Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-28
BY
IRVING DACHELLER
(CopyPisht, 1917, IrviAs DseAelief,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
(copy,isht, 1917, Irva,s DseAelief,
suddenly the wheels began jumping
over rocks The horses were in. the
ditch. I knew what was the matter,
for my eyes had been filling with snow
and had had to brush them often. OF
course the team had suffered in like
manner. Before I could stop I heard
the crack Of felly and front wheel
dropped to its hub. l, checked the
horses and jumped out and went to
their heads and cleared their eyes. The
snow was up to my knees then,
How the thought of that broken
wheel smote me! 1t was> our only
heavy wagon, and We having to pay
the mortgage. What would my uncle
say? The query brought tears to my
eyes.
1 unhitched and led my horses up
into the cover Of the pines. How CRATE
full 1t seemed. for the wind was slack
below but bowling In the treetops! 1
knew>that ! was four miles from home
and knew not how was to get there.
Chilled to the bone, gathered some
pitch pine and soon had fire going
with my flint and finder. knew that
could mount one of the horses and
lead the other and reach home prob
ably. But there was the grist. We
needed that; l knew that we should
have to go hungry without the grist.
1t would get wet from above and be-
low if tried to carry 1t on the back
Of horse. l warmed myself by the
fire and hitched my team near 1t so as
to thaw the frost out Of their forelocks
and eyebrows. I felt in my coat peck.
cts and found q handful of nails
everybody carried nails in one pocket
in those days-and I remember that
my uncle's pockets were a museum Of
bolts and nuts and screws and wash.
ers.
The idea occurred to me that I would
make a kind Of sled which was called
Jumper.
So I got my az out Of the wagon
and soon found a couple Of small trees
with the right crook for the forward
end Of a runner, and cut them and
hewed their bottoms as smoothly as
! could. ThenI made notches in them
near the top of their crooks and fitted
stout stick into the notches and Sc
cured 1t with nails driven by the Ak
head. Thus I got hold for my evener.
That done, chopped and heWed an
arch to cross the middle Of the run
ners and hold them apart and used
all my nails to secure and brace it.
I got the two boards which we're fas-
tened together and constituted my
wagon seat and laid them over the
arch, and front brace. How to make
them fast was my worst problem. I
succeeded in splitting green stick
to hold the bolt Of the evener just I'M
der it's head while I heated its lower
end In the fire and kept its head cool
with snow. With this burnt hole
in the end Of each board and fastened
them to the front brace with withes Of
moosewOod.
1t was lBte-ip the day and there was
no time for the, slow process of burn
ing more holes, so notched the other
ends Of the boards and dashed them to
the rear, brace with length of my
reins. Then r9empered my bolt and
brought up the, grist and chain and
fastened the latter between the boards
in the middle Of the front brace,
hitched my team to the chain and set
out again, sitting on the bags.
1t was pitch dark and the horses
wading to 1their( bellies and. the snow
coming faster when we turned into
Rattleroad. Soon heard loud hal
loo and knew 4that,it was the voice Of
Uncle Peabody. He had started out
to meet me in the storm and Shep was
with him.
THANK God I've found vel" he
shouted. I'm blind and tired out and
i couldn't keep lantern goin' to save
me. Are ye>froze7'
"I'm all right, but these horses are
awful tired. Had to let 'eh rest every
few minutes"
told him about the wagon-and
how 1t relieved me to hear him say:
\ "As long % you're all right. boy,
amt goln' to worry bout the Of wag.
on-not q bit. Where'd 70 git yer
JUMPER
.Made It with the az and some
nails" I answered.
After we got to the barn door ct last
he went to the house and lighted his
liant ern and came back with II wrapped
in blanket and Aunt Deel came With