June 1, 1986
George Dunshee, Charles Prior and myself went for a three hour ride Sunday. We found out it had rained north east of here. Struck some muddy roads. Birds were about as usual. Found a false Solomon’s seal, also a beautiful display of water parsnips in bloom between Wolf Creek and Gwen Crozier’s old home place. They show up like Queen Anne’s lace, only taller, larger flowers and really white. Flood waters always bring them out. One of our favorite roads through Stephens Forest to Stoneking Cemetery was washed out. We hope they put it in shape again. It’s a great place for wild flowers. Saw some deer too.
While my folks lived in Oakley, many interesting events took place. Many of these my mother told me about. One was blackberry time. The berries flourished along the railroad. People came for miles and camped, bringing their stoves and jars and canned right there. As long as they were on railroad property no one could say a word. Really no one cared as these people all brought news from other areas. In the main they were nice people and were fed and lodged by people free of charge. Mother made lots of friends and many of the people came back year after year.
The foot-washing Baptists were active there at this time. My folks were not of this group but the people did take them to a service down on White Breast Creek north of Oakley. The church was situated in Mt. Zion Cemetery and was just removed in the last seven or eight years. These people were very devout but a few years the visiting of rowdy people put an end to their meetings outdoors.
Another yearly event was the entertaining court trials. Someone would take someone else’s rain barrel or wheelbarrow. Something of little value. The person would sue and since Oakley had no place for court, the trial was moved to the opera house in Lucas. It would drag on and on for weeks. Again, people came by buggy and again were fed and lodged by the people of Lucas. In this way people living in Lucas and those visiting could exchange news. The jury usually fined the one being sued $3.00 to $5.00. It was great for winter entertainment. One Sunday church was held in the opera house. Remember this story has a slight church connection.
The Piper business was slow in Oakley. Father’s brother Robert came back from out west where he was a U.S. Marshall. Father let him run the business part-time while he helped his half-brother, John, in the railroad mail service. He came home one day and Uncle Robert had bought several barrels of used clocks. They all needed repair which he intended to do in his spare time. There never was time and they were in the way so Father took them to the back door and stored them on the porch. The porch fell off and clocks rolled down the hill a good two blocks. No one of the firm ever went after them. However, Alfred Nussbaum picked up a cuckoo clock, worked on it, and oiled it with oil from crushed walnut meats. It worked for seventy-two or seventy-three years. He told me my name was pasted inside and I was to have it after his death. I went to the sale and pointed this out to his daughter. She said I could bid like everyone else. I said I wouldn’t give a dime under the circumstances. The clock was sitting up six or seven feet from the ground to keep people from handling it. Just then a gust of wind blew it off the shelf dashing it to the cement driveway. That ended the clock’s life.
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