1898 started out just fine, the babies was growin' like weeds and the packet boats was overloaded runnin' back and forth to San Francisco! We had added another 160 head to the dairy herd, Steven was shipping 300 pounds of butter a week! Some durned fool come around trying to sell us on a contraption to dry milk. We tried some of it, it were like wall paste. Steven sent the man packin'. All the grains got planted and we had a good bloom in the orchards. By March we had sold out the last of the olive pack and buyers was still comin' lookin' fer more. Both stores was doin' a land office business and we's bought out the final 5% of the Marysville Bank.
The last of the boys livin' at Blount House moved out, but we was reluctant to tear the old building down. Joe finally give up bein' state Senator but, lo and behold, Eldon ran for the seat and won! Eldon were a handsome man, he stood over six feet and that bright red hair of his stood out like a goose in the hen house. All theys ever had was that one baby, little Isaaca were the prettiest thing and worse, she knowed it. She had lovely auburn curls, she could stamp her feet and shake them curls like some stage actress. She had all her boy cousins wrapped around her little finger, there weren't one of them what would stand up to her. Worser, all she had to do were smile sweetly and say, "Grandpa," and I were at her beck and call!
Jeff called it to my attention that credit were running higher at both stores, there weren't no defaults but it were a bit worrisome. In June, Jeff showed me a newspaper from St. Louis that said some bank named, Midwest Trust had folded. I asked him how our reserves in Marysville were and he said that we held 120% of loans outstanding. That sounded pretty good, but I told him to raise it another 5%, just to be safe.
August third were the day it all come crashing down, three big New York City banks closed theys doors and some loud mouthed congressman were demanding an investigation. What would that do if'n the horse were already gone! There were a slight run on our bank, but Kell James, our Bank Manager stood out front and personally paid all demands in cash. I don't knows how long we could have done that, but his quick action stopped the run in its tracks.
By Christmas, some folks couldn't pay theys mortgages, we told Kell to just hold theys paper, there weren't gonna be no folks turned out of their homes by a Blount! We told both stores to extend credit, I didn't want to see no hungry childrens searching garbage bins agin.
In early February, Constable Hickson brung us four boys what had been left by theys parents, Johhny Ellis, Andy and Kenneth Brewster and Billy Denton. They was 14, 13, 12 and 16. Billy were 16 and Joe put him to work cleaning equipment. The boy were a hard worker, a little shy on learning, but he did everything he were put to. The Brewster boys decided to paint Blount House, well, it didn't look worser when theys finished. Johnny Ellis were a puzzle, he walked into things and kept falling down. It were Tim what discovered his problem, the boy need spectacles! Soons as we got him fitted with glasses, everything were fine. The boys weren't no trouble, they come over each day to eat supper at my house, it made my empty house seem more family like. Besides, Janith treated them like they was her Grandchildrens.
Things got worse, the bank in Redding Town closed its doors. We decided to release some of our holdback cash, just to make sure Marysville Bank were solvent. Things was tight, so's Joe Tim and I rode to Redding Town to check on the store. Carter were still in charge there, he made sure there was no childrens livin' on garbage! He were keeping a couple in the back room of the store, he had beds and facilities for them. We told him, if he got any more, to send some to Blount House. Jeff set him up an account to pay for things the boys needed, nobody needed know about that.
The next Christmas were scarce, but we made sure the boys and girls staying with us got gifts and a family dinner. Maggie, Jessica and Eliza had the girls living with them. It didn't seem like any parent ever did come back for theys childrens, it were heart breakin'! Theys was all good children and was clean and respectful.
1900 rolled around and the newspaper were full of grumblings in Europe, that weren't none of our care, the first thing we noticed was a demand for wheat. We had planted a short crop the preceding fall, it sold out almost before we got it cut. We plowed and planted everything that spring and were sold still standing in the fields, the crash were over.
That summer were hot and dry, folks with hand dug shallow wells was complaining of their water tasting "nasty" and they was bringing up mud. In May, the first word of sickness hit us, Dr. Felton were by, told us typhoid fever were loose in the county! He said the shallow wells was contaminated. There was no hospital in Marysville, so's we brought all the boys into our houses and turned Blount House over to the county as a hospital. Theys ended up with 50 patients in that house, poor Dr. Felton practically lived there, old Dr. Boker were trying to care for victims in Redding Town and the Army finally sent him a couple of doctors to help.
We had paid for a deep well in Maryville and the farm had all deep wells. Evidently the story about water contamination were true, 'cause we didn't have any of our folk get sick and only a few from Marysville.
By October, the nightmare were past. We had a bumper crop of grains and we was hurtin' to get the fruit picked. For the first time, cheese production in the dairy hit 1,000 pounds! We was sending milk and cheese to Redding Town for those that was sick, Dr. Felton told us later that he thought that some of the milk from Redding was contaminated with typhoid bugs too!
It were a sorry summer, there were so many deaths in Redding Town from the typhoid, the sight of those small coffin boxes were enough to make a stone weep! None of the boys what were staying with Carter at the store ever come down sick, but he made them wash regular like and keep their food and utensils in a cupboard, away from flies and such. He said it were his Army training, but whatever it were, worked.
Carter decided to retire, his war wounds was wearing him down. He had run the store for many years and gived us good service so's we voted him a pension and a small house on the farm. He were a happy man, he played with the orphan boys most everyday and theys watched for him.
He were always readin' about new inventions and puttin' a bug in Tim or Steven's hat! That's hows we got them new fangled electric light bulbs. He got a book called Popular Mechanics or some sort and seed a contraption to make electricity from a windmill and store it in a battery. He talked Steven into orderin' a box of parts and theys put it all together theirselves. The light weren't no better than oil lamps, but it were easier to just turn on a switch!
Johnny Ellis got bit by the electric bug and it weren't long before we had lights in every room. The hands had to build him a shed out back to put all them batteries.
Things was better at Christmas, we alls went to Church that morning and come back home for a grand supper. Carter and the orphan boys joined us, we had to set up tables in the parlor just to be able to set everybody down at once. Them orphan boys was surely surprised when they found gifts with theys names on them!
The day after Christmas Carter came to me, wantin' to talk. We went into the parlor and shut the door, he said, "Mr. Isaac, I'm not getting any younger, but I gots a good bit put away and my daddy left me some money besides. I ain't gonna ever get married now, not at 62 years old, but I wants somebody to leave my name to. I come to be real fond of Johnny Ellis, he a smart boy and has interests like my own. Sir, I want to make him my son."
You coulda blowed me over with a feather, I never would have guessed that. I talked with Johnny and he were all giddy about a new Daddy and a new name, so's we all three traipsed up to Redding Town to talk with Judge Meecham. It weren't no trouble, alls he did were fill out a form and Johnny became John Carter Evans! That boy were so proud, he showed everybody his papers soons he got home.
He moved in with Carter and theys come thick as thieves readin' about new inventions and such. Maybe it were a good thing, theys put things in our houses what sure were nice. Flush toilets, a hot water boiler, a goldurn noise maker called a Maytag Washer and my favorite, a bath tub!
Electricity come to Marysville the next summer and those two insisted we run a pole line out to our farm. I admit lights is nice and that electric fan machine what theys bought me for my bedroom were sure a comfort on hot nights! I sometimes wonder what Poppa would have thought about all these fancy doodads.
Spring come early in 1901, it bursted on us sudden and hot. We had closed out the last year with a good profit, Jeff reported a profit of $972,000 after all the bills and expenses was paid. Mindin' what Poppa had always said about rainy days, we put a bit aside for future troubles. The men and formans all got bonus' and we built a new house for Carter and Johnny.
Billy Denton come to me, his face alls red and shy. He stammered around a bit then burst out, "Mr. Isaac, I's workin' steady now an' I's sweet on Ella Jane, what lives with Miz Maggie."
I asked him, "You talked with Mr. Jimmy and Miz Maggie?"
He replied, "YESSIR, Mr. Isaac and theys say I needs to ask you also."
Hoo Boy, theys grow up so durned fast, "Well, you gonna keep on workin' for Blount Farms?"
He smiled, "YESSIR, Mr. Isaac, sir. This be my home!"
I said to him, "Well, guess you better go ask HER, before you make any more plans." He lit out the house like his shirt were on fire! Moments later they was out by the water tower, clenched in a face-lock. I thought to myself, 'That boy be a fast worker, I surely hope they gets to say "I DO" first!"
May come around hot, all the fruit trees was in bloom and the wheat were growing something fierce. I had rid over to the rail siding with Johnny Evans, he was wantin' to enlarge the siding. On the way back, I felt kinda woozy so, soons as I got home, I went to lay me down for a spell.
The next thing I knows, Janith and Maggie was standin' by my bed and Steven was riding hell-bent to Redding Town to fetch Dr. Felton! Jimmy and Joe was standin' by, looking like somebody had just kicked their puppy. I tried to raise me up and I couldn't, I were weak as a baby.
Maggie held my hand, "Isaac, we think you had a heart attack, Dr. Felton is commin' quick with Steven. You just lay back and rest 'til they gets here."
I thought, "I'm only 59 years old, this can't happen yet!" Tears formed in my eyes, what were gonna happen to my Family?
Steven and Dr. Felton near blowed their horses getting here, Steven's face showed tear trickles down his dusty face. Dr. Felton shooed everybody out of the room, 'cept Steven, who refused to leave. Theys undressed me and Dr. Felton thumped and pounded on me, listened to my heart with some newfangled device on rubber hoses and made me cough until my throat were sore.
He sat down on the bed beside me and said, "Isaac, you have had a heart attack. It ain't a bad one, just a warning that you gotta slow down."
"Not ME, I walked from Virginia to California", I thought.
He continued, "I'm gonna give you some pills to take." He turned to Steven and said, "You make sure he takes them and he slows down."
Steven replied, "Yessir, I WILL put a leash on him!" Theys kept me prisoner in that durned bed for a whole month before theys would even let me sit on the porch.
It were another two months before I was back on my feet. Even then, everybody watched me like a hawk.
It were a good thing Johnny enlarged the rail siding, we had a record peach crop and the Rail Company had a new division they called Pacific Fruit Express. They parked six icebox cars on our siding and we sent them full, straight to Chicago. The price we got for them peaches were durned near record! The boys moved a portable ice maker machine out to the siding and we filled them cars with refrigerated peaches! There were a new company down in Stockton Town what made cardboard boxes, we had some made up with our name on them and started selling through a broker. It were Jeff's idea and it sure paid off.
Janith were getting along in years, like me, but I surely wouldn't tell her that! Anyways, she made up some of her peach sherbet and sold it through the store, she couldn't keep it in the freezer machine, folks bought it as fast as it were delivered. Steven went to Stockton on some sort of business and he stopped to talk with the box maker people, they come up with a waxed little box to put sherbet in. The label said, "Grandma's Fruit Sherbet." It weren't long but she had the orphan girls workin' for wages makin' sherbet and fillin' boxes. She sent some by packet boat to San Francisco and it sold out in one day! Steven were all hot to start up a factory, Johnny convinced him to put it in Redding Town, near the packet landing. The ways they was selling that stuff, our Janith were gonna be a rich lady!
Christmas were a grand time this year, we had no real youngin's but the food were good. Billy and Ella Jane was married just before Christmas, we all made a big holiday of it. She were a beautiful bride, Jimmy give her away as if she were his own, Steven stood up with Billy as best man. I sent them off to Stockton Town for a honeymoon, they both come back with red faces and giggles!
I went over the books with Jeff and we couldn't believe it, so's we spent one whole night redoing all the numbers. They was the same, our profit after all the bills was paid was $1,028,000! Joe near croaked when he saw that, Steven just smiled and nodded his head as if he knew it was going to be that high.
Jimmy were excited, he won the dealership for Earthworm Tractor Company, it were a new company started by two brothers down in Stockton Town. Theys tractors were selling as fast as Jimmy could get them into his shop. Theys ran on coal oil and had an engine instead of a boiler.
Carter and Johnny talked us into a new fangled thing called a telephone, it hung on the wall and you had to turn a crank to get the operator. I suppose it were useful, but about the only folks you could call were Dr. Felton, the County Sheriff and Kell Stanton in the bank.
Jimmy and Maggie had the Christmas dinner at their house, it were a mob of folks, we sure has growed to be a big family.
THIS IS THE END OF BOOK 7. LOOK FOR THE NEXT BOOK THAT TELLS HOW THE FARMS AND BUSINESS CONTINUE TO PROSPER. THE BLOUNT FAMILIES EXPAND AND HAVE MORE ADVENTURES. THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS TAKING CHARGE!