The Sauk Centre herald., 1941-01-02
The Common-tater
Chuck Rathe
COlumnist,s PotpOurri-

COlumnists Potpourri-
On Christmas Day. as messages cracked out
goodwill over the wires of the land Frank Parker
received long distance greeting. It was from his
cousin, Lancelot Parker, in Birmingham, England
1t said briefly, Goodwill greeting. All okay
Writing" That ALL but it told tale that behind
the austerity of the wireless message is warmth
and love of family ties.
1t brought back to Mr. Parker tales his father
told His father the late Henry Parker, came from
England at the age of 20 when six weeks aboard
a sailing vessel were required for the trip. The
north Atlantic tossed by storms threw the ship wild
ly about that crossing. Then years later
this time aboard great liner-he went back to old
England. Frank remembers his father telling about
that crossing. He chuckled. doctor aboard had
given him pills in the event of sea sickness :. Mr.
Parker remained well enough to offer the prescrp-
ton back to the doctor when he fell ILL., After
the fathers DEATH this same Lanceot attempted to
get in touch with the family here. He wrote
his letter and addressed it thuswise ITO the children
of the late Henry Parker, last heard from at Sauls
Centre, near Minneapolis Minnesota, United States
of America" . :. It arrived here was delivered to
Henry Parker, now resident across the river who
was and is very much alive. But it established
contact. Now from bombed Birmingham came this
message of "all okay." ....
Best daffynition of hobby we've across
with apologies to Minneapolis friends-is a hob
by is something you're goofy about it keeps you
from going nuts. -.
Latest in over footwear fashions for the ladies,
particularly for young women, is the rubber
boot. AS kid, we were way ahead of the today's
gals. We had pair of rubber boots at the age
of six that the Of anything have
worn. All red and black they were, just right for
| wading. We even wore them to school. Only ma
terna insistence kept from wearing them to bed
during the first week. In the chill Of spring. sloshng
through ice cold water, they perhaps the cold
est things our feet we've enjoyed. They
were many things At times the boots of Spanish
conqustador the boots Of an English sea hawk; or a
knight of the Round Table. Then they cracked
and until it noted kept wading while
thin trickes of puncturing ice water crept around
toes. &. Then they gone. The most
glamorous bit of footwear we ever possessed.
Among the startling developments Of our busi-
life, that has thrust itself deep into the home
and social life of the community, is the demise of
the town-kept COW. In the last twenty years
along with outside pumps the has left the town.
This dyllic bit Of the bucoc has completely passed
the specialization Of the communes life has caught
up with it. Scattered here and there about the
city are a few barns, stark reminders Of the friendly
COW all red and white Now most have been
converted into garages have undergone sweeping
changes Of design lost to them entirely is the vagu
est hint that once 1t was a barn
80
In the days Of the COW kept in town, there were
jobs plenty for the young fellows. They drove the
cows to pasture In the morning and, while the sun
slashed its copper dpper into the pot Of the hori
zon, drove the rhythmic plodding cows homeward
at eventde. And amid hoofkicked clouds or
dust that caught the setting suns rays brought
hazy dimness to the falling twilight. 1t is still
one of our favorte scenes for often we sat at the
close Of the afternoon watching particular old fel-
low drive his cow homeward 1t was done with the
regularity of the clock; could know it was almost
six. . . In that time those who had cows were the
purveyors Of the community's milk. But people
didn't drink it in abundance they do now. Fam.
lilies with babies got the lions share AS for cream
my dear Martha, you skim the milk 1t hadn't
occurred to at first, for we were very young
But so many have talked of it lately as they delved
into the nostalgia twists that become the past but
SAVIOR Of the present. But we recall very well a
certain granite quart can with a shiny metal top
to be inserted. With that we went to get oul
milk supply With the nail where the almanack
once hung with the wood box in the kitchen, the
horse deliveries-along went the cow from the
townspeople. Science caught up with her. Pas
teurization early morning daily deliveries, plants
serving whole community But, you know,
suspect the has changed but little. Prosperity,
fame haven't turned her head. She still gives
milk the old-fashioned way. I'm told
Regime Unger who wrote letter to the Duchess
of Windsor when she was on the continent, received
a nice note Of acknowledgement from the famed
lady herself. Now 1t graces Regimes scrapbook.
For my money they can leave the Christmas ma
carols as they The words. the harmony, the
musical background quite right. This new dis
cordant harmony in which they dress everything
doesn't fit the cantor of these carols Some sixty
baskets with all the towns agencies cooperating,
were handled through the Sauk Centre Welfare Coun-
Gil for families at Christmas.
Appearance Of a new comet at this season has
caused only a mild flutter. Amongst layman 1t has
scarcely been viewed amongst scientists only a
great happening that hasn't come about since the
important comet just after the turn Of the century
. We bring II UP as interesting commentary.
The rest Of you will remember; we tell 1t from
hearsay. But at the appearance of the comet in
the early 1900s, there great concern. 1t was
something odd; perhaps 1t would smash into the
earth. Truly 1t marked the end of the world,
they said. People worked fevershly to straighten
up personal affairs though If the world were coming
to end it seemed uselessly silly. :. It ter
ribly easy in that day Of "unenightenment" to
vince people that this old world going-but fast
You haven't heard that kind Of mass fear ex-
pressed since the time OF the World War I, that Is
discounting the Orson Welles and his men
from Mars cast over this hemisphere. In fact most
of us go about today If and the whole world
would always be here. Most Of quite
smugY inclined to believe little worlds will new