Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-01-26

Delivered at the services for Wal
ter S. Hiatt by his friend, Frank l.
Bailey
We have gathered this afternoon
to render tribute to our friend and
neighbor who, during his lifetime
never failed to lend a helping hand
wherever needed.
My mind goes back to childhood
days. The Hiatts and the Baileys
were very near neighbors. Although
a few years older, Walter was one OF
my earliest playmates. We grew VI
side by side for the first year of ouI
llves-dug wells together, kept store
rolled pennyroyal cigars and sold
them for pins, not to speak of many
horse races on tobacco sticks secured
at the old tobacco house.
Later, five young boys, Walter
Hiatt, Charles Morrey, Ed Gilbert
George Ad Worrall and the writer
formed a boys group and called our
selves '"The Big Five" because, /
suppose, we were little bigger than
Ray Gilbert, Jack Crew and a few
others who ever tried to follow us.
AS I now recall Charles Morrey and
Walter were the closest friends and
being a little older and therefore
much wiser, were easily our leaders.
We discovered Kincaid Cave and
took it for our own. We hunted
rabbits with our bows and arrows
and fished and swan at "The Old
Poplar Stump" We painted our
selves with red keel and played In
dian in the Heustis woods.
If memory serves me right, Walter
had an unusual sense of fairness
which made us respect his advice.
am sure all his boyhood friends
will remember how, in the fall of the
year. at the end of day in school,
in the old building still standing
hack of the town hall, we were ac-
customed to run race to the sugar
cane mill owned by Walters grand
father, Jesse Hiatt The object Of
this race was to get the best location
for scraping the large pans in which
the sorghum molasses had been boil
Cd down.
Simple events like those enumer
ated made up largely the playtime
Of the younger boys of that day and
| speak Of them here only because
no one more thoroughly enjoyed re-
telling them than he whose memory
OF has been lived over by the writer
and our friend during the past
year.
If a notice were inserted in our
county paper next week asking his
best friend to appear, we would be
very sure to have a large number
claim that honor and perhaps Walter
himself would not have been able to
make a choice. Is it possible to dis
cover the reason for his unusual
ability to make and hold friends? 1
think it is easy to divine the an
swer when we know the man.
It is so commonly said Of one who
has passed on that "he was one of
our most highly respected citizens"
But when this is said of our dear
friend, common assent is given by
all who knew hm.
He was and will ever be beloved
by old and young alike. Who can ey-
er think of him as anything but
young? His whole life radiated a
youthful spirit. Wherever he went,
he was surrounded by a cheerful at
No one enjoyed clean
story or pointed joke better than he
and his many bright, witty remarks
will be recalled and repeated for
years to come.
If anyone in this community ever
exemplified the "Good Samaritan
it was Walter Hiatt Who called
upon the sick so often as he? When
the writer was shut in for so long,
he called once or twice q week for
months to inquire and to offer his
service. One Sunday afternoon last
summer, when going to Pennsville,
we overlook him on the road be-
yond the creek. He was walking 20
call upon the sick. Can we think of
anyone else who did this so often?
He was an ideal citizen in many
other ways Never was a suggestion
made for the betterment of the viii
lage that you would not find him an
ardent supporter. On every moral
issue that came up for discussion,
one never need go far to find which
side he would take.
From his early boyhood days, he
was enthusiastic about all clean
sports and fun. AS young man,
he was a great baseball player. Lou
Gray picked him to take his place as
first baseman in the greatest team
Chesterhill ever had. Even during
his last illness, he made inquiry