We lived about a mile north of the railroad. One day, the
train ran off the track and the coaches lay on their sides and tops down the
embankment. We could easily see from our place since it was located on a
slightly higher level.
Automobile
This was exciting. Some acquaintances drove out from town
and stopped in front of our place. The thing looked huge, I guess because I was
small. The driver sat on the right side with brake lever, etc., just above the
running board. I can’t remember if they took us for a ride. I kind of think we
were too frightened to get into the thing.
Roosevelt
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this above, and I’m not sure I
should mention it here because I would be very young at this point, and it is
doubtful if the impression would last, but the event did occur whether at this
time or in the next era (1912). During these periods, candidates for President
of the U.S.,
or other elected people, did all of their campaigning by railroad train, making
speeches from the rear platform of the rear car in which they lived during the
trip.
Theodore Roosevelt came through and Papa and I were there to
meet him. I sat on Papa’s shoulders to get a better view and Papa kept saying
to me to watch his teeth. Whenever the man smiled or talked, his teeth were
quite visible. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of T. Roosevelt and they always
seem to give prominence to his teeth. If this was his second term, he won; if
running for third term, he lost.
Mr. Roosevelt continued his campaign and several days later
when he was in St. Paul, Minnesota, somebody took a shot at him, hit him in the
chest (.22 cal), but Roosevelt kept right on talking. {President Roosevelt visited Idaho in 1903. However, in 1912 he campaigned for the Presidency as the Progressive Party nominee. During this campaign, he visited Caldwell.}
I probably shouldn’t have put this part in since it is
hearsay, as I did not witness the action. I’ve tried to keep this within the
realms of memory and witness of the fact.
The Case of the
Horse and the Thresher
I told you above about our neighbors helping each other in
getting the crops: Papa, I believe, always had some wheat to thresh each year.
The conical stacks were usually located about 100 feet of the house in a
northeasterly direction, a barbed-wire fence ran east and west just a few fee
north of where the equipment sat. The thresher, or separator, as it was
commonly called, was placed between the two stacks of bundled wheat; the steam
engine was then placed 30 to 40 feet away from the separator with a heavy, wide
belt running from the power pulley on the engine to a pulley on the separator.
 |
| via Wikimedia Commons |
This particular crew kept a saddled horse nearby in case
someone needed to go somewhere to get parts or other items. The saddle cinch
was always kept a little loose to allow the horse a little more comfort. On
this occasion, the saddle slipped and got under the horse’s belly. He started
to buck. First he bucked into the belt knocking it off the pulleys and then
into the barbed-wire fence. This was bad, since the taut wire snapped and
wrapped around the horse, cutting him severely. Normally, they would destroy an
animal in this condition, but they didn’t; just patched him up and he lived to
be back the next year standing in about the same spot.
On one of these visits, the crew left a pile of
grease-soaked rags, glove and an old ragged pair of overalls. Bill, who was
still quite small, got into the pocket of the overalls and found a ten-dollar
gold piece. What was done with it, I don’t know, but I’m guessing that Papa
found the man and gave it back to him. Ten dollars was hard to come by in those
days.
The Kicking Horse
The horse barn stood about 100 feet east of the house. The
large door opened on the south side near the southwest corner. The horses were
stabled with their heads to the west. On this particular occasion, Papa took me
to the barn with him. He opened and fastened the large door and, leaving me on
the outside, he entered the barn back of a horse stabled in that stall. At the
moment he stepped into the barn, the horse let loose with a terrific kick,
hitting Papa just about on the left knee, knocking him up against the rear
wall. He then rolled out the door to where I was standing. Of course, he was in
terrible pain. I don’t know if he went to the doctor; I doubt if he did.
Anyway, it was sure a lesson for me not to walk behind a horse since I was
about tall enough to get my head kicked off. (In due time, I shall relate other
experiences with horses – some funny and some not so funny.)
The Race Horse
Papa was always interested in horses since he had grown up
with, and used, many horses on their farm in Canada.
Besides his work horses, during this period he acquired a
race horse. I can remember it because I used to watch Papa train the animal. He
had a long light rope which was attached to the halter. Papa would stand in the
yard and the horse would run around him at the length of the rope. I can’t even
guess how long the rope was. Papa also set a pole in the yard with an arm on
it, so it would turn on the pole. The horse was attached to a length of rope
that was fastened at the end of the arm. The horse would then circle the set
pole by the hour, thus giving him some exercise. But, a bad end came to the
race horse business.
Papa had left his plow in the field turned on its side with
the share, or moldboard, turned up. He had turned all of the horses loose in
this field. The race horse found the plow and proceeded to rub the back of one
of his forefeet back and forth over the moldboard until he damaged the tendons
in that leg and foot. That was the end of the race horse. What happened to the
race horse, I don’t know; but, I do know Papa was very upset.
Lightening Strikes
One day, I was standing in the back yard during a heavy
thunder and lightening storm. There were a number of empty tin cans lying near
the garden area on the north side of the house. Suddenly, there was a loud
noise and the cans flew in all directions. I was pretty close, but was not
injured, just scared.
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to be continued... 
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