Abilene weekly reflector., 1922-04-13


o1 built the splendid six-room house 70
Harry Shadinger on the farm just 1
I front of us.
On the northeast quarter OF 8
livedsO. p. Fenton. To us he wa
always known as "Landow." iii
father who lived with him and VIII
was known as "Old Jimmie Fenton'
; was a man of refinement and som
means. He used to drive about II
one OF the finest oRe-horse buggie
In our parts, the envy Of all tn,
young fellows. / recall the nigh
he died some years later, when Johi
Carver came to get my father to hell
"lay him out" Undertakers wer,
seldom called in those days. If on,
were sick the neighbors took turn
about "sitting up" II one passet
away many volunteered to dig tn,
grave. others prepared the body fol
burial, another with gentle team
offered to haul the corpse, and some
man OF God II there were no minis,
ter near would conduct the service
and offer the prayer. I remember
wildly the terrific storm that lashed
the prairies in its fury the night
Grandpa Fenton died.
On the northwest quarter of 80
lived brother-in- law Of o. p. Fen
ton. This was Andrew Ballinger,
known to everyone as candy" He
was a mild even tempered man whom
| auarvhnIxy hnII In I,fnh
wife, Lelilah, presented him with two
sons, Charlie and Robert. carry
on my left thumb and I can see 1t
as I write these lines, white scar
where Charlie Ballinger once bit me.
After I let out mighty yell Of pain,
he few under his mothers bed and
remained hidden there until after my
mother took me home. marvel
now that kind Providence in later
years deferred me from wreaking
vengeance on him with deadly
weapon Of some kind.
1t was about the close Of this
period that Andy Ballinger, Louis
Jones, Scott Ayers and my father
purchased heading machine in
partnership. My father did the
stacking, and he was famous stack
er in his day, while Scott Ayers al
ways ran the header This part
nership was happy one and lasted
until the machine was worn out.
The southwest quarter of this Sec
tiOn 80 was owned by my grand
father. The north half Of it was
timber claim. Here about twenty
acres of young trees were just get
ting well started.
West of the Ballinger farm lay
half section of prairie owned by
Thomas Nichols. He did not live on
1t. He was Canadian Of English
descent who wore broad accent and
wonderful side whiskers. He was.a
breeder of Clydesdale horses. I al
ways hid behind my father when he
came around with one Of those great
ungainly brutes whose hairy legs and
expansive feet and 'raucous voice
struck terror to my soul.
On the southwest quarter Of 81
lived the widow Shue. All remem-,
ber Of her is that she had two
daughters, one married to a man
named John Jones and another un-
married, Mollie Shue. I believe she
married a man named Luker and
lived for years in Willowdale town.
ship near Talmage. My most vivid
memory of the Shue home was going
there once with my parents and eat
ing cake cut from great loaf all
frosted over with a milky white can
died-like material decorated with
sugar coated caraway seeds in vel
low and red and with tiny candy
hearts.
Sunday was the great day for WIS.,
iting in those times. Most people
attended church and Sunday school
in the Mud Creek school house.
Everybody invited everybody else
home to dinner. Half Of the cOngre-
cation entertained the other half.
People went to church on foot, on
on hay racks, in wagons
drawn by horses, mules and in some
Instances by oxen. shall never for
get those three mile trips, especially
in cold weather. Father put an
armful of fresh sweet smelling prair-
lie hay into the bottom Of the wagon
box, covered this with a blanket or
quilt, then mother and the babies |
got in and we were covered over with |
plenty of wraps. A buffalo robe in
the coolest weather kept the little
family warm.
The Shue farm was sold to Jake
g. Landis who only lived there q
short time when he sold 1t to Dan 8.
Wagaman who lived there for
many years before he moved to Abb
enc.
East of the Shues lived F. A. Far
.on. This man had a son Jim Of my
ige who could bite off the fisehes'
ails when he needed more bait and
10 other stunts as shocking. He al
ways cut his own hair with beau
iful leopard effect where the shears
Ook Off all the hair and some Of the
lide in spots. ! played many day
With Jim and be it said we never
Iuarreled. His mother was Addie
Torman Farron whose father lived
earby. Farron had several out
characteristics. He always
lad large bunch Of swine which
Ie herded like cattle on the prairies.
lie went barefooted ten months in
he wear and had a team of the