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Title
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Scottsbluff Narratives, 1937_030
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Alternative Title
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1937 Scottsbluff Narratives
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Date
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1937
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Creator
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Frank Shoemaker
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Description
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Frank Shoemaker - Sandhills Narratives
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Identifier
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321301
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Transcription
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1 (Transcript from my personal Field Notes, for June 12, 1937) I canvassed the whole Overland Park neighborhood -finding seven boys and girls who dearly wished to go, but who were held up by Saturday duties; and only two-Milford Jones and Donald Hardy-who could get away. . . I am wondering, whether 7-or 8-hour Tuesdays, or Thursdays, might not find more of the kids free. Shall try it out. So Milford and Donald and I set out. The boys carried small lunches; but, knowing boys' appetites, I staked each to a hamburger (coffee, and milk, declined)-to be et immediate!-Then I bought 9 wieners, 6 buns, 1/4-pound butter, and 3 huge bananas suitably ripened. Also, a fire-shovel-of the type kept by Grandma by the fireplace. (This last item was not intended to serve as food; I bought it second-hand, for ten cents; and I am too noble to buy any food second-hand.) Got a taxi to carry us the four miles to Country Club.-We crossed the golf-links (I found another golf-ball, and gave it to Milford) and entered the Bad-lands. Our newly-established Bad-lands spring, under minor engineering, is now about 18 inches in diameter, and over 2 inches deep. We drank of the delightful, very-cold water; then the fire-shovel got busy. We removed quantities of the slippery Brule clay, to deepen the basin.-It would require hours, for the water to clear, so we went to the second-bench level of the river valley, to build a fire, and have lunch. The north-west wind, today, is very strong. So we sought out a pocket, banked by walls 15 feet high on three sides, where we were spendidly sheltered. We dug a pit 30 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 8 inches deep; built our fire, and waited for a suitable bed of embers. Then, to roasting the wieners; and soon, we were very happy. (Note: for future commissary use-A quarter pound of butter would seem quite adequate for six buns.-Donald's hot wieners melted the vast layer of butter on his first bun-and before he noticed, had given his coveralls leopard-like spots. These later picked up quantities of dust, and afforded a waistcoat pattern both unique and attractive.) On one of the surrounding Brule walls, about our campsite, we saw a bull-snake ( Pituophis sayi )-and I told the boys to watch it, and to make no sudden moves.-The snake was a beauty-over four feet long. It was plastered against an almost-perpendicular wall, which it was climbing; but it had perceived our movements, and had "frozen"-watchfully alert. For two minutes it did not move a muscle; then, evidently deciding that we were harmless, it moved, and began to act naturally; which was what we were waiting for. It very slowly ascended the bank Its nose was kept in contact with the face of the bank; and whenever the merest crevice was encountered, it stopped, with its nose against crevice-holding that position for from 5 to 20 seconds.
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Rights
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To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
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Is Version Of
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frank_h_shoemaker_321301-03846.jpg
