Common Dipper

[sixdogsmom]

You could do all sorts of 'art ' projects with them too. Tear out the bottom, hold it tight, and then fill with water, be creative with how you get it emptied! Lol!

[jarhead]

Waldo,
I vividly remember the long treks to the outhouse. Our outhouse was 2-3 miles from the house. Impenetrable forest lined the path on both sides with saber tooth tigers lurking in the dark. The limbs overhead had Pterodactyls sitting on every limb awaiting to swoop down and devour little tykes. I still tremble with fear just thinking about it.
In the past 55 years a great seismic event has happened and now that ol outhouse aint but 50 yards from the house and the old growth forest has gave way to a lone walnut tree ---------------------but I bet that  stink'n ol outhouse still has mud dobbers as big as turkeys in it !!!!

[W. Gray]

Jarhead,

I was not relating the first couple sentences and then it was hilarious.

There was a movie starring Sissy Spacek called Raggedy Man (1981). Took place in Texas in the 40s. Her little boy would go out to the outhouse with a flashlight by himself after dark but first he would find a big stick and then shine the light all around and then beat the heck out of the closed outhouse door.

Then he would carefully open the door shine the light in and hit the door jambs up and down with the stick before he went in.

I just barely remember going to the outhouse but you could not drag me in one today--well maybe that is not true would depend on the situation.

[greatguns]

Jarhead, I am so glad you survived all that!

[patyrn]

I remember when my dad had the Smith & Goodwin Store in Howard that there was a large galvanized water container with a push button spigot that was located near the rear of the store in the shoe department.  Every day or maybe every other day, Charley Ritz, the ice man, would bring a huge chunk of ice early in the morning, and as it melted throughout the day, cool water was available for customers to stop for a drink of water.  The cups were flat folded in a dispenser somewhat like a napkin dispenser, and could be unfolded and would hold a nice few sips of water.  I think this continued until the store closed in the late 1960s.  What memories spring up out of other conversations.............

[W. Gray]

I recall what might be the same type of galvanized water container that was used by the farmers when I would accompany my granddad to the fields at harvest time. He always let me make the connection of the wagon to the tractor and I thought that was one big super fun job.

This was when a number of farmers would gather to help one harvest and then all would go to another man's place and continue  harvesting there.

As I remember, the container was placed in good shade somewhere around the edge of the field. The water was so cold that it hurt my teeth. There was a lid on the container and the person refreshing himself would take the lid off, pour some water from a built in spigot at the bottom of the can, and drink from that lid. Everyone used the lid for a cup.

[larryJ]

When I was about 13, my mother got a teaching job in a lumber camp in Wyoming.  The camp and all that was in it was owned by the lumber company including the houses, the store, the school.  However, the cabin we lived in that year was privately owned.  The cabin had a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen.  Wood stove for heat and a wood stove for cooking.  The outhouse was about 20 yards out the back door of the kitchen.  During the winter on top that mountain, the snow was about three feet deep from September through June.  I vowed that I would keep a path shoveled down to ground level to the outhouse.  One day the owner of the lumber camp came by and while applauding my ambition, told me to let the snow pile up and just make steps going out to the outhouse and then steps going down to it.  So I carved ice steps with his help.  The reason to let the snow pile up.............that area was National Forest and open range and nobody wanted any cattle or elk or deer falling into the path and injuring themselves.  

Larryj

[Clubine Ranch]

This is a very neat thread. I also was raised with a "common dipper" but our water bucket was wooden. In summer months just as  the day was getting really hot we put a tray of ice cubes from a metal ice tray into the bucket of water. Water has never ever tasted as good as that water did and I do like to drink water! We rode the train to Chicago every year and I remember the pointed paper cups to drink water from. Mom always made up save our cups so we wouldn't waste any with our many trips to the water spout. I don't recall any drinking water in stores, but there was a water fountain on one of the streets in El Reno we use to drink from. Can't recall any in Yukon, guess we went thirsty when we shopped there. Good memories!

[sixdogsmom]

O'Course I do remember the dipper that hung from the pitcher pump in the side yard. This is where all our household water was pumped. That dipper allowed one child to fetch a drink while the other operated the handle. When the water came up, the child operating the handle then dashed to the mouth of the pump and drank from their hands. We were forbidden to play in the water there, but it is amazing how many drinks a couple of girls require when playing outdoors. I have a snapshot of me and my sister playing in the water there. 

[sixdogsmom]

Another common cup I recall was the one on the gallon thermos jug that my folks always carried in the trunk of our '39 ford. Dad always filled it with fresh water whenever we took a road trip; maybe just an afternoons tour of the countryside around Wichita, and further treks took us to Oklahoma or Missouri. We always stopped at the local springs such as Clearwater where that jug was emptied and refilled with the sweet water from those springs. I can still smell and taste that aluminum cup, and the slight taint of road dust gathered in the trunk. Best water ever! Not too long before my dad died, I was able to take him two gallons of the sweet spring water from a spring NW of Howard. He enjoyed it so much, but it would probably have been better from that old aluminum cup.