Memories of my Childhood by Dan Vaughn

Memories of My Childhood
By Daniel J. Vaughn


There are so many memories that one has that we must use the good ones and discard the others. Anyway, we usually forget the bad ones, in time.
I recall that father quite often took me to town with him. I was never sure whether it was because he needed company, or that he was getting me out from my mother’s way. She had so much to do that I often wondered how she accomplished all of it.
On the days that we went to town, he always started early to drive the ten miles by horse and buggy. We always stopped at Erickson’s spring to let the horses drink and rest, going and coming. The water bubbled up out of the bottom of the spring. It was always clear and sweet. You could see a few fish swimming in it.
Farther down the road, between Kelloggs’s mill and Entait, Father would have to rive off the road and hold the horses heads to keep them from bolting in fright, to let a steam tractor pulling lumber wagons pass. This was their way of delivering lumber to the loading dock at Entiat for Shipment on the River Boat.
It was a thrill to hear the boat whistle and to watch it pull in to the dock. This did not last long as the railroad began operating soon after, sometime around 1914.
But, of course, the finest time was a Christmas when the local school had the Christmas program. The teacher always had an older boy or two go get the tree. There were candles, strung popcorn, paper garlands and tinsel along with the other keepsakes from year to year. Community collections took care of oranges, and candy. The Christmas candy sure tasted much better in those days than it does now.
I have many good memories and I cherish them all. I could tell of Stanley carving a chain and ball out of wood. Of Flora playing the organ with our family joining in singing. Of playing checkers or a fast game of rook. Of David trapping furs along the river. Going ice skating in the winter. The old swimming hole. AH! I had better quit while am ahead.

Dan J. Vaughn