Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Bob Piper's Corner - May 24, 1987

May 24, 1987
Memorial Day used to be the big outdoor day of the year. Everyone had cause to be active and concerned because of family that had gone on. It was a natural to get people to take part. Somehow this has all fallen by the wayside. This is true in most towns. Speakers for the ceremony at the cemetery were easy to obtain and were all local men. Now it would be a task to get someone to agree to speak. There was a time when speakers had to take turns from year to year. I remember John Darrah, who owned the Fair Store where Spurgeon’s is now; Horace G. Larimer, who owned the clothing store where Western Auto was; Corwin Stuart, Bill’s grandfather, and many others. The parade always formed on the square. The town band led the way. In later years almost everyone walked, but transportation was always there for those unable to walk. First it was buggies, and then cars. Civil War veterans were getting old, as were Spanish American War veterans. The ceremony at the cemetery was near the grave of the famous Indian chief.

I will always remember one touching scene. Mr. Morgan, who lived out in Brookdale, was our only Confederate veteran. He marched along about a block behind with his son Paul carrying the Confederate flag. For years they tried to get him to march with the others, but he wouldn’t do it. He was sort of a loner, and always reminded me of Moses with his full white beard. I think Mother was better acquainted with him than most, because he would stop at our huge bakery woodpile every now and then and split wood for bread. He was a gentleman and Mother loved to visit with him about his war service. However, nothing Mother or Father could do or say would get him to ride or walk with the others. The last time I saw this colorful old gentleman in a Memorial Day parade, his son Paul was pushing him in a wheelbarrow. They were about a block behind and flying the Confederate flag as usual. We did have pictures of him in the wheelbarrow, but whoever thought to save one? The wheelbarrow was homemade, with the side boards removable.

Father’s work shoes weighed four pounds each. Lots of metal in them. When he went to bed, he always left his shoes downstairs. If someone came who couldn’t believe the weight, we would take the shoes and the person to our nearby bakery where there were scales. Once or twice we got busy and forgot to bring the shoes back. That caused an uproar at five in the morning. The bakers were our good friends, and when this happened they would bring the shoes to the house at 3 a.m. when they came to work.

Here is a humorous memory. My brother Dayton went into the Navy with a near-perfect figure. He came out with a tummy like a well-fed army mule. I just couldn’t get used to it and never did forget my shock.

Our ride -

George Dunshee, Charles Prior and myself left here at 2 p.m. and headed north. Went to Melcher, Beech, Pleasantville, Ackworth, Milo. We stayed on good roads as they had lots of rain. Checked out an old cemetery, and while there saw a huge patch of heavenly blue spiderwort. Most I have ever seen in one spot. On the way back we viewed some of the roughest, most beautiful land in Lucas County, White Breast area, east of Grimes Cemetery. We also put a huge container of flowers on Hortense Becker’s grave. Got back at 5:30 p.m.

Grace Fullman wrote asking where the famous Gardener Boarding House was. She remembered it as being diagonally across from the Methodist Church. Her sister said no, but didn’t know just where it was. It seems their father stayed there as a young man while working in the mines. The boarding house stood across the street south of where the Catholic Church is now. The Gardener House featured a veranda on two sides. The only man I remember who stayed there in early years was John Whohn, better known as “Cracker John”, and he was with the Independent Baking Company. When cars came along, he and Glen Curtis, Wiley’s father, rode together as their territory was about the same. Later, Ray Smith, Morrell & Company meat salesman, joined this group, making it a famous trio. Glen Curtis represented the J. H. Curtis Broom Factory. These three men were great fishing buddies.

A Mrs. Lena Steen of Colfax, Iowa, writes asking if there was ever a robbery of the Citizen’s State Bank in Chariton. First, we should locate the bank and who owned it. It was on the north side of the square, last building to the west, just west of where the Elite Shoppe was. It was owned by J. J. Smythe, and his son Porter worked there. No, there was never a real robbery there, but a movie company staged a robbery. The police knew about it, and of course the Smythes did. It really looked real and it was a wonder someone didn’t get hurt as no one else knew a thing about it. My father was there shortly after, and Mr. Smythe thought it a great joke and was all smiles. Father’s remark was that if it caused J. J. to smile, it had to be funny and well staged!

I have been told that my story of W. B. Dutcher’s Bicycle Shop was not clear. It is true he was on the south side of the square, about where Tommy Holder’s Shoe Repair is now. Later he moved to a building across from where Steinbach’s lockers were. This little building housed the Johnny and Kate Carroll Music Shop. It was well-known in this area and closed when Johnny died. The Carrolls lived in a huge house just west of where the old Bates House Hotel stood. The hotel and their house occupied the space where the National Bank stands now.

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