The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-08-08
THE OBSERVATORY.

From my outlook I have discover
ed the fact that my PLAYMATE, and seat
mate, in the old district school,, has
passed from this life; how many men,
cries are called up by this fact He
was left-handed, and as he always sat
at my left his elbow did not trouble
me when we were writing, and he
wrote good hand. He liked mathe-
mates, which were trouble and sor-
row to me, and would sometimes ven
ture into the future two or three Sec
tons ahead of the regular lesson,
which courageous feat was an un-
ceasing wonder to me. But when it
came to other studies he leaned on
me. We never swore faithfulness to
each other, with "cross-my-heart"
ceremony, but what one had the other
shared; waited for each other to go
to school, or if one Stayed after
school,, both did so. We always
went "berryin' together, and there
were certain pastures known to us
alone which we never visited except
together; on such days I went for
him with provision of early sweet ap-
Piles and ginger bread, while he might
take bottle of his mothers home
brewed beer; pals and lunches were
placed in cool spot, often under an
elm or big pine, while our birth
barks", oblong round vessels, hanging
from a belt, were used to pick in, as
we called it.; mine held about a pint
and half, his about a pint, because |
used both hands and gathered the
huckleberries or b1ueberries faster,
and we wanted to go and empty" to-
gether; those "birth-barks" were from
the white birth, which can be sewed
easily when freshly pealed off. It was
round, like quart measure and had
stout cotton bottom. What memories
this telling awakens: of starting early
to evade the other fellows, and girls
also, who were curious to discover
where we got our berries; on the way
going and coming we often crossed
what was known as "the upper dam"
on our little river which had the old
Indian name of Saugus, and was the
boundary of town and county. just
below this dam was a wide basin,
Swallowed by big elms from which
wild grape vines hung; which was the
deepest of our "swimmin' holes" The
center of the dam was timber, with
plank walls and flooring, with flow
ing water in summer from a foot to
IL inches deep; standing on the edge
of the floor and diving or floating
with the current was the correct thing
for big boys, while farther down the
stream, below the mill, where the riv-
er meandered through the wide fields
and there were wide reachs of shall
low water, also tree-shaded, was the
place for small boys. There was no
danger of drowning and no accidents.
There arises before me a vision of a
party of boys barefoot, with ragged
palm-leaf hats shirts, pantaloons held
up by one "gallus"-or none-enter.
ing the field where on the far side was
the sandy hole; then shout, run,
unbuttoning as we ran, sometimes
pulling off the shirt, kicking off the
pantaloons on the bank, and who was
the best feller", to be first in the
water! And among US might be some
one who went the rest of the after
noon with his hat off that his mother
might not find his hair wet and ask
inquisatorial questionsl But most of
the mothers thought, as there was no
danger, it was well to humor the boys
and also that they should thus learn
to swim; for even the ability to keep
ones head above water is worth much
in time of accident; and that slight
ability has once saved the writer's
life in the swollen current of the
Boise river.