SEGMENT: ACTIVITIES & FARM EQUIPMENT

Bert Aikman>UIS Collection A's>UIS Collection, Segment 5

SEGMENT: ACTIVITIES & FARM EQUIPMENT,

duration 10:43
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ACTIVITIES
Shows held in hall above a clothing store. Admission was $0.20. Splendid ventriloquists. Recalls story of a ventriloquist who lost job & started working for Bert's father for room & board. This fellow played tricks on everyone. Relates story about ventriloquist's practical joke. This fellow made sounds to entertain kids. Many parties & played games for kids. Many dancing games. Played charades & spelling contests. Sometimes parties would be at schoolhouse & sometimes at homes. Adults & children alike went to parties. Country dances when older. Merchant of Raymond brought in "cake-walkers" (negroes) from St. Louis.
TOWNS
Only went to Hillsboro to pay taxes. Raymond used to have 2 blacksmith shops. Tools had to be sharpened.
FARM EQUIPMENT
Edges of tools were sharpened by heating & pounding by blacksmiths, not grinding. Had to get plowshare sharpened about once a month. Most were walking-plows. Mentions Case plow. Bert was 20yrs old before he saw 2-bottom plow. Describes adjustment of plow to regulate depth of row. Blacksmith did much other work on farm equipment.