Common Dipper

[Diane Amberg]

Ugh and double Ew!

[Judy Harder]

Another thing that could be in that creek were those little bloodsucking leeches.  There was one spot in my grandfather's creek where you could always come out with one or two on you.

Wilma, I can't remember leeches from that creek. When I was working with the mussel shells, harvesting them, buying for my employer, Louie Britain, I did learn what they felt like. We worked the Elk River near here and I can say, UGH and DOuble EU! they were not my favorite thing to pick off.

We had one young man who I am sorry to say happened to get one between his legs and (NO, I wasn't with them then) but I do know his brother and friends still tease him about that time. I guess the place where it landed, would have been so hard to remove unless someone else! picked it off........We had some good, good times doing that.

I would bet jarhead has some funny stories to tell about those days. We did buy shells from him.
Thanks for the "remember-whens"

[1950Ford]

I remember that the source for drinking water at the Howard Elk County Fair was a giant galvanized cattle tank. I guess this might have been about 1956. The tank was set up about 3' off the ground on a wooden structure and it had spigots installed around the circumference. At each spigot, there were two tip cups, attached by a string. Someone, I guess it must have been Charlie Ritz, came around during the day to replenish the ice blocks in the tank and the fire truck put fresh water in whenever the supply got low. I can't even imagine how many people drank out of those common cups every day of the fair.

[Diane Amberg]

Um,  hate to ask, but where did the engine get it's water from? Draft from the creek or pump from a hydrant?

[jarhead]

The Longton FREE Fair also had a stock water tank with brass spigots in it to get cold drinks of water. It's possible it is the same tank that Howard used. It would sit on a hay wagon. I think it was used clear up into the 60's. I don't recall Longton filling it with a fire truck but used a garden hose from a hydrant. To get a drink from it was putting your life at risk because all the mud dobbers swarmed around the mud holes from kids spilling water.

[Wilma]

I think that by that time there was a water dispenser for filling water hauling tanks.  I am not sure how long it has been there, but it is on the west side of the west park in Howard.  It dispenses the treated water that we all have inour homes.

[Diane Amberg]

That sounds much safer.

[greatguns]

I remember going to Jacks Springs in Chase county and Daddy dipping water up in his hat and drinking water from the springs out of his hat.  It tasted good to me, oh the memories.

[readyaimduck]

Most of the natural springs waters were so filled with iron....why haven't we died yet? 
And yet, it was a good cold drink. 
Those paper cone cups also could make homemade snowcones! 

[Janet Harrington]

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.............

I remember drinking water at the Smith & Goodwin Store. We always had to have a drink from those funny little cups. We also liked running up and down those little stairs where maybe the bookkeeper worked. I think we got in trouble for doing that. What funny things we remember.