Tape 5: Farm stories

0:05 Getting a sow and her twelve piglets home across the creek

My husband and us all went home and we had her fed and so for the night she was okay. So next day we carried the food again all three of us after my husband went to work. And we was figured how could we move it.

This was a third day already and no one cared to carry the food up there. And she was the saying she'd get up and go and eat, keep an eye on all the little ones, twirling inside that hollow and nothing was done so we carried twice more and they were growing leaps and bounds they were quite getting quite big bigger well quite a bit bigger than they were the first day so this is a third day already so we decide we're going to do something the next day because the boys refused to help me carry the food for so we figured we're still going to

try and will it play the rest of it how come well we tried with the first one and she got all riled up and so we dropped him on the ground and he was his foot down in the hollow with the rest of him there was now that we could do him so the oldest boy said he says let's give her little by little into the trough and amble her towards the creek and once we get to the creek she will crawl and while she be crossing it will be feeding her one of the guys will go and put the little ones in the blanket

and when there'll be three four five of them in the blanket in the tub they won't be making so much noise and quickly we'll put the rest of them in while she's engaged drinking way by the creek oh it was quite a ways a good good city block or so from the place where she had them to the creek well we try to it didn't work, but she was maybe about 10 steps away from the little ones when she found out that she hasn't got the little ones around.

So she was making little noises, you know, and they started going following her right through the grass and the rubble and everything, the whole whole bunch. So we let her stay there and one of us would follow them slowly, but not too close so she don't jump us.

And first thing, you know, they were all by the mother. So my oldest took the troughs and put it again a little further away from her and we gave her a little more food. And she followed, the little woods followed.

So we were just a little ways from the creek by then. So the boy says, now what are we going to do? And the little boy, the five, seven -year -old, he was carrying the tub and the blanket with him back of the little one.

And so Johnny says, let's go on the other side of the creek and offer her some more food. So we did, and she crossed the creek and she was eaten and then making these odd noises. And lo and behold, the whole 12 starts swimming right across that ice cold water to the mother.

So they swam across four days old. And it was so surprising we could hardly believe our eyes. And so quickly the boy took the troughed a little further away again, and it was a matter of five, six steps to the main highway where the road was.

So we got her onto the road, and all the little ones, wet as they were, they were on the road with the mother. And so then we started to go and keep on calling her, and the boy carried the trough, and when you could see that she didn't feel like following him, he put the trough down on the ground, and I put a little more food in there.

And she come to it and slurred it down. And then all the little ones followed. Over than half an hour or so, we had them home. And, of course, the place was prepared for them. John had it all fixed.

So we let her in there, and all the little ones followed. And we shut the few boards on them, and there we had them. She was fed, so she went and made a nice bed in the straw, and everything was just fine.

4:32 Tiny the pig: a baby in a baseball box, dressed up in earrings

Well, meantime, the little guy, he went home to see his little tiny. We called him Tiny right away because he was the smallest of the lot. So see how tiny was making out. Well, Tiny was wide awake and he wanted to eat.

So they quickly fixed up the stuff for him and fed him. Well, he was in a nice baseball box with two quilts underneath him he hadn't made. So that went on for a few days. Then a few days later, he wanted to eat, so he stood up and against the side of the box and tipped the box over finally and went looking for the boys and something to eat.

So they said him, and they thought it was great to him walking all over the house. Well, that lasted only a few days. We couldn't stand it, you know. He was rubbing against furniture and followed everybody, and he got caught in the screen door when somebody went, out, he wanted to go out too, and he got caught right in the middle of his body, and so we released him, and then, so finally I said, you've got to make him a little troth, and have him outside on the porch or out, outside, way outside, and feed him there and that, and so finally we did, and

he stayed out there for about a week, and then it started raining, so the boy grab a hole of boy, the little tiny was following them all around, like. he was a little dog. So they grabbed a hole of him and took him to the barn, and they made another little spot in the hay bough.

The boys did themselves and brought a little trough made out of one -by -four -inch little things, kitty corner, you know. And by that time, I said they don't have to have, he don't have to have the bottle and all that.

Just feed him out of the trough, so they teach him how to suck the finger. and while he was sucking the finger the boy had his hand in the milk in the trough and when he found out that he could get the milk alongside of the finger he first thing you know he let the finger go and was sucking on the milk out of the trough so it wasn't too bad he learned to eat good and there was lots of time some milk left over and next time they went to feed him to bring him some warm milk there he had it all cleaned up

already and he was growing he growing. He was once as big inside of a or two weeks. So the boys had fun. Whenever they wanted to play with him, they took him, carry him out of the barn out of the place.

And he followed him, and they played tag and everything. And then they went, got him some more milk, and put him where he belonged. It went on that way, fine. So then John sold quite a few of them, and we kept quite a few.

And he had different pasture for them and the mothers, you know. And so we put him in with the others and he always stood by the fence waiting to be let out and whenever they felt like they played with him fine.

So one day, they was going to have some fun. So they went to work and oh, this was at Christmas time. They bought me fancy earrings, those that dangle, you know, in the dime store. And they thought that I'd like it.

Well, I told him I didn't. So I kept it in my jewelry box and that. So then for Easter they brought me fingernail polish and a rouge for their little spare money and I accept that and sometimes I use it sometimes I didn't.

And so this one particular day they took the pig, they took the rouge and the fingernail polish and powder and the earrings. They were doing something by the creek on the bench there. And I was busy, I didn't pay enough attention.

I know they were playing with the pig. And to surprise me, they had him decked out. They pinned the earrings on him, so the little ears would fall down towards his eyes. You know, they tingled. And they roach his little nose real swell, rosy pink.

And they put fingernail polish on all of his little toes. And he looked just like a little picture. And they brought him in to me, how nice he is and everything. that if he couldn't stay in the house, that says, nothing to do that that little fingernail polish, he's going to go follow him and clean after him.

No, out he goes. So that finally, he was big enough, and then they had some work to do the boys. So they put him in the fence with the others. And by that time, he ate everything. The others were eaten, and so they were together.

Well, the boys didn't know how to go and keep track of him, which is which. I says, he'll always remember you. And he did. Every time they come near the fence, he'd come to the fence and he wouldn't go with the others.

You know, he stayed waited for them to talk to him or do something, scratch you. So comes the fall, and he was as big as the others. And so he must have to wait all 250, 300 ponds as a beautiful pig.

And John went and killed another one, and the little tiny, what they call him tiny, while the boys were in school and when they come home there there was the two big pigs all hanging and clean and white and ready to be cut in quarters you know to be processed and they they walk to the fence and no tiny the little guy says did you really kill him and father says well I don't know I just killed two white pigs that's all you know but he knew so the boat says we're going to eat tiny we can't I couldn't eat a piece of that meat

for nothing. But it ended up that we made hands out of both of the pigs. We made big slabs of bacon. And I roasted the meat and put it in crooks jars and pour beautiful lard over it to seal it so it wouldn't spoil.

It was perfect. And so every time we ate some pork, the boy would ask, which is this? Is this from time? Yes, of course not. I said, I'm roasting the others and stuff. And so the tiny and the other one all got into one, and they all got eaten.

And that's the end of the little tiny, but I've got nice pictures of them, which I will put in the book, I think, so you can see how things fun we had when the children were little, and that's all the fun they could have, you know, too far from town, and we kept them kind of busy and that, but they had their little fun, too, you know.

11:27 A shivaree: a noisy 'wedding greeting' at Mr. Pajeda's farm

Well, now I'll tell you what happened to us and how the community is. We always managed to have a little shivery for those that got married, you know. And, well, we were kind of young people, just a short time married.

The oldest boy must have been about 13, 14. And so John, my husband, he had one of those big cattle trucks and hauling milk into the factory. And so he was kind of like a partial leader. Anyhow, he let the neighbors know around that they're going to make a shivery on certain party that night and to be ready.

And so they got ready. And this time I went with the rest of the school, about five or six ladies, wives of the husbands that were. And a lot of young people, you know, 16, 18. And my oldest one, like I say, he was about 15, I think.

he went that day. And so there must have been about 30 or 35 of us on this sheer shivering. Well, we've heard for sure that one of the neighbor's boys, Jerry, Jerry Poeta, was married in Chicago. And the young people come home, and they were celebrating the marriage here again on the farm, or about two miles from our place.

And the bride's mother and father come to the farm to see for the first time. And, you know, things were kind of nice. We had spies that found out that they're all having a ball at home, you know.

And they had just a one -room house. So they were plenty crowded. And Mr. Pajeda, he made some home brew. Those times it was Everybody was whoever cared to drink He made some home brew But Mr. Pajeda made home brew That he forgot to put Enough sugar in it So it was very bitter You couldn't drink it hardly But he praised it And he says that's the way it should be Homebrew and all that So he was Giving it to these people from Chicago Well he partook quite a bit himself I think because when we come about those 7 o 'clock in the evening to

do the shivery he come out and he says what do you want around here and one of our friends Mr. Egestaffer he was a burly guy or maybe 250 he weighed about 250 and he was wide and hefty and he come out and he says now Frank that was Mr.

Pageta's first name he says Frank we come I'm here to shivery Jerry, and we want him to dish out $3 .50 for the beer. And we've got the musicians all organized. They're going to play for nothing, and we're going to have a nice wedding dance at the hall.

And, of course, you and the whole company is invited, and especially the bride and groom. They can go no place, and they're not moving from here, and you can get no scent from us. Well, that was a big sign for the rest of it was all listening.

So we started, and oh, I am telling you, such a racket, you have to go far to here. We had a 10 -gallon can covers, you know. We held them one in each hat and bang it against one another.

Then some had a big sauce, and they pound on them, and they made different noise. Then they had jingle bells, and they had cowbells, and they had broken down aluminum kettles that they pound with hammer on. Each one gave a different sound and different noise, and it was such a din, it was terrific.

And we get that up for about five minutes or more, maybe, till we got kind of tired. Then we stopped, and Mr. Agasteper went towards the door, and he says, Frank, He says, we want to see Jerry and the bridegroom, and we want him to bring his bride out.

We want to meet her, see her.

15:56 The shotgun blast that missed Agnes's ankle by three inches

And the old man for Jeddah, he'd come out. And he says, nothing doing. Jerry ain't moving out of the house, nor is the girl. And he says, you might as well pack up and go because you can get nothing.

And so all that Mr. Agostephyr done is look towards the truck. He was parted about five. six steps away from the door. And we started, same thing, pound and pound and pound something fierce. And we kept that up till we were pretty well tired out.

And then Mr. Pichita come out. And he said, I tell you what, he says, if you stop this racket, he says, I'll give you some beer, what I made, and then you can go. Mr. Engerstaffer says, that beer, you call that beer, you call that beer.

He said, he says, that's so doggone bitter we couldn't possibly drink it. So just keep it for yourself, but give us the three and a half. And we want Jerry to give us the money. No, he ain't given you nothing.

He has no money. Oh, I managed the purse drinks. He says, he hasn't got enough money to give you that. So he said, just forget it. So Mr. Agastaffer looked at us again, and we started again. And we pounded and we made noise and we screamed.

We done everything. Then he comes out with the shotgun. And the six of us ladies and, oh, about half a dozen kids, we were standing on the back end of all these 10 -gallon cans we had for milk.

So there was just a small area of space for us to stand, but we stood on top. And I happened to be on the way back end of the truck, like, you know, on the planet. platform, and I stopped with the rest of them, you know, and we were looking towards the guy.

And here he comes bristling, he's going to shoot us all at all. Of course, we thought it was a joke, see? So, Mr. Egerstaffer said, Frank, put that gun, gun away, he says. Well, Frank says, I'll shoot you as big as you are.

He says, I can hit you. And Egestaffer says, no, you ain't going to shoot nobody because he says, the rest of these will tear you to pieces. He says, don't you dare. And he lift up the gun a little bit, and before you know it, bang.

And it's shot with three inches of my foot, my ankle. It went right, just whizzed right by my leg. That went into nothing. He didn't aim or not, but he just must put it off, see? Well, he got so blamed, scared.

Of course, the rest of us all went around, they thought I was shot for sure. So the kids lift me up. But it was not too wrong with Agnes. The shot must have went along. And so then they looked, there was a big hole in the back and within three inches of the end of the truck on one of them planks that held the cans in Amatruxie.

So old, he got so blooming mad. He grabs a hole of Mr. Plata. and sneaks him down to the rest of him. He says, now we got you. He says, we'll wrap the dog gun, gun hurt around your head.

He says, nothing is enough. And I says, oh, let him go and stuff. And just then, my husband was standing around, you know, and he happened to glance towards the house, and there was two women, Mississa, Pajera, and I must have been the other mother of the bride, see.

And they were beckoning to my husband to come towards them. So he did. And they slipped him the three and a half dollars. And they says, go and get your beer and the wedding. And don't worry about us.

Of course, the Agastaffer didn't know that. He said, shall we shake him a little to get the money out, you know? And Jai says, oh, leave him go, he said. He's scared enough. Let let him go home. And let's go home.

Let's go home. He was winking at everybody with one eye, and so they caught on, and we all got in the truck the way we went. John produced a three -and -a -half, and they went straight to Birchwood and got the quarter keg of beer and brought it to our place to put it in a springhole where the water was so ice -cold that the beer was just right to use later on the next day.

Then they got the musicians and everything, and we had a gala time. But the bride and the groom didn't come. Well, it's just as well, because if they would have come, maybe the father would have come and raise heck, you know.

And so we enjoyed ourselves anyhow, but that was my little misfortune that I was shot at, you know, without any intention. But they said, Agnes is what a patty shot at. That meant, you know, that they didn't get me.

So that was the shivery I went to. Oh, I went to several, but this one was really interesting for me, see?

21:24 A Halloween prank on Bill, the bachelor with the corn patch

Well, here I'll tell you another one about my husband and a whole bunch of young men that wanted a little Halloween prank, you know, and I wasn't allowed to go. Well, at that time I was just short -time married.

And furthermore, they didn't take brides or women or girlfriends or nothing. It was a man's affair, see? And they had a notion to go and have a little fun with Bill Iha. A man never married. He must have been in his 40s or a little more.

And it looked like he was a little retarded in a certain way. he was very smart in one way and then he was something little wrong with him the second second way the other way so anyhow they went and he had two cows and my husband was hauling his milk to he stopped at the corner he dutifully always brought a half a can about five six gallons to the corner of his land it wasn't too far maybe two three rounds and he says well you're going to take my milk this morning, you know, that was every morning and everything was fine.

So anyhow, he has the most, he had, the most stony, ledge rocky, 40 acres that you ever saw. And he tried his best to raise something. His mother had a tiny little garden. And he had, oh, two rods or so wide field and a few rods long, and he hauled dirt there on the wheelbarrow, he on the Sierra Lid Rock, and it was in a little hollow -like, and there was little earth there before here, all this dirt and that.

Then he hauled the manure, and then he raped all the leaves around the trees he had, and he hauled that all on there for it to make a humus, you know. And he says, if anything else, I will go and raised corn.

So this Halloween business was that he actually had corn grown. He used to carry water there to water the corn, even from the well. And he really took care of it, and he was very proud of it. I think he said he had a certain amount, 160 hills of corn or something.

He counted it and all that. That's where the queer part of it is. I never seen a farmer yet counting hills, planting hills of corn. Well, anyhow, he was bragging about it And how the cor the cobs are beautiful and everything So these guys got together And they was going to give you a little fun with him, see So they brought some corn of their own from home And a couple of cowbells and a lantern So one fellow, oh, about this would be about 10, 11 o 'clock at night One fellow would jingle the cowbell on one end And another fellow would wiggle around with

a lighted lantern so first thing you know bill he comes out of the house and he says my gosh they heard him say that it was nice cool fall day you know he says my gosh he said uh calls her my two cows her in a corn after all the care i gave that corn that would be terrible if they ruin it was so uh he took a stick and lit a lantern of his own um and went to chase the cows.

Of course, there was no cows. There was about six or seven of these mischievous menfolk. They didn't know any better. And then all of a sudden, one would jingle the bell somewhere else, you know. And then the other guy with a lantern would cover the lantern so there would be no light, you know.

And then the first guy with the first bell would jingle a rod or two away from that one. And so he thought that was his cows in there, see? So he kept a chasing him from one. into another with the lantern, cussing, and everything.

Of course, the boys knew exactly where he was, because he was carrying his own lantern. So they always got out of his way, see? So then the boy says, well, that's enough. They kept it up for quite a while.

So then they took a couple of cabs of their own coin. They brought from home and started shelling it. And they shelled, you know, took the colonels off the cob, and dropped five, six here and seven, seven, eight, nine over there, and then three, four, somewhere else, and they kept on going towards the road from the field, see?

And then down the road, they were shelling the corn right along as they were going towards another farmer. Another little farm, that was a... Bill, with a lantern, he was looking for the tracks of the cows and everything, you know, and he found few kernels of corn shelled.

He says, then dog -on cows, they must have then eaten the corn, some of this fall off the cob. So he followed the grains as they were going, and he was careful, and they heard him coming, you know, slowly but surely he bent down to see the colonels as he was gone.

So they were making the colonels go as far as a gate of another farmer, which nobody liked very well, you know. And they thought that'll be a good joke. Dill will put two and two together, and he will say the other farmer was stealing his corn.

So as soon as they got done shelling their two, three calves and got it as far as this neighbor's gate, then they disappeared, or those woods right close by, so they disappeared in the woods and squat down, and they were waiting for Bill to come, and sure nothing, about 20 minutes or half an hour, here was Bill coming with a lantern, and he was watching the colonel's on the ground.

He got up to the gate, and he said, so that's where my corn, you know, he was saying to himself, That's where my corn is going, he said, wait, I will fix you up but good to the neighbor, you know, you know, so he says to out loud, he says, I don't know, should I go there now, wake him out of bed, or shall I wait until tomorrow?

So the boys were giggling there in the woods, you know, they heard him. Oh, he says it's too doggone late. Must be way after 12 o 'clock. He says, I think I'll go home and I'll get up. early in the morning, and I'll show the neighbor where he left the corn, the kernels, and that.

So he was walking home, grumbling, and, of course, the boys took themselves off for home, see? Well, next day, John went again to pick up milk from different farmers, and he went to pick up milk by the one that the corn curls were pointing to, you know.

he says you know what happened to me last night he says about two o 'clock in the morning bill icha come over so he must have thought it over and after he got home he went back to this here farmer and gave him back he says he gives me of taking his few carbs of corn that he's got there and that i've taken it and everything said i had a heck of time trying to convince him I never was out of bed or nothing his wife vouched for him that they were in bed all night And so the boys, of course, they tell one another,

and they had fun about it. Well, I kind of felt then that it was my misfortune that I was a woman I would have went with because I like fun, you know, in that. So that's how it ended with the shivery at Belichas.

But they had a joke over it for good many years because they said, oh, he says, one would say to the other, he says, oh, he says, The dog got caught with Corny again.

They thought it was a lot of fun. So, well, I'll tell you another story next time.

29:39 A Sunday walk to the wild roses (the story starts here)

Well, now I'll tell you a new story that happened to me. Oh, I loved outdoors, you know. And one Sunday after feeding the family with chicken and dumplings and gravy and everything, I stacked the dishes in the sink, which I usually do, and then I went down the road amongst the woods.

And this was kind of a main road, but it was crooked. Well, since then, of course, that's many, many years ago. Since then, they straightened out the road, and the crooked road is still there. Now even trees are grown in it and in the ditch and that.

Once in a while, I go there and reminisce about what happened. Well, this one particular Sunday, it was just beautiful, and wild roses. I got a certain spot there about maybe two rounds long, and along the ditch and everything.

It was just beautiful rosy roses, smelled nice and everything. So I thought, I'll go see them. And I got to the roses, I felt like singing. And so I said, so why not? There's nobody around. So I thought of my mother.

She was dead already then. And I said to myself, boy, here I could sing that beautiful hymn in bohemian language that I used.