The way I happened to be born was told to me by my beloved parents. The family had left Franklin and was on their way over the mountain when they got down as far as Thatcher, where Aunt Sadie Mortensen lived with her family. They decided to rent a house and wait there until a new baby came their way. A few days later, Mom went into labor and Uncle Earl Wilkins was put in a buggy with a fast horse to race to Safford to bring Dr. Platt to make the delivery. It was three days later, when the doctor placed me in Aunt Sadie's arms, where I was washed up. Poor Mom told me later that it was the hardest time she had with any baby and was the closest to death's door she had ever been. She also said I cried all the time and was always hungry. Any mother coming nearby helped to feed me.

By the time I was a month old, the family proceeded on their way over the mountain. Pop purchased land and a log cabin in Taylor. When Christmas came, that same year, we listened for Pop's wagons to come in off the freight road. We heard the wagons chuckling and the chain harness clinking and pretty soon old Santa came in with his pack, pulling a little red wagon full of hard Christmas candy, which was for Jesse and me.

Not having enough land in Taylor to make a living, Pop got a place to move to Show Low. We got our first, and only, new house and barn at this place. We had a telephone with a crank to ring numbers with. Our ring was two longs and three shorts. In front of the house was a number of large holes dug in the red clay, deeper than I was tall, in which was to be planted fruit trees. Some way, I got in one of these holes and couldn't get out. I yelled until Hugh heard me and got me out.

The first fight I had with another boy happened one day while Jess and I visited the Oliver's. I got into it with another Clyde and we were fisting it out pretty good when all at once he pulled the tassel from my toque, which mortally wounded me. That toque was my pride and joy, as my Mom had made it for me, herself. The only cure for me came when his Mom sewed it back on for me.

Marlin made the red wagon into my first car by putting two tomato cans on for head lights and a wheel that would steer it. It was a one-girl power, with Etta pushing. Jess wanted to make some spending money. At first, he sold Clover Bloom Salve, which would fix you no matter what was wrong. About the only sale made was to an old lady who sold Jabbots, trading her even up. He next took the agency for the Saturday Evening Post and the Chicago Ledger. The paper business was better than salve. The folks, who sold the piano to us, gave us a car ride, which was my first. Just to sit in the seat made you grin from ear to ear. The car was a Studebaker touring, without a top. The seats were real leather with sunken buttons. I was so scared that Pop held me on his knee and we went all the way to the Twin Pine Hill and back, with only one backfire.
When fall came, I went to school for the first time. It was just a one-room log house for all eight grades. It had a large wood heater, teacher desk, blackboard, recitation bench and double seats for the kids. As each class' time came, they sat on the bench to recite. The rest of the kids were supposed to study, but done everything else.

I remember a doll Etta had received for Christmas, that the folks said wouldn't break. I had to find out. So out to the chopping block I took it. It would break. It was a China doll with blue hair and looked awful, all in pieces. It seems that I was always curious. I had to find out this thing about matches. I took some matches behind the corn shocks, and then I struck one. It went invisible and I thought it had gone out, so I threw it down on the bottom of a corn shock. It soon blazed up. Soon the whole stack yard was burning briskly. Pop, and the rest of the thresher crew, saw the smoke from town and came riding any horse available, not stopping to saddle up. The stack yard was a total loss, leaving only some parched corn. After much questioning, I admitted seeing Puss (Roily) playing with matches. He received a good licking and I got a good lesson about matches I'll never forget.

View Click on this link to read the rest of Clyde's personal history.

The way I happened to be born was told to me by my beloved parents. The family had left Franklin and was on their way over the mountain when they got down as far as Thatcher, where Aunt Sadie Mortensen lived with her family. They decided to rent a house and wait there until a new baby came their way. A few days later, Mom went into labor and Uncle Earl Wilkins was put in a buggy with a fast horse to race to Safford to bring Dr. Platt to make the delivery. It was three days later, when the doctor placed me in Aunt Sadie's arms, where I was washed up. Poor Mom told me later that it was the hardest time she had with any baby and was the closest to death's door she had ever been. She also said I cried all the time and was always hungry. Any mother coming nearby helped to feed me.

By the time I was a month old, the family proceeded on their way over the mountain. Pop purchased land and a log cabin in Taylor. When Christmas came, that same year, we listened for Pop's wagons to come in off the freight road. We heard the wagons chuckling and the chain harness clinking and pretty soon old Santa came in with his pack, pulling a little red wagon full of hard Christmas candy, which was for Jesse and me.

Not having enough land in Taylor to make a living, Pop got a place to move to Show Low. We got our first, and only, new house and barn at this place. We had a telephone with a crank to ring numbers with. Our ring was two longs and three shorts. In front of the house was a number of large holes dug in the red clay, deeper than I was tall, in which was to be planted fruit trees. Some way, I got in one of these holes and couldn't get out. I yelled until Hugh heard me and got me out.

The first fight I had with another boy happened one day while Jess and I visited the Oliver's. I got into it with another Clyde and we were fisting it out pretty good when all at once he pulled the tassel from my toque, which mortally wounded me. That toque was my pride and joy, as my Mom had made it for me, herself. The only cure for me came when his Mom sewed it back on for me.

Marlin made the red wagon into my first car by putting two tomato cans on for head lights and a wheel that would steer it. It was a one-girl power, with Etta pushing. Jess wanted to make some spending money. At first, he sold Clover Bloom Salve, which would fix you no matter what was wrong. About the only sale made was to an old lady who sold Jabbots, trading her even up. He next took the agency for the Saturday Evening Post and the Chicago Ledger. The paper business was better than salve. The folks, who sold the piano to us, gave us a car ride, which was my first. Just to sit in the seat made you grin from ear to ear. The car was a Studebaker touring, without a top. The seats were real leather with sunken buttons. I was so scared that Pop held me on his knee and we went all the way to the Twin Pine Hill and back, with only one backfire.
When fall came, I went to school for the first time. It was just a one-room log house for all eight grades. It had a large wood heater, teacher desk, blackboard, recitation bench and double seats for the kids. As each class' time came, they sat on the bench to recite. The rest of the kids were supposed to study, but done everything else.

I remember a doll Etta had received for Christmas, that the folks said wouldn't break. I had to find out. So out to the chopping block I took it. It would break. It was a China doll with blue hair and looked awful, all in pieces. It seems that I was always curious. I had to find out this thing about matches. I took some matches behind the corn shocks, and then I struck one. It went invisible and I thought it had gone out, so I threw it down on the bottom of a corn shock. It soon blazed up. Soon the whole stack yard was burning briskly. Pop, and the rest of the thresher crew, saw the smoke from town and came riding any horse available, not stopping to saddle up. The stack yard was a total loss, leaving only some parched corn. After much questioning, I admitted seeing Puss (Roily) playing with matches. He received a good licking and I got a good lesson about matches I'll never forget.

View Click on this link to read the rest of Clyde's personal history.