Bob Piper's Corner - September 20, 1987

September 20, 1987

Here is a story about our late beloved Lloyd Moore. He was in England a few years ago and caught a cold, as I remember, and went to a hospital for some relief. There he met two nurses from Australia who were working in England for a time. They were about to go back home. Lloyd, on arriving back home decided to send them some of Piper’s candy. It arrived there in due time, and they wrote to Lloyd and told him how much they enjoyed it. Sometime later they ordered candy on their own. It consisted of several boxes, and necessitated using a packing case. Newspapers were used to pack around the boxes. One of the ladies noticed a Chariton paper in the packing box which had a “Bob Piper’s Corner” in it. They enjoyed it and wrote to me about it. This is half-way round the world and is proof the local papers get around one way or another.

We have some more people to add to our list of those who drowned in the lakes and streams near Chariton. Mack Young reminded me that years ago two young men drowned in the north end of West Lake. Also, Ed Morgan informs me that three young people from Knoxville drowned in 1936. He was there and was called by the custodian of the Gun Club to come help. They were located sometime later, but were not found by his group. He says it was then realized that a lifeguard was needed. He was sent to a school for lifesaving and then was the lifeguard there.

A lady from Panora, Iowa, writes that she and her sister differ as to where the Hickman Law Offices were. One said on the west side of the square, and the other said the north side. Neither is right, as they were on the east side over where the gas office was for years. George Morgan and his wife were in last week from California. Many will remember his father Fred Morgan, who worked for Croziers for years. Dick Dunshee, son of Eyden Dunshee, has bought the Ritz Theater building and plans to renovate it from top to bottom and have movies again. All wish him success as it will fill an empty building on the square. We’ll have another empty building when Chariton Auto Parts moves to the old Keith Gartin building on Roland, now owned by Doyle Gripp Motors. These two firms will share the lot. A few days ago I lost one of my valuable sources of way-back Chariton history. Harold Brightwell died. Mrs. John Watson (Muriel) now lives in Des Moines. She and John operated the Chariton Café in the forties. She says she enjoys every part of the Chariton paper, and for me to keep writing as she picks up a lot of local history from it.

The Presbyterian Church met at the historical grounds today in the old Otterbein Church there. It was a beautiful moving service in the old setting. Fifty-five people were in church. The old-time dresses were fantastic. The old bell called people to worship. The Sunday school children met at the church and were hauled to Otterbein in a wagon drawn by two beautiful horses and driven by Raymond Johnson. A pot-luck dinner followed the service and was held outdoors. It seems many famous events always have a dog present. This was true today, as a little dog was there all the time.

Here is a favorite quotation of Mae Bridges taken from the book Favorite Quotations of Chariton People, printed in 1899:

Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds,

You can’t do this when flying words.

Careful with fire is good advice as you know,

Careful with words is often time doubly so.

Thoughts unexpressed may sometime fall back dead,

But God himself can’t kill them when they are said.

I agree with this lady, as truer words were never spoken.

Our ride -

The three of us, George, Charles and myself left in my car at 2 p.m. and arrived back at 6 p.m. We went north to Bauer, then up to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and on to Rosemount Church before reaching Sandyville, Iowa. This town is tiny and has the most junk cars I have ever seen in a town. Dozens and dozens from one end to the other. I would say the town is about half junk cars. We worked back to Chariton on side roads. Found lots of bittersweet, lobelia, and blue bottle gentian.