1918

The year of 1918 “I think” Daphne went to work for Dr. Welch and Mother got me a job working for one of her friends when they were younger, her last name was Barney. Papa started to work on the water works for the city, and Uncle John was chief. Milton and Don went to work for Mr. Tibbs who had sheep. I would come home weekends so would Daphne.

summer
The summer that I turned 14 years old. Daphne went to work for Dr. Welch wife and mother send me out on a ranch to help one of her old friends, by the name of Barney. They were poor as church mice. I keep the house clean and done the dishes, and help with the cooking.

They had a son by the name of Marian Barney, all he did was set in the bedroom and read. I asked him why he did not help out in the field with his mother and dad, they also had a Francis and Alice, that worked in the field. He told me that he had too much brain to labor in the field. I give him a hard time after that.

Marian had a friend by the name of Earl Dispain that lived with his family in Lovell, Wyoming on a little farm on the White River. He and his mother would pass the Barney farm on their way to Cowley and stop and have dinner with the Barneys. It seems to me they lived on onion and peas that was grown in the garden. The Despain grew sugar beets to sell. I do not know what Barney raised to live on.

Well through the summer I got to know Marion and Earl pretty good, but did not like them very much, I told them they eat so many onion, they smelt like one, so they ganged up on me and made me eat one. I never did like onions but they crammed it in my mouth anyway, that made me hate them more.

I came home Saturdays and Sunday’s and so did Daphne, so we were together on Saturdays and Sundays. But Daphne had grown up on me.

paired up
One Saturday there was a ball game in Lovell and I wanted them to take me too it, Earl had an old Ford car. He told me if I got him a partner he would take me; I was to be Marion partner.

I thought that was fine, I would get Daphne for Earl. We drove into Cowley to pick her up, went to the house and she was not there, so we went to two more places, where I thought she would be, no she was not there. As I was going out the door I saw her looking at me through the door crack where the hinges were, I just walk out and got in the car and told them to take me home. I could not find her and it was too late to go to the ball game.

I stayed at home until she came home and did not say a word to her, but I know she wanted to know who was with me. After awhile she asked me whom I was with and when I told her, she was disappointed that she did not go with us. She said she always had a crush on Earl, they went to the same school and he was two grades ahead of her, and had gone to the army. But the army had discharge him because he had flat feet and could not march.