The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-07-28
A Hill and A Hole
CORA M. SILVIUS

A short time ago l was called to
take care of woman who had broken
her ankle. Fifty-four people were liv-
ing in twenty summer cottages along
a water front. Back Of these cottages
was strip of undeveloped land, a
quarter Of mile wide. The trolley
ran along the road at the further edge,
and rather zigzag path across it was
the nearest approach from the car
stop to the cottages.
had taken this trolley, and as /
followed the path went around what
was evidently made hill Just beyond
this, in the direct line of progress,
was hole, twelve or fourteen feet
across, which the well-beaten path
carefully avoided. l could see no need
for it's being there.
Arriving at the house, I was told
that Mrs. Decker had met with her
accident at this very hole while cross
ing the field in the dark. Naturally |
asked why the hole was there. And no
one knew.
otis menacew cried Mrs. Decker.
'"The land belongs to rich man who
lives in Europe. Something ought to
be DONE"
l agreed, and l talked.
"Say, now you might be able to do
something" Mrs. Decker said. "The
men play golf and other games for
exercise. The boys run wild. If you
could get them interested in filling in
that hole, it would be a good thing
for both the boys and their fathers"
So l promised to try, and racked
my brains for wise approach to the
subject.
The two Decker boys, nine and
eleven, took a walk with me. Coming
to the excavation or depression l
talked of it and what fun it was to
dig. At the dinner table l spoke to the
father.
"Why don't you men and your sons
make up party and fill in the hole 2"
| asked.
They had never once thought Of
doing such thing. But it caught their
fancy.
"Did it ever occur to you that every
time any one of you goes to or from
the trolley you have to take fifty ex-
ira steps because Of that hole and the
little hill that is near it ?"
1t hadn't.
On Fridays it was customary for
some of the men who could not be
there every evening to come for the
weekend. The little children were al
ways delighted, but the fathers and
older sons seemed to have little in
common. When Friday evening ar
rived, Mr.. Decker talked with the men,
suggesting the project. talked with
one Of the boys and he promised to
interest the others. Then suggested
to Mr.. Decker that he get the fathers
to tell the boys that the men needed
their help.
On Saturday morning group of
eighteen men and boys gathered at
the hole with shovels.
"Why not throw in some of the rub
bish to start WITH" asked the boys.
What a time they had then. Just
as the last bit of earth was being
smoothed over went out. They were
admiring their work.
81 actually enjoyed this little bit of
shovelling," said one of the men to me.
"And each Of your sons has enjoyed
doing things with Father" l assured
him.
This, too, was a new thought, it
seemed.
The best is yet to come. Mrs.
Decker came to see me the other day.
She told me happier relationships had
come from the father-son contacts that
were made that day. The men really
hadn't realized their boys were grow
ing up; the boys hadn't realized how
boy-like their fathers could be.
The hole was there all the time. So
was the hill. If fathers who read this
would look about they might find hills
and holes that need combining-also
sons that need contracting.