job" before I was convinced of this fact. MY boyish nerve was tested in my shedding my first teeth. I had great concern, when they began to get "loose", and some—one told me they would have to be "pulled out". I put the ordeal off,long as possible,and would not let any one "probe"in my mouth,"for fear",they would "do Violence" to my treasur— ed teeth. Finally, one day, my mother and I took "Sunday dinner",' with grand—mother, and a young 1a— dy;, my Sunday—school teacher was there. I had great confidence in her and allowed her to look at my 78 CHILDHOOD GHARACTERISTICS teeth. She suggested that,she hale seen children pull them by tieing a string or thread around them,and asked me, by way of "suggestion", if I supposed,_there were room e~ nough to get a large thread around mine, or if they were grown too closely together, for that.. I "fell" to the idea, and plan at once, and soon produced from my pocket,(always supplied), a string of suitable size. Of course I did not think of her pulling my tooth, just to see if the string could be attached, that’s all. She spent considerable time,in seeming exam— . ination, with apparent difficulty in getting that string between my teeth. When to my surprise,! all at once she gave a little quick Jerk, and behold,! she held my old tooth "dang—ling before my eyes". My tongue was soon "warbling" a— bout where the tooth had been and it seemed that several might have been pulled. I rushed to the mir~ ror and "beheld"myself a "snaggle~ toothed" boy. ' I waa told to not touch it with my tongue and a gold tooth would come, But too late. ‘ "’1 5315:, l CHIIDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 79 I pulled many,after that, but I have never had any gold teeth to grow. But the next time one of my teeth was loose, my courage was estab~ lished, and I got before a mirror applied the string, and pulled it "my— self" Somebody told me, of how they had known "real brave boys", to pull "hard" ones, by tieing a string to the tooth and then to a door knob of an open door and"slam"the door, {saying "good—bye tooth, I did so and it worked. » I also used a limb of a tree-with the same good success. But none, 'ever came as easily, as my first ‘one, pulled by my Sunday— sellool ”Teacher. Besides these "patented" methods, of dental extracting, I invented ,some of my own; For stubborn jaw teeth, such instrumenTs as screw~ {drivers, shoe buTToners, knife~ 'blades, deor keys, nails, and such like. Any~Thing mosT ThaT was sTrong enough and small enough To “use for a "prize pole" in extraot~ 'ing my deep set"molars",I used. so CKILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS I never had to have a dentist tw5‘ pull but one tooth for me,and that was the only time I ever had the tooth ache. ‘My mother was away from heme, Visiting Cur uncle at Dalby Springs; It was the first time, I think, that she had ever gone aWay from home and left me, I felt awfully lonesome at home with the other boys, and her gone, Especially so, after I took that "dreadful" tooth ache“ I endured it all night,and early the next morning, I "pulled out" for the Doctor’s office, and had that "old molar Jerked out": It was too sore for any of my patent "extractione". I shall never forget how happy I was, vwhen I asked him how much 'I owed him, and he replied "nothing at all" except that I was to be a "good boy". After he had pulled the tooth, I told him mother was away, but not before, for I was a“ fraid he would’nt pull it. 'And I certainly wanted that"thing" out. I promised him that I certainly would be "good", But I doubted it. CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 81 I recall two mischievous pranks, of this early, boyhood, period, that came very near being "my un~ doing"; One was a"fiehing jaunt", on Sunday, and the other was a "shooting scrape", in whieh, no one figured but myweelf, and but reveal something of " the venture— eome" side of my early life. MY Sunday fishing trip,oocurred in connection with a visit of our grandfather and grandmother, to spendthe day with us. My grandfather was Deacon and Sunday~echool Superintendent, and grandmother was at this time, my Sunday~echocl Teacher. Plans were laid for them to come back from "church", with me, and have "dinner" with ue. 80 early in the morning, While mother was busy getting things ready, the "notion struck me", to surprise every one, with a "mess of fish" for dinner. I do not recall, that I had ever "been fishing", but I had eeen the little negroee fishing in the lit» tle "branch",which ran through our - pasture, not far from our home, 82 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS There was really,nothing in this -stream of muddy water except crew fish but I did not seem to realize any difference, in carrying out my hasty design. The negroes,however, did, eat "craw_fish tails". AT any rate, I set out with my "fishing tackle"; composed of a twine string for a line,and a bent brass pin for a hook, with a"hunk" of fat meat for bait. I did not have to bother about a "pele", for any number of rude dry "willow limbs", were usually lying on the banks. I had "good luck", and in a lit? tle while, had caught a geod sized "oyster can" full of large,red and black, "flapping crawling, pinch— ing, Crew—doodles". I was having such a good time with my sport, that I did not re» alize, the whole morning had gone, but finally decided, that I had better hurry home, and get ready for Sunday—school. ' I know, my mother thought I was already at my "class",getting some 'goed lesson, on "keeping the com— mandments, and the Sabbath, Holy", CHILDHooe semic'reme'rice 85 or some kindred subject,caleulated to make me a better boy. The negroes who lived in several ef our cabins near by the branch, had fenced off a potato patch with ene strand of barbed wire,and this extended up to the banks. of the stream and kept the horses in the pasture, from trampling on the growing crep. ' In my delight, with my splendid catch of fish,?, I "struck out in a trotV, up stream for home, for~ getting all about, that "string of wire. I struck it,"full tilt", at an angle of' about forty—five de— grees, and it struck me "right in" the corner of my mouth, cutting an awful gash. The "jarr of it" twisted me a round a time [or two, and threw me "sprawling" ower in~to the shallow muddy stream. I got up,"scrambling after" my "flouncing fish, but when I saw the baood, streaming down on my hands, I forgot all a- bout my craw~fish,and "struck out" -for home, "setting up a yell, that aroused all the negroes in the 'quarters. e4 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS The wire barbs,had torn the cor— ner of my meuth, about a half inch "bigger", on my right side. " Several faithful Negro women, accompanid me to my mother, and I was in an awful plight, when I got there. They all soon had me washed and bandaged up, and "tucked away, in bed". I was certainly a"pretty sight",? for a Sunday—School boy, and I got a eevere, "tongue lashing", while they were dressing my wound. I fell asleep,with mother’s words "ringing in my ears",of how "Ill", always comes to boys,’ who deceive their mothers, and break the Sab— bath day. When I awoke from my "drowsy sleep", I heard the voices of my grand—parents, and I dreaded to ’ face my Sunday—echooh Teacher. I knew she was greatly disappointed in me, because of my"truancy". And I also 'knew, that I had another "lecture" coming. , /The thing that bothered me most, how-over, was, that with all that fried chicken, and‘ "brown gravy", ealade, cakes, "cuetards" and pies CHILDHOOD oHAfiAcfERIsTIcs 85' 'that mother had "fixed up", for dinner. I could not eat a bite. My mouth was in "an awful fix", and to try to open it, felt as if one of ‘those big red craw~fish, was using one of his ugly, "saw pincere" on me. ' The other experience, happened, away from home. I was not as bad- 1y hurt, as in my craw-fish esca- pade, but I was woe-fully scared. I had accompanied my 'eldest brother, and young aunt, Minnie, than a girl of fifteen, or sixteen years, to visit some of her "kin— ,folks", in Titus couuty, a dozen or more miles away. On this trip, we stopped at "Moores lake", a fa- miliar~fishing resort, and ate our lunch. While there, I came very— near being drowned, but that story will be related,in another connec— tion.4 We reached our destination, late in the afternoon, and as our party was greeted, it seemed to me that I was "neglected", somewhat. As one of the older beys,"Booker" came in, he expressed surprise 86 CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS and pleasure at seeing my brother and auntie, but I twas seemingly, overelooked. It "sorter rattled" me, and I said in a "shy sort Of way,"I do’nt know BCoker,nor Book—’ er do’nt know me". It' created'a, good~leugh, on the part of all the other folks but I w.es very eerie“ one. It however, made its impress— ion on all the folls ,and they told it on me many times, I suppose their repeating it is' the thing that has caused me to remember it so long. But rit hed its effect, .‘ WfOr Booker and I, were soon "good pals". .. But the thing that happened to me, .on the following day, did’nt need any repetition for me to re—' member it; We went hunting, in the afternoon, and they let me eerry a, rifle, and taught me how to shoot The, older boys had one double berrelled end one single berrelled shot~gun. Thw .killed seve1el squirrels, and I killed a bird ._ , I had learned to hit a ”terget"s fairly well and I felt as"big e any of the other boys", when.I had lactually killed a bird". A a» CHILDHOOD CHARACTERISTICS 87' It was late summer, and back in those years, the cottcn'flies, and worms, were bad, destroying cotton in the fields. To prevent this, the farmers plaCed lamps,with wat— er pan attachments, about over their fields,which they kept burn~ ing at night to catCh the insects. 80 late in the evening, we ex~~ tended our hunt around to their cotton field, to light these lamps for the night. We all laid our guns down togeth~ er across some cotton rows, and they left me there in this hill— side field,with the guns and game, while they went on_to the "bottom field", near by,to finish lighting the lamps. ‘ The sun went down and darkness was approaching. I became "uneasy", and in the dusky distance, I could see some old tree trunks, left .in a new ground, and I imagined they were moving towards me. These stumps looked like, great black "ghosts"to me,and they seem— ed larger and closer, each look. 88 CHILDHOOD .QHARACTERISTICS I was eoared,! ”good scared"57 I called out to them as loud eat? I could, off in the ”bottome, andf’ at first they answered; away in._ the distance and aeeured me, that‘ they would be back in a very short; while, as soon as all the lamps‘ were lighted“ But it seemed to me like they "never would“ come» It wae new, dark, and he answers came back, _from my repeated ealleb Z wae a~ fraid they had beeome loet7and had forgotten where they left he. In "my 'plight“a I decided to shoot "my rifle". Thie, I thought’ would scare the "beogere" eff, and at the same time help them to low cate me. 80 I picked up what I "imagined” was my rifle, but which was really was that singlebarrelled Shot gun. I pulled the hammer back, and with etbck‘ pressed amgainet my shoulder, I pulled the trigger. But I was horrified at the re~ sults, for instead of the gentle "Spank",of a rifle’s report, there ‘ i. L l” .7 n r ‘ t V . ,3.- l b. H gr, CHILDHOOD CEARACTERISTICS 89 was a loud "BOOM", which abunded to meae if a "canon had busted". The gun kicked me backwards, ”heels ever heed", aerose three or four gotten rows, and left me in "e tumbled heap". ' THE boys were not leng, in gate ting there, after that gun fired. They were eure I had “blown my head eff", ' When they arrived they were near* 1y hreathleee, and I was almost epeechlese, l was standing up trying to get the dirt eff of my clothes, and out of my hair, and eyes. Breathleeely,! they exclaimed, "what in the werld is the matter". And I nervously stammered, "N No» nothin’ I We, w wee j, e jue’ tit tryin’ t,t~o,maake you—all hwhear me". I learned after that to be more careful, to distinguish .between shotwguns and riflee,and to leave the ehotwguns alone for the larger boys. G H A P T E R, III» D I S.T R E S S I N G INCIDENTS. ALTHOUGH I lived a "jolly" life, full of laughter, song and "Joke", my young life had a serious side also. And I was early, impressed' with the "heavy" side of life, by sickness and deaths,of those about us. Of course I do not personally remember my father’s death, but in all my tenderest years,there was a "Pall" of sadness in our home,very vivid to me. My father was buried on_Christmas»eve day,and therefore that usually, joyous time was al~ ways a "sad time" to our house— hold. Many times we children would forget, but motherfs silent tears, in meditation,of happy days, "long gone", sobered us. Several of our relatives within my memory, also died, at Christmas times, and‘ as a boy,some—how we always looked 9O 'iDISTRESSING_IINCIDENTS 91 forward to this time of year, with "sober thought", rather than with Vmost hearty glee. ' ;_ Mother had another experienCe at Christmas times that affected all of us, and made a deep impress~ lion on me, and yet I am sure that L11 too, being often told, is the 'only reason that I can remember it, 1 ' a IT must, have been” the. Second Christmas after my father’s death.. . A Christmas tree was in progress Vin the school building, near the' center of the town. Although the times were "rough" and there were many drunken people, the older boys _had "over— persuaded" mother, and ‘She had permitted them to .atte nd the exercises. ; 1 When the boys had gone mother put brother John and me to bed and "bolted" the doors . It was welL that she.did, for 11 was not long before she heard the "click” ref :the latch n_'the front gate and presently, foot falls on the liT— Tle front porch. She also heard Some one feeling for The door knob 92 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS on the out side, in the darkness. The night was very dark, and Pittsburg, at this time, being a small town, was poorly lighted. There.were no street lights ex— cept in the business section. When the knob was found, and the "intruder" found that the door was locked, he pushed on the door and called out, "OH, Mrs. Aldredge,! open the door". Mother knew frOm his actions, and his voice, that the man was drunk, and she was frightened "beyond utterance". ,She dared not reply, and knew not, what to do. She thought of her back doors, and rushed to them to see that they ,were securely bolted. By this time, the "villain", was plying hard blows, on the door at the front. She wanted to scream, but it was several hundred yards, to the nearest house, and she "feared" even then, that all the neighbors had gone to the Christ— was tree. The knocks, and kicks, became so terrific that she expec— 4?} 44$: i‘ , dd ' “91% e3 ,1 3" I DISTRESSING INCIbENTS 93 ted any minute, to hear the door "fly open". Mother rolled the bed~ sted against the door, then rushed to the window, in the.eide next to town, and through an open, broken pane, screamed, twice, as loudly as she could. Presently, she saw the door of a neighboring house, in the. distance, open, which she could tell, by the flash of the light within. Scon,the "banging", on her door, ceased, and she could hear her "reecurer" hastening down the frozen side walks. -The man who came was a Mr.Gillum, and he carried a large army pistol as he rushed in-to our house, to learn what the dieturbanoe was. But no trace, of the villianous intruder eould be found. And I am 'eure, it was good for him that he was not found. ' Next to this frightful experié ence, in our home, I was deeply impressed,.by eeveral deaths. The first of these that I can recall, was that of an elderly man who lived near us, and that of our grandfather Aldredge; 94 ~DISTRESSING INQIDENTS These funefalshimpreEéed me very much, «because gof the aeeembled crowde,and much weeping. And every one moving about $0 quietly speak" ing in low tenee, and Whispers; I had been to my aged grandfath~ er Aldredge’e home, at least once and probably ,more, before 'hie death, for I remember hin‘wheeling himeelf.about,, in the room in' an invalid’emchair. :_ I remember,’ also, that when we went there, on this occasion; the ' told wheeled chairc was vacant, and I'am eure;that'I aeked many quee— tione about it. But the thing most vivid to me, is'the recollection of a' "veloci- pede, belonging to some 'of my aunt'e children there, who were a little older than myself. I Wanted to ride it up and down, 'the broad Veranda and through the rooms. I} But they teek it away from me, ‘39: '1‘ and in“soffl whispers, told me that ‘f r H I' could .not ride it thenI,but I‘ ,i‘ could come‘ back some timel andfi “' ride all I wanted to. My mind was' , soon drawn from this dieapointment DISTRESSING INCIDENTS 95 by the approach, just then, of the ,long, silent procession of the Ma~' sons, marching in stately tread.l Their uniforms,swords,and spears, glistening, in the evening sun~ 'light, made a deep, and lasting impression on me. And then between the rows of men, in formation, they bore the coffin out, and silently bore him away. I. went to the cemetery and saw them "lay. him away", in the lot which,and near which, I have since seen,scores of cur relations "near land remote", laid te rest. Not a great while after this, we attended a funeral at the Church. It was a little girl cousin, the daughter of our uncle, William Ale dredge. When the funeral service was 0— 'ver, we went again out to the cem~ etery. I recognized the same lct, and it dawned on me, for the first time, that "all people" when dead, Amust be buried, and all must die. 'I seemed to think it all right, when Grandfather was buried, for he was old. But this was a child, 96 DISTRESSING INCID’ENTS’ I could not understand, how a child could die, but I remember the whispered expressions of dif~ ferent ones, to my mother,such as: "What a pity,that such a beautiful young child, should have to die. I remember,how concerned I was, ‘I' as l repeatedly said "mama,why did she have to die". "mama, how do folks die". and "will she never come back". "Will she be cold, when it rains",and all those many questions, that other small chil~ dren have asked, and will continue to ask, when they are first trying to understand something of that awful mystery, Death; But the only answer that came, back, were those only, that can ever come to satisfy a Child and they are expressed in heart break ing sobs. Thus,I had come to know the first touch of grief aud sor~ row. Two other funerals, of my early experience, touched me deeply: One was that of a boy,about my age,who lived in the country,and who met a meet shocking, and tragic death. a~ez~mutw~x>a~£'fi‘mmfl‘mww. 3v. ‘ I - , A 1;“; 5’ ““25"? fikfifiawu 7, 1-, ‘1rfir‘h“"ri “91» \‘gs‘vfly‘fi‘9‘ .. l _; , ' awe-we :W‘W memeeemc~ INCIDENTS 97 AS I recall the sad affair, his father,had ridden into the pasture with another man to show him some cattle. ’ They were driving the cattle up, to a lot near the house, and some of the cows had run far ahead of the little "herd"and the horsemen. The boy, perhaps eight years of 'age, saw the cows coming, and ran to open the gate, unnoticed by the men, far down the hill. The_ cows in the lead were"hot" from running, and were "mad", as cows usually are when warm. The little boy Opened the gate, and stood behind it in the corner, where he thought himself safe. But one of the big eteere, saw him there, and as the other cows .Went through the cpening,he"wheel— ed" in behind the gate, and amid hooking pawing, and bellew—ing, he pinned the boy behind the fence and gate,and crushed him to death, _before the men could get to him. His body was terribly marred, 98 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS In all my younger childhood, I was afraid of cows. And this sad occurrence, made me doubly careful when around cattle, and until new, I have no inclinations to associ— ate with steers. The other fatal incident, was .that cf a boy, who like myself,was *e considerable "climber". IT was a common Sport for boys to climb trees, walk fences, and ‘seek the most "hazardous" places, to do their "exploits". 'This boy had climbed up in a mulberry tree, and was standing en a limb, high up above a "picket fence", directly over the sharp pailings. He was an "expert climber" and thought himself quite eefe. But, instantly,: the limb"snapped off", and with nothing to hold to, he 'fell an awful heap cn~tc that fence. He fell ten or twelve feet, and struck the tsp of the fence, face downward. His head and ehoulw ders were on one side,end his feet on t he other, his body pierced. DISTflflgfiifiG INCIDENTE 99 One of .thoee "awful, sharp", pailinge, had gone into hie abdo~ men, and lextended almcet through hie body. It seemed almost instant death, but he lingered along many daye, suffering "untold agoniee, until finally he died. ' The deaths of these two boys, might have been some time apart, but they are indellibly linked together, in my memory. I always recall them together. Their deaths and funerale,touch~ ed me very deeply and I made some firm boyieh reeolntione,to be more careful in every—thing, and to be a better boy. Another ehooking occurrence,‘ floate_into-my memory,ae the flood tides of the years are 'renewed; It was also a- horribly shocking death and one that brought our whole town to grief. This sad oc~ currence, was that of a girl. She and I had been school matee in our first little kindergarten school. 100 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS She was a beautiful,bright eyed; girl, with "flaxen curls", active, quick of turn,a sweet disposition“ and very friendly. , She was loved, I am sure, by ev—) ery one, and I admired her ‘very, much, because of her lovely, sweeti disposition. . She lived on "our street", and I saw her almost every day, and oft—4 en, many times daily, as I passed her home, going back and forth, to town, on errands for my mother. She always seemed to wear, the same sweet, and genial smile, and spoke, always, in such a friendly "cordial way", as she busied her“ self with her "play—things", or helped her mother, with the flow— ers in the yard. She loved flowers, dearly, and took great delight in plucking choice bouquets, and giving them to her friends who passed by. She sometimes, gave them to me. Every one was therefore,grieved, when she met an untimely death. W n W I W DISTRESSIHG INCIDENTB 101 she had gone to spend the "week end",w1th some friends,in a neigh~ boring town, about twenty miles away. It was Friday afternoon, and 8pring—time. The children were playing in the yard, and were in the act of"running in—to the house to get out of a shower of rain", when' a livid bolt of light~ning, came down, and she was "struck dead", instantly. The wires brought the sadti4 dings, to the mother, and the news of her death, was soon spread in— to almost every home in the town, causing a shadow of gloom and sadness. . On Saturday, they brought her body back to Pittsburg, but not to her.home. They carried her to the home of an aunt who lived "across town" because her mother could not bear the idea of seeing her brought home a corpse. She said she always wanted to remember her as she "tripped away", that Friday after noon, rather than cold in death, O 102 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS I went, as did all of the school children, te see her. It was the first, White marble casket, I ever saw, and I think, the most beauti— ful corpse. Death by electricity, in any form does not marr the_body at all, and she lay there, as if asleep, in the full glow of health and life. And her beautiful form which,re— fleoted the full beauty of her young and innocent, spetless life was fully harmonized,by the lovely white silken robe,which enshrouded her, and the snow White casket in which, she silently and peacefully lay, and now forever rests. I did not attend the funeral, we children had seen her in etate,and I remained at home, while mether went. j I lay on my little couch at heme, and wept, and sobbed, the Whole afternoon through, and medi— tatively, wondered, in boyish mind; and eoul, on why and how, a young beautiful creature, like little Ella Kennedy, should have to die. Every one, was greatly shocked, but I was sorely grieved. / DI’STRESSINc" mommies ' 103‘ In addition to these early ex~ periences of sadness, I was early impressed deeply by several very destructive fires. ‘ Pittsburg,wae a small town, and like most other villages, in those days, had very little fire protec~ tion. In the years, there have been 6— nough buildings erected, to build "a goodly city", 'but many of such buildings, have been for re-place~ ment, rather than expansion. The firet fire I can remember was on the north side of the main business section, and it was a very destructive one. On each corner of the block 'wae a brick building, and all of the intervening space was filled with 'frame structures. I shall never forget that first fire experience. The "fire atarm", was at the old Methodist choreh. The church bell in the tower, was arranged,with an extra clapper and rope.which work— ed on the out side of the bell, 104 DISTBESSING INCIDENTS and gave forth a different sound, to the regular ringing of the bell for services. Instead of the,long "ding~oling, ding—e—ling,and ding— o~ling",sound, usually made by the church bell, the fire bell rang with short distressing olangs! as "ding~ ding-ding—ding", and "dong- dong~dong~dong", repeatedly. The night watchman, or some one near who first discovered the fire usually reng the bell. It was about midnight, of one cold, wintfy night, that we were thus awakened, by the exeiting clanging, of the fire bell. All of us were hastily, "half dressed" and as we rushed out, it looked as if the "whole town" were? ablaze; Even where we lived, some half dozen blocks, distant, from the burning district, it was al— most,"as light as day"in our yard. When we reached the business part Of town, the fire was "making full headway“. People‘ were run— ning'"te,and fro", dressed,or half dressed,in all conceivabte shapes. DISTRESSING INCIDEHTS 105 Most of them had on less than half enough, for the weather;shoes without stockings, bare headed, shirt, sleeved men, and women in their night dresses,with only thin "shawls’or cloaks thrown around them. All was excitement, and nearly every one was busy. The-men rushed back and forth, carrying boxes and bales of merCiandise,and fixtures, out into the street; Some of the women and small chil— dren were kept busy,trying to keep out of the way of the workers, and some trying to keep outof the cold wind. . Other groups of men and big boys, were carrying water and "fighting fire",while many women were at the wells and pumps helping to fill the vessels. All was pandemonium, screams of women and children,from different quarters, as the crowds "surged" about, and the mingled cries of e"help,here", or "more water", from levery direction. But to no avail, ,the whole block was swept away,ex~ eept one corner two storied, brick, 106 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS structure, with solid walls, next to the fire. Men, 'worked on the roof of this taller building, with water drawn up, by ropes and buek— ate, and saved the building. It was an awful night. We stay~ ed until morning, and untill the fire had burned down, to great heaps, of smouldering embers, and gradual~ly the erowds "dwindled‘ out, as the people exhausted, went home. . Before ,thie great burned area was fully re—built, another block, on the other side of the same street was burned. It occurred at night, also, but mother was sick, and I was not permitted to go. But I stood nervously by the win— dow,. for an hour, or more, and watched the great clouds of black, smoke, and leaping flames, as they shot upward. It looked as if the whole sky were ablaze. I was especially impressed by this fire,because my eldest broth—' , er was at this time working, in 7' one of the stores that burned and;‘ ' ' DISTRESSING INCIDENTS 107 Tthe fire meant to him, as it did, to many othere,the loss of a place to work. 'Thie fire was stopped, also, by a large two story brick building. This time it was the lodge building, belonging to the Masons. The fire was really great er in the area burned, than the first fire, but the buildinge,were all, of frame structure, and the businesses were not as large and expensive. ' In the yeare of my memory, every block of business houses in the town, have been burned out, except one, and' some of them have been swept away, several times. But each time they have been burned, they were replaced with better buildings. And the town has con— tinued, a steady growth through the years. Many ludicrioue and laughable things can happen, in connection with fires. And men do many exci- table, funny things; On one occa~ eion, when "the town was on fire", a well known man, who ordinarily used good judgment about things, 108 DISTREEBING INCIDENTS seized a long handled shovel, ran out inéto the middle of the street jumped about, "patting the sand", with the shovel, and repeatedly screamed,at the "top of his voioe, like a street auctioneer’s,erying; "Every—body come this way ,!7 Come right here, every—body,! and we will be.able to save the town"!. But there were many courageous, things done,also; On the occasion of one fire, a faithful Negro, set "astride" a small frame structure, used as a doctor’s offiee, and eav ed several larger buildings,in the "track of the flames", It sat in between twe larger buildings, with about twenty feet between it and the burning building. , He stayed on tep with wet blank~ ets, wrapped about him, and kept the shingled roof wet,with buckets of water, that were handed up to him. Some times the flames "leaped and licked" about him,until he was al— most swept off, but he stayed at his "post of duty",and the remain— der of the block was saved. \‘I’u" m“m‘<¥‘§!?f~‘€ ‘z’x‘F‘V fimfiTf‘f“??? "Jigvafd. mfgwx.‘ will .7 ,3 “.15 s «an» yawn}: : “mm; ,. y: T - , DISTRESSING INCIDENTS 109 It cost him his life. When the fire had abated, and they teck him down from the roof he was exhaflst ed, and they carried him home sev~ erely ill. The doctors thought that he must have swallowed some of the flame. He lingered at the point of death, for manytiays . The white citizens of the town did all they vcould' for him, and gave him every attention possiblet out of their deep appreciation,for his noble service, and sacrifice. But all the efforts were fruit less,fer he constantly grew weak er, and finally died a horrible death. The white citizens furnished the preparation, for his burial, and a goodly number of them Were in the procession of his fhneral. SeVeral prominent eitizens,spoke appreciatively of his noble deed, at his funeral, eulogizing the ‘spirit of sacrifice Shawn, in his willingness to serve. He was only a poor negro,but he did his best. 110 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS There were, of course,many fires in the residence section,during my growing up, and fires are always exciting and impreeeiye to ohil~ dren. The first residence fire that I remember,wae about the finest ree— idenoe, in the town. The people had gone away from home on a week’s fishing trip. In the midst of their outing, about twelve o~ olook, one night their home burn~ ed. There wae considerable criti— oiem, in the town oyer it. The house and fLTfl”“hlUgu, were well insured, and the J:amily hedoarw ried their heavy eilver—ware with them, gulfih xtgae quite unusual. Of course, the only conclusion to reach, wee that the house was "set" But it could have been done in many ways ,other than fired by the owners. But the insurance oompaniee,gave ooneiderable trouble, about the paymente, and”people will talk". The family did not rebuild, and soon moved away. DISTRESSING INCIDENTS 111 Another residence fire,ooourred, which was in our section of town, and was the beginning of a series of fires, on the same lot, which caused considerable comment. It too, was a large beautiful home. The lady’s husband, was a— way from home, and she was alone, except, for two small boys, about my own age, The house was "well under way" in burning, before she was awakenw ed by the. "crackling", of the flames., ' Her soreame soon aroused the neighbors, and my brothers and I, were among the first to arrive .at the fire. The woman was frantic. I can see her now, so vivid was the impression made on me, as she walked, half clad, baok and forth aorose the broad, front porch, screaming, and wringing her hands. But this fire, impressed me still more, for several apple, and Cherry trees stood near the house, from which II ate much fruit, and 112 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS with the burning of the house, my future hope for apples and cher— ries, had "vanished" for the trees were all killed. The fire was a disastrieus one for them; almost every thing they had was burned, and they earried no insurance, On either house or furnishings. , The family, however, owned a rent house near by,and they moved in~to that. Seen another house was built on the same lot, and this time.insur~ ance was taken out on it at once. It steod about a year, and burn- ed. The family again moved in—te the rent house,& built a still bet ter house. It also ,burned later, and was replaced by one which is still standing,but it was general— ly understood that no more insur— ance, eeuld be gotten, on that, "un-lucky place". The old house, which had been "a reserve", in all the years, was insured,however, & while they were moving,in—to the new and final one it caught but was extinguished. DiSTRESSING INCIDENTS 115 Our own house, also, caught fire onoe. Mother was at home alone, and while getting dinner, she heard a"crackling" noise overhead. On looking up she saw a blaze Varound the kitchen flue. It was a windy Spring day, and she knew the flames would soon 'spread, if not extinguished. The ceiling was not very high, and mother dashed the water from her kitchen bucket, on~to the blaze, and rushed te a barrel, which always stood near the kitch— en door to catch rain water, and after a few hurried trips,the fire was out. We always thought mother exhib— ited great presence of mind, and courage, in putting out this fire, rather than to run off, screaming, for help and allow the fire to spread. But that was just our mother’s habit of life,to meet any emergency of life squarely, as it arose, and face it calmly. . She tried to instill in us that spirit of "cool headedness" and to meet every emergency with calmness, but 114 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS . _ _ ' F her example of thoughtfulness and ‘COurage, on this occasion, was worth more to us than all her ad~g vice had been. She had ”Practiced What She taught". This she usual— ly did. Moth.r was alwoye, very careful about 1136, and so .ffexed much uh~ [3 easineee, “fc>r lea?" we boys Would as she eaid;”Burn up the place". , Whenever Bhé went shopping, or calling asd left u_e at home, She always ”LeU“Ofl‘fl us'to be careful about the fire. On one oocaeion, she went awa*, thus, to be gone several houre, A rather "brisk“ fire was burninvf e in the fire‘plaeeeend W were told to remain in the houee7 unril the fire had burned down We etzved until we thought it wee "e.afe ,ouc- I am sure? now? “hat we were not long in reaching thht oonclueion; We were soon off playjhgr, and forgot all about looylhg after the fire: ; Finallv when it Was "most time? as we thought for mother,to return we we nt into the house, to see 'I DISTRESSING INGIDENTS 115 abeut the fire. As we opened the door, greatly to our astonishment, we feund the room filled with smoke. , When we had oopened the doors and let the smoke blow through, we found that one of the large sticks of wood had burned in two, and one end had fallen down, and rolled o— ver on the rug. It had burned a large ugly hole in the rug and on in—to the floor, but had never blazed. It had only "charred" it’s way through, and gone out. But small bits of fire still remained in the chunk, which‘ made an awful smoke. It was a narrow esoape,and when mother came back, as she did soon, we caught it. And I suppose, what we got, because of our disobedi- ence, and carelessness, has helped to impress it on my memory. For as I recall it now, we boys had to take our meals in a stand ing position for several days, be; cause of the results. 116 nisrsessINe INCIDENTS Three other experiences linger very definitely, in my memory,with reference to firee,and burns, etc. ,in which children figured. A lit— tle girl, who lived near us, and who lived in the house which af— terwards burned, .as has already been related,and her accident hap~ pened several years before the house was burned, and the families are different ones. ' The little girl's mother had made a kettle of starch, and left it in a vessel to cool. The child was just tall enough to reach up to the shelf and in pulling at the vessel, turned it ever full 'tilt on her head, face, and neck. My mother and I, heard the child soream,and we ran to her as quiek~ ly as possible. I then ran for my older brother, who went for a doe—- tor. ' . The little girl was rather ee~ verely burned but not dangerously. Her loosely hanging hair, had protected her scalp and neck. But the hot starch, burned her face and shoulders rather badly, and much of her hair came out. DIfiTREBSING INCIDENTS 117 Her hair had protected her scalp, and hanging loosely, as it did, kept most of the hot starch off of her neck. But her face was right badly burned, and much of her hair came out. The other incident, was that of a boy, and was some—what of a sim— ilar nature as the_above, but much more severe. ' , He was "flying a kite", in the wood lot adjoining their baek~ yard. His mother was having a pot of soap made in the yard. The fire had burned down,and the kettle left to "simmer, and cool". The boy,had gotten his kite "up" and was running backwards, to try ‘to make it take flight. His run~ ning spaee, in the little lot, was net enough to carry his kite high enough, to take the breeze, so he backed in to the yard, pulling the kite along, looking at it, rather than where he was going. He had forgotten all about the pot of hot soap and backed in~to it "ker~splash". ‘ 118 DIS$RESSING. INCIDENTS The top edge of the pot, caught him just at the bend of the knees, and he sat down full force, in the pot of "simmering" hot soap. His body, in this sitting pos~ ture, settled entirely down, to the bottom of the pet,and the soap rose up cOvering his body, to the arm pits and knees. ~ He was- sick, for a long, long time. All of the skin, and much of the flesh came off of his' body and limbs. And he suffered,great— 1y, but he finally recovered, with out any serious, permanent inju— ries, 'There were other things not so shocking as these deaths,fires,and ether mishaps, Which impressed me during those early years, such as railroad, activities, and some— times, a wreck. When the two railroads, which still run through Pittsburg, were first built, they were "narrow— gauged" roads. The rails were a bout a foot closer together, than the usual "standard gauge" road. DieTneeSING INCIDENTS 119 I have a very "faint recollec— tion", of the widening of the Cot- ton belt road. It ran directly in. front of our house, within a dis~ tanee of about two hundred yards. I can remember the workmen un~ Loading the ties and steel for this reconstruction work, and the long "strings" of men, laying the new and heavier steel. The old "S.S.B."road, now the "M.K.& T." was widened some years later. The "Cotton Belt,had a long "up~ grade", for two miles, leading in to town, with several sharp cur— ves. Traine would have a hard time' with. heavy loads, pulling that grade. As a small boy,l rather gloried, in their struggles. The country ;was "hilly", and though we could {not see the train very far, but we gcould hear their labors,and as we Ewould say,they were singing "black gand dusty ,—"black and dusty", and We could see the Streams and great clouds, of black smoke, boiling, 120 'DISTBESSING INCIDENTS out of the smokeestack, scatter, and drift 'away carried by the breezes. Sometimes, these long, 'black streaks, would remain unbroken, as far as the eye could see. They would often have to "back", rall the way down that long grade, and with a new "head—way"of steam, try again. Some times, after several unsuc~~ cessful attempts, to carry the whole load, they would cut the train, and carry ‘half of it at a time. ' One day, one of these heavily loaded trains was "struggling up the grade", when suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and the en— gine came to a sudden stop. , It was "right in front" of our home, and I thought surely the , whole thing had blown up,.and per— haps killed the whole crew. But we ran down to the track,and learned that it was only a "cylin— der head blown out", and no one was hurt. The men did not seem excited over it, and we were consoled. DISTReeeIeo INCIDeNTe 121 The men acted as if it were a slight occurrence, but they worked until, considerably after dark, before, they could get the old en— gine ready to "pull out". It was great sport to us, to watch them moving about with their Lanterns, but we heard some_things that it were better, we had not heard. Once, there was a wreck, near our home, when a .heavily loaded flfreight", crashed through a tres— tle. ' ‘ The embankment was high, and the cars were piled up, in "every con— ceivable shape". Some were crushed and Splintered, some standing on end, and others turned bottom up. ,All kinds of merchandise, such as corn, hay, flour, sugar, crack- ers, lumber, dry~goods, and coal, were mixed up in endless confu—~ sion. IT did not look possible, that any one of the train orew,-could have escaped. 'But fortunately, not a one was seriously injured. One man had his arm broken. But_one poor "tramp" was killed. 122 DISTRESSING INCIDENTS ON another occasion, another wreck occurred at the "two mile trestle", which was at the foot of the long grade, which extended in to town. This trestle spanned "the mill creek" stream, a creek, which, in wet times carried lets of water. AT this time we had been having lots of rain, and the creek had been out of its banks for several days. ' The "piling" which supported the trestle, had been washed 'loose, gave way, as a heavily loaded freight, passed over it,and almost the whole train went crashing in to the stream. Several of the train men, were thrown into the swollen stream,and no.doubt, would have been killed had it net been for their falling in—to the water. But very fortunately, they es— eaped,with bruises. It was a ter- rible wreck, however,and they were several days clearing it up. . DlersseeING iNCIDENTs 125 These deaths, fires, accidents, and wrecks, together with several bad sterms, and cyclones, all left some distressing, and deep impress ions on my mind. But they are such as some in all our lives and give us some of the serious side of life. AND, We are to be thankful, that such experiences, do not all come upon us at once, but are scattered out, through the years. And there are many experiences, blessed and sweet, which come in between, to make life joyous and happy. G H.A P T E R IV. P e T e, P o N I E 5, AND PREDICAMENTS. FROM My earliest childhood, I ‘have been fond ef animals. My chief delight,as a very small "Chap", was to sit on the floor, and admire the animal pictures, in the books, of which we had but few. Like most other small chil~ dren, I have spent many a rainy day, and many hours of other days, between tasks, turning the pages, of some "order house" eatalog, ' looking at the pictures,and build”? ing "air castles", of the day,wheni I should be the proud owner of the things pictured there, I was especially fond, of any“ thing in the pony or dog line. On each end of our mantle, as far back as I can remember,there sat two very large china dogs, in 124 f'mr‘fei%x‘,mm.' »{=j@'.","; any? :“I'wfi 9* . , ;. .I’ " 1 2 if 5:. of ‘% , :1; ,g .szV‘J‘YV): ‘, mural: PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 125 colors of beautiful red and white stripes or spots. These dogs were to me, play—mates by day, and faithful sentinels by night. Eome one gave me also, a« small china dog, with black Spots, for a Christmas present. It contained a -slot for coins and became my first savings account. But the rattle of a few coins within, meant more to me than sav— ings, for as the money jingled it was to my childish imagination,the barking of the dog. And strange to say, I usually knew what he was saying to me. He was usually bark— ing to scare away any danger that might be threatening his young master. I called him "Bruno", and I was very much grieved when a neighbor— ing playmate, dropped my Bruno on the hearth, and he was no more. It was more than a departed dog, It was my first financial "re— verse". You se my bank was "bust— ed". I kept the broken pieces in my play—house for "many—a—day, and mourned my loss as much as if it had been a real calamity. 126 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS I was never comforted until semev one gave me a little real puppy, which I immediately called "Bruno" He was about the size of‘my shat- tered hope, fat and ehubby,and as »broad, as long. But Oh! my, he was "loud". This was so especially at night. Of eourse this night screaming did not bother me, for I was a good sleeper. But the others complain— ed, and I became uneasy for my dog and his safety. ' He slept fine, in the day time, and when awake was quiet and play— ful, but at night, he ,missed me, grew restless and lonesome, and my!, how he could "squall". I could see a growing inappreci— ation, on the part of mother, and the older. beys for Bruno. They began to tell me "scarey stories" about how mad—dOgs sometimes "ate— up" little puppies, and I grew un- easy. One day we were on the front porch,and a large ugly strange dog "trotted" under our house. I at once, thought of Bruno,in the back yard,and started through the house . " WR%*VWWW”‘WMW§”03W&V*‘C““Efi*7w‘w\wwflm urns-flixxw V, t _‘ _ . , ‘5‘: A": -,, ‘3'“ i. Z“, . 1.. _ A . Z . A _ ‘1 « W9W‘KCSWWT :' ; PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 127 I started, in a run, _te get my dog, and the crowd anticipating my inte ention, caught me and said that the big dog might ”get me and my .puppy bathe . that he did get my ”phi? .== I never saw him again. I ”A mliefied that .the stray deg had ewellcwed him "whole”, But I hav figured it 011t many times ,he.t the older boys -"epilited Ly 0g away" Mother need t0 amu e us smaller 5 ‘children, with : ry ebeut our brother Nathan? when he was a lit— tle boy. Some one had given him two little Bull deg pupeq They were large enough to "scamper a— bcut on the lawn and play. Nathan would crawl and tumble a“ bcut with them, but the puppies learned that it were better for them to stay out of his reach. He would try to get hold ef them but they insisted in staying out of his reach. They rat her enjoyed playing for his delight and with each other than to be caught and held in his eager'clutcheet 128 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS He would often grow angry at this proeedure and in his peevish child ishness,would sing little original song ditties, which he seemed to think would greatly worry the pups. He would tell them that he was going to trade them off, or give them away, or worse stil, go off, and leave them to starve. Then he would talk lovingly to them, and beg them to ceme to him. His chief little "tantalising song,was; "I know where I can find me another Bull~Pup, that’ll suie me better". Over and over, again he chanted this song, in a doleful sort of way, but the pups never seemed to care. Our;unole David had a very faith; ful old brindle dog, named Lee. ' And when a small boy, I deligitedt to Visit there, for the sport of} playing with Lee. The other mem» bers of the family went to see the folks, but I went chiefly to see the dog. He-"took—on" over me more than the folks did and we had good times together. When they visitedfl PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 129 us,I could not understand why they did not bring the dog along to spend the day, with me. But someone finally gave us boys, a half grown puppy,of "likely out— come", and we named him "Les". Not only myself, but all of our family soon became very much at— tached to nine He grew to be a good "watch deg", and was a con— stant companion, to us smaller boys. He slept across the front door—way, and even ’while quite young, no stranger dared to pass over his protest. When the latch on the front gate "clicked", "old Lee" was wide a~ wake. And every one "about", knew that they must first get per— ‘ mission to enter, before they dar— ed do so. , Lee-especially had a dislike for negroes. I have seen him "sniff" many times, as negroes passed the house, as if to say to me, his young master, "humph!,humph!, that‘ nigger don’t smell good to me". I always thought as he showed his teeth,that he meant,that at least.~ 150 PET$ AND PREDIGAMENTS And the Negroes soon learned that something like that were his pro“. found sentiments. When Negroes were "about the house", we would have to keep Lee tied. He did net seem to be able to distinguish between good Ne— groee and"Niggere". Or the differ— ence between worKere and loafers. I eften thought that he had heard ue boye einging that little song "ditty": " I don’t like a Nig—ger no how", And "All Coone look alike to me". At least, he acted out that eentiment to perfection. And as a small boy, I rather glo- ried in his attitude. One day my mother had a faithful Negro woman helping her do "house cleaning". hhe had a boy about my own age, and he came along to play with me. . - Old Lee was tied in his accustom— ed oorner.Ae we played areund in the yard he watched the sport with a great deal 0f jealous interest. As we ecuffled Lee became .ner— vous. He did not allow any negro3 to touch him, and he did not like} to see the boy touch his master. PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 131 It made him extremely restless and he took it as a very serious matter. Finally the Negro boy hurt me slightly and I grew angry. I did not mean to do him any harm,I sup~ pose,for we were only playing. But I thought I would give him a little scare, to make him more careful in the future. We were not .far from where Lee was tied,and he was taking in the whole situation and seemed more interested than I was. But he Was enduring it all with patience, until I' gave a little "hiss", and pointed in the direc— tion of the Negro boy. Of course I thought the dog was securely tied,and only intended to have a . little fun, by scaring the boy. I was sure the rope would hold him, but greatly to my astonish ment, he gave a terrific lungs, snapped his rope in two, and away he went. It was'certainly a "nip and tuck" race. ' ' ‘ The Negro boy was not more than 132‘ PETS AND PREDICAMENTS ' twenty feet from~ our front door, and the dog was about fifty feet, ' Both of them were' in a running mood, for my "hissing" had no more than started before the boy was "on his way". Just as the boy entered that front.door, Old Lee got a big bite of breeohee, and some of the boy,, just below the fleshy part of the; anatomy, where a boy sits down. i OH MY;, But I was soared!. My dog came bounding back to me, "all; bristles, with his dry goods and. fresh meat particles in his teeth, and sniffing vooiferouely, as if to say "Bring him out here again and I will finish him". But I has tily tied him to prevent further casulties, while the din of boy squalls resounded from within. My mother was soon on the scene, and while the negro woman was patching up her boy, my mother was "attending to me". The negro'e "solo",was soon changed to a mixed; “duette”, for I had joined in. Leeg' had no regrets & seemed to think, 'he had done the proper PETS AND PREDICAMENTS _153 thing, and even when mother had scolded him severely, he showed no signs of sorrow or regret. Lee not only had a dislike for the negroes, but he had a contempt for their dogs. The side street which ran by our house, was a sort of thoroughfare for the negroes. They passed back and forth many times day and night, geing from one negro section of the town to another. "OLD LEE" would not molest the Negroes as long as they were in the street,but he was always care— ful to see that no one ever came ’ inside the fence. This they knew they dared not do. But he had no hesitancy at all, in challenging any dog that' came that_way. It seemed all right for degs to pass along the front street, but he seemed to claim all the right to the side street. And claiming that street exclusively for himself, he had no hesitancy in "jumping on"any dog that passed that way. I have seen many a hard fought battle there. He would 134 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS lie in wait, and seem to be anx- ious for another antagonist, or rather victim to pass by. And when one did come along, "Look out"!. Business would pick up!. 4 I have seen as many as five or six degs in such melees, at one time. And sometimes Lee would come away limping, gashed and bleeding. But he never gave up until the alley was cleared. It never mat~ tered seriously, to me, how badly my dog was chewed up, I could al~ ways get consolation out of the fact that he left the other dogs, in a worse "fix" than he was in. Immediately following such bat— tles, my dog would come "troting" to me, as if to say, "Little mas—g ter, we wont be bothered with that” intruder any more", I would immediately "doctor him up",from mother’s apothecary clos- et, and get him ready for the next battle. , One day,in one of these "bouts", Lee had his throat cut by the claw of another dog. It was an awful; gash and lay open, in an ugly sore? PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 135 for a long time, because of repea— ted fights, in which the old wound was opened. But he never gave up a fight, and I "gloried", much, in his "grit". Lee we not only a good watch dog and a tireless fighter, but was a- good hog and cow dog. My oldest brother in those days, drove oat— tle a good deal, and Lee wae al— ways happy, when permitted to go with him. He would trot along by the side of the herd, and keep them in line almost as well as‘ an extra horse man coud do. And if a yearling attempted to "sull" as they often do when mad or hot, Lee would bite them and make them move on. Or if they tried to run away, he made them get back in line. Sometimes he would get angry with them, and with a vicious grip on the nose with his strong jaws, he would swing back, and throw them "heels over head". . If hogs got in the.field, all we boys had to do was to call Lee, start runing towards the field and 156 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS shout "Suey", and "Seek—em". He would start on his search,back and forth and around, until he struck a track or found a hog. When he found them, or their trail, he would give a loud ”yelp" and bark to let us know, and it would not be long before we would hear a pig’s squeal. ' We would then have to hurry to get on the scene ourselves, to rew lieve the hogs of their pain by pulling the dog off. I always believed, he not onlyt enjoyed the sport, but liked the“ taste of hog meat, also. But with all of his good traits, Lee had two bad habits, from which we could never break him._He would steal away and find the csrcass of some dead animal, and eat his? "fill". I have seen him come home many a time,looking like a "stuff— ed toad" and with a scent about him ,that was unbearable. On such occasions, his young master would, have to part company with him, for; a period of purification to elapse PETS AND PREDICAMENT8157 when he was stuffed, like this,he would not eat the foed we gave him but would take it out and bury it.‘ I used to think that was very nice of him, for he did show his appreciation "by not letting it waste; His burying place was out near the side street, which ran by our house, and that was evidently, the reason he was so vicious towards other dogs, which came that way. His other bad habit, was that of killing chickens and sheep. The chickens knew better than to bother his food, too, even though he did not want it. If a chicken dared to get the food thrown to him, he would not let .up, until he had put that chicken "out of business", and sometimes he would just kill them "fer sport". The fun period would lead him in to a spirit of vandalism and he ~became a blood thirsty, "chicken pirate" killing and eating them at will. He was also bad about kill ing sheep. There were several 138 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS "flocks"about over 'the country, and occasionally he would go off and catch one, kill it and eat it. We could always tell when he had been off, in this kind of "mean— ness"; He would come home, with a ’ down-cast look,and would seem very uneasy and unhappy. He was often scolded, and some~ times whipped for Vit, and conse* quently when he came back from these escapades, he expected to be punished. And with this expecta— tion he would fully measure up to the expression, of looking like "a sheep killing dog". But I loved him very dearly, in spite of all his faults, and when he died I was greatly grieved. He met a horrible and tragic death; Some~one who disliked his conduct, fed him glass. We always thought it was some negro, whose dog he had "chewed up". But it might have been some sheep or hog owner who. wanted him out of the way, and fed him the glass in bread or meat. We buried him in a grave behind PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 139 the garden, in the corner of the orchard. We buried him amid much ceremony, and many tears, and pla— ced wild flowers lovingly on his grave. We kept it scrupulously clean for several years, and at grave working times, talked over many of his lifetime feats, fights and escapades. A whole beok could be written about the average boy’s experien— ces with dogs. But one more of my own will suffice for this story. When Lee was dead, we got anoth- er dog; a black shaggy one, which was never good for anything, but to follow us boys around, play and eat. He was too sleepy to watch at night, too lazy to run anything and too big a eoward to fight. But he was "long" on play. We called him Bob. My brother John made a trip to Bowie county, to see our uncle, carried Bob with him, and left him there. About a year lat— er, a blacK dog came to our house, and we always thought it was bob, but could not te11.for sure. 140 _PETS AND PREDICAMENTS He seemed to answer to the name Bob, but he was now "bobbed tail ed" and ugly and we gave him away. I had one very exciting experi— ence, with a vicious country dog; I had gone out in the country to visit at a place, where I knew a crowd of boys and girls were to be "gathered", one Sunday afternoon. The house was situated, back from the public road a ways, and to reach it, I had to pass through a wooded grove. It was Spring“ time, and' we boys had made "pop~ guns" out of reed canes out from the ereek bottoms. We had made sub stantial rods about fifteen inches long, from red oak wood and in our guns, we shot green china—berries and paper~vadding. I carried my pop~gun on this oc~ -casion, and although it was made only for play, -I am sure it serv- ed as a good weapon of warfare,and saved me from being badly dog~bit~ ten, on this occasion. As I approached the house, the dog lay behind a tree, either in waiting to spring upon me, or was Pete AND ?REDICAMEHTB, 141 asleep behind a large oak tree. I did not know he wee there, un— til I was full upon him. And he was springing at my throat and barking madly. I was terribly frightened, and Jumped back, to escape his attack, but thinking that he would simply bark, and let ne_by. But he sprang right back at me again. I was in . too cloee quertere to try to ee- cape, and then too, I had learned never to run from a dog, 80 I had to fight. Accordingly, as the sprang at me again, I brought my heavy pop—gun in—to notion, in a hand to head fashion. He fell back, only to spring at me more ferociously than ever. A gain and agin, I let fell my stea— ' dy blows on his nose, as he sprang towards me, and each time I back- ed off out of hiS'reeoh.'Hie anger increased with each blow, and he seemed more determined to bite me. He had no notion of giving up his intention, but with my repeat- ed blows, I managed to keep him off of me until help came. 142 PETS AND PBEDICAMENTS The man at the house came to my rescue just about at the point when my pop gun was worn into. splinters. It certainly would not; have withstood many more blows. I We went on to the house, and the dog was securely chained, butI was so nervous from my fight and scare that I did not enjoy the sports, and plays very much. I stayed in the house and every time I even as much as "poked" my head out the window, that dog became angry, and madly barked and "lunged" against his chain. There were many mad dogs, in those days. And although I was never bitten by one,I had some ex~ ceedingly narrow escapes. One day, one of my boy friends was going to town, and met a strange deg, on the side—walk. He popped his fin- ger at the dog, meaning only to be playful with him. But the dog sprang madly at him, catching the boy’s thumb in his mouth, nearly biting it, off. He sprang at the boy’s throat but the boy shoved him away, receiving an ugly "gashWfi PETS AND PREDICAMENTS '145 on the fleshy part of his hand. Just a block from there, another boy friend saw the dog turn the street corner, and he rolled a barrel—hoop at him, across the street: The dog spied the boy, and rushed upon him furiously, biting him se— verely on the hand and arms. About three blocks further on, a number of little children were in the street playing and the dog bit three of them. By this time it was evident that the dog was "mad" for he was "foeming at the mouth"i He bit a cow and calf, in his med rush, and ran on—to two other dogs and fought with them; Then about a mile further on, a doctor was just_ coming out of a farm house to get in his buggy, he saw the dog under the buggy but thought it was the farmer’s dog. But, as he was climbing in his buggy, the dog spreng forward, and bit him on his foot. By this time there was a great crowd in pursuit of the "mad dog" and just as they rushed up,the Farmer came out with his gun, and shot it dead. 144 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS A rather peculiar thing resulted to these two boys, and their moth— ers. Both of the boys were sent to a "mad stone" in a town, some fifty miles distant. On the boy who was first bitten, the stone did not stick at all,but on the second boy, who was bitten. several times, the stone was kept applied for many hours, which was said to be an indication, that there was much of the hydrophobia poison in his system. The mothers of the two boys would not allow the two boys to play to— gether, for a long time. It was "feared" by the mother, on whose boy the stone did not work, that the other boy might "go mad", and the mother on whose boy the stone worked so well, was afraid that the stone might have been at fault when applied, to the one, on whom it did not work, and that all of the poison might still be in his system, which would certainly re— sult in him going mad. But both of the boys, are still alive, and no bad results came to either one. But rest assured that PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 145 that all of us boys got ene lesson well, and that was, to let all strange dogs alone. ' - ‘ Dogs are usually.a "chief inter— eSt", with small boys, and horses "come next. In my experience with both, I found some good, some bad. As has been related, some of my earliest memories, are connected with, "old Pony". He was at this time, the "family pet",and almost a daily necessity. I learned to ride, when I was very small,by sitting on his back, and holding on to the harness, as my eldest brother plowed. I thought I was a rather good rider, tea. Pony was "gentle" and I could catch him "any where", in the pasture. ' _ He was so good and kind, that he would hold his head down, nicely, for me to slip his bridle on him. I rather suspect, I had helped to "gentle him", by allowing him to eat candy, and lick salt from my hand. My greatest trouble, was, on getting on his back, after I had caught him. 146 PETS AND PREDICAMENT8 One day,I went to the pasture tog get him, and knowing my inability 7 to ”mount", elene, in the midddle of the pasture, I went by the "Ne— gro quarters", and proposed to one of the Negro boys,that if he would go, and help me "get up", and open the gate for me, I would '1et him "ride behind". He could get on, there,by Climb* ing on the fence, and get a good 'little ride, back down to "his house". It was agreed, and when we were "on", I started, in a "gallop". ‘ This I often did, without any fear of danger. But I did not take in to consideration,that the Negro was not accustomed to riding as myself, and we "eped away". In a sharp turn of the road, the Negro boy lost his balance, and as I was 'the only thing he could "grab", he seized hold of me, and we both "tumbled off" together. The Negro boy’e head struck the hard baked clay, and he said he could "see stars". But his "ail— ments" did not last him very long. With me however it was different. PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 147 My head seemed to hland", on his body, and I suffered no ill, from that quarter. But my left shoulder,struck that hard, sunbaked clay earth, and was broken, or rather knocked out of place. ' My good old Pony, stepped short, and waited for me. And, in great 'pain I got up, slipped the bridle reins on—to my good arm, and slow— 1y walked home.’ The doctor was called,immediate- 1y, I was put under the influence of Chloroform,and my arm was pull- ed back in place. When I akae from sleep, my arm was closely bandaged to my side, but the se- vere pain was gone. ' I had to go bandaged up, in this way, for several weeks. And dur— ing that time, I often wondered if that little Nego,were not about "even" with me; For it was the same boy, on whom I had "set my dOg,"Lee", some time before, Although Pony, was usually quite gentle, We had one experience,with him, that made me believe,it would be well to "watch", all horses. 148 PETS AND PREDIGAMENTS My brother,with Pony end a light one~horse wagon did light hauling, for the public. And one day the "market men”, engaged him to go to the eleeghter house, to bring the dreesed beef beck to the market. While the eleughtering wee in progress, Pony was tied to the fence, to Keep him from "grazing off". Ne thought of him running off, had ever been entertained. But 'When the yearling had been lassoed and drawn up in the slaugh ter house, for butchering, there was so much noise in the house, from the blows of the hammer and the "bellowing" of the steer, that Peny became very much frightened, and quite restless. It so happened, aleo,thet he had been tied near the Side of the house, where the bleed flowed out of the building,an when this scent and siiht became apparent t0 Pony, he could stand the oreeel no i 'to depart. Aeoerflingly, he gave one loudv "snort", and a terrific "lunge" which shook the whole building, ms AND tRebiCAMENTe .149 and pulled the fence ever. This frightened him woree, and as he wheeled to run, the wagon bed was turned "topeyeturvy" ever the wheels. He ran away, as "hard as he eeuld go", with the running gear of the wagon, and fragments of the fenee dangling to his rope. He ran towards home, as fast as he could go, and when he stopped and the boys came up to him,he wae' trembling "like a leaf", with fright, and bleeding from several wounds, caused by the pieces of lumber from the fence. ‘ Always after this, ho'was uneasy end reetleee, when driven near this slaughter house ' About this time we bought another horse, a "cow pony",which we call— ed "Bob". He wee about the size . of pony, and they matched well in color. But he wee very different in disposition. He was everything but quiet and gentle. He was "high strung" nervous and full of life. And had never done any work,except to "run eattle". My oldest broth— er wanted him for this purpose. 150 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS But he was soon taught how to pull a wagon, and to plowl "I shall never forget when we first brought him home and fed himg We of course, had bufi one "stall"? and feed tfough,for pony, and We fed Bob in a tifi tub. When the arm full of ear corn was brought he followed eagerly, but when it woo thrown into ohe tub, it soared him most to dooth. He wheeled about, ran blindly through the plank fence of which the ”lolt" was built, and scamper— ' ed away into‘the pasture.. It took much pains and coaxing1 to get him' back into the lott to eat. And ho could not be per~ evaded. to approach thao lub at all. . ‘ And always after this, he was. suspicious abOul any box or such . like} placed on the ground, to ro~ oeive hio feed. The first time he was ever hitch ed to a wagon, was also, almost as as dieaslrious on Experience, as was big firot feed; He wag just so nérvous, and "high strung",that any kind of noisegfrighténed him. PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 151 The harness, was of the "plow gear" variety, with ehains as tra« ' ces. The jingling of these chains and rattling of the wagon kept him frightened, all the time. He kicked and buked, and did his best to run away, but the faithfulness of old pony held him down and no serious results followed. " But he was always "skittish" and trouble ensued, if the traces touched his heels or his harness became tangled, or worse still if the line "got under his tail". He would "run away" if he could, and did several times, tearing things up generally, but pony was always on the job to "hold him down". But Bob was an excellent "cow— .pony". He was well trained and un— derstood this work so well, that _ one could have driven a cow, on him without a bridle. In fact, he was directed by the movements of the rider in the saddle, more than by the reins. He was fleet footed active,quick and sensible. He knew much more about "driving cattle", than I did,as the follow- ing experience, will show. 152 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS One day some cows got in the corn field. The other boys were all a way from home,and there was no one to drive them out but mySelf. I was rather small, but had rid~ den pony a good deal. But I had to guide him, wherever he went, and urge him on. e'I had never ridden Bob, but on this ooeaeion Pony was not in the lot, so I caught Bob, and started after the cows. He was gentle e~ nough, just to ride, but I was not on to his "cow—punching" tricks. However, I was soon mounted, "bare—back" and "away we sped" af— ter the cows. Bob seemed to enjoy? the sport fully, and I was full of' anticipation; ' The cows were no trouble to get out, but made haste towards the- place, where they had broken down the fence. By the time the last ones were outside, the others were ecattered about considerably, and I thought I would drive them off "a ways" to prevent their return— ing. ' - IBut when I started after them, , Bob misunderstood,and thought that ‘PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 155 I wanted to head them off. Conse- quently, as the cows got faster, Bob got faster,and Vaway we went". He was soon beyond my control, and fully bent on heading those cows. He did pass the swiftest one,and when the cow stopped, and "wheeled around", Bob did likewise, but I kept going, and landed, an "awful jolt", about fifteen feet away in the middle of the sandy road. I fell an awkward "heap", but was not seriously hurt. But I learned my lesson, and the next time, I was more careful. My brothers would sometimes al— low me to ride the horses, on Sun— day afternoons. But, at other times, when the horses had been at work, they "put the lid on", and I was not permitted to ride at all. I had the priviledge of riding, a good deal, in going cn_"errands" such as trips to the country, for vegetables, and produce, but some times, I wanted to take a purely , "pleasure ride". On one such occa- sion, I went out behind the barn, 154 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS and "bridled" one of the horses. I rode straight away from the barn, keeping it between me and the house, so the folk there could not see me. Having gotten out of the pasture, I took a "round—about route" to go through tcwn,in order to avoid being seen by my eldest .brother. But just when I felt that I was safe, and well on my way, for a visit to a cousinle in the country as I turned the last corner to get in a straight road, across town, behold! I ran up "face to face", with my brother, coming down the side—walk. Both of us were greatly surprised, and my "feathers fell.' 1 had to return home, which Ii did, very reluctantly. But I had” it to do, or else suffer "the con— —eequenees". I went back feeling, that this "was a hard old world". All my anticipated Joy for the day was turned into "ead disap— pointment". IN my "growing up" we owned many other horses and mules,but I never grew quite so much attached to any )g'garsrz-«Tfigx’rwvv-‘h- ~"‘27“‘7*:‘ r A A“ .4 4A A PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 155 Of them,a8 I did to Bob, anfl Pany. And this was mapecially so, of ,Pony. But" the best of friendm andearfihly attachments, must' ere- 1ongbe‘ severed and separated. A "rage”of ”disfiemper",gofi among the horses of the country‘ kill“ 1mg many 0f them and Bob and Pony both, took it and died. But Pony had livad to the ripe Vold— age of fifteen, or sixteen years‘ mnd whwn he died, it wafi as if, a member of our family had gone. And all of UE shed many bitw ter tears 0f grief. After the death 0f thsse faithfu; servants, fie ownsd mafiy differant hoffies} and horse deals, and tra— dgfi.wefelfrequenfi. V Jflfifigrm' were ‘many ”traders. in fgfifigfifdaySKWanfl;our eldest brothcr ffiraded mahy'timas with them. Some:w ‘¢time$ he would get a good looking éhop§e-that would net pull a pound, And many.of them were very poor“ and "bony”. I rode most‘ 0f them, amd usually rode bfifeback,but 30mm timea when I woula flaunt a "stack of bonea"al would very much need a 156 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS saddle, or some other kind of ”pad ' ding". But I enjoyed riding so well, that, very little complaint was ever made. One day, however, I did try the eadd le, greatly to my "chagrin. We had a pretty "chestnut" pony, which seemed perfectly gentle. My brother had borrowed a saddle from a friend, and sent me for it. I "galloped" the horse across town "bare back", and tried m gaits well,end thought I knew him. ' But I did’nt, for when I had put the saddle on him and fastened both girthe, eecuroly,then mount— ed, the show took place. . Before I was settled in the Bed— dle, or had picked up my reine,the most awful kicking and bucking that a boy ever witnessed, ,toek place. The whole performance, was yery much of a eurqrise to me. I soon lost my balance, and was thrown so high, that it seemed to no that I was several minutes com—i ing down. But I finally made ,a safe land ing, head, and shoulders first, in the deep sandy road. “JPHTCAM 57 th when nethlng Lei wee pretty befl~ ehehezl up. man near by, oeughfl efler inveStigeeion,we t tLe only thing the mwou the ”flee k girth”, We tcok it off, and he held the horse, while I mounted and I went am home slowly, wiihout any fur“ iher "mi eh; ". T Wis '“Suallj a "pretty ~' ' i”: and this wee the fire. "tv 7'? ever eo com~ pletely We owned two other hereee with pitching inolinetiene,end I refi1w er"gloried",in making them "buck".' One of these, was a little "frisky" yellow pony,that did not like the "spurlfie". When the ”etee l" touched his eidee, he would piooh "like fury", and when I rode him,he usually got some of this exereiee. The other was a larger horae,and usually very gentle,but he did not 158 PETS AND PREDICAMENTS alike to carry double, unless bothgw boys were in the saddle. He had? been "spoiled", and if one should even lay the weight of his hand, behind the saddle,or slightly pull. up the hair on his hips, he would pitch, and rear, and squeal. ' Sometimes the bays who were not on to his "tricks", would ask per— mission,to get up behind and ride. Consent was usually given, but we were rarely ever asked, by that same boy again. ,It was ,very for tunate, and as one looks back on such pranks, it was almost a mir— acle, that no one was ever serious 1y hurt. For "Buck" never stopped until his "Passenger" was off; Another horse, we owned, was a eomplete "outlaw",and did not like to be ridden, at all. But he was finally "conquered" by our eldest' brother, who rode him frequently. But with a few days rest, at any time, he was "wild" again. And I never thought him safe for myself. It is no doubt fortunate for me that I did not try it, else, this story would be a different "tale". PETS AND PREDICAMENTS 159 As 'the years went along, I had many other exciting times in con» nection with horses, some of which would make our story too lengthy, but one or two will suffice. Once when I was very small,moth— er sent me to carry my brother’s dinner, as he worked some distance from home. I had to go through a grass patch Where a horse was grazing. I had never, been afraid of horses, and hence did not think of any danger from this one. But as I "neared" this one, he backed his ears, and started after me, with actions and expressions, of the.most evil in tent. ' I ran, as "hard as I eould", to- ward a nearwby fence, but with the distance I had to go,was sure that he would "pounce upon me" before 1 could reach it. But I kept running my very best, with the stamping, snorting horse behind me. ' I expected each second, to be "pawed to death" by his massive feet, or to be caught in his great jaws and crushed to death. I could almost feel the breath 160 PETe AND PREDICAMENTe from his nostrils,but I kept going and darted under the fence,rolling like a ball. ' For a moment, I was so "dazed", that I could not understand wheth— er I had escaped or not, nor how. But when I was fully aware that I had escaped, and that I was be— yond his reach, I discovered that the horse was tied to the end of a long "lariat" rope, and had reach- ed the end of his rope, or he would have caught me. And only for the strength of that rcpe, am I permitted, to relate this story. He was "furious",and stood there at the end of hie rope,"pawing" up, the earth, and "snorting" in a terrible rage. ' Another exciting time was expe— rienced by me, in a somewhat eimi~ lar way, with with a pen full of fattening cattle. ' A plot of ground owned 'by the oil mill, lay. between our home and our pasture. This oil mill lott had been converted! in—to a feed pen, for fattening steers. At this time, there were about four PETg AND PREDICAMENTE 161 hundred western steers, were being fattened there, on the cotton seed meal an hulls, from the mill, This feed lot lay between our home, and larger pasture, where we often kept our horses. I was sent hurriedly, one morning, for the herses, and in order to save time, decided to "out across", this feed lot. I did not think of any danger, until I was in the middle of the large pen. I then began to notice that the great ugly beasts, were bowing up their ugly necks, and "eyeing" me madly. I was a strange new "sight" to then, and I realized my [helples~ ness, as they began to "snort" and shake their heads at me. I tried to keep them from knowing,however, that I was scared, but Igot out of there as quickly as possible. , I was net hurt, but, I never en— tered that pen again. I was frightened at another time by a horse, with "blind staggers". One of our neighbor’s horses took this disease, near our front yard. He ran through several 162 sews AND PREDICAMENTB plank fences, butted up against buildings _and treee,_ in an awful way.. The owner finally had to shoot him} One epring' season, my eldest brother kept a very fine, large English coach, thoroughbred, stalm lion. We called him "Robin Raz—. dak", and he was "electricity on legs", beautiful but bad. Brother built stables, far ever in the pasture,and kept him there. One day, Robin Razdak broke his hitch rein,kicked out of his stall 'and was literally playing "havoc" with all the loose horses, in the pasture; "Pawing kicking, and bit— ing them as if to kill". All of us boys "gave chase",try~ ing to "hem" him up, and get 'hold of his "dangling", broken rein. I was the smallest,in the group, and came near being run over sev~ eral times, in the chase, When the elder boys, finally caught him,.both the horse,and all us boys were "about exhausted". And the other gentle horses were sorely kicked and bitten. Robin, was in a perfect "lather" with @2?5 Ann PREDioAMENis' 163 perspiration, and "frothing, and foaming", at the mouth, like a naddonod beast, which he Was. Re wow "frenzied" with oxoitoment,and so nervous from his ovor~exoroilo, that he Could not, stand still. My brother gave him a good "ton— iag down", with a buggy whip, and fastened him soouroly, back in his "prison stall". Theao are some, not all, of the exciting experiences, that came to we, in childhood. In ‘all of a boy's dangerous ventures, it is a wonder, that so many live through them, unscathed. The Fataliot would oay,"oaoh one has "some" guardian of his fate". But better still, Faith would touch; "there is A Providence, Di— vinoly directed to preserve young life”. Our individual task, is to find what -that purpose is, ond fulfill it. CHAPTER v. 3110117 13113:; E x P are I 3,N c e_e. THERE .Were 'not many forms of . public hente rta1nment, during the "‘days Of my early childhood. , About the only thing that ever loame our way; was that lof "organ grinders") and "bag—pipe" musi~ cians, who usually carried, some kind of small trained animal, the monkey, or bear. _ ' These foot travellers ,would stop in front of a house ,or school building,and begin to play; wThere ,would be ne.preliminaries, or an nouncemente‘, of the performance. ' The first any one would know Or their approach, or presence, would be the music. This of course would attract the attention of the pee—' ple, and soon, there would be a crowd assembled, and, the. monkey- or hear, was center of attractiOn. ' 164 SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES 165 He was usually dressed,in a lit— tle red jacket and cap. And as he hopped and danced about, he would usually pull off his cap, and hold it out for pennies, nicklee and dimes. sometimes, also, men would come around with "performing bears". These men usually carried a lit- tle flute, and hence did not make much music. But the bears were great attractions, and to us boys, it was great entertainment, to see them danee. It is not bad for bears and monkeys to dance. The bears would often wrestle, also. One time, two especially large and well trained bears were brought to our town. The man held them by long chains tied to their haltere, or muzzles. When a sufficient "purse" was made up, the men made the bears wrestle and fight, and then climb trees, and telegraph poles, This was great fun, to all the children, but the dogs, of the neighborhood did not like the bears, and eould not be persuaded, to come, or stand near near them. 166 SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES The' horses, in the neighborhood did not seem to be fond of them,; either. But the boys especially,v had a good time, when these "show men" came around. One time, a man came through our town, with a great box of snakes. I thought it something,both won» Iderful and awful,for a man to hem» dle snakes with his hands. I would allow the monkeys, to crawl upon me, and I would some~ times, venture to ride a bear, but I could never be induced to put my hands on one of those ugly snakesft N0*sir~ee!. The first tent show, I ever saw, was a "medicine show". The company camped for a week, or more,on some vacant lots, near our home. It was "Clifton’s Medicine shows", And they made, and sold several kinds of "curemall", medicines. hey made their medieines,at the tents, and gave "open air" shows, on the streets, each evening,’ and sold medicine. They had a large brass band,and wagon drawn by four beautiful white horses. They also had several Indians, and another SHOW DAY‘ EXPERIENCES 167 wagon,with a large platform on it. And on this platform the Indians would perform. One of their prin~ cipal performances, was an "Indian war dance". ' They gave their exhibitions on the street eaeh night and "great crowds" .would attend. The band would play, men and women would sing, the Indians would "whoop and dance", and then a man would sell medicine. _ I was in,and around their tente, a good deal during the day time, running "errands", and doing small "jobs" for the managers, but I did not "fool areund", those "Wigwam tents", where the Indians stayed. I did not care for any close In— dian acquaintances. They looked "too wild" for me. ' I had oppertunities also, to see other street performances, occa— sionally,such as“black—faced" soap . box commedians, wit hanjo,or guit— tar, as I made hurried,? errand trips to town. ‘ And the latest ones, were the kind I thought I would like most to be.4 It was my Videal", 168 sHow‘ DAY EXPERIENCES. Finally, Awhen a new Methodist church building, was erected, the old one was turned into an "opera house", and our.little town began to take on "city airs", and to ate tract little "theatres". The first one of these shows to come, was entitled "Uncle Josh Sprucepys Commedians",and was said' to be quite good. I "got in", by carrying the hand bills around, And I felt as im— portant, in my task, as any of the performers, I am sure, and I tried to let every~one know it. I thought it something "very special", to sit in the crowded,? auditorium, and enjoy the play, a4 long with those, who were able to "pay their way". The play was said to be made up of a "Star company", and in each performanee,l picked out the char— acters, that I would like most to be. _ ' ’To me, it was great. I had seen a few "home talent" school plays, but in my estimation,this show was real "perfection". I became in~ fatuated, with, the show business, SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES 169‘ and I usually, "managed somehow", to work my way in,te most of them, after that. ' Sometimes, we boys would serve as stage boys,snd were dressed up, to fill in a part, of "standing am round" where the ,character had nothing to say. But, we always felt "very important", on such oe~ oasions, and oculd picture, in our imaginations, what great perform~ ere, we might some day be. Sometimes, however, some of us boys would get left' off of the list of "helpers, and then we had to resort to subterfuge, or miss. the show. , In order to see the shew, boys ‘would then climb up on boxes and peep through the windows. If it were sold weather,and the windows were elosed,some outside boy would get some boy, on the in~side, to scratch the paint off of the win— dow for a "peep hole". In this way the performance could be seen, but- nothing could be heard, and this was very unsatisfactory. Then too it was not, very satisfying, for there was always, a consciousness, 170 SHOW DAY’ EXPERIENCES that it was wrong. some—times show night, would be a rainy night,and then the fellows on the out—side, would have a hard time, but some ef them would etiek it through. Many timee they were "drenched", with rain, and their clothes almost ruined. The boys, did another thing, quite frequently, to "get in", which always left, a "guilty feel- ing"; Usually, when the first act of the play was over, some of the men and older boys, who smoked, weuld come out into the vestibule for a "between aet" smoke. The "peeping gang", would then come a— round, in—to the vestibule, also, and when it was time for the sec— ond act to begin, and the emokere went back to their seats, the boye would go in with them. But they were usually very uncomforteble. Finally, a new kind of Show, was "billed", for our town; Posters, were put up, showing all kinds of wild animale,doing various strange "stunts". Bears, and monkeys, we, knew,but tigere and elephants were‘ all new to us, and we smaller beyeg SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES 171 could hardly wait, for the coming, of "the great event". The first of these shows that came, were of the "over—land" vaa riety,travelling by wagons by dirt roads, leading from town to town. They usually travelled all night, and would come "streaming" in to town, early in the morning. It was a time of great expectan— 'cy. .The boys, usually, had "lined up" on the streets, by day light, looking in all directions, for the first approaching wagon. Usually, by the time the first wagOns began to arrive, the roads were filled with country wagons from "afar". This was especially so, in the case of Negroes, from the directions over which the show was travelling. ' ON One of such mornings, my grandfather was up early,about day light standing on his front porch, when an old Negro woman came along She was from about ten miles, in the country, and had already tray» elled that distance, at that early hour. As she excitedly exchanged the greetings of the morning, she i72 eHow DAY] EXPERIENCES "exclaimed; "Well, Mr. Hill,! Does you suppose dat dey will showw any—thing today any bigger, dan de hel—le~fant". My grandfather, was very much a- mused at her question and manner. But the querry fitted well, the expectancy of hundreds, including. us smaller boys. One of these early "circuses? had a great deal to say, in their bill-board advertisements, abeut their great "Menagerie". It was posted, in great head—lines; "The greatest menagerie in the world". Underneath, were the pictures of the great menstere of the jungles, and of the seas. And many a small boy and Negro, wondered which one was "the Menagerie", It was a great revelation, therefore, te this amazed group, when the circus day finally arrived, to find that the "Menagerie" consisted, of the whole animal exhibit. On "Show day" occasions, eyery boy’s mind, was wide open for the unexpected, and new revelations. Many very laughable, and funny things, oceurred "as side lines". snow DAY EXPERIENCES 173 Once, we had a Negro boy helping us to get ready for our show day business, in arranging our "stand" etc; The Show, was being unloaded, “and show wagons were passing our _place Constantly. Everything went well, with our Negro boy,until the elephants came by, swinging their great "snoute". ' Horses and mules, and country dogs, were "thick" in the street, and as the elephants came along, there was a terrible "din of con— fusion" all around, where we.were working. . Some of the farm wagons were elm most over—turned; Some of the teams ran away,and women and chil- dren were screaming. And dogs went away yelping, as if the elephants had Stepped on them. .In this "commotion, our little Negro disappeared. We could not find him, "high nor low", for more than an hour. And when we did dis— cover him, he was crouched back up 'under one of the beds, in our home scared "half to death". Dogs too, are "scared" of ele— phants. One day when a parade was 174 SHOW DAY EXPERIERCES in progreee,l watched a very large ? brindle dog, as he eat 'in the street, along-side his master’s wagon, eagerly watehing the parade go by. , his attention, had been attraet- ed, by the caged lions, Wildcats, tigers, monkeys, and barking ehow dogs. All of it had inereaeed hie nervousness, as he sat there "tak— ing in", the procession. Hie back was slightly turned to— ward the direction, from whieh the parade was coming. And he seemed more interested, in the cage of doge,that had juet passed on, than that part of the procession, that was approaching hin. He therefore,had not noticed the near appreaeh, of the "string", of huge elephants, that were close upon him. As he looked around,the ‘ largeet elephant, in the lead, was ”p right by his eide,and reaehing out ‘ with his "snout",to pick up a cane top, near the dog. As the already,nervous dog,look— ed around, the elephant "snorted", and blew send all over the dog.The dOg gave a "blood ourdling yelp", mow DAY EXPERIENCES 175 and jumped about ten feet,? in the direetion, in which the parade was going. , He lost no time, either in his yelping screame,or hie running ac— tivities, but proved to be good at both of theee exercises. Every time he "hit the ground",he "yelp— ed" and tried to get a little faeter. He had a full block to go,before there was any chance fer him to turn away from the parade, and ev— ery—thing he paesed,seemed to give him a new scare. When he reached this first street, and was making the turn at full Speed,it happened that he was just even with the "band wagon", and at that moment, it struck up a "lively tune". That gave him a new scare, and a new start fOr home. Some people who met the dog, a mile or more from town,eaid he was still running, and grunting as he lcoked from side to side.v At another time,there was an ex~ citement, not of dogs, but folks. The ticket wagon, was just epen ed, and the grounds were eovered 175 snow .DAY EXPERIENGEs' with peeple. Just as the rush of ticket selling began,a zebra broke loose, and came running from under the tent, "pell mell", through the crowd. ‘ . But, the animal had no trouble getting through. For~the people fell back like grain falling be fore a cycle, and there was-a wide road, for him to travel. Several children were hurt, in the scramble, but the animal did not bother any one. On another occasion, a great ex— citement was ceused by a mountain ,lion, getting out of his cage. Some—how,es the keeper was feed~ ing the lions, this one sprang by him and got out of the cage. There was great excitement,for a little while,as the rumor quickly spread, that a "lion was loose". But the show men soon killed it,with a ri— fle, and it did not hurt any one. I was greatly interested, one day, in noticing an old eagle, in a small cage to himself. He was brought outside the tent, and left in the sunshine. His head, beak, 2g t“. . g ‘ fk' " 5? . .3": new er: Jena-"lg qeawwsnmgf-Vm "aw-Emma» «-r=rw an. SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES 177 and wings, were all bloody and sore, and he was still continuous- ly picking and pulling at the wires with his bill,and beating a— gainst the sides of the cage, with, his stubby wings. I asked the attendant,why he did this, and he told me that he had been captured ,only a short while, and being an old bird, he refused to be tamed and reconeiled to his prisen eage. He was constantly thinking, of his mountain home,and trying to fly away to freedom. ONE time, show day was a rainy day, and rthe grounds were wet and soggy. I saw several great heavy wagons, "bog down" to the axles. It was interesting to me, to see the men bring the huge elephants, up behind the wagons, and make them push. They would put their heads down' behind the'wagons,and as the great heavy beasts threw their weight a~ gainst the wagon,the word wOuld be given to the great string of hors~ es, to the wagon. They would pull tOgether, and with the elephant’a 178 SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES weight, against the load, it would begin to move, and the horses were able to pull it out. A But one time, the wages was an extra large heavy, ene,loeded with poles. There was no smooth sur- face, on the back end, because of the different lengths of poles. Because‘ of this, the elephants could not help move it, and it was left for the teams to pull it. The teams, to this wagon, were four "spans", of beautiful black horses. I had never seen eight big hors— es, to one lead before, where it was absolutely necessary, that ev— ery horse do his very best,in mov— ing the lead. The wheels, were down,in the mud so deep,thet the axles were touch— ing the ground. The driver, high up on the seat, with the great "hend~full" of lines talked quiet~ ly and kindly te the horses. He would "swing" them, in first one way and another, each time giving the word, and each time the load would move forward a little. Each time, the lead horses would almost ,- E l , , f . , . 1‘ . 111' ‘ 1 . h .' ‘1 , I ~ is it .5 2? ~ "i EL 3i :1 1 E. r éi ~51nga‘m-: my‘wflz‘g no ,«_ ~ gallcp, sideways, and 1:5 . ‘crs would mcve accordingiy, Leeping in line for the hard pull, when the word was given to "go"!. Some~ times, the driver wculd get down, walk around, to each horse, adjust -the harness, and "pat them" on the neck, With words of praise, for each one. And thus, after several pulls, the wagon was pulled to firmer ground. I enjoyed this performance, very much, and ever afterwards, when we were looking forward to show- day, I hoped it would be a "wet time", so I could see the elephants push, and the horses pull. IN a few years, the shows. left off, travelling, by land, and were brought in, on the railroads. And it was interesting to see them un— load, and load. We, then had the priviledge, of seeing some of the larger shows,as "Sells Brothers", "Forepaws", and others, which were combinations of these, such as "Adams, Forepaws, and Sells". And then came, "Ring- ling Bros" greatest of all. 180 SHOW DAY EXPERIENQES I was larger then, 'and usuallywp had my place of work, at running a '1emon~ade stand, or lunch counter, during the day~time. But, I did not lose my enfatuation for the show business.. . We boys would usually, find out, from what direction the show would be coming, and would walk out sev~ eral miles, down the railroad, to some grade, swing on, and ride iné~ to town, with the show. We would thus, be there, and see the first animals and cages, 'un“ loaded. Some of the boys, got rather bad about "hopping trains",' any~way, even when there was no show. Finally, one smaller boy was killed, and his body terribly man— gled, by a Cotton belt freight train,several miles north of town, which very largely put a stop to our "ride—stealing" on the trains. But two or three other "hair~ breadth" and hazardous experien— cos, were necessary, to thoroughly convince, some of us "dare—devil youngsters", (as we were often call-ed), of this danger. Snow DAY' EXPERIENCES 181 One day, a small crowd sf us "youngsters", got on a slowly mov- ing train, as it left "the yards". All of the boys, got off except one, before the train was going very fast.. Most of us, were near the front end, but this boy deci— ded to catch the rear end cf the lengthy train. When the "caboose" reached him, it was moving very fast. He swung on, but the speed was so great, it straightened him cut horriznntslly, and he csuld net get his feet down, on the step. His feet dangled end fluttered. His hold finally gave way, and he fell, an awful 3:12, nincst breaking his back, and neck. Another time, a train was naming out, in this same direction, and I swung en, the side of a hex—ear. I was bareifocted, and the road was exceedingly rough. :My fcot' was resting against a large 0011 spring; with a sort of Vtce—holt". One feet rested on the Vbox plate and ene on the spring. As the box—oer rocked and swerv— ed from me, that heavy coil spring 192 SHOW DAY exeaarENces against which my foot rested, opened up,and my "big toe" slipped in, between 'the coils, of the epring., ‘The car, immediately, ‘ewerved back, and my toe was held fast; a When I reached the usual place, for ‘getting off, my toe was held so eeeurely, that I could net get loose; a ' The spring was not eloeing up e— nough, to pinch or hurt. But it had the flesh, on the small part ef the .toe, eo securely pressed ‘ down against,the bone, that Vthe larger Joint and more fleshy part wouldv not slip ,baek through the opening in the eprihg: ‘ The traifi wae getting faeteriall the times and I waited rather im~ paeiently,,for another‘bump in the rails, that would. swerve the ear againi and release my toe. Finallyi ~the relief came; But the train was going so fast,that I eould not get off then, without risking my life2 in the jumpc 'Accordingly, I had to stick on, and take a good ride,for more than two miles, where the grade, was SHOW DAY EXPERIENCEBlBS heavy, in the road, and when the -train slowed dewn on this pull, I made good my escape. I walked back to town, fully ‘persuaded and resolved, never to "hop" another train. And, I have religiously kept that resolution. But my "turning over.a new leaf" on train hopping, did not off~set my fondness, and zeal for shows. I still met the first train, bringing a show te town, but I a~ waited their arrival, at the sta—~ tion. ' . I was usually there, before day light, waiting for the first head- light gleam, in the r"gloomy dis- tance". One time, I was so deeply concerned, about "being there", that I waked, in the middle of the night, and could not go back to sleep. . so, I got up, quietly dressed, and slipped out, without waking any-one. I made my way to the de* pot, feeling’ sure that the show would soon roll ‘in., When I got there, however, all was dark. But I knew "the boys",wou1d eoon come, 184 SHOW ‘DAY EXPERIENQES Es, I lay down on a bale of cot— ton, and had soon fallen to sleep. When I awoke, the eun‘was shin— "ing, gfull is my; face, the shew train had already pulled, in,‘ and Were in the yards, unlbading. They had passed right by me, but I had slept so soundly, on my cot— tonibale bed, that I had net been disturbed by the noise]' ' 'The thing that always Vtook~ my eye", on-oirous occasions, was the Spotted ponies, and the circus ring performers. I liked the other trained animals, also the trappeze acting,enfl the Clown performances. But nothing was ever {quite rso attractive to me, as the horses, and eSpeoially the spotted ones.v It was especially interesting, .therefore, to me,when the "dog and pony shews" began to come. "Gen~ try brothers" and "The Robertson shows", were specialists, in' this- line. They did not carry the heavier animals, as elephants, etc. And they had no "Menagerie", at all. But their trained dogs, monkeys, snow, DAY EXPERIENCES 185' ‘and ponies, were veritable wonders to me. I . Immediately following these per— 'formancee, there was always, a great "stir", among the boys, to 'teach tricks to their dogs, and poniee; Sometimes the boys would eucceed remarkably well. _ The story is told of a Negro,who owned a very common blooded dog, but the Negro had taught him many good tricks. .A White man, who lived neer the Negro, got him a very fine bloOded edog, and expected to out strip the Negro’s dog,in"cute"trick perform— anoee. But his "Pup" would not learn. So one day, in exasperation, he approached the Negro, and asked him how it was, that he could not teach hie fine blooded dog anye thing, when the common "curr", had learned so much. He said "Now Mose, I want you to tell me what is the matter". ' "I know my dog has more sense, than yours, and yet I cannot teach him a thing". The old Negro "eyed" the dog curiously, slowly, and rem 186 SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES plied; "Well boss, I tell you how dat is. Dat dawg ob yours, done get too much sense to start wid. Wheneber you goes to teach a dawg, any—thing, you has to know more den do dawg". Immediately following circus day was always a great time for us boys. One could drive along the street and see various miniature show grounds; with trappeze swings, built up show rings, in which yard dogs and "plug" ponies were drill» ed, and amateur elowns performed. All sorts of side show attractw ions were put on, also, such as wrestling matches,races and boxing bouts, to take the place of per— forming bears, and kangaroos. One boy learned to kick the back of his head; Another could walk on his hands. Another learned to stand, barefooted on the back of a "galloping" horse. One was the rope walker,and another could fold both feet above his knees and roll over, and over backwards,.and walk about on his knees,as "the dwarf". SHOW DAY eXPERIENCEe 187 and all of us, could act the "mon— key", and do oloWn stunts. we had great times, in our ren hearsals; when we were ready for "exhibition", we would get bran sacks, from "near and far",and put .a wall around our show space. When everything was ready, we put on several "open air perform~ anoes" as special attractions. Then with tin pans beating, French harps playing, cow bells ringing, and banners flying, the dogs,. ponies, and boys, would "string out", and we would then "pull off, a street parade", to "draw the crowds". But alas,the peeple did not seem to.take the hint,in any great num~ hers. The grown folks did not at— tend, and the beye, were usually in the performance. One Circus, however did bring me "material gain", It was a usual custom, fer the boys to visit the show ground, in the early morning, following the show, to see what we might find. Bometimee,money could be picked up, where the "stands" had been,or tickets were sold. 188 eHow DAY EXPERIENGES Then, sometimes, in the rush, of ‘ packing-up, the show people would overlook small articles. And peo— ple generally, would lose things. Whiskey bottles, in particular, would be lying around in plenty, and they had a Small merohantable value, to us boy "scavengers". I was never very "1uoky",in find ing money, on these hunts, like, some of the boys were. But one time,eeveral days after a show had gone, I had a "streak of good for— tune", that surpassed all the "finds" of the other boys. We, had had a negro, working for us, for several weeks before the show.came who disappeared, with the show. He slept, in our barn, and when he went away, he left some of his clothes. When it was quite certain, that the Negro was not coming back,~ I went in—to the barn, one day, and "spy—ing", the clothes, hanging there, I "heeitatingly", searched the pockets. , 'Greatly, to my amazement,l found a purse, containing six, or seven dollars, in silver money, which my SHOW DAY EXPERIENCES 189 brother, had paid him for work. I kept "my find", a secret, for some time,thinking the Negro might return. But,he did not come back, and I had to tell, where I got so much money. It was to me, a huge sum. And with the exception of one dime, at another show dayj this is the only money I ever found, on Show day, or any other occasion. CHAPTER VI. W O R K A N D P L A Y. VERY EARLY, in life,as has been shown, I became acquainted with work. My first experiences, being with the sewing machine. Another daily task, was that of bringing water from neighboring wells. The place where we lived, had no drinking water. We dug a number of wells, during the years , but it always resulted in alum, or copperas, and was never fit to drink. 80, I began the water—carrying business, at an early age, when I was not able to carry more than a half gallon pail. I soon learned, that I could carry one, in each hand, quite as well as to carry enly one. When I was strong enough to car~ ry two gallon buckets,l felt as if I were a "big bey", and when I was able to handle real water buCkets, 190 WORK AND PLAY 191 I felt "as big, as any—body". The canaequence was, that when I reaehed this size, I had mega of the water to carry. For,the other boys, by this time, were engaged in more"lucretivc" tasks. Many times, my mother wculd tell the eldest boy Dawson, to bring a bucket of wafier,he would say "make Nathan, I am tired". The same re— ply would came frem fiathan, ané John would come next. Then John {would say "make Joe go, he never does any—thing". Then all would join in,commandingly,"Go on Joe!". And I usually had to go. But, not always, without prgteet and argument. I used to think, that it took more water, to supply the n¢oessi~ ties of our heme, than any place, on earth.. I was, therefore, always intar~ ested, in the attampt to dig a well, in the hope 0f getting gaod water, at heme. We did dig several, \but te no avail, and tha drudgery, of "tote- ing water", day in, and day out, contiued to be the conatanfi,bur§en 192 ”WORK AND 'PLAY from year to year. But theee"laborioue home duties" were interepersed with priviledgee that, I, aea boy, greatly enjoyed, such as going to the country, with the older boys, 'hauling ‘wood, water—melons, eto. ' ' I greatly enjoyed ‘these trips, and soen"1earned--t0'be of "some service". , ' We would-go to the creek bottoms a mile or tWo, in the country,dur~ ing the summer, and get the dry, driftmweod and haul up,great heaps of it, for Winter use, and eoeking purposes. ' 'I learned thus,'to drive a team, while I was yet, quite small, and often we used two. teams with my~ self, as one ef the drivers. In water melon time,I often went along,and helped to earry the mel~ one, from the field, to the wagon. we sold watermelone, about town, and usually loaded up the wagon, in the evening, for an early mern~ ing delivery, the next day. As we thus "peddled" about,I did mueh of the dfiVing, while the other boys solicited from houée to hduse .; 21‘ ~ " " um» . ...-., . v-\ ¢ 1. _»~. “1....33‘5‘ .1, ‘ .n :5 .. ‘ “ A; n - 9,th A5153“? 3,“: 3 -_ ,3 ,. __ ,, , ‘_, 2 ., l 1 u- ,, . < WORK AND, PLAY 195 or sat on the side of the wagon bed, where they_eculd easily get‘ off,and on, as they ‘showed tnel mellons to the customers. When 1 was a little older, I made many of these peddling trips. by myself,and learned to be rather a good salesman. When I had learn— ed to handle a team real well and was large enough to unload wood, I was kept husy‘ hauling; while the other‘ boys did the cutting, and. loading. Much of this wood was sold, by the load to other people of the town. But it-was hack in the days when ev+_ ery thing was very Cheap and not more than fifty cents per load‘was‘ 'reoeived for it. many times there was "no' sale for wood even at‘ these cheap, prices. The country being a timbered one and 'so many": people hauling and selling wood.“ One Christmas my brothr Johnie and I wanted to‘ give our Mother a present for Christmas,and make a pm little Christmas 'money for our~ it selves also. ' ' ‘ We accordingly decided to go out 194 WORK AND PLAY about two miles int 0 *he big Woods and get a load of ”rich pine". We did so and breught back all ovr ponies could pull, of very Choiee "fat pine"./ We trie: al.l over town at every store to sell it, but could scarcely get an of” fer. Such a load of pine would or~ dinarily be worth several dollars but we finally lee a man have it, in exchange for a seventy five cent lamp: We had no Christmas money for ur eelvee. But we were made Verry happy in presenting ‘hie lamp it our Mother,to take the place of the little bl aee one, we had always used. Beside this method of mahing money by selling weed, we would do emall jobs of plowing. Such 'ae breaking allele in the spring fine; or plowing up yards an& M yelling them. We aleo hauled "leaf loam" and rich soil from Lhe deep loamy wooee. The women Bed it lo enrich their flower beds in the spring, and sometime we would sell many loads at a reasonable fair price. AND PLAY .WORK One day brother Johnv and I, were flcing -ecme hauling _like this, and a lady gave us a me seage t0~ carry zto “our elder bro thez. I was not suppeeed. Co remember the meeeage,end Jchnie got it bad“ 1y mixed. The message was that the woman wanted her garden plowed. She had fermerly told my brother the? Che would not have it plowed, beeeuee , they were. thinking of Leving away. But Said she "Tell year Plflvfbf Co come on and do the pi 'ané, Ls my hus~ band has decline: CLe idea .of moving". But when jChnje delivered , , ' ,, "+1. 2.- J—L ‘ the meager , 1C WLC CLLC CLe ga" ,, \r, :1 A— ‘1 C '1 1.3— ,7 C - _,. den we 5 nc; 1eLLJ CC be pCCneL he , . ., 4.1, , ".r v. 93», 13.174“ CLuee ;ne an Lee LCM: cleeCd Che v. =1; ‘1 ,. .1 .\ ' H ‘ fl , n M " 1CJ.::1;«WLL nC: gCln g to mcve . V; '1 F11”, w. .: M, . .«L. . '3 "1" A ' _7_ ‘ fl 5» 1,448.1 {-3 VIC)! 5.‘ ‘5 u.;.L.I. (>‘vaibb lbk‘nfialg p3, .. 1 :. , M. ‘ 1 .. imaging a. v11;CCw:l beeieee Ynugllmg and plew1ne, Such .~ , .,, .3, 1 ' . C .. Le peiu11ng . —.,.. .5 _ , :r C, ELQPQS etc. We '. My-.. .‘ W ‘1, «5’1.le EL 311.111.; .1. the 1N" I we; vwch 1C carry a few de~ 1 ' er apples in a Gas Ket I pesilcfl Lei 9C1 deliCHiCL” f1uite with my be (’9 195r 196 WORK AND PLAY my arm, or with a strap around my neck and through the basket han‘ dle. With my stack of fruit held in front of me, I would peddle peaches ect.on the streets or are~ und to the houses. I had av special fondness for meeting the trains, and selling to the train men, and the passengersv Some of our peaches were 0f the early "May"variety which sometimes grew very large. They were uSually a little earlier than any other variety, and consequently I would have a trade worked up with some of the trainmen before other boy peddlers had any to sell. Many times I would have several' base kets or buckets already .engaged to be delivered on their re~ turn trip home. Then I would get my older brother to help me "dew liver the goods". When other boys came with their fruit I I woulp always give a little better measures, or show that my fruits were more choice, in order to do the business I usually came home with all my baskets‘ and buckets empty L‘ 01 ‘, ”pew \‘FE'H; ”mm ‘ eww>mw~rm . W.:='1=\“fi?_«'xfirl ‘ 3W. “953731 . 1:” WORK AND PLAY 197 If I could not get one price, I would give a "bargainfi, and if I did not sell out at the trains, I packed my basket, from house to house} I formed some close ecqueintan~ cos with some of the train men, and came to appreciate a "rugged" railroad men very much. ' ' Occasionally, a friendly engi— neermen or firemen, would let me ride on the engine, as they did switching, in the yards. And I would often sell them whole bae~ . Rate of ehoiee fruit,to carry home with them. . In winter,on Saturdays, and af» ternoons, after school, I would go along the railroad tracks, with a sack, and piek up scattered lumps 'of eoel, which I could sell, to one druggiet, in the town, and we boys, usually kept him supplied. The coal would fall off of lead- ? ed cars, and engine tenders, as E the trains rumbled over the rough i roads. Some—times I would go out several miles, on these quests, and return, with .eeveral large sacks well filled, We sold this WORK AND .PLAY 198 "gathered—up" coal, at one dOllar per. barrel. Several dollars were earned, in this way, during eaCh Winter. Sometimes, we would find a place, where a car loaded with coal had run off the track, or where a whole train containing some coal care, had been ditched. And we would be able to get sev— eral barrele of this' scattered coal, from one place.. It'wae' to us, a great find. And with horse _and little wagon, we would proudly haul it ineto town. On, one of my eoal gathering ex— peditione, in the edge of the switch yards, I was passing along _by a freight engine, on the siding and was "halted", by the fireman,' .who, proVed to be one of my old summer time "pale", and peach cus— tomere. He recognized me,and either pit~ ied me, or gloried in my grit, in trying to earn a little money. For when I told him, what I did with the coal, he got up, on his "ten~—-. der", and threw off several very large chunks, and threw his big hammer down,for me to break it up.‘ WORK AND PLAY 199 I must have been rather small, for I 'remember, that I was not ,strong enough, to use the big ham- mer, and my fireman friend, got dewn from the "cab”, and broke it up for me, into chunks, that I could handle. I ran away, gbt my little wagon, and had to make eev~ eral trips, to haul it away. I felt very proud of my supply of coal, but I was "prouder" of my friend. . I remembered him and his engine number (180), and many, many times afterwards, in the late Spring and Summer, I gave him extra choice- peaches and apples, plucked "‘spe~ cially for him", from our orchard. In the Summer I sold many peach— es about t0wn and especially by meeting trains, with my basket, and selling to passengers, and "crew". In the late "Fall", up towards Christmas, I would get a box of oranges, and barrel of up“ ples and "peddle them out, in the same‘way, fer Christmas money. Sometimes,wo roasted peanuts and sold them in neat little bags and 200 WORK AND, PLAY Sometimes our mother wohidt make peanut candy and poprcorn. balls, for us to sell. So,_in-these va— rious ways,, we learned something of "small bueinessfig” We learned the value of’ money, by having :to "hustle for it",and we also learn~ ed something of the give and vtake of business, as‘well as the joy of work, i There were other kinds of voca- tions, also, that were admixtures , of work and play. I carried milk cows, to the pasture, mornings,and went back for them, afternoons,for the neighbors. This kind of work could be done in connection with school duties, and was a right good little income sometimes, for a boy. many times I was permitted to ride after the cows, and this was fun. , The stores, in those days, did not keep vegetables and produce,as much as now. So, I had the pleas" ant task of making many trips, to the country, for mother and others . to get veggetables,butter and eggs etc. These.trips, netted me many_ niekels and dimes. ¢1«<\.::Er:~‘: “A , _A,.< , A. . Amuse, . 2. WORK AND 'PLAY 201 A boy usually likes to be going 'somewhere, and dealing with adven- :ture. And this inclination with ” ,US,iwes.turned into both pleasure ' and profit, by "trapping" for wild animals. ' . We secured ecme steel trape, and ,caught'cpossums, minke, and ccons, from the creek bottoms, and sold l;the fur ekins. This kind of money— making, lasted - only during the coldest winter seasons, but was about the best paying work, we did. 'The bare trap was placed in the edge of the water, just 'above the surface, and the fresh meat bait, was then suspended above the trap, on a sharpened stick. With thie.bait about a foot dis— tant from the trap, and the trap securely fastened to the reot of' a tree, we w0u1d leave it over— night. ' The animal usually sees the bait and it being up out of his reach, »he, steps out on the trap, as.the highest: point, 'and is therefore usually caught, by the hind foot, Which does not marr the skin. 202 WORK AND PLAY From ten or twelve traps, bated thus, we would often find several animals caught, when we visited the traps, on our morning’s "rounds": We learned how to skin and core for each separate kind, in the proper, and best way,for obtaining the beet market price° And also, got in direct touch, with leading fur firms,such as Funsten brothers and company,from whom, we received monthly quotations. ’Possum hides never brought us more than twenty-five cents each, eoon hides around seventy—five cents. But for good mink hides,we could get several dollars eech,and they were our principal catch. We also traded for and beught many hides from others, here land there, and during the eouree of a Winter season, we weuld often get together several good’ shipments, and in the mean time, have lots of fun, "trapping". In skinning a mink, sometimes, one encounters a very offensive o~ dor, by cutting into the musk bag, . or,"muee" as we called it, & it is WORK AND PLAY '203 "muss" bag, which lies underneath the skin, about the joints of the hind legs. ” y ' One day, we were "skinning away" on-a large fat mink when the muse 'bag burst, and "flew all over". my coat. It was a horrible scent. I knew my seat was ruined, but we at once- decided to have some fun out of the mishap. Our mother’s old v"blaok mammy", "aunt Emily" "was in the house, talking to mother, and_she always pucher whole Soul, into a conver— sation. We boys thdught a great deal of aunt Emily, but delighted in teas— ing her. So, we conceived- the idea, of taking that oOat,with its unbeara— 'ble scent, and hang it on her Chairépost. , The deed was soon done, and we "hung around", to watch develop— ments. Presently, aunt Emily, hesitated, in her conversation,and began to sniff. Then turning her nose up 'Curiously, said, "Jenny, Honey, it ’pears to me lak I done smells sUmpin what aint right". 204 WORK AND PLAY , Mother, auggested that she teo, had noticed a little odor,but eup~ posed it was coming from the yard, where we were at work. Aunt Emily, continued with her narrative, something about, when mether Was a _little 'girl. But econ, she was "eniffing"again, and said, "Honey, I tells you, dat ecent am gettin wueeer". I 363 berlebee iee gwine ter vonick". "Bat smell, ’peare lak it am right here some where". She and mother then, beth "spied the coat" about the same time. And then our "sniggere", from behind the doere, revealed the cause, and we had to "eeoot". We knew it would not be good for us, if aunt Emily caught us so we kept out of her way. But we watch+ ed where she hung the coat on the , fence, and soon after, when she and mother, were "busily engaged", we clipped it back again, on. the same chair—poet. , Aunt Emily, was econ restless again, and presently paused in her narrative, and remarked, "Chile, I bounds you aint neber gwiner git Pa WORK AND PLAY ' 205 de sent of dat varmint outer dis heuse. It just pears to me lak it is just as strong as it was a- while ag o. " Just then we snugged from behinp our hiding places, and Mother made us take the coat away. But we had many a good laugh at Aunt Emily s actions and words at that time. One winter during Chris tmae week when schccl had dismissed for the iclidays, several of us cousins went off for a week‘s trapping and hunting expedit'en about 15 miles E from hcne. We carried a tent an; all the neceeeariee for camp life. The p13:; wleye we camped was in a , all range CI mountains near aquEii€,T6X3€E an inland town 12 miles Jrcm the railroad. weather was exceedingly cold, we were quite ccmfcrtable in little 'ent, perched there in the gee; \C012 05 the mountainside ane nct f: r distant from several running st:e;¢;. We cut poles and placed Ck~m Cn 11a gncvnn and then piled up leaps Of gry leaves on which we made den cur beds. We had a splen ii Little heating upon one of Che "gcod pimea ”wiere a tzap hai been set? we were all 206‘ 1. WORK». AND PLAY stove which’kept~the tent warm and cozy,'and did our cooking on an open fire outside vof the tent, We killed birde,- rabbits and squirrels for CCd an; alzc hit" ’ing our traps with this flesh meat.We caught a number of minke and several raccoons. On this trip I witnessed my first and Only coon fight; One herning .early we "weni the :Lcunlg" of atrnn fiending the Lrepa eno ee we came J astcnished Co find chat the trap was grrno.fi?e had tied it to & T&th“ eI 1:3“g:3 align}: C” ' ' ‘6 I etantly on Seeing it was gone knew that some »enime1, Cf laree $138 had been ornght. Looking aozoee 'ihe email bu? deep hole of W&.:», We fC,n CU; t tra? lying upon the edge Ci the bank, with oicod it and cm it, and part of some en» ima175 ieot et'l ‘ 1 its jaws. The animal had pulled the large Chunk acrcee Che peel, and finding that he C ferther, had gnawed his feet off, WORK AND PLAY 207 and made his escape. We knew from the freshness of the blood that he had been gone but a short time.We blew our horns do? the doge and they were soon“ there,.in hot pursuit on the trail_o straight up over mountainSide.V The trail was so fresh that the, dogs "yelped" as if thty'could see the animal they were after. We struck out as hard as we could go, following the dogs. Some of us carried the sacks of game we had already taken from the traps, and others carried a gun, and another an axe and set. ' ,.t We were soon almost out of; ‘ breath, but pushed on up the stfi,4 eep mountainside. We were‘ not_,, sure,but thought that the animal’s, foot was that of a coon. But 1 as we ran we fel ., commenting up on the possibility to talking and ,1? ofrunning upon a young bear,a wild Ll” cat or a panther. Each one planned ;_w in his own mind what he would do in case of an emergency, and all of us agreed to de careful and st~ ay with the crowd, whatever came in the chase. '208 WORK 'AND PLAY ‘ We pushed on, and finally, away ahead of us in almost a straight line directly up on the mountain— side, we heard the familiar "tree— bark" of the dogs. We knew ,then that the dogs would not get Out, of our hearing but would stay at the tree until we arrived, so we slowly and cautiously, as well as almost breathlessly, made our way on up the steep side of the ever~ in—creasingly steep hill. i Finally we came up on the dogsf They had "treed" right on the pins nacle pf the little mountain peak about a mile from where we had begun the. chase. We sounded the tree with an axe and found that it was hollow,and it being new sun—up on top of the hill, we. could ‘see blood~stains on the side of the tree, and in a 'hole a little way up where the animal had ‘entered. The tree was large, but we soon found it was only 'a hull,and in a little while had it ready to fall. We held the dogs while the tree was falling, to prevent them from‘ running under it. When the_ tree had fallen,boys and dogs alike ran WORK AND PLAY 209 into its dead crumbled top. A large ' nest of. flying squirrels went scamper- ing away, to which we paid no atten— tion.- But our bigger game was there. The body ‘of the tree was burst and broken, so that we could see that he was not inside. We were greatly dis- appointed and could not imagine what had become of our coveted prize. We were about to give it up, with great disappointment on the part of both dogs and boys, when I chanced to look down into the old stump, and there lay the largest coon I ever saw, .with his great old brown back and “ring-streak- ed” tail, all bristles, but lying as .quiet as a “chunk.” I called the boys and the dogs. Soon we poked him With a stick, and as he came out the dogs'grabbed him. But the dogs were not the only animals en- gaged in the fight, and over and over they rolled and tumbled, “until one could hardly tell dog from coon.” One of the dogs was very young, and this was his first coon to encounter, but he went at that coon just like he was an “old hand at the business.” The coon would slap him, and away he would go, yelping with pain. But he would come back, and did his part 210 WORK AND PLAY nobly. Sometimes the coon would try to climb 'another tree, but we would push him back with the axe handle or gun, and he had to keep up the fight. When we finally saw that the coon was giving down and weakening, we held the old dog and let the young one have him all to himself, but several times the coon would almost get the best of him, and we would have to turn the old dog loose for a while to help. But finally the pup was able to han- dle him and we let; him “finish him up.” It was certainly great sport for us and the dogs. I suppose the old dog was the only person or animal in the crowd that had ever witnessed such a scene, and as for myself, it was the only coon fight I ever saw. The coon hide was not worth much, as we discovered when we had “flayed” him, but the experience of that morn— ing was worth mbre to us, in our boyish estimation, than all the hides and furs we caught on the whole trip. And we had to “break camp” and hurry home with our week’s catch, and tell of our “wonderful experiences.” CHAPTER VII FISHING, FUN AND FRIGHTS No boy’s life is complete unless he is so situated as to be able to ramble in the woods, go fishing, or “rough it” in some way. The student of boy na- ture has done a great work in recent years, in perfecting boy organizations which lead boys to seek the open, such , as the Boy Scouts. In the days of my growing up we had no such organiza- tions, but we had inviting fields for such exploits, and we availed ourselves of every opportunity of an outing, and without even an escort on many occa- sions we went on a fish, a hunt, or a “hike.” We went‘in the summer on many fishing trips to the lakes and streams which play in almost every direction from our homes. There were branches and creeks close to town, and then there were the larger streams and lakes in almost every direction at distances of five to fifteen miles from town. Of course in the summer we could have caught animals in our steel traps also, but the furs caught in the summer have 212 FISHING, FUN, FRIGHT'S no value in the market. But we could. go fishing and have a good time with— ‘out any thought of profit. ,“Moore’s Lake” was a famous fishing resort in those days. It is only about seven miles from town, and good fish— ing water. Boats were on the lake, and we would have good times boating. At night we would place “set hooks” all along the banks, and by means of the boats put_“trot lines” across the lake. I never quite understood why ' they were called “trot lines,” but when. I was a small boy, and they would not let me get in the boats I had to stay on the banks, and the older boys kept me trotting back up the hill tothe camp. One time it would be a hook, another it would be bait, and then matches or smoking tobacco, or rifle, cartridges, etc. My own trotting back and forth was consequently the only connection. I could see in the name “trot line.” I used to think perhaps it was in— tended to mean trout line, for'a cer- tain fish by that name, but I have learned that a game fish of that kind rarely bites a still line. But we would catch some'nice-size cat fish, and how we would ’enjoy them, rolled in meal and fried! FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS 213 I remember that we were always anxious until the first catch was made, and then some one would usually ex- claim, “Well, we have enough to make the skillet smell fishy any way,” or “Well, he is a little one, but he will make the skillet stink.” But sometimes we would make al- most a complete failure. On one such occasion I remember that we went to spend just one night. We did not car- ry much food except bread. The fish did not bite that night, nor the next morning, and we soon ate all of our supply of food. We felt sure that if we would stay another night the results would improve. My mother finally consented to remain, and one of the older boys was sent to a farm house, about, two miles distant to get some eggs, butter, meat and bread and lard. The weather was quite warm, and when he hurriedly galloped back into camp with the provisions, the horse was brought to a sudden stop, the bail of the bucket in which he carried the lard pulled loose on one side, and down came the bucket, spilling the melted lard like water on the ground. But we stayed, and'fried the fish We caught in grease obtained from frying the meat. 214 FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS On the fishing trips one of the great sports with the boys was going in “swimming.” The water was well adapted to all sizes of boys, at the place called the “washhole.” The water started in shallow, and gradually got deeper. In the middle of the lake, it was fifteen feet deep or more, and then gradually shallowed out toward the other side. ' It was in this lake I came very near being drowned, when I was a small boy. I had accompanied my older brother and young aunt, on a trip to Titus county. We stopped at the lake and ate dinner. Then my brother and I went down to the lake, and “went in.” When we were well in the water Aunt Minnie came doWn to watch us. ' I enjoyed the water, but had never learned to swim. I could dive a long ways, and come to the top, all right, but my brother would have to catch me, in the deep water when I came up, and assist me back to the shallows. I wanted to show my aunt how I could dive. So I came out on the high bank, took a long run and sprang as far as I could. I then stayed under as long as possible, and paddled along as hard and as far as I could. When my ii .1 . yr. , , ~ a; {"79" . ,. . . . . _. f ; ., . . ..W . a 7‘ mum. <_«-;.-=r: v; - ~: .. wr ...‘H‘Ei‘wfiffn FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS 215 breath was gone I came to the top, lit tle dreaming that I had gone to the center of the lake. I was out in the deepest part, and was so out of breath when I reached the top, that when I did get my breath I became strangled. My brother was so far away from me when I “came up” that it was some time before he reached me, and I was so exhausted and strangled when he got to me that I was unable to help myself. I was badly strangled and al- most dead when he reached the bank with me, and all of us were very much scared. After this experience I was careful never to dive in deep water again until I learned how to swim. I learned that no one should ever depend on another to do his swimming for him. It is very dangerous confidence. Big Cypress River is near this lake also, and many times, when the fish would not bite in the lake, they would bite in Cypress. The water there was swift and very often muddy. In the rainy seasons the “banks get full,” and very often the stream overflows out over the bottoms. I think the first time I ever went to Cypress was following one'of these “rises.” The stream had 216 FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS gone back into its bank, and was down to its usual depths, but the banks were muddy and slick. I was standing on a slanting bank, fishing in the muddy, swift stream. I had gotten as close as I could in order to reach. out where the water was deep- er, when all at once my foothold gave away, I sat down on the slick mud bank, and “scooted” down the bank and into the water, over my head, before I could scarcely get my breath. Some one near me grabbed my fishing pole, and as I went under, I instinctively seiz- ed the other end, and holding on to it they dragged me up to where I could get hold of the roots, along the bank and make my way up to safety. I had no change of clothes, so I had to take off my clothes, rinse the mud off them, and stay wrapped up in a quilt, while the clothes hung on the bushes and dried. While on this fishing trip I saw my first eel. I was fishing among the bushes and roots in the stream, when suddenly my cork went under with an awful jerk. I pulled up quickly, and at first thought my hook was hung, then I felt the “tugging away”——down in the water; I pulled harder, and my pole mgr-.." . , . -: ,~ i . 1 a l, "l .1 , .i FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS 217 was bent almost to breaking point as I felt my “catch” giving away—and yielding to my pull. Then, greatly to my horror, I pulled up a great striped, sleek, shinin‘gsomething that I thought was a snake. The other boys saw it from a distance and yelled “pull him out.” But no sir! “not me.” I held him up, out over the water and watched him writhe and wiggle as he dangled from my hook. I hoped all the time he would get loose, which presently he did, and I was glad. I could not figure out how I was going to get my hook out of a snake’s mouth. ' The boys all scolded me, because I did not pull out, and I was sorry that I had not done so when they told me it was an eel. That is the only one 1 ever saw, and I don’t need. to see an- other, for I remember exactly how that one looked. One sight at such is suffi— cient. The distance to Cypress was not more than five or six miles from town When reached by walking in a straight line across the fields, pastures and through the woods. And my cousins, and broth— ers and neighboring boys used to walk the distance carrying a little bundle of 218 FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS bedding, etc., and spend the night there. When I was about nine years old I persuaded my mother to let me go on one of these “jaunts” with the other boys. I got awful tired before we reached our camping place, but I “stuck out” and we finally “made it.” We got our hooks set out, made a camp fire, ate our cold supper lunch, and sat around for a long time telling funny stories or “tales” as we called them. Some of the stories told by the older boys were not very nice to repeat, and some of them were awfully “scary.” We finally lay down, but I had a hard time going to sleep. Everything seemed so big, dark and still. The on- ly sound to be heard was the soft sigh— ing of the breezes, as they swayed the branches of the trees over our heads, and occasionally the silence was brok- en by the “hooting” of an owl in the distance as he seemed to challenge our right to sleep there. He would seem to say “Who, who—who-who are y-o-u?” Then some great old bull frog would raise a tune .in a big bass voice and seem to say: “Butter-milk,” “Butter- z ' milk,” “Butter—milk.” ' In the midst of these strange 'sur—- FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS 219 roundings I had almost dropped off to sleep, when suddenly I was awakened by a loud screaming sound, the like of which I had never heard before. It seemed to be right over our heads, in the tall forest trees. At first it seemed like the screaming of a baby, only it was much louder than a baby could ever scream or squall. My first thought was of a panther. One had been killed in these bottoms about a year before. The shrill scream began in a‘low tone but quickly rose to its highest pitch, like a boy who could open his mouth and all at once at the top of his voice, yell shrillingly Y—E-A-O-W-W. It fairly lifted me from my pallet, and I landed about ten feet up the line, to where the oldest boy in the crowd, a cousin of mine, slept. He was suddenly awakened by my rapid fire question of “what’s that? what’s that?” By the time he was able to answer, I had almost made the discovery for myself, for the loud scream was quickly followed by the rest of the owl’s song, “Who? who? who? who-Ah!” I learned then, and afterwards knew, that some owls have that scream before they “hoot,” but I had never heard it? before. 220 FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS I was not sleepy for some time after this 'scare, but finally dropped off to sleep and knew nothing more until the sun was bearing down on my face through the tree-tops and the boys were pushing me in the ribs, telling me to hurry and get ready for breakfast. Another time we went fishing in a wagon, and struck the bottoms at a new place where I had never been. It was called the “(famous buffalo hole.” There was deep water in the river and it was said to be an exceedingly good fishing place. It was at least a mile and a half through the bottom from the big road, and there was no certain beaten road, but drivers had picked their way about among the trees, evad- ing mud—holes and tree-tops, until the tracks were in almost every direction. I do not recall what “luck” we had that day, nor anything of special im— portance, until we started home in the evening. As it grew late, the horse— flies and mosquitoes could hardly be controlled until we we're off. In our haste to get away, we left the plow—line ropes with which the horses were tied during the day, and this we did not discover until we were almost at the foot of the hill and out of the .FISHING, FUN, FR‘IGHTS 221 bottom. It was then almost sundown, and I, being about the largest barefoot— ed boy in the crowd, they proposed that I run back and get the ropes, while they waited there in the edge of the bottom. I was a little reluctant, but being urged started off in a run. I at once decided that I could keep right between the tracks of our wagon and reach the place all right. This I did, but in getting my ropes untied I lost my bearings. It was then getting , dark in the big" woods. I started out in several directions, following wagon tracks, hoping to get my bearings, but each time Would discover that I was wrong. I had lost the place where we had camped. I became frightened as I ran up face to face with great mud- holes or great tree—tops, or came back to the lonesome, dark-looking stream, ‘ overhung by the heavy foliaged trees. I tried to “holler” but my throat was ' too dry. I realized that I was lost, and feared that if the others should try to find me they too would become con— fused, and all of us would be wander- ers, and separated from each other through the night. I was in an awful plight, and be- came afraid to go in any direction, for 222 FISHING, FUN, F‘RIG HTS fear I would get further from the place where they would search for me. Fi- nally I sat down on a log, the perspira- tion pouring from my body, and the mosquitoes literally eating me up. I was trying to lay some plans as to what I could do, when in the distance I heard some one calling. Iknew I could not answer; my throat was parched from the longrun I had made and from the fright that still gripped me. I did not know whether the sounds were from a friend or foe, but I welcomed either one, and was glad when I found that the sounds drew nearer and more distinct. In a little while I could see the light of the lan— tern in the distance, and slowly made my way toward it. It was my “crowd” looking for me. They had imagined that I was drowned, and everything else bad that could have befallen me. When we finally reached the wagon, I was exhausted, and as we jostled along toward home I imagined every- thing that might have happened to me if I had remained lost in those awful bottoms all night. On another fishing trip I had almost as bad a scare as this, not, however, from being lost, but that of being al- FISHING, FUN, F‘RIGHTS 223 most drowned. I had learned to swim well, and-a large crowd of us boys were swimming in Cypress, near Fla- teau’s Spring. The water there was shallow at the banks, but there was a space of 12 feet or more in the middle which was very deep. Among the boys was a small cousin of mine who played about in the shallow waters as we swam-back and forth across the stream. I had several times taken this little fellow on my back and swum across the deep part with him clinging to my neck. The other boys were all going out of the water, and this little fellow begged me to swim across and back with him just one more time. By this time we had started across, and were the only ones left in the water. The bank on the other side where the boys f‘went out” was high, and they were dressing back over the bank, where they could not see the water nor us. When I reached the further side with my load on my back, and had let down in the shallow water, I was quite tired, but just then the boys on the bank called out that they were go- ing, and would not wait for me to be left behind, so I sprang in again, tired as I already was, and with the boy on FISHING, FUN, F‘RIGHTS 224 my back, started back across. I had not gone very far before 'I felt my strength giving away, and saw that my “breath” was giving out. As I began to weaken, this let my a i: back down under the water, and I “ducked” the boy, strangling him. I tried to: call out to the boys on the bank, but did not have breath to do so. I immediately realized my predica— ment, being in the middle of the stream, and in its very deepest part, and given out. My back and legs ap— peared to weaken, so that I could not go forward, and my struggling strokes did not seem to carry me anywhere, but I pushed on, knowing that it would not do to give up the battle. When I had gotten a little way be— yond the middle, and knew I was where the water was shallnwing some- what, but still over my head, I took in all the breath that my tired lungs would hold, and let down to where my feet touched bottom. I knew the boy would strangle badly, but I knew it was our only hope. As I let down he grinped my neck until I was almost choked, and I pictured both of us float- ing, and cold in death But I did not give up, nor did I lose much time in , ; ~ 1 , , , ,1 , A l s, » I 2‘3 ,, , r i, .35,”- wrwnc‘wavw wv-fir “<2 A A FISHING, FUN, FRIGHTS 225 contemplation, but as soon as my feet touched the bottom I threw my body forward and sprang as hard as I could forward, paddling my very best, and in reality for dear life itself. When I again let down, my head was barely out of the water, and one more spring brought us to where I could stand up and walk. When I got into the shallow water I tumbled down in a sitting posture with the boy and myself both almost dead from exhaustion and strangulation, and when I was rested enough to climb out of the water I was so weak from ex- haustion and-excitement that I could hardly pull myself up the bank. I never again tried to carry any one on my back in the water. , I had been almost drowned on two other occasions, one of which when I wasvery young, as has been already related, in a “high dive” in Moore’s Lake, and the other in a wash—hole in one of our branches near home. A number of us boys were in bathing, in water not over two feet deep; we were playing in the water and “ducking” each other. One of the boys, a fat fel- low, much larger than I, threw me down and sat astride of me, ~with my 226 FISHING, FUN, FRIG-HTS face down on the bottom. He was comfortable, With his head out of the water, and in his good time forgot that I was underneath and could not get my breath. I was almost given Out, when I got hold of his flesh with my “sharp finger nails,” and he rolled off in pain from the pinch I had given him. I was black and blue in the face when I sat up , and it took me some little bit to get my breath going again. I had certainly drunk my fill of branch water, and in a little more would have been a “gone goslin,” or, as the boys would say, “a drowned duck, and no water hot.” 3: {new T-va‘aiv“ A < ’-v‘:z- K - _A; .x.m;.-._s.-¢_.-;\>,,_._...A;.A”new“- “in.“ ,A . A 1:; . . _ . . . ,. . . . A. . . . A h \. , .< ,- , il . i. m M“ w- .A his; ass“ .1 . A ." i,‘ 3 AA,.R.-. «WA FAWV m .mw” . “'9‘. w—VA ,. CHAPTER VIII. PLEASANT HAPPENINGS Long before I was born, in fact when my mother was a girl, there began an exodus of our family from'Texas back to Georgia. My grand-parents had or- iginally come from Georgia and Ala- bama. My mother’s father came from Georgia as a refugee and settled at Ar. kadelphia, Arkansas, and after the war moved to Pittsburg, Texas. My mother was then a small child and While they lived at Arkadelphia she came very near being drowned in the swift waters of the Washita River. Not a great while after the family mov- ' ed to Pittsburg, her mother died and her father was left with six children, two boys and four girls. Then grand- mother made several trips to Texas dur- ing those years and each time she came carried some of her grandchildren back to Georgia with her. First, two of the older children were carried; one boy and one girl, Joe and Alice. My mother, then a girl in the “teen” age, stayed at home, kept things together and cared for” her baby sister, 228 PLEASANT ’HAPPENINGS Hattie, then an infant. In the course of a few years my mother married and still kept her baby sister, until mother had two or three children of her own. The boy and girl in Georgia in the meantime had finished their education and married. ‘80 our great—grandmoth- er came back to Texas, and took the baby girl Hattie to Georgia to rear and educate. She was quite wealthy, and having no children of her own, nor grand—children either now at home, was glad to have another little girl to keep and train for life’s duties. Of course all this happened before I was born, but as far back as I can re- member much of the talk in our home was about our dear old wealthv grand— mother and my aunts and uncle in Georgia. The conversation of course many times centered with mother on the hope that sometimes another visit , would be made by grand—mother, and that her own sisters and brother would come, too. My thoughts of these far—away kin- dred were always of a very exalted na— ture. Sometimes, during my mother’s hard yearsiof widowhood and mv early memory period, this dear old motherly' soul would send my mother small sums PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 229 of money to help her along, and this , . always made a deep impression of grat- l ' itude" on my boyish heart and mind. 1 I never saw my great-grand—mother for she never made a visit during my , 1 life time, although she lived until I was 1 ten or eleven years old. But when I ,- was about seven years old, Aunt Hat— , j tie or “Little Auntie” aswe were taught ' to call her, came back to Texas to make us a visit. She was then married and the mother of two children. To me it was a great event. Her baby was a girl andI knew nothing , about babies or girls. I learned to love 1 Little Auntie very dearly, but most es- pecially this little dimpled—cheeked girl , baby, Ethel. The fondness for her ’1 which sprang up then deepened through the years as I came to know her as she grew up. Little Auntie did not remain very long on her. visit at this time, but as we shall see, the family later moved 11 l: to Texas and much of my life was in association with them. When she returned to Georgia, my brother, Nathan, accompanied her. I suppose his going also helped to impress their visit on my mind, and this fact added another charm for me in far- away Georgia. Some time during the 230 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS following summer after “Little Auntie” Visited us, my Uncle Joe, my mother’s brother, and one of the men for whom. I am named, came to see us.T‘wo things indelibly impressed his coming upon me, and I shall never forget the mornn ing he came to our house. He had come to grand-father’s in the night, and early the next morning, Aunt Minnie, my mother’s half-sister, came with him to our house. . I went to the door with my mother and there stood a handsome man with black moustache, smiling into my moth— er’s face. They had not seen each oth- er since they were children and my mother did not recognize him, but thought him a stranger. Aunt Minnie spoke first and said: “Sis Jennie, do you know who this is?” Mother looked puzzled and said: “No, I do not sup~ pose I ever saw the gentleman before.” She was immediately told that it was her brother Joe. Mothed “grabbed him” and kissed him again and again, and then the thought of having kissed a seemingly strange man came to her. She held him off from her and with a puzzled PLEASANT HAPPENINGS .231 look at Aunt Minnie said: “Now, Sis, you are not fooling me, are you?” and repeated the question. Uncle Joe and .Aunt Minnie had a hearty laugh and. when mother was assured that no joke was being played on her, she embraced him lovingly and covered his face with kisses. It was all very strange to me, for I had never seen my mother kiss a man; that was the big thingithat made an impression upon me. And the other was that he took me on his knee and. told me that he had two little boys at home just about my- size; that he was thinking of moving to Texas, and the prospects of having some new play- mates filled me with glee. This visit was in the winter and dur- ing the following summer Little Auntie’s husband, “Uncle Morgan” Da- vis, visited us. His visit is impressed indeliblv on my mind by two things also. I do not recall his coming nor how the first greeting was gotten through with, but Irecall a fishing trip he had with us. I We got our camping paraphernalia together and ‘a Whole Wagonload of us went to “Flateau’s Spring” in Cypress bottom, about seven miles from home, 232 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS and spent the night. It was late in the evening when we arrived there, and while the older boys arranged the camp, Aunt Minnie, Uncle Morgan, Mother, my brother John and I got our hooks and poles ready to catch fish for supper. In fifty feet of our camping place there was a hole of water not more than thirty feet across and not over four feet at its greatest depth. The water was clear and cool, fed by the large “gum” spring, and overshadowed by large and small willow trees. We baited our hooks and began, and the fish must have been exceedingly hungry, for as fast as we could bait . hooks and pull the fish out, we caught them. They were not large ones, just fine sized perch as large as a lady’s hand and smaller. These were the first real fish I ever caught, and to me it was great sport. Before the sun went down, and that was not long, we had caught enough fish for supper. The next morning the same thing was repeated. The women and we smaller bovs fished while my older brother and Uncle Morgan went out in— to the bottom and killed some squirrels. We had a- ‘good breakfast and a good dinner and ‘set out for home. PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 233 On the way home we passed a large orchard, some of the trees of which were hanging with large ripe red "peaches. We received permission to get some. Uncle Morgan was standing in the wagon near my mother, who was ‘ suffering with a “boil” on her cheek. He told my brother to throw him a peach and he would catch it. It was just over the fence and not far away, but when he threw the peach, Uncle Morgan missed it. My mother had her bonnet pulled over her face to keep the sun off, and when he missed the peach it hit'herbonnet, right on her sore cheek, and for her the remainder of the ride home was one of pain. The fish- ing trip and my mother’s painful experi- ence linger with me from Uncle Mor- gan’ s visit But one other thing makes it even more vivid. While on the visit he gave me and brother John each a knife, a knife with a little bright shining chain with a hook to fasten into the button hole, to prevent losing it. We were very proud of them; I think they were the first brand new knives we ever owned, and we used them to “perfec-, tion” in pealing peaches, apples and ribbon cane. 234 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS When our brother Nathan went to Georgia to live, it gave us a new con~ nection with all our relatives there. The letters were more frequent. Corres— pondence “picked up” with all of the connection there, and to hear from them was always an event. Our brother’s educational chance and reports of progress in his school work were a delight to all of us, but the chief interest to us children was the sugges- tion occasionally made, that Uncle Joe was thinking of moving to Texas. Uncle Joe was a lawyer and I pictured it as something especially great to have an uncle in the town who was a lawyer and kept an office. ' Finally the coveted news came that they were ready to move, and I could hardly wait to see those cousins of mine, especially the boys of whom Uncle Joe had told‘me, as being about my size. When the time came for their arrival I Was so happy that I felt like all the buildings should be decorated, that the flags should wave and the band play. But of course nobody but a boy could see so much in the move, and this was not done. When they arrived, I found to my great satisfaction that they were sure <.:“v¢‘ A \. mt‘vfia-‘ws—wx-rv: f" . ~ ~ PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 235 enough “honest to goodness” boys like myself, and enjoyed jumping and wrestling, marbles, tops, etc., just like myself. We had great times getting ac— quainted, while the home they had bought was being made ready. Their household goods were delayed some days and the family stayed with us. By the time they had moved into their new home, we boys were thoroughly ac- quainted and were great chums. Of course it was not long before we were having little quarrels and were trying out each other’s strength and courage in little fisticuffs and fights. But this was only part ofthe “making of the boys,” and in the main we were good “pals.”- After they had moved to their home, one day my mother sent me on a hur- ried errand across town to their home. In order that I might not lose any time, I was permitted to ride one of our horses. I “galloped” over there and soon we boys were in the midst of a very interesting marble game. . I fig— ured that the rapidity with which I had come and the quickness with which I could go back, I would have time to play just one game, but when that one was played, another was played, and 236 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS then another until unconsciously soon an hour had passed and when I reached. home greatly belated, there was a good whiping laid up for me. ' It seemed that my good times had to most generally end up in some sort of disaster like this- But a boy always pays for disobedience. After several months of visiting back and forth on the part of us boys, a time of misfortune brought us together. Uncle Joe’s house burned. Everything they had was destroyed and they mov— ed'in the house with us. It meant great fun to us boys, but I am sure it meant great trials for our parents. We were) playful, but also-quarrelsome and some- times our quarrels would end up in a three-cornered “free for all” fight. I remember on one such occasion when we had been thus engaged in one of our entanglements, my mother pro- posed that every one of us should be punished and that if Uncle Joe would. whip George and Alton, she would at- tend to me. It was agreed, and each boy was sent to the orchard for the weapon with which he was to "meet his doom.” Alton and I got good sub stantial switches and came back to re— ceive our medicine at once, and it was over before George, the older one, got PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 237 0?? there. We stood off to watch him cl “get his,” but behold when Uncle Joe oi started in to the “serious business” on 1.21 George, with each lash—small pieces 11:7 of the switch would break off and fly to pieces. The switch was soon gone it. and Alton and I observed that George ck had taken his knife and cut the switch in half in two all along, which made it weak and fragile. We brought our cg ‘, charge against him in heated argument and so pressed our argument against ' cheating, that. we were sent to get a switch with which he was to receive his punishment. Rest assured that we got agood one, and Alton and I felt that we had been more than Victorious, for George had to take two whippings to our one. But we three were usually together _ in our “affrays” as we were aligned )9 ‘ '/ against all comers. The negro boys, es- },1 5f pccially, thought we were “terrors.” I. If ever we caught one in our peach or- ii 7W Chard or watermelon patch, or if one p came along the street looking too . ‘ “'SASSY” we sailed forth to” our rock pile which we always kept in readiness and made it warm for him. We killed] many birds with- our throws, and the intruders learned to dread us. But g: cé ‘mm P L ,238 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS sometimes we were challenged, and pitched battles with rocks took place. We would sometimes come off bruised and bleeding, but stuck together like real brothers. In watermelon time we had great fun in battling with each other. When the melon eating was over and we boys were left to clear away the rinds, we would often cutthem up in squares of about two inches and enter into pitched battles with each other, consequently in those days the hogs and chickens did not get much of the watermelon rinds left over. We were a busy trio with marble games, trapese acting, show stunts, top spinning, “wash hole escapades,” berry hunting and nut hunts, flying kites and playing baseball, we spent the long summer days, when our chores were done, in a continuous roflnd of endless - pleasure. Then in the evening time and by the moonlight we wrestled, boxed, caught lightning bugs, played blind man’s buff, and then, exhausted with the activities of the day, lay down on the lawn or the porch to count the stars and tell “tales” until our eyes grew heavy with sleep. This “sleepy time” was always PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 239 a siege of trial to our parents. When quietitude began to prevail in our group, the older folks knew that their trouble was at hand. Then began the oft "repeated suggestion, “you boys 'had . better wash your feet and get ready for bed.” Oh, My! wash your feet. What an ordeal for a boy. We were at once wide-awake and replying that we 1 were not'at all sleepy. But the next thing we knew our mothers were punch- filing us in the ribs and reminding us of the'foot-washing that must take place. 2 I think the most awful experience of a ‘ boy’s younger years is having to wash his feet when he is sleepy. Sometimes we would» try to evade the dreaded job at the very last and slip off to bed without'it. But the ever— vigilant eyes of our mothers were upon us, and usually a good stock of sub- stantial switches close at hand, and we were awakened by methods not so gentle as the tread of angels’ feet. Before school time in the fall we boys were separated. Uncle Joe had bought another home and moved into it. I am sure this was a great relief to our mothers, but we boys missed each oth- er sorely; The time had sped away, and soon, in the letters that came frOm 240 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS Georgia, there was talk of Nathan’s finishing school and returning home. My! I could hardly wait. Just to think, I had an educated brother and he was returning home to live. I wondered how he would ever get enough money. to make such an extended trip. But when he came, I found that he actually had money left over. As I recall it one of the first things he did on reach-' ing home was to count his money. And among his change there were some shining coppers. That kind of money was new to me, for in Texasthe copper cents were not used. But in Georgia they were used in making change. He gave the coppers to me and I kept them a long, long time. Nathan decided on reaching home to enter into the study of law. How proud I was of him. To contemplate that I would some time in the future not only have an uncle with a law office in town, but a brother as well. My boyish pride was swelled as I thought of the prominence our family would have. Nathan entered at once into his studies, using Uncle Joe’s office and assisting him in some detail Work for the prac— tical experience he would gain thereby. As the holiday season of Christmas < WW“;‘M‘T¥,V““‘"“‘ H ‘ ~ « ~ < A < 47:5? :>f- 3w . PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 241 approached, one night my brother Na- than made a proposal to me that swept me off my feet and gave me new as— pirations in life. He proposed to pur- chase a little confectionery store and let me run it. Immediately I saw two things: first, the additional “promi- nence” of our family—not only an uncle and brother maintaining an office, but I, myself, “keeping store in town.” I saw a chance also to leave off the irk- some tasks of school, and that escape figured most largely in my boyish dc cision. My mother’s consent to this transac- tion, ’I think, was the biggest mistake she ever made with me. It divided my attention. I was really considered a good student for the “butchered chances” I. had had, and was just get- ting to Where my school work would count, but after my store experiences, the story of which must be left for an- other connection, I never was able to become gripped by a desire for learn- ing until many wasted years had elapsed. In the meantime, our dear grand- mother in Georgia had died, and almos’r immediately the letters began to bring suggestions of “Little Auntie” moving 242 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS" to Texas. My hopes rose up again and with their coming I pictured Georgia. almost depopulated and Texas filled up with the emigration therefrom. , They came on the Christmas, one year after my entering the store busi» ness. The business had been closed; Nathan had been admitted to the bar and opened a law office in the neigh- boring town of Mt. Pleasant. I had gotten enough of the confinement of store-keeping and decided that the free life of the farmer was best for me, so with the moving of Uncle Morgan and Little Auntie to a farm about two miles in the country from our home, I saw new experiences in store for me in Vis- iting and working on the farm. The little girl Ethel whom I had learned to love so dearly when she was a “tiny” baby was now a lovely sweet little girl, large enough to run and play. Her brothers just older and just young- er than herself, together with a younger baby brother, and her own sweet self. were great attractions for me at the farm. I was older than any of them, and had been the “little boy” and the “babv child” so long at our house that it was quite a distinction to me to be the “big c: wwmfira‘rt «m r- PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 243 I boy” among a group of children, conse- quently I soon became infatuated with ,the idea of staying at Uncle Morgan’s. The farm life suited me exactly; the cows and calves, the farm work, the strolls and rambles in the woods; the singing of the birds; fishing in the spring branches; running rabbits with the dogs; hunting berries and grapes, were rounds of endless pleasure. It was a convenience to them, also, to have me stay, for the children there were rather small to make the trips each day to school and I being larger could go with them as a sort of protec- tion. I had often envied the country boys and girls as they came to school with their “book satchels” and little dinner pails, and each day had some-' thing new to tell of their experiences with scenes along the way. . I, too, now carried my books in a satchel with straps over my shoulder and had experiences of birds, beasts, ants, frogs, rabbits and dogs along the way. But my greatest pride was in the fact that I was the “big boy” and a sort of protector to the crowd of youngsters as we trudged to school each day. ‘ . But another thing that made my stay 244 PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 0n the farm interesting was the pres— ence there of a good negro boy “Jeff, almost grown, whom my uncle had brought with him from Georgia. Jeff was kind and thoughtful of all of us and petted us very much. He worked on the farm, slept in a shed-room of the home and was always there at the beck and call of any of us. My uncle had a fine pair of spirited mules. I had never been accustomed to mules much, and their frisky antics were quite amusing to me. It was al- ways a delight to us on severely cold mornings or rainy days to have Jeff hitch old “Red” and “Pat” to the wag- on and carry us to school. Sometimes they were very frisky and would try to run away, but Jeff was the master of the situation and always landed with us safe and sound. One of the mules, “Pat,” did not like for any one to ride him, and because of this dislike Jeff rather gloried in doing so, and when Uncle Morgan was away we boys and Jeff would get in the back lot or grass pasture: Jeff would. mount old Pat and we would watch the fun. Sometimes Jeff would be thrown in a “heap,” but he would get up and mount the beast again and amid all the bucking, bowing PLEASANT HAPPENINGS 245 up in the back, switchings of the tail, grunting, kicking and pitching of the mule, Jeff would stick on, greatly to our delight. Those were high days for us and every one enjoyed the fun except the mule. To him it was very serious. CHAPTER IX. BVOYHOOD ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES . Every boy, I suppose, has some nat- ural gifts, for which he deserves no. special credit. But usually, all that one attains in life comes by necessity, and we do what we have to do, and no more. I suppose, if I had any natural gift at all, it was that of entertaining. Many times the form of entertainment was very crude, to be sure, and might have been a reflection on me rather than a credit. But I could always ar- range to keep any crowd of “young- sters,” or older people amused. I learn- ed the latest songs, very quickly, and knew all the negro songs, both religi- ous and otherwise. I had “music in my bones” and kept some kind .of a song going all the time and had no need of an accompanist. I could easily catch the pitch and key of the songs I knew and was often called on to sing, one af- ter another. I delighted in hearing brass bands, and after a performance I would try to make a "‘whole brass band” of myself, AC’HIEVEMENTsFAILUREs 247 drum and all. I was a great whistler and was either whistling, singing or humming some tune most all the time, and usually kept time by beating my hands and fingers in a sort of tattoo aginst a chair, fence or wall of the house. I knew many little speeches, and readings also, and was “somewhat of a mimic.” My mother used to tell me that something awful would some- time overtake me, and leave me a crip- jple for life. But I could not be broken of my habits. This characteristic being . a sort of gift, I could not claim any credit for it. Neither could I claim any credit for other boyish achievements, for they were largely thrust upon me. But as each new thing was accomplish- ed it made its impression upon me, and I was glad. I was always ready to try something new, and was willing to learn some new kind of work. ‘ While very young, and I was kept constantly engaged in “pedaling” my mother’s sewing machine, my hands would become very tired, and I worked my boyish mind many times to try to devise some easier way to propel it without having to constantly work that little wooden rod up and down. Final— ly one day, I observed that the foot rest 248 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES of the machine simply worked up and down, as the wheel went over and over. I accordingly decided to try tieing a stick about two feet long to this foot piece and simply push it up and down. It worked fine, and I was overjoyed at my achievement. It really was a great convenience, for instead of having to stay on my knees, close up to the ma- chine, I could now sit comfortably on a little stool, simply catch the motion of the machine, and work the lever up and down to keep it going. It was to me a great patent for I could sit with a book in my lap and work all at the same time. With the leverage I now had, the work was very easy. It would hardly measure up to the electric motors of the present day, but for its time was far ahead of any— thing I had ever seen. But aside from its convenience, I pointed it out to visi- tors as being, “my patent,” and usually there was great “miration” over it. I p : had early learned to drive a team of 5 horses, as I went wood hauling with my ‘ brothers, and no master teamster was ever prouder of his place than I was. One day a neighboring man came to hire me to go and drive his team, While he gathered corn. The team was un- principal mills through the country and ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 249 trained, and instead of keeping down the rows of corn, as teams will usually do, this one would pay no, attention to the corn rows, but would go “straggling across the field.” I felt myself a very important part of the corn gathering. I was equally as proud, on another oc— casion, when my grandfather came for me to go with him to a saw mill, after a load of fence lumber. 'I had been to the mill with my brothers, and knew the way. Grandpa did not know where the mill was, and I thought it something grand to be able to go along and show him the way. . These trips were always a good time for me, for we usually reached the mill a little before noon, and I would get to see the great string of OK teams come trudging into the mill yard, with the great piles of huge logs on the wagons. I also enjoyed hearing the great “circle saws” as they dug and plowed their way through the immense logs, as they would sing “on their way.” Then when the mill was closed down, for the noon hour, I Would go up into the mill shed and look at the machinery and fresh cut slabs of lumber. I learned the way to several of the 250 ACHIEVEMENTS—FAILURES long before I was able to handle much lumber went as one of the drivers for a two wagon load of lumber. Many new} experiences were encountered on these trips, in ~“bogging down,” or a balky team would stall. -Or sometimes Some- thing would break, but we most always managed to get back home with our load. One day, however, the lumber we went for, was not ready, and we had to wait for it to be “dressed,” or “plan- ed.” It was late in the evening, there— fore, before we left the mill, and we were seven or eight miles from home when dark overtook us. It was cloudy and very dark. The roads were muddy and badly cut up by deep ruts, conse- quently we made slow progress with our tired teams/ About three miles from-town, we had to take a circuitous route around through a dense woods, on account of the main road being im- passable. I dreaded this half mile of new road, ' for there were many crooks and turns among the trees, and-with our long, coupled wagons, it would have taken good driving, even in the day time to get through. When we got into the woods, we found it so dark that we were unable to see anything. I could .‘€.L.\_a;»{.:e.x;é.x.‘: "maxi-«xv -’,»‘.4\ Mi .. .« has; = 3;.» ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 251 not even see my team. With our long coupled wagons, we were both. soon hung up. We had to unhitch our teams, go in home without our wagons, and re- turn for them the following morning. The brick yards of our town at dif- ferent periods of time, through all the years were always on the south side of town, near our home. At an early peri- od, therefore, I frequently Visited the yards, watched the men work and en.- joyed seeing the bricks stacked in all the different shapes for drying and sav. ing. 1 often went there to sell peaches and watch the men work. I learned to “edge” the brick by the time I was able to stretch my legs out the length of three bricks. Boys always try to do What they see men doing, so We boys had to try the brick making work also. We made us some little moulds, Worked up the mud with a hoe, moulded them and left them in the sun to dry. Some of our neighbor boys actually made a sure‘ enough little brick yard. They fix- ed up a small mud mill, to which they hitched a' goat. They made many small bricks, set them in a small kiln, and tried to burn them, but being inexperi- enced they were chilled and the burn was a failure. ’ 252 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES But when I was nine or ten years old my mother rented'a man a portion of our land for brick yard purposes. There were many little jobs about the yard that I could do, after school and on Sat- urdays, and I learned to do many new things as well as earn a little money each week. I could “edge” and “hack" them, on the yard and load Wheelbar- rows While the men would wheel them into the kiln, and pitch them up to those who placed them for burning. But the thing I enjoyed most, was that of driv— ing the scraper team, in filling the “pits,” where the dirt was placed and allowed to soak through in preparation for the mill. It was great fun also, when the time came to “burn” the brick. The time 're- quired to burn them was eight or ten days, and fires had to be kept going day and night. After the fires were Well under way, the kilns were very pretty at night, and we boys spent many hours there, helping to haul wood and feed the fires. Then after the kiln was burned, I helped to haul many of them. It was as much fun as work, to stand in the wagon and catch two at a time as someone pitched them from the kiln. I learned to pitch as well ACHIEVE MENTS-FAILURES 253 as to catch them and had pride and pleasure both from the work. . All through my childhood we boys were always working with tools of vari- . ous kinds. Because of'the lack of wa- ter at our place we dug or started to dig many wells. I suppose we must have dug a dozen or more, during the years. Many of these were completed, only to find when finished that the wa- ter was not good. Most of these wells were started by us, but when we had gotten down a good way we would hear strange imaginary sounds and give up the work. Then Mother would hire a negro to carry them on down to water. One of these wells we'called our bad luck well. One day one of our cousins, a boy almost grown, was working in ' the well. and was down about fifteen feet. The short. handled grubbing hoe with which he was digging struck the Wall of the well and the sharp point of the hoe cut an ugly gash in his leg near the knee. He was almost ready to faint when he was drawn out. A negro was then .employed to finish digging the well. He was a sort of half witted ne- gro and mv eldest brother was pulling up the dirt by means of a_windlass and chain, with a nail keg used as a bucket. 254 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES Just as the keg neared the top of the well, and my brother was reaching for it, the chain broke and down it went V back into the well, twenty feet below. My brother screamed, and was afraid to look into the well, for he was most sure that the negro was stooping over at his work, as he often did while the bucket was being drawn up, and he knew if that bucket had struck the ne- gro he was a “dead one.” He ventured to peep over, though, and saw the whites of the negro’s eyes turned upward and, he was exclaiming, “My goodness, boss, if dat kag had hit me it would er busted it all to pieces.” My brother knew that the tale would have been very different from that, if the keg had hit him. But he did not let the negro know of his fright; the buck- et was fixed and the negro worked on at his job. But brother cautioned him afterward to watch the keg each time, until he had it safely pulled over and secure on top. The third bad luck of the well was the fact that when water was struck it was no good and the well had to be filled up, as all those before it had been. , Besides digging wells, we had a lit- tle work Shop and were always “,pid- ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 255 dling” away, making something. We made martin-boxes, for the birds to build in, and l have witnessed many a bird battle as the martins and bluebirds would fight for possession of the'homes we built. The bluebirds were usually victorious, and I disliked them for driv- ing the martins away. We also built many little wheelbarrows, fashioned af— ter those used at the brickyards. We were always working on some new kind of a wagon, and when bicycles came into use even tried to make bicycles. But the wagons we could make were more satisfactory. Sometimes we Would have a two-wheeled 'wagon, with a cracker box for a bed, and sometimes we would have four wheels, and made on the order of regular buy wagons, but I made one wagon on the order of a sure-enough farm wagon. A sewing machine man who lived on our street gave me four machine wheels from worn-out sewing machines, two large and two small ones. Ivsecured tWo sub- stantial iron rods for axles, and made my wagon with a coupling pole, so it could be let out, long or short. The wagon was made with rocking bolster, detachable bed, double—tree attach- ments, and breast yoke. I thought I. . 25 6 ACHIEVE MENTS—FAI’LURES' was going to get some goats to pull. it. but the other boys and myself were the only goats that were ever worked to the wagon. , While making this wagon I borrowed a drawing knife with which to trim down the little coupling pole. I had it all down to the proper size except the very tip—end. I then became afraid I might cut my stomach, if the blade should slip', so I stuck my knee up against the end of it, and gave a hard, quick jerk. The very thing which I feared would happen to my abdomen would not have been likely, but it did happen to my knee. I cut an awful gash there, and still carry the scar as ' a reminder of my carelessness. The bicycle we tried to make was fashioned after the old style machine. that first came out, with a large wheel and a very small one, the seat up at the top, over the big wheel. Several of these were owned in our town, and they were regular neck-breakers. We tried to make one out of a light buggy wheel and a small sewing machine . wheel, but the whole affair was very crude, and we never could get our ped— als to work well. But my brother John and I owned, 1 f 5 , my . waist. ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES. 257 finally, the first “safety” bicycle that was ever brought to our town. We were not the first ones to own it but it was the first safety wheel ever brought there, and we were about the sixth or seventh to own it. The wheels were both the same size, had wooden spokes and the tires were cushioned rubber, such as later became in use on rubber tired buggies. When we bought it, it had no chain, and we learned to ride by coasting down hill, and pushing it back up the hill for the next ride. The hill down which we coasted was filled with large bull nettles, and many times we tumbled right over in their middle. So many of us had to learn on it that we kept it broken the major part of the time, but would take it in our little work shop and patch it up, thinking we were “something great” in being able to fix a bicycle. All of this shop “piddling,” wagon working, etc., had a value, for the time came on apace when fences, barns and even the roof to our house needed re- pairing. and when I took my place on the roof to nail on shingles, along with the older boys, I felt like a real car- penter, with my nail sack dangling at 258 ACHIEVEMENTSFFAILUREST About the time the brick kiln was burned on our place, we decided to build another house, about a block fur- ther away from town, in the edge of a. little skirt of woods. It was near a spring branch, Where the stock could get water, and there was also a well of fairly good drinking water there. learned much about carpentering then, and when the brick mason built our chimney I helped to carry brick and mortar for him. When he left off work at noon and in the evening, I would bring up a supply of mortar and brick, and actually laid a few brick. When the house was finished and we had moved into it, we boys decided to put a dam across the spring branch and build a tank for stock water. Th r' we did with team and scraper, and I having already learned to drive a team, now learned tofill and dump a scraper. We dug out a large basin and used this dirt in making the dam. It was a splen— did pool, of clear, cool water, fed by several large springs, and the bottom was principally rock, when we had fin- ished it. We afterwards turned it into a natatorium, put a wall around it, builtsome dressing rooms and charged a small fee for swimming privileges. - : ‘as‘msmg, ; - 4 w .- “A; — . “vamp-r vv.» way“ ‘ w— ,7 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 259 In addition to these various kinds of work I also had a little experience as a store keeper. I must have been ten years old when my brother Nathan re- turned from Georgia. He had gone there to enter school when~ I was about six or seven years old, and on his re— turn took up the study of law, and hav- ing a little extra money, boughta little confectionery stand, occupying one door of the space in the front corner of the post office. I attended diligently to business for some time, and had the first little “goose necked” soda fount in the town. I served Coca Cola, soda water, milk shakes, etc., and at train times when the people came after their mail, I sometimes did a right good business. I also handled candies, fruits, cigars, and canned goods. Many times, however, in the long summer days I sold very lit— tle, and longed to be out of my “den,” as I called it. One day when a special ball game was played, I could not resist, so I clos— ed up, and went to the game. 'My brother" found it out and “made it warm” for me. I longed for anything that would give me a change, or a chance to get 260 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES out for even a little bit. The postmast- er was a single man, and was courting a young lady who worked in the county clerk’s office at the other end of town. He would often write her notes, and get me to carry them for him, and he. would watch my stand while I was gone. I was always glad to do so, for it gave me a little chance to run around and then besides he always gave me a dime, and I kept this money as my own. This was before the days of tele- phones and all the young men had to depend on “note carriers.” I was fleet footed, and they thought me trustwor- thy, so being handy there at my stand, I carried notes for many others while they would keep store for me. But when my brother found this out he put a stop to it, and greatly hindered my personal income. . I ran my little store about nine months, and finally ended up disas— trously. I had begun before Christmas when business was good, but through the spring and summer we barely paid expenses. Then the early fall political elections came on, and that is the thing which caused our. downfall in business. A young ,man' who was running for some small county office made a trade ,_ (—\ i z“ mq ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 261 with my brother to “furnish him” with the privilege of treating, or as we call— ed it “setting ’em up” to his supporters. When election day came my brother and I both were kept busy all day, sell— ing drinks, cheese and crackers, cigars, fruits, nuts and canned goods, to the voters, both white and black, whom this young candidate believed had voted or would vote for him. We sold out sev- eral times during the day and would lay in .a new supply from the larger , stores near by. I suppose we never at any time car- ried over a hundred or two dollars worth ofgoods and we sold more on this day than we had sold; altogether during the whole year, but everything was being charged to the one man. When the election was over it was found that our man had been defeated. He could not “rake up” one-third enough money to pay us. We owed others for the goods charged to him, and when we settled up we were flat broke, or better said “busted.” It took fixtures and all to pay us out. -Really I was glad 'of it. for there was not enough of the outdoor life in it, for me. , I have since been glad of it, also, 262 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES from another Viewpoint, for it was in the days of the open saloon, when, on the streets daily, and especially around the post office, where all kinds of peo- ple came, I heard and saw many things that were not good for me. One day in particular, I saw a man go by my door with a double barreled shot-gun. It was unusual to see a man with a gun, in town. It attracted my attention, but I soon forgot it, but in a very little while I heard the loud report of the gun, down the street. It was Saturday. The streets were greatly crowded, and when the gun fired the crowds all pressed toward the court house, from which direction the firing had come. I hastily closed my doors and ran with the crowd, and be— ing small worked my way into the cen- ter, where a man lay dead and welter- ‘ing in his blood. This was the only murdered man I saw, while working there, but I saw many other things quite as influential for bad, and I am surethe business failure was timely When the store was closed I felt like a bird out of a cage. I had been away from mother enough, that she did not expect me to stay in so much as for- ' ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 263 merly. She now kept'a little negro to 7” turn the machine for her, using my pat- ent pedal, and I really had a chance for a while to be a normal boy. , I had always loved baseball, but con- stantly tied down to some kind of work did not ever get to play, but now I spent much of my time catching and batting ball. I soon became captain of ii? the south side team, and had a white :59 uniform, with blue sewed down the be outside seams of the trousers. I felt that this was the highest place, certain- ly, to which a boy could aspire. 1131 Then with flying kites, spinning tops he and playing marbles, I came to the full- 118 est measure of enjoyment, in those 1115 , things for which Ihad so often Wished 72 and. longed for, While locked up and 231‘ tied down in my little store. On many a" j evenings, also, we small groups of boys and girls Went “serenading,” and “tick ;l tacking” over the neighborhood and ' av: l had a general good time. {31 6 But in the midst of all this fun, School opened, in the late fall, and Mother de- ‘ ;, cided I must go to school and not miss. gke ‘any more, as I had done in order to fly “ run the “stand.” ' got :7: About the time school started, how- , ‘ .. ever, a new experience came to us boys, 264 ACHIEVEMEN‘TS-FAILURES which furnished us amusement all through the fall and winter, at odd times before and after school. In the success of this new enterprise all thought we had achieved great things. We managed to get hold of two fine looking hound puppies and while they were young, in our play with them, dis- covered that when we would try to run away from them they would track us. We encouraged this, and decided we would make “blood dogs” out of them. We had often seen and heard of blood hounds tracking criminals at different times, and knew that good well trained - dogs were worth considerable money. At first, we would hold the dogs and one of the bovs would run around the house and hide; we would then try a longer distance, always making the task easy enough that the pups would be encouraged by success. Finally the runner would take a long trip through the woods by previous ar- rangement. By this means those of us following could alWays tell whether the dogs were on the right track or not. By early springtime we could give the run- ner an hour’s start or more. The dogs had caught the spirit of the. fun, so that when we put our hands . ., :«g‘ghvgwcywr...x sl‘l,“,_.l.._ . H A , ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES 265 :down on the ground and started off in :a run they would take up the trail and :go yelping along at full speed. The dogs became so well trained that. we would try many tricks on them, such as wading in branches, climbing trees, walking fences, entering houses. etc, but they caught on to our tricks, and. would keep “nosing about” in a circle until they struck the trail again. We were offered sums of money like twen» ty-five and fifty dollars for them sev- eral times, but it was promptly refused. But it would have been better for us to have taken it, for a boy friend‘of ours, who lived in the country, persuad- ed us to let him take the dogs to his home for a week or two. We thought it might be good for the dogs, and did so. but we never saw our dogs any more. The boy claimed that they either wandered off or some one stole them, but we always suspicioned that he had sold them, and deeply regretted that we did not sell them ourselves. We miss- _ ed the money they might haVe brought, but we had a great store of fun that lasted long in our memories in the suc— cess, we had had in training them. ' And so in all of our successes and failures as boys, we tried to find some 266 ACHIEVEMENTS-FAILURES consolation, even if our experiences end-‘ ed in total disappointements. And I wonder, in any life, if this characteris- tic is not worth whilef Certainly none of. us will ever succeed much if we do' not learn to make our failures stepping stones by which‘we may afterwards climb toward success. , A: A: JW . ow“. :FW‘ “fivrmvu 4: ‘I was old enough to remember any- BPS; 1 first went to live with our grand-father, CHAPTER X THE MEETING PLACE OF THE ENDS OF. THE EARTH The reader has been led to see some early impressions of sorrows made on me in early years. There are some oth— er deaths not as yet mentioned, the oc- currences of which I do not recall, but the results of which came to influence my life greatly. Mention has also been made of impressions made upon me by the visits of different relatives from a distance. We shall now give consider— ation .to some other events which touch- ed my growing years more vitally. Our home was an orphans home for all of my childhood period, not alone because of the death of my father, but. because of unfortunate events which led others to seek shelter there. Before thing, my mother’s eldest sister, Laura, died. leaving three small boys, ranging in age about like my three elder broth-i From all accounts the boys must have been pretty bad little youngsters. They 268" THE MEETING PLACE who after his. first Wife’s death had: married, again. The boys had lost their father by death, about the time my own father died. They cultivated a dislike for their step-grandmother, and even while very young began to be uncon— trolable. They would run away from , grand-father’s home and “stay about” with kinsfolk generally, both with their father’s people and with us. Finally, my mother saw that the boys were getting wild, by drifting as she would say from pillar to post. She decided to take them herself, and did so. So instead of. having four orphan children, with all her other burdens and cares, she now had seven. There being two sets of children now, her troubles and cares were greatly increased, es- pecially so, since the three additionals were boys also, and if possible to state, were even harder to control than her own. , ‘ The boys were unruly, rough, and disobedient. In their running around theV had learned to swear like sailors, , and had learned to gamble and many other things that small boys ought not to know, but strange to say our mother could control them better than any one else. THE MEETING PLACE 269 The boys learn-ed to love her devoted- .ly and whereas our grand—father could not control the boys at all, ’my mother could, and they respected her with a devotion scarcely surpassed by her own. children. , We were just all boys together, and I grew up to feel that these cousins had as many rights and privileges in our home as myself. The older boys wore each other’s clothes, and when they were worn out they were made over for me. Thus being the smallest, I had the last chance at all cast-off garments, and these were about all the clothes I" had to wear, but I was glad to have even these. When I was about seven or eight years old, my mother’s younger broth- er’s wife died; her name was Maggie, the wife of Uncle William Hill. The family lived in Bowie county, and when ‘Aunt Maggie Hill died she left two lit- the girls, Clara and Alice, and a boy, William, who was named for his fath— er. It seemed to our mother that there . was nothing for her to do but take this set of children, which she did. But the boy was about my age, and being tem- ‘peramented about like myself, mother soon found that she had taken a responm 270 THE MEETING PLACE sibility that she could not carry. He had been the only boy on the place, and _was the oldest of the children. I was the “baby” in our family and as stated before, I was said to be somewhat of . a “spoiled kid” myself. The combina- tion was too much, and mother soon gave up her task as one too burden- some to bear. “Coonie,” as we called the boy, lived with our grand-father a while, and then was taken to live with his moth- er’s people, where he continued to live until his father was again married. -I shall never forget how I felt when those little girls came to live in our home. Having had no sister, I knew nothing about girls, except for the Visit of Little Auntie about a year before. I had had no acquaintance with girls at all, but the girls being considerably younger than myself, I soon found that the way to please girls was to pet and , humor them—say nice things to them, give up all your play-things for their pleasure, and make all your plans for their amusement. I learned also that a boy should al- ways speak pleasantly and kindly to girls. Never be cross and certainly never say an ugly thing in their pres- RA ‘. ‘r‘ THE MEETING PLACE 271 ence. I learned my lesson very well, I suppose, and it really got to be a habit with me to seek to please the girls, and give up to them, a thing which I never could do with their brothers. I soon learned to love the girls very dearly and their coming was an event to me, for I soon began to feel like one of the “big” boys about the place and was no longer the baby there. But as I think of it now, it must have been a great care to my mother, with seven rough boys to look after, to feed and clothe, and two baby girls in addition. It would have been enough to attend to such a crowd, but to make the living also seems almost impossible, But it Was done. ' The little girls became very dear to all of us, and even when my uncle mar- ried again, my mother insisted on keep? ing the girls. She had been a step- mo'her for a while herself, and did not wish that sort of experience to befall any child of her connection, so the girls' remained and were a Vital part of our family’s life in all our growing years. With this large family to keep there was also another fact which made our home a gathering place, especially for boys. The baseball ground for the town 272 THE MEETING PLACE was just across, the road, in front of our home, and from early spring until. late fall great crowds and gangs of boys- were on the ball ground, and. in our yard and house. It was a daily occurrence to hear quarrels, oaths, “fusses,” fisticuffs and fights. Boys with broken and bleeding fingers from the ball games. Broken noses, stumped toes and bruised heads, of boys of all, sizes, were mended at our home. It was the nearest home to" the ball ground, and some of our older boys, especially the cousins, were gen- erally there, and a “crippled gamester” was usually brought to our mother for “repairs.’ _ Some women'are not mothers at all, some mothers are mothers of their own children, and those only, While some motherly mothers, in their mother love and care, have an expansion of the mother heart to the extent that their tender Iove reaches out to all creation and causes them to want to mother all. Such an one was my dear mother, and she was never too busy with her many cares but what she hadlthe time to minister to the complaints of her own or some other mother’s boy. She was also a great pacifist, having - - < “was...“ A u A A. A THE MEETING PLACE 273 had so much experience at home, as a “go-between,” when a “riot” was on, . between us young “tigers,” she learned to be calm when others were mad, in— censed or enraged. She has stepped in between drawn baseball bats, sticks, clubs, rocks, hatchets, axes and knives, many a time, and had the teeth gritting enraged youngsters to lay down their weapons of warfare and cease the bat- tle, both on the ball ground and in our yard. Boys are like the poles of a loadstone, magnet, they attract other boys, but the laws of physics are reversed, whereas there must be a positive and a nega- tive pole of a magnet to attract, most boys are of the negative type, but they attract just the same, consequently our yard was usually well filled with boys, whether summer or winter. Boys are also like other animals, they go where they have become accustomed to spending their idle time. Conse- quently when the baseball season was over, the boys still came to our yard to play, and always finding other boys there they continued to stay. And thus this meeting place became established. In the winter it was marbles, seven up, rolly-holly, Cincinnati, and sweep w . l, 274 THE MEETING PLACE stakes, games for fun and games for keeps. Then it was. pitching dollars, or' rather pitching rings, for we. had no dollars to pitch. Many times it was. 'ho'rseshoes, or wrestling or jumping, or playing leap frog. Sometimes it was tieing ropes or chains to the limbs of" trees in the yard, making swings, and. at the other times it was making trapese, and at other times it was kites and tops. . Thus the round of play and frolic went on, almost every day, most of the whole day through or especially after school in the evenings, and all these pastimes were interspersed with loud talking, loud laughing or quarrels and fights. About the only way our moth- ercould ever clear the field, was to give every boy a job of work to do, and then the visiting boys had to hurry. home, and her own flock were feeling awfully bad or almost sick enough to go to bed, but the “scatteration” was usually complete. , These experiences were sore trials for our mother, she being already sick and nervous, but she always said that she had rather have other peoples’ boys in her yard than to have her own boys playing away from home and “in THE ”MEETING PLACE 275 things” of which she knew nothing, and I suspect her practical knowledge of boy psychology was good The migration to our home did not stop when we were older boys, either, for after we had built our new house :and built the natatorium, the crowds {came more than ever. But it was a dif- ‘ferent kind of gathering. It was com— posed of men and women, boys and girls, always a jolly crowd but not so boisterous as those of earlier years. In all this early period of my life there was another kind of visitor to our home, which was likewise a constant worry and burden toour mother, and might have been a menace to us boys as well. "This was the hordes of “tramps” that constantly moved about. Our home was the last one, out in the suburbs of the town, and not far dis- tant from a little wooded hill—side and bottom place which led down to a clear running little stream fed by living springs. It was an ideal place to camp and it now seems to me that almost every night the flickering fires of the tramps could be seen. Late in the evenings and early mornings it was almost the constant thing that some strong, robust, 276 THE MEETING , PLACE ragged and filthy looking tramp- knock- ed at our door to beg for food. ‘ Mother never turned one away, if there was a single morsel of food in the house. I have seen her share the last oven of biscuits with them, when such biscuits had been made from the last flour in the bin. She has quoted many a time the saying, “That is some mother’s darling, and should I know that one of my boys were hungry, I would appreciate some one giving him a little food.” Then she would quote the Golden Rule,~ and teach us that we should “do unto others as we would that others should do unto us,” and often would add, “The Scriptures teach that we may sometimes entertain angels una— wares, and the Lord may be trying my faith, and faithfulness.” She also knew the story about how God had miraculously helped the wid- ow who fed Elijah, and she always be— lieved that He was a very present help in the time of trouble and need. The Lord must have helped her, or else she could not have fed her large routine of hungry dependents and the stream of tramps who came to her door. The tramps of those days were often THE MEETING PLACE 277 organized beggars. They were usual- ly men who had been good wage-earn~ -«ers in the factories of the North, such as boiler makers and machinists, but panics came, the factories closed down tandthe men organized in their deter- mination to do nothing except their own line of trade, and not to do Work below a standard price. Sometimes they were so determined in this agreement that they would go hungry rather than do little jobs about the place,- such as cutting wood or hoe- ing a garden. They also worked for each other’s interests, by carrying bits "of chalk, and at the homes where they .were given food without being requir- ed to work for it, they would make certain marks on the gates, so the next “pal” would know that this was an ea- sy place. But in all these experiences of feed- ing tramps, it is strange but true, there never was but one regular negro tramp who ever asked for food at our back door, and he was both one-armed and otherwise crippled. Of course we fed many negroes, but they were negroes we knew, and not of the “transient tramp” variety. . In those early struggling years, two e M - m~.__.c.... _._._«__.__... .