R. R. 5, S. Daisy Lane, Danville, Illinois 61832
Since it is raining here I thought this a good day to do a
little reminiscing back to the days gone by. I think I enjoy the
Iron Men Album about as much as my husband. When I get it from the
mail box I know that nothing will move him from his chair until he
has read every word. When I was a little girl my Dad and Mother
worked at a country elevator. I remember how the steam came out of
the exhaust on the roof and the good sound it made. Then too, it
was run by oil. Boy that engine sure looked big to me! When it was
threshing time our place was a busy place. The light they had was
oil lamps and some times it was way in the night before they got
all their weigh slips in order. The teams of horses and mules would
line for a good two city blocks waiting to get on the scales. There
was one team of mules that just hated the elevator and going up the
ramps to the bins. When we saw them coming nothing could get us
kids out of the house. Them lop eared mules would run away every
time and break down the clothesline. They had what they called a
north and south ring and when it came the day for the rig to move
by our house we girls had a game we played. As soon as we saw it
coming in sight we would run in the kitchen and get the box of
crackers down from the shelf go out on the north side of the house
and get that good home churned butter out of the box. The box was
buried down in the ground with just the lid showing and this is how
we kept things cold. Some times they put the milk in the well and I
bet it was just as cold as it is now in our fancy no frost
refrigerators. To get back to the crackers and butter we were
allowed so many crackers and buttered them then stacked them one on
top the other. Out on the big front porch we ran and sat until the
rig got to a certain place and then we were allowed to start to
eat. This was the rule-the one who had the last cracker and butter
left got to have the first glass of butter milk the next time Mom
churned. Boy what I wouldn’t give for a good cold glass of
butter milk. When the threshing was over the north and south rigs
would have a get together and the whole family would go. There was
home made ice cream and those good home made cakes, with good
butter and cream and eggs. One year I remember that the man who
owned the elevator decided to have a watermelon feed for both the
rigs. Watermelons – you never saw so many! They just stacked them
in the garage and put up saw horses with grain doors on them in
front of the door and you could have all you wanted. They had a hay
rack there for the rinds but you can guess how many rinds was in
the hay rack. One other thing stands out in my mind as how the
older boys would get up on the ramp leading out of the elevator and
throw seeds down the older girls back. How they would giggle. I was
only about ten years old so it was funny to me. We went back to the
old home place the other day and all is torn down and just
doesn’t look the same and even the vard looks so much smaller
now. Wes said it looked big through my small eyes back then. It is
pouring down now and good for all the crops. Thanks for letting me
bend your ear and now I think I can get my work done.
the exhaust on the roof and the good sound it made. Then too, it
was run by oil. Boy that engine sure looked big to me! When it was
threshing time our place was a busy place. The light they had was
oil lamps and some times it was way in the night before they got
all their weigh slips in order. The teams of horses and mules would
line for a good two city blocks waiting to get on the scales. There
was one team of mules that just hated the elevator and going up the
ramps to the bins. When we saw them coming nothing could get us
kids out of the house. Them lop eared mules would run away every
time and break down the clothesline. They had what they called a
north and south ring and when it came the day for the rig to move
by our house we girls had a game we played. As soon as we saw it
coming in sight we would run in the kitchen and get the box of
crackers down from the shelf go out on the north side of the house
and get that good home churned butter out of the box. The box was
buried down in the ground with just the lid showing and this is how
we kept things cold. Some times they put the milk in the well and I
bet it was just as cold as it is now in our fancy no frost
refrigerators. To get back to the crackers and butter we were
allowed so many crackers and buttered them then stacked them one on
top the other. Out on the big front porch we ran and sat until the
rig got to a certain place and then we were allowed to start to
eat. This was the rule-the one who had the last cracker and butter
left got to have the first glass of butter milk the next time Mom
churned. Boy what I wouldn’t give for a good cold glass of
butter milk. When the threshing was over the north and south rigs
would have a get together and the whole family would go. There was
home made ice cream and those good home made cakes, with good
butter and cream and eggs. One year I remember that the man who
owned the elevator decided to have a watermelon feed for both the
rigs. Watermelons – you never saw so many! They just stacked them
in the garage and put up saw horses with grain doors on them in
front of the door and you could have all you wanted. They had a hay
rack there for the rinds but you can guess how many rinds was in
the hay rack. One other thing stands out in my mind as how the
older boys would get up on the ramp leading out of the elevator and
throw seeds down the older girls back. How they would giggle. I was
only about ten years old so it was funny to me. We went back to the
old home place the other day and all is torn down and just
doesn’t look the same and even the vard looks so much smaller
now. Wes said it looked big through my small eyes back then. It is
pouring down now and good for all the crops. Thanks for letting me
bend your ear and now I think I can get my work done.
