In Dad's Day

As American as any good Indian and equally as patriotically blue-blood as any European that chanced to land by way of the "Mayflower" or some other boat, would be a fitting classification of Father and Mother. Ten years as a Pennsylvanian - 17 years as a young man and citizen of Illinois, but proudest of all that Nebraska was to be home for his remaining years - sixty four they finally numbered, Father came to abide in Madison, much later Lancaster, but longest and at his bet in Pierce County. Here he shared frontier experiences with Mother, we eight offspring and his numerous acquaintances during the years when Pleasant Valley, Pierce County and town were our strenuous but happy hunting grounds.

The first teacher of the Pleasant Valley school was Miss Stella Attwater whose report as of January 6th, showing pupils neither absent or tardy was: Louis, Charles and Noah Lederer; Frank, Will, Elizabeth and John Fix, and so noted in Pierce County "Call". Father and Mother saw to it that we be consistent in our schooling.

On Thursday morning, January 12th, word came that our teacher could not be at her desk until noon. Director Father went with us that day to school on that eventful day and was substitute teacher for three hours in District #33. About 2:30 PM, with but a few minutes warning, came one of the most violent mass of whirling, fast freezing, powdery snow. Sixteen scholars and teacher, assisted by neighbor Littell and the older pupils, managed to reach a fence line and battle our blinded way to the Littell farm residence. Here we unbundled to nurse our frosted spots and were sheltered for the night.

Father's first thought at home was of we three and of the other scholars that might try to reach home and at once set out for the school house, one mile distant. He reached the Littell home before we had arrived and again set foot for the school building which he never found. The Littells fired shots in the air at intervals, hoping that Father might hear and so be guided to safety should he be nearby. That night had the longest hours we ever experienced - knowing that Father snowbound could not possibly ride such storm and we in utter helplessness. Early the next morning, the storm past, we struggled our way homeward to a reunion that was worth the angels recording.

After many hours struggle - missing his way to the school - hoping, fighting to reach some shelter before his waning strength failed him, Father found a building - rested a bit - stumbled his way to a door AND MOTHER HELPED HIM IN !!!! Their night too was a long one with silent, earnest prayer for the guidance of the Almighty upon their children and for scholars and teachers everywhere.

Thirty eight years of prime living stood Father well through the ordeal, though his slight deafness soon after began to be more of a handicap. In the days that followed we learned how miraculous was our fortune when hearing of the lives lost and of many who were badly frozen. This blizzard, though of comparatively short duration, was to go down in history as the great "blizzard of 88". Fifty years later, a January 12th blizzard club was organized at Lincoln, composed of those who had gone through and were in that terrible storm. Father, a very worthy member, will be honored with an article of his own pen in a book to be published in due time. The title of the volume, "In All Its Fury".

Down Norfolk way they sported 1-1/2 miles of street railway, mule propelled. Herman Gerecke purchased 4000 shares for $700. Banker Burroughs wanted controlling interest so Gerecke sold him 3000 shares for $750. Father laughingly told us that Gerecke realized $50 on the 1000 shares he retained, adding "Burroughs didn't get rich on his investment". A sewerage system was completed by September. August 16th the city's first electric lights and by September 17th, sixteen phones were in use.

In early autumn Father, Mother and the entire family drove to Norfolk to attend the district GAR reunion, held on South 13th Street, near the Elkhorn river. With our "hotel" reservations at the Marks abode we enjoyed an excitable and happy vacation of two days. Especially do we recall the Sioux Indian war dances surrounded by US Army soldiers from the Long Pine area. Father tried the Electric machine and drew the crowds applause for the amount of current he was able to endure. Some Civil War veterans from our neighborhood were: George Littell, Co A-9th, Iowa; Charles Worker, Co M-122nd, New York; Sam Parshall, Co L-2nd, Iowa; Joe Fix, member of a guerilla band from Missouri and Arkansas.

March 7th we acquired a new horse "Dick" for $66. He was the best all around animal we ever owned. Tough as a bronc for the plow, ready to trot on our Saturdays to Pierce, and willing to run a race on Sunday. The Sunday business was hardly ok'd by our parents. Father bought our first saddle May 14th. Now the younger boys need not grow callouses we oldsters had.

In May, we boys were glad that corn planting was through for the year. Father drove the planter team while one of us operated the drop lever which had to be timed to hit the cross mark. With keen eyesight, he could always tell us when we missed the target, which seemed too often.

July 9th, a spring wagon was purchased for $32. Now Mother and Father might ride in stately comfort on market trips or on a Sunday to the Pierce Evangelical Church where we boys learned a few German ABC's at Sunday School.

In June, County Treasurer Karl Korth told Father a right of way had been purchased for the proposed Norfolk and Yankton Railroad, passing through his farm NE of Pierce.

July 4th, we seven patriots, young and older, attended the celebrated day in Pierce. The Norfolk band furnished music and John R. Hays orated. Crowd estimated at between 4 & 5 thousand. As far as we kids were concerned, our thirsts were controlled by plenty of pink lemonade, washtub style. A few of the more mature seemed to find other drinks.

Later in July Father bought a Milwaukee twine binder at Norfolk for $150. He drove the 14 miles with the binder set up - the bull wheel bumping over the rough prairie roads - with one of his sons sitting on the twine boss or walking to rest his tired parts.

Some of the September happenings - A special train from Norfolk to Verdigree celebrated the completion of the railway to that point. Some of us were openmouthed witnesses standing on the Pierce Depot platform.

Then the Pierce County Fair was quite an attraction for us country fed young farmers. Father won premiums of $3.75 on onions and other vegetables, that we kids had helped to raise in the summer.

Onions and buckwheat were our side issue crops in 88. We boys got our share of weeding, pulling and carrying upstairs and sleeping with onion odor for so long that memory wafts that smell to us yet.

September 27th we sold our pet "Boss" cow to the butcher, not without a bit of heartache here and there. With all of Mother's courageous attempt at healing, old "Bossy", as a milker, had become a blizzard casualty.

Fall school opened with Miss Grace Quivey as teacher at Pleasant Valley.

Come October, Father had a straw burner made. It was built like a wash-boiler, only deeper and when tamped with dry straw, placed upside down upon the two front lid openings of the cook stove and a match applied, it served as heather and cooker both. Whether the make of this novel and practical idea originated with Father we can't be sure, but do know the use of same in our part of the County most certainly was.

Election day came on November 7th and was of National importance. Harrison and Morton were chosen by electoral vote of 233 to 163, though Cleveland won the popular vote by 83,000. Father voted for Harrison, our 23rd President, who was 55, of English descent, a grandson of the 9th President and Presbyterian. In Nebraska, Governor Thayer was reelected. Pierce County went Democratic by 21. The F.E&M.V. Railroad must have voted Republican for they ran a special train to Norfolk for that party to celebrate the election.

On the 13th George was born which permitted each member to be transferred to a grade higher. John learned to crawl up the ladder, Cleo had the trundle bed, while George took Cleo's place. (NOTE) Brother George (Washington): There being but 6 English and one from Greece, neither of which were deemed to be named after, anywhere along the line of our ancestry, the folks checked down to the "Father of his Country" and said this is good enough. And there we have these two fine names in our files.

A noteworthy event in our reading development was a subscription, the "Youth's Companion". With its stories and other reading matter this served the entire family much as the opening of a library.

We boys were paid $2.50 for working among the neighbors. Our early earnings were banked with our parents to be drawn upon proper proof of our needs.

Thanksgiving was their 35th wedding anniversary and our parents were thankful for the many favorable happenings of the year.

On December 20th an entry in Father's bookkeeping record reads: Christmas things, accordion and dress goods - - cost $6.10

This Christmas was the finale of an eventful year. The neighborhood gathered at the schoolhouse with program proper for the occasion. Mrs. Wilgocki was the efficient organizer with Father and Mother among the hearty assistants. We boys remember how red our necks and faces felt as we stammered through recitations and song as we were outdid by the girls. Our teacher for the winter and coming spring was Miss Katie Kerr, who as a lass was born near Kilmernook, Scotland. History was her forte and may of her scholars will ever thank her for arousing our interest here.

Some of the happenings that Father figured were good signs for our country's future welfare: Australian ballot introduced; Department of Agriculture created; Oklahoma settled; The two Dakotas, Montana and Washington admitted as states.

January! The opportunity that your parents had hoped and planned for came our way. The 160 acre farm-site, lying just one mile to the NW, owned by Mr. Clough, was offered for sale at $1600 - the unpaid portion to bear interest at 8%. At that time a healthy credit was most as good an asset as cash in hand. A list of Father's purchases on credit gives a splendid picture of his standing with those he dealt with:
200 bushel snapped corn of Mr. Clough 5 mo - no interest
Lumber from Baker at Battle Creek 7 mo - 7% interest
Hardware from Pierce Anytime
Brick, etc., from Norfolk 6 mo - no interest

On the inaugural date of President Harrison, friend Marks was laying the chimney for the new house and giving out darts of criticism on both Democrats and Republicans alike. He was a believer in reform that later came to be embodied in Populist doctrine, many of which if they had been taken at the time might have cured many an ill. Later on Father, along with many more came to see some of the old reform ideas used to clean out the untidy closets of both old parties.

About this time the Commercial Cattle Company purchased 10,000 acres of land 4 miles to the west of our new home. Incorporated for $245,000, the syndicate started a breeding and feeding farm, first called the horse ranch. This opened up a nearby market for our corn and grain.

Much building made ready labor for those who could spare time from farm operations. Father with Marks worked some on this venture in the Sand Hills.

The year before Father had been elected to the office of Justice of the Peace. After settling one case of bad feeling between neighbors Synovec and Kimmerle without costs, he served the balance of the term with no entries on the docket. Pleasant Valley in Blaine precinct was a peaceful spot for the time being. In his odd moments, which we can remember but few of, he busied with writing our Valley items for the Pierce papers under the signature "Observer", which he carried on for many years.

Father continued his annual tree planting with still great zeal, now that our homestead needed to be improved. He planned a fruit orchard and planned out just how it was to be arranged. Looking at the plan, carefully drawn out in his account book, we note each variety and the number of same and it's location to be:
57 apple trees - - 9 varieties 3 varieties raspberries
12 cherry Goose and black berries
4 prune plums Grapes
5 crab apple 4 peach - - - 2 varieties

Other trees, Lombardy Popular; Red Willow; Catalpas; Ash; Elm - 3 varieties, besides many cottonwood and Hoey Locust. The cottonwood made fence posts till Hackberry and other hardy varieties could replace. To repay his care and supervision of such aid as we budding Horticulturists might lend, nearly all came to fruiting, to the astonishment of pessimistic neighbors and our enjoyment.

We boys became tree minded to the extent of planting a bottle containing our names at the root of some tree of our choice. Yes, as a tree fancier, Father was second to none, even when to compared to the plantings of "Old Jules" he of western Nebraska fame in many an odd way.

On our drives to Norfolk, some of us boys were usually fortunate to draw the privileges of accompanying. This year one improvement was noticeable and quite wonderful, a drinking fountain where we might refresh ourselves nor ask anyone. The custom had been before to follow into the Jonas grocery where the clerk was told to bring a tin pail of beer from the saloon. When our turn came to drink from the store dipper we were thirsty enough to take a good swig from the shade cooled stuff but watching Father we stopped at his signal to pass the dipper on.

Father learned that a move was on to obtain a sugar factory. In August a $400.00 bond was signed as a guarantee that at least 2500 acres of sugar beets would be planted. All Norfolk, some nearby towns and farmers even to our neighbor had become interested and ready to boost the ideal.

At home, we sold our weaned mule, the seventh that "old Fly" had suckled for us, to Mr. Bishop of Pierce and purchased an entirely new farm wagon of dealer Ruhlow. This had the name "Mitchell" engraved on the side of it. For some time we boys vied with each other in riding in it, even to keeping the axles greased with but an urge from Father. Also, Father continued to do more or less carpentering for the neighbors, with one or more of us as occasional helper. In November he served as District juryman at the court house in Pierce.

Quite often, of a Sunday, preacher Williams, a 4 mile distant neighbor, came to enlarge on some text at the schoolhouse. Also during the winter a band of Free Methodists from the upper Willowland from Pierce held meetings of an evening by the light of several kerosene wall lamps. These might really be called special, for Father said they reminded him of the Holy Rollers back in Pennsylvania, who shouted long and loud some of who petitioned the Almighty to come right through the roof - they would pay for the shingles! However it was from such beginnings, plus our parents and earnest thinking neighbors, that a Sunday School was eventually organized. Songs and study of the scriptures, with the aid of David C. Cook publications, helped much to encourage we kids and others to take a part.

This was from the beginning a spring wheat part of the state, but Father was trying out winter wheat varieties. His account shows be a carefully drawn plan just what and how he experimented along this line. This autumn he tried out the following 5 sorts: Mediterranean; Imperial; Red Clawson; Martim Amber; Jones Winter Fife and Wisconsin Triumph. All that was needed was the development of a more hardy kind for this latitude.

Christmas, with half a dozen boys of an equal number of sizes in a new home, was at once exciting to us as well as something of a chore to our parents. Reorganization of a fast growing family with a new addition almost every other year was most certainly an ever present problem of no small proportion. Yet with it all, Mother and Father managed to be happy with us, a trait that called for a lot of unselfish thinking and living.

Where we had formerly watched for Santa through a curtain in the soddy, or, peeking down through a knot hole in the Littell attic, we must now get our glimpse of him by squinting through the keyhole of our bedroom door. The kerosene lamp, now equipped with an new and larger size chimney, was turned low, so low that our imagination on the loose pictured Santa's visit. While most of us were sure that Mr. and Mrs. Santa had a very intimate acquaintance with our parents, there was almost always a younger brother to initiate with the secret.

Our teacher this winter was Miss Grace Quivey, the County Attorney's daughter and who inspired us to singing songs patriotic and to the study of early American patriots.