Abilene weekly reflector., 1922-04-13

childhood memories. On the north
r east so lived Charley Reese. Tn
first yellow bellied catfish l ever saw
he caught on this farm, He had sew
, eral boys older than was and lef
the neighborhood about 1880 whel
John Lowry moved there. Late
Farr0n bought this place.
Charley Reese was brother o
Mrs. Il. G. Iliff. The lifts lived II
these years on their original home
stead on section six. l remembe
"Doc" Iliff from my infancy. II,
was virile outstanding sandy -whis
kered man whose moral infiuenc,
reached all about him. His prayers
in the Mud Greek school house ant
his exhOrtations In the class meet
ings made you feel the presence ant
reality Of the Invisible God. Ilif
sold my father COW when l was 1
baby and threw In the calf for goot
measure. without minimizing the
virtues of others | can safely say
that he was the finest type Of piO.
neer farmer and stock man l ever
knew.
! There We're two llitf boys, Jerry
and Tom, then on the farm. There
were also two sisters, Hattie who
later married Arthur 'Elwick, and
Ida, who married George Dahnke.
Later they moved across the road
| west and built fine set of farm
buildings ON their section now cut
across by the Santa Fe railroad.
South of Charley Reese's eighty
was another one on which ID. b.
Pierce lived. He was very little
man, only about five feet tall and
known as Erred" but he was wiry
and quick and could do his bit with
husky men. He was also consider
able of foot racer. Later he clerked
for years in Berry Brothers Grocery
in Abilene, later moving to Chap
man. He was followed on his home
stead by family named Orr. Leo
Pierce, daughter of Fred Pierce, and
Charley Orr were playmates whose
memory cherish.
On the south half of this section
lived two very drol men, Austin w.
Smith, commonly known as "Ott"
and David Towne. TOwne's prop
erty was purchased by Mr.. Cuudiff
In these early years Towne often
tramped across our section to eat sup
per at our shack and to sit long INTO
the night talking over mutual In
terests. His slow drawling speech
made him Of interest to me.
The only family | recall in those
early years on section seven In
Buckeye was that of Ed Stokcley.
He took timber claim on the north
west quarter and planted large
grove, later known as Cundiff's
Grove. The other farms Oh this Sec
tion were owned by II. c. Tiff, John
Watt and James Foreman. Talmage
is now built on the west side of this
section.
Section eight in Buckeye will al
ways live in my memory. On it was
the home Of George Stewart. He
was known in those days as IAN old
bach" But he- was a good scout and
later married Miss Lucy Ashcraft
and had splendid family. Here too
was the Foreman homestead. This
family of English people made
lasting impression on me. At that
time the following children were at
home: Pete, James, Alex, Minnie,
Alice and Grace. On this section
lived a family named Purvis. They
were Scotch people. To hear the
"auld wife" discOursing in her broad
dialect was a sort Of rural vaudeville
stunt adding variety amid the COM
monplace.
Here lived also the families of
William Stewart and John M. Stew
art The children Of the former who
were my playmates were Georgia,
Harry, Florence and Nina. In the
latter were Grace, Maggie, John
Paxson and Frank. John Z. and
had a good many hair pullings as
boys but were very fond of each
other and have developed life long
friendship.
Section nine was known as
"Ogden's section" 1t was al in wheat
year after year and had no dwell
ing house on it. In 1879 Glenwood
school house was built on the north
west corner of it. Here I started to
school in September, being 6 years
Of age. Our teacher was one John
He gave me a terrific
licking that fall, the only corporal
punishment l ever received in school.
OF all the early settlers on those nine
sections he is the only one whom /
recall with taste of exceeding Bit
.erness. He lived with his widowed
mother on the Harry Shadinger farm.
He was pretty rough and some
" the old boys as John Elwick defied
him openly. 1t lead to bitter
In which the boys finally
won out. 1t makes my flesh creep
yet when / think Of that autumn
md how he used to take a heavy
'uler and beat the boys across the
,alms Of their hands.
I have left the most interesting
lection for the last. This is number
our I'm Buckeye. On the northeast
IN livad John StnfrQr His sons