August 16, 1987
Here again is proof that my mind wanders from one subject to another. As Labor Day nears, my thoughts go back to the barrel-walking contests held on these days years ago. The contest was to up a 500 pound barrel of salt up on its bottom edge and roll it one-half block without setting it down. This was called “walking the barrel.” Only one contestant at a time as it would be dangerous to others. It was a timed event and started at the alley south of the telephone company building and ran down Grand Street to Roland Avenue. Fifteen or so men entered the contest. Lots of them were huge men who could lift the barrel. It tried their skill. The secret was keeping the barrel in balance. It was like the hula hoop. Everything depended on body motion. For years James Wishart won as he got lots of practice delivering merchandise to the stores from the railroads. James was a slight man and proved the point that it was all in knowing how. Guy and Bud Graves had a feed store where the telephone building is now. They were always the judges. These contests started back before the street was paved. Father furnished the barrels of salt. Fred Stanley, former owner of our store, had always done this and Father carried on the tradition. One year a couple who were on their way west in a covered wagon stopped here in Chariton on Labor Day. The wife entered the barrel-walking contest and won. It seemed she had worked in a distillery in Peoria, Illinois, and was an expert in barrel-walking because the whiskey would slop and cause you to lose barrel balance. Tipping the barrel on edge was easy as it could be rocked to that position.
A few days ago a couple stopped in. They were wondering if I could help them locate the husband’s former home here. The man was seventy-one years of age and left here when only eleven. We found his home and here is how we did it. It was all quite easy. He remembered crossing railroad tracks on the way to school and there were ponds along the tracks. That would be the ponds between Brookdale Avenue and the railroad. I asked him if he remembered any small stores in the area. He remembered a store owned by a man with only one arm. That would be John Lundeen and his store was at the northeast corner of North Park. He remembered a lady who had a talking dog. That would have been Mrs. John Dismore and that put him in Brookdale. That is the area west of the football field. He remembered a man by the name of Fuller. There was also a neighbor with a full white beard who had a son, Paul, whom they were not to tease. This would have been Mr. Morgan and son Paul. I asked him if he could see the house with the talking dog from his home. It was just about a block across the pasture from their back door. I told him that would put their house close to people named Eggert. At once he remembered Eggerts lived next door. Both his home and Eggerts are still standing across west of the football field. They drove out and found the places. They were asked in to see his home. They came back and told me about it. This was all fun and I worked as I talked to him.
Here is a happening when I was in the fourth grade at Alma Clay. Doc Chase was the janitor. He rang a hand bell to call the children in from recess and for fire drills. One morning it was time to call the children in and the bell couldn’t be found. He came out and clapped his hands for them to come in. Everyone thought he was playing a game and they all clapped. Alma Clay was fit to be tied. Even when we understood we were to come in, we acted as though we didn’t. Made quite a hectic morning for the teachers.
The huge oak tree in front of the old Wennerstrum home has been cut down. It seems it was struck by lightning last spring and very little damage was done. There was fear it might be struck again, and down it came. I called the state forester to see if we could count the rings and tell its age. He said he hadn’t seen it but talked to people who had. It was 5 feet 10 inches in diameter at the base. The rings were hard to count, but competent people got up to two hundred rings. The forester said this could take it back to Revolutionary War days. Evidently it was out in the timber years before Chariton was born. What a story it could tell.
Our ride -
George and myself left here at 2 p.m. and got back at 6 p.m. Prior went to see the fair being put together in Des Moines. We first went northwest and then came back and went to Colyn area.
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