The Single Years

Along a bout this time. Father had sold that 320 acer farm for $150 an acer[.] Latter he Bought a 640 acer Farm 12 miles west of Dalton Nebr. he Come out Cheyene County and Rented a large farm North of potter and put In spring wheat and oats[.] that was about the spring of 1914 or 15. and he sent my oldest Brother out to help farm the place And Break the Sod on the Section for farming[.]

[A]fter threashing Dad sent me out there to Cheyenne County to potter to help haul the wheat and oats to market…. If I Rember Right Father gave $17.00 per acer for that Section of Land at Dalton (12 miles west) and after the Grain was Marketed Dad had us Load our equipment and ship it Back to North Bend Nebr[.] and he was going to get a tractor for out at Dalton Nebr But my Brother wouldnt go out there on the place. So Father traded the place for 720 acers at Hooper Nebr and went in Debt for part of it even though Brother and I Did Larger part of the Moveing[.] We would Load Our Loads of Mechinery or What ever It was one day an Start out The next morning early and make the Round trip.

We Lived with In 2 miles of Hooper Nebr on the old Denslow farm[.] It was 720 Acers at that time And Run Down on to the Bottom Land[.] the Villiage of Winslow Nebr was taken out of the North east Corner of the Home Section. The Northwestern Rail Road Run through the farm from east to west. and the farm [was] 11 miles north of Fremont on the Broad Street Road.

But going Back for the few year's I Skipped Betteen 13 and 20[,] We had a large farm at Hooper and it Kept us going as we had a Large amount of Stock and also Farmed a large amount of Ground. We Belonged to the Methidest Church of Hooper As the folk were Methidest. the Neighbor's helped one and other During threashing and Corn shelling time and also Buchering time[.] We had Neighborhood or Company therashing machine that Seven or Eight Neighbor's went to gether and Bought[.] they would start with one man one year an go around the Neighbor hood and the next year the next man In line the next year until they made their Rounds. But we had our own Sheller and Schredder[.] we shelled Corn and Schredded Corn fodder In the Winter[.]

I rented 160 acers of Hill Ground from Dad to farm and had a good crop on it. My Brother Rented Some Bottom Land from Dad But didnt Seem to Raise Any Better Crop than I did on the Hill ground. I took the Bottom ground the next year I had 77 acers of corn on the Bottom and Raised 7000 Bushels of corn on it[.] The wheat got the Black Rust In it But it still made 30 Bushels per acer[.] My wheat paid for a new Binder[,] a new 2 Row cultivator[.] rent[.] and [the] therashing Bill. I got a Fair price for the wheat for the shape it was In. I had part of my Farming tools and Equipment[.] I two Row Cultivators[,] Binders[,] Harrows[,] plow[,] Lister[,] ect[.,] all of which I had In Cludeing my Horses and Mules.

Father took my mother away from the farm For a Rest Due to her health[,] also my youngest Brother and Sister[.] So all that was at home was my Brother[,] his hired man and I. I some times had young Boy help to Keep up with my work[.] he was able to drive four horses and Cultivate corn[.] We all shared the chores around the place as Dad had quite a Bunch of hog's and Cattle and also had some Farm ground. My Brother used father's horses and tools. When It came to Harvest time my Brother never Seemed to get his and Dad Grain Cut[.] So I Bought a new Binder and cut my wheat with it. and helped him finish his and Dads[.] we had the company therashing Mechine there and my Brother was Supposed to Run the Mechine for the Company that year[,] he and a neighbor[.] And my Brother didnt want to therash my Grain[,] he thot it wouldnt pay[,] But he did therash it at Last and it made 30 Bushel per acer In spite of the Rust.

When my Brother first come home from the Army he wouldn't buy him Self a Car But wanted to Run Dad Buick[.] he got it Run Into one Nite And tried to Blame it on to me. But It didnt Work that time[.] Father had Just got the Buick fixed up And the young folk of Methidest League were going to have a Winnie Roast at Monichs Lake North west of Hooper. And among the Group was a Marine that chumed Around with my Brother[.] my Brother had Some thing else to do So Let the Marine Drive the Buick. I didnt In tend to go to the Wennie Roast as I had Date for a show In Fremont. When I saw what was Happening I tried to take[talk] him out of takeing the Buick out of the Garage which was Turnberg's Garage. As I did not like to see the Marine Drive the Car. he got a Bunch In it and started out[.] they Drove to Scribner and Back to the Lake[.] I and my girl Friend Rode out In Another Car with Robbert Aldrich[.] the two cars Robt Aldrich and Earl Sieg got to Raceing and part of the time Aldrich was In the Ditch trying to Pass or get a head of the other Car[.] But we got him to Slow Down and Drive Decent. When we got to the Lake I told Sieg there would Be no More of his Driveing the car of Dad's. and took the Key out of the Car[.] But what I didnt Know was that Sieg had Another Key he had, had made for the Car. And he also had one for my Ford. he got a Bunch In the Buick and started Back to get my Brother[.] and on the way Back to town he Run the Buick down the Into the Bar pit which was steep[,] Knocked the Front end out of the Buick of Dads[,] put one girl partly through the Wind shield[.] But Luck was with them[.] she Just Receved a few Scratches[.] then they walked to town and took my Ford to which he had Key for at that time one Key would fit all the Fords. I didnt Know anything about what happened until they got Back and had to tell my Brother what had happened to the Car. Brother Frank Blamed me for every thing even for takeing it out of the Garage. Father ask the Garage man about the Deal and he said that I Begged my Brother not to take the Buick out. as I had said that I was going to Fremont to a Show I and my Girl Friend[.] the others told him the same. But he wouldnt Belive them. as my Brother said they all lieing and Dad made me pay $600 for the Repair Bill. I couldnt help my self as I had saved up $600 and let Dad have. and he Kept it.

I went to Fremont and Served a Warrent on the Marine For taking my Car which Creatated quite a Bit of contention. And I let them talk me out of prossecuteing him Due to the Fact that I would have to name my Brother as an accessorie Due to the Fact he had given the Marine permission to take the Buick out. But at that Dad and the Lawyer had to do a lot of talking to Keep me from prosscuting them. But my Father Still Belived it was my fault until a few year as ago prior to 1969 my youngest Brother told dad From what he had heard it It wasnt my Fault at all[.]

We lived east of Hooper Nebr[.] the North Western Rail Road Run full Lenth of the place that was a full mile. I was out Cutting weeds across the tracks with a Hired man[.] We had finished[,] Just gotten to Rail Road when I Looked up and Saw my younger Brother an sister coming down the track and no I the morning passinger coming Be hind them and my sister started to Run to where I was Down the Middle of the track [.] I had heard the engineer whistle for her to get off the tracks and Begain to Slow down[.] So I started for her as hard as I could Run Because I figured there was chance to get her off of the track Befor she got hit and I did[.] I grabed her and threw myself and Her off the track and Rolled down the grade Just as the train Went past us[.] they Stopped the train and come Back and ask If Were hurt. The engineer said he saw what I was trying to do and was hoping that I could Could get her Befor he hit her[.] he said he thot he had hit us Both And shut his eyes And when he saw us Laying at the Bottom of Bank he Knew he had. But god and Luck was With me and Sister[.] the engeneer Said all he could See about my sister was her Blonde hair flying as she Ran In the Wind. I do Know one thing[.] the front end of the Engine Look's Big when you are coming toward it and trying Save some one Life And my Sister And I have it seem's Are Closer to one Another than perhaps the others. the hired man said he had never seen any thing Like that And Never wanted to See any one as close to Death as we Both were[.] one Slip of the a foot would have Been to Bad. It didnt make me nervous until after it was over with[.] then I shook all over[.] my Knees would hardly support me I trembled so much.

But School Kids are hard on Car's and my younger Brother was no exception[.] So I had Keep my own expense on the car up And he would Dent it up Some as some of the Kids at School Didnt have Cars and they Didnt Like to Some of the others Driveing one. So Some times they would take things off of it or put a Dent In it some where. And all that Dad would Let them Drive was an older Ford Car that he used for a Field Car and my Sister Didnt Like to Ride In that So She would walk down the Rail Road track to School.

I worked one year at home for $65 per month…from 1919 to 1921… then I started farming on a large scale[.] I Rented In Southwestern Cheyenne County Nebr 2 miles North and 8 west of peetz Colo…from 1922 to 1923[.] It had 2 Sections In it[.] one was all pasture except 80 acers on the Colorado and Nebr Line[.] The other Section was In Nebraska[.] My Buildings were In Nebr and had about 200 acers of pastur on it. And there I started farming In Western Nebr and Colo. My Crops Consisted of Barley and Wheat[.] I put some cane for hay or Rough feed for the Stock[.] I had one peace of ground that had Been In Corn the year Befor Into Barley[,] and a lot of Wheat grass Come up In the Barley[.] So when I headed it I cut it Long And that gave me the wheat grass as a hay Base[.] It was good feed for the Stock and Kept them fat[.] the Grain In the wheat grass was Lighter than the Barley and when we threashed It Blew Into the straw Stack. Served as Grain to the Stock. We had a Hail Storm thru there So the Barley wasnt as good as it could have Been. I had Barley on another Rented place and I got some off of It that Didnt hail out[.] I had Insurance on the Barley But the Insurance Co didnt want to pay off and Didnt pay much

The next year I Rented Another place that was 3 quarters of a Section[.] I put some Cane Corn Barley and some Wheat. The fall Befor In october I married Bertha Raddatz[.] we lived on the Ranch west of peetz Colo[.]

The old Gent We Rented from had athritics and Couldnt move Very fast[.] And the Boys of the Neighbor hood didnt get along with him to good and would tease him Because it made him Angry[.] It was long In about Febr that Winter That I went down there to See the old Gentleman[,] his Name was pitts[,] and a car Load Boys Drove up In a Car And Started to tease the old Gent started Calling him By name saying --- --- you old So And So Several times Because they Knew it would make him angry angry and this man Said Ill shoot theose Kids and he started for the houses But Couldnt move to fast[.] I Knew he had a single Barreled shot gun that he Kept Loaded So I Said Ill get the gun for you and I Rushed for the house and got the Gun and took the Shell out[.] I saw a Box shell on the shelf and didnt Know what he might Do[.] So took them also and put them Inside my Jacket In under my over alls as I always wore a saddle Jumper that fit tight around the waist and Strated out the Door an met him coming In[.] he Snatched the Gun Out of my hands and pulled Down on the Boys and Car and pulled the trigger[.] But it went off on an empty chamber and if I had not of taken the Shell out he would have Killed Several as it was only about 50 yard Distance to the Car[.] he started to cussing becaus the Shell had Been taken out of the Gun and Said Nowonder they were so Brave that they stolen the Shell. he said But Ill fix them I have a Box of shells In there yet[.] But when he got In the house they were gone also thanks to me for that. for there are three of the older Boy and some of the younger ones are Still liveing and doing good around this Locality[.] I took the Shells with and I stopped at each of the Boys homes and told the folks what had happened and to Keep the Boys Away from there as I may not Be there Next time to save them[.] and the old Gent told one of the Boys father about how he would have shot them If the Gun had of Been Loaded and the shell hadnt Dissapeared[.] But the old Gent Never Knew where the Shell went to. one of the Boys is my Neighbor today and has a good family and is good neighbor (the one that old gent told his father he would have Shot them If his Shell had not have Dissapeared) One of the other Boys Lives In town here and the others are all Brothers and the most of them are on farm's around here. one of the Boys folks now owns the old gents place[.]