Stan presents the 1938 Football team poster. The team was undefeated and unscored upon, the only team in Ohio that year and the only team ever at Antwerp to achieve this goal.
What I’m Thankful For
By: Stan Jordan
Here it is Thanksgiving time already. I must lay my ball point pen aside and look back over the past year.
Last winter was a mild one, we didn’t have much snow, I’m glad of that but one of my friends had purchased a new snow plow and he didn’t have much business. It was also easy on the heat bill.
It took all summer of waiting, but my co-worker, Sarah, had a beautiful baby boy, and they are all fine.
The fall election is over, it wasn’t all bad. The Antwerp School Renewal Levy and the levy for the Paulding County jail passed.
I’m thankful that the gasoline prices are not as high as they were. I’m glad the farmers had a pretty good year, it wasn’t a record year but a pretty good one anyhow. We have had a long, warm fall for the farmers to get all their work done.
All summer activities were well attended, although the rib fest got a little rained on.
I know the Paulding people are thankful that the construction there is finally finished. It has been a long hard drawn out about 3 years.
I’m glad to report that our wildlife specimen are doing fine. Our eagles have raised two more chicks. The wild turkeys seem to have multiplied, along with the deer and the other type of wildlife.
Conservation is being practiced all over the area. The state of Ohio is putting some new wet lands north of the Bethel church. This is a haven for lots of wildlife for years to come.
The school is making a prairie for the wildlife of the birds and local flowers and fauna. There are numerous birds, flowers, bushes, weeds, trees and plants that we need to learn more of.
I’m thankful for all of that and all of my friends and readers.
See ya!
The Election is Over
By: Stan Jordan
Or is it? In a number of our big cities there are some demonstrations about the election outcome. Some are a little more than peaceful demonstrations.
One of the common signs at the political rallies was “Your vote does count.” Well it shows that is not always true. In states where they have this electoral college crap, sometimes your vote means nothing. The popular vote does not count.
And that is part of the trouble, some of the younger voters found out the politicing they put up with is now down the tube, and their vote doesn’t count.
It seems that everyone was relying on the polls to be correct in who was leading who. The polls and some of the newspapers, I guess, they were off base.
I still think that there should be a limit on political barnstorming. Canada has limited it to 100 days and I wish America would too.
They make fools of themselves and the American people for voting for them.
See Ya!
Taps and the Veterans
By: Stan Jordan
On November 10th at the veterans’ day celebration at the Antwerp High School, Mr. Manz gave a talk on the history of the musical composition TAPS. I was very interested in that and I had my boss, Mr. Steiner, to punch it up on the computer for me and this is a little bit on the story of TAPS.
This tune is a variation of a bugle call known as the Scott Tattoo, which was used in the United States from 1835 to 1860 and was rearranged in the present form by General Butterfield, who was a Medal of Honor winner in the Civil War, in July 1863 to replace a French bugle call that use to signal “lights out”. The bugle was the first to sound the new call that was used by both the north and south.
“TAPS” concludes many military funerals in the National Cemetery and elsewhere in the nation. The West Point Class of 1848 started the custom of playing TAPS at military funeral and it became a standard part of military funerals in 1891.
“TAPS” originates from the Dutch taptoe meaning “Close the beer taps, and send the troops back to camp.”
I guess at one time TAPS was played at night and then with 3 drum beats following, this was called “Lights out”
I know on some Army posts, TAPS was played while the posts flag was being taken down and this was called “Retreat” Everybody stood retreat.
On some posts, if you were walking or sitting in a jeep, you were asked to stop and stand at attention and present arms while TAPS was being played. This was usually following a single gun shot. Some camps were very high on this procedure.
But to me, TAPS is sounded at military funerals. That is a very distinguished end to a service person’s life. That is the ultimate reward for their serving their country. It is a most solemn time, the world honors that person for 59 seconds and lots of times tears flow.
See ya!
Sam Rivers, Indian Agent Chapter 9: The Big Meal at the Lakota Village
By: Stan Jordan
The big dinner is over. We sat around and talked and watched the youngster’s wrestle and play games. Each person brought their own soup bowl and spoons. Some bowls were made of clay pottery and some were carved of wood. Everyone enjoyed the vegetable soup. The Indians didn’t have any potatoes but some brought a few turnips for the soup. I didn’t care for that, but I ate them anyhow. There was enough soup left over that with a little more of everything we can have a picnic at noon tomorrow.
We went to bed in the wagon after a fine evening of talking and each of us trying to learn the others’ languages.
Next morning, Callie and I watched the younger natives play all kinds of games. We even took part in some of them. Some of their games were quite rough, to prove their manhood.
We left shortly after dinner. All gathered around to watch us leave and to acknowledge a good visit with lots of giggles and nodding of the heads and grunts.
We pushed the horses pretty hard and by dark we stopped in a grove of pine trees. I think we covered about 20 miles. We had some cookies and water and we went to bed as we were both plenty tired.
I guess we got started about 8:00 the next morning. We knew we could be back to the agency by the middle of the afternoon. We plodded along towards home and we just looked and browsed most of the way. Soon we could see a light smoke ahead and it looked like the area where the agency was located. I shouted at the team to hurry them up a little, but they thought they were on a holiday also. After a bit, I could see the smoke was not from the farm or the store. Boy, that was a relief. But soon I could see a team and wagon sitting in the area. There were some soldiers walking around and I was getting relieved now.
Well, now I could see pretty good. We forded the creek and pulled up to the area. Actually, there were two teams and wagons and four soldiers with them. I knew little Mo, and some of the other soldiers and they introduced another soldier they called the Farmer.
We unloaded the house part of the store and carried out the chairs and the bench. We had coffee and cookies and talked about everything for a good hour or so. Now this is what the boys were here for. General Kearney sent a plow and a team to use it—a lot of extra hay for the barn, all kinds of seeds for our garden and the farm at the Indian Village. He sent along a number tools and utensils for gardening for both parties.
Little Mo got out the food that the mess sergeant had sent along. He got the fire going and was using one of the big kettles to warm up the food for supper.
The Farmer took care of all the animals. The other boys unloaded all the hay into the haymow. Callie made two pots of coffee. I looked both wagons over for its tools for gardening.
We had Army type stew, hot biscuits and coffee. We sat and talked and then went out to look at the new garden area.
The boy called Farmer got all excited and wanted to start right now, but I told him tomorrow morning would be good enough and not to worry because by the time we did our garden and the Indian’s garden he would be tired of gardening.
I told the soldier boys that this Lakota Nation is not a warring tribe and I want to help them with the gardening as much as I can. They trust us and like us. The Indian Agency is off to a good start.
The boys had started a fire in the store part of the building. They were to make that their bedroom as long as they were here. Any supplies that were to be left here were carried in and put at the far end of the store.
I had the boys over for a breakfast of pancakes and hot biscuits if they wanted. The sun was up pretty good by now and I ask Mo to help Callie with the dishes and the other boys and I headed for the barn.
Next Week: Gardens
See ya!
