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Recollections of the 1930s

by Glenn Clayton Stover

(from a 11 September, 1978 letter)

  ...Between high school 1930-1936, I was at home - we were trying to farm some.. Keith was the one that wanted to farm - I never did - Anyway, we were farming the 20 Acres + 20 Acres of pasture just across the road from Art Luce's - also, 40 Acres 3 miles south across from the old Louis Zeller place & then the 40 (Acres) that grandma had 5 miles south & 1/2 mile west. I think she sold that 40 Acres to Mrs. Hinz - Bette Ewer's mother-in-law - She owned the place where Jerry Ripp still lives and it sorta tied in with that. And, as I remember, grandma sold it for $600.
   We had some cows, so I got the job of milking them.
   In the summers, I worked out on farms - a lot for the Zeller's - raking hay - and in the Fall, helping put up ensilage. I remember working for Harry Bateman hauling corn bundles - I got $1.50 a day for that - that was great - Raking hay usually paid only $1.00 a day.
   Then in the Winter, I worked a lot for the County - scooping snow - trying to keep the road open from here to Ravenna so the mail could get through.  One Winter, we worked almost every day.  We'd scoop it out & that night, the wind would fill it in, so we went at it again the next day.  We got 30 cents an hour for that, which was really good.  I also remember working for the County filling in the approach to the bridge which had washed out.  Furnished 4 head of horses & a frisno (sp?) [what the heck is a frisno ?? - rrs] and got 90 cents an hour.

    - 1934 was about the worst year we had.  So dry - no rain.  And dust storms. - Things here were covered by a red dust - It came from Kansas - the grasshoppers actually blotted out the sun - I remember putting on smoked glasses and seeing the hoppers, actually so thick that they were like a cloud. Seems unbelievable, but it was so dry in 1934.
   Old man Suimon south of Poole moved & stacked thistles for feed - he also went down to the creek every day & cut down a tree - the cows followed him so they could eat the leaves and branches.
   I remember one day when I was out on the south "forty" - trying to cultivate.  The south wind was so bad & it was so hot & dry - I decided at noon to give it up - so I put the mules in the barn - On the Clayton place - and I called Dad from Ewer's, that I was heading for home.  I took off, running & walking for home - I only ran about 4 miles & I met Dad in the old Model "T" just south of the Cedar Creek bridge.  He had started out to get me, but the dust was so bad.. - you couldn't see very far.
   The Art Binder that I mentioned before, got caught in one of those dust storms & ruined his engine - all the bearings were shot - that's how bad it was - 
   Then in 1935, I worked some for Andy Anderson in a store here.  He had taken over the Heapy store, after Lindsay, and he was gone a lot, so I ran the store.  No business (?) and I got 75 cents a day & my cigarettes -
   - at that time, Allen was running Duncan's store, after old George died - So, he was one store and I was in the other.
   Then, the Anderson's who had been married for 10 years or more - had twin girls - what a calamity -
That's when I met (your) mom. They - the Andersons - hired her to help - Mrs. Anderson was a baby herself and needed help - the first time I saw her [Mom, Dorothea Gruber] or she saw me - I was in the back of the store sewing a button on my shirt - how romantic -

   I also remember that one of my Sat. night duties was to take old Andy's Chev. and go to Ravenna & get him a pint of whiskey from the bootlegger - He always told me that his wife Annette needed a shot.  She was so nervous, etc. - I knew who needed the shot - it was Andy - but, I'd go to town and get the pint of bootleg whiskey - from old Tom (?) - can't think of his name now. The first time I ever went there - he was dubious - he asked who I was.  I said that I was Steamy Stover's (that's what they called Keith) brother - He said, Oh, come on in.  That's the only thing that I can remember that my brother did for me - his "rep." got me in that bootlegger's place.
   There were several other bootleggers in town.  I remember a "Smerda" - we'd go there and ask what he had - He'd invite us in and give us a sample - by the time we'd sampled everything, we really didn't have to buy anything, but we did.
   I started in the Post Office on June 23rd, 1939 - that paid at that time about $1 a day - I was working for $1 a day so that doubled my wages - Had to do a bit of changing so I could get the Post Office in the store.  The Post office had been down in the corner in the Whitcomb building [the elevator ?? - rrs] - with Arthur Binder as temporary Postmaster - but, he failed to pass the exam, and since I was the Democratic Committeeman - I had things pretty well sewed up.

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