Grandpa's Post Cards
Harold Venro Deborde
Born May 24,1901 in Cove. (My mothers father.)
Dear Jason,
(May 1978)
When I was your age I used to fish up the creek and watch Granny Bloom, an old southern lady do her washing in the creek and smoke her little clay pipe. Then I would go to Vina Duncan’s place. She was insane and everyone was afraid of her but I wasn’t. She would take me in her house which was neat and clean and feed me cookies and give me apples. That sure was a long time ago.
Dear Jason,
(April 1978)
The rangers could draft fire fighters in the old day. They were sending men and big ? String in to fight this fire. Well, one man didn’t want to go, so he came limping up town on his right foot. Said it was so sore he could hardly walk. The ranger excused him and he went home limping on his left foot. He had forgot which one was sore. Anyway he made it work. He didn’t have to fight fire. His name was Mac Saunders.
Dear Jason,
(Nov 1978)
There were five Wilson boys and two girls. The girls wanted to get married so they would invite the boys to Sunday dinner. After they were all seated, these Wilson boys would pretend to get mad and start yelling and shouting . Then they would pull these guns out and start shooting over each ones head. You bet the boyfriends took off up the road in a hurry and never came back. But the girls did find and marry good men. Eva Wilson was my school teacher in 1910 and 1911.
Dear Jason
(Oct 1978)
They called Tom Gardner cluck hen because he went around clucking to himself. His wife was also off beam. Tom had a work mule. When he went to work he hooked his wife up with the mule. When they came to a corner he would spot? His wife with the lines and she would prance around the corner in a trot. This was a common sight in Cove Oregon for many years. Tom driving his wife and mule around hooked up together.
Dear Jason
(Oct 1978)
Lee Wilson when a boy made him a set of wings to fly with. Then he climbed on top of his dads barn. When he got up there he lost his nerve about jumping off. His brother Pete came out with a shot gun and said jump or I will shoot. Lee jumped and the wings didn’t work and he broke his leg. He walked with a limp all his life.
Dear Jason
(May 1977)
Over to the left of the house was a large creek. When the water was real high and swift I could wade it. Was very foolish. When it was low I could play in it. There were crawfish, bull heads, penny winkle minnows, water skippers, fish, frogs, sometimes a sucker would come up and also tadpoles. It was called Mill Creek.
Dear Jason,
(1978)
I had friend in La Grande. ? And Charlie Smith who used to hunt. One time they shot a bear and brought me over some bear steaks rolled it flour the way they fixed them. They were really good. Old times used bear grease for many things like greasing there boots to keep them from leaking.
Dear Jason,
(Jan 1978)
When I was your age I was up on Mt. Tanny? Looking for a horse. I came to a canyon which was about as steep as a cows face. I tied my horse and walked up to the top of the ridge. Guess what? There was a black bear tearing up a rotten log. He grunted and I took off. It took me about a half an hour to get up there but I came down in 8 seconds flat, jumped on my horse and took off. I don’t know what the bear did. I didn’t stop to look.
Dear Jason,
(Oct 1978)
Ed Crissman was a big man. He wore waist overalls and a big loose shirt. Then he would wrap a log chain around and around his waist. Then he would stuff his shirt full of chains etc. Carried many lbs. All the time inside his shirt. One day he was sitting in his cart on a dusty four corners. My dad come along and asked him what was the matter. Said his mind was muddled. Didn’t know which way to go. He was still sitting there as far as my dad could see.
Dear Jason,
(Feb 1978)
The boys used to have long ropes on their sleds and when a sleigh came by they would hook on and get pulled along. Sometimes the driver would speed up around the corner. They called this pop the whip. Was lots of fun for the kids.
Dear Jason
(Apr 1977)
When I was about your age I sold pictures from and ad. I got a little movie machine with three short reels and some slides. I decided to go in the show business. I hung a sheet in one end of the hall. Went and put a sign out on the road. Said Show 2 cents. I think I took in about a dime. SO that was the end of the show business. Some business, don’t you think.
Dear Jason,
(Feb 1978)
At your age I used to fish up Mill Creek and for years the remains of the old mill home and barns laid there. But they are all gone now. Ground up in the brush. Nothing left but another memory.
(May 1978)
When I was your age I used to fish up the creek and watch Granny Bloom, an old southern lady do her washing in the creek and smoke her little clay pipe. Then I would go to Vina Duncan’s place. She was insane and everyone was afraid of her but I wasn’t. She would take me in her house which was neat and clean and feed me cookies and give me apples. That sure was a long time ago.
Dear Jason,
(April 1978)
The rangers could draft fire fighters in the old day. They were sending men and big ? String in to fight this fire. Well, one man didn’t want to go, so he came limping up town on his right foot. Said it was so sore he could hardly walk. The ranger excused him and he went home limping on his left foot. He had forgot which one was sore. Anyway he made it work. He didn’t have to fight fire. His name was Mac Saunders.
Dear Jason,
(Nov 1978)
There were five Wilson boys and two girls. The girls wanted to get married so they would invite the boys to Sunday dinner. After they were all seated, these Wilson boys would pretend to get mad and start yelling and shouting . Then they would pull these guns out and start shooting over each ones head. You bet the boyfriends took off up the road in a hurry and never came back. But the girls did find and marry good men. Eva Wilson was my school teacher in 1910 and 1911.
Dear Jason
(Oct 1978)
They called Tom Gardner cluck hen because he went around clucking to himself. His wife was also off beam. Tom had a work mule. When he went to work he hooked his wife up with the mule. When they came to a corner he would spot? His wife with the lines and she would prance around the corner in a trot. This was a common sight in Cove Oregon for many years. Tom driving his wife and mule around hooked up together.
Dear Jason
(Oct 1978)
Lee Wilson when a boy made him a set of wings to fly with. Then he climbed on top of his dads barn. When he got up there he lost his nerve about jumping off. His brother Pete came out with a shot gun and said jump or I will shoot. Lee jumped and the wings didn’t work and he broke his leg. He walked with a limp all his life.
Dear Jason
(May 1977)
Over to the left of the house was a large creek. When the water was real high and swift I could wade it. Was very foolish. When it was low I could play in it. There were crawfish, bull heads, penny winkle minnows, water skippers, fish, frogs, sometimes a sucker would come up and also tadpoles. It was called Mill Creek.
Dear Jason,
(1978)
I had friend in La Grande. ? And Charlie Smith who used to hunt. One time they shot a bear and brought me over some bear steaks rolled it flour the way they fixed them. They were really good. Old times used bear grease for many things like greasing there boots to keep them from leaking.
Dear Jason,
(Jan 1978)
When I was your age I was up on Mt. Tanny? Looking for a horse. I came to a canyon which was about as steep as a cows face. I tied my horse and walked up to the top of the ridge. Guess what? There was a black bear tearing up a rotten log. He grunted and I took off. It took me about a half an hour to get up there but I came down in 8 seconds flat, jumped on my horse and took off. I don’t know what the bear did. I didn’t stop to look.
Dear Jason,
(Oct 1978)
Ed Crissman was a big man. He wore waist overalls and a big loose shirt. Then he would wrap a log chain around and around his waist. Then he would stuff his shirt full of chains etc. Carried many lbs. All the time inside his shirt. One day he was sitting in his cart on a dusty four corners. My dad come along and asked him what was the matter. Said his mind was muddled. Didn’t know which way to go. He was still sitting there as far as my dad could see.
Dear Jason,
(Feb 1978)
The boys used to have long ropes on their sleds and when a sleigh came by they would hook on and get pulled along. Sometimes the driver would speed up around the corner. They called this pop the whip. Was lots of fun for the kids.
Dear Jason
(Apr 1977)
When I was about your age I sold pictures from and ad. I got a little movie machine with three short reels and some slides. I decided to go in the show business. I hung a sheet in one end of the hall. Went and put a sign out on the road. Said Show 2 cents. I think I took in about a dime. SO that was the end of the show business. Some business, don’t you think.
Dear Jason,
(Feb 1978)
At your age I used to fish up Mill Creek and for years the remains of the old mill home and barns laid there. But they are all gone now. Ground up in the brush. Nothing left but another memory.