Two Indian Stories

Martin Calvin Boyce

Grandma Asay told this story to Kenny Blackburn, age 5, October 26, 1969. 

No changes have been made, type as originally written:

When my father was just a young boy possibly 9 years old the cattle from the fort had been driven down on the willow bottom and there was grass there that they could find plenty to eat and grandfather had a lovely big cow and she had been sent down to remain there until she found her little calf.  My father was just a little boy and grandfather said, "Calvin, go get on the workhorse and go down and see if you can find her.  If you can and she hasn't found her little calf just leave her there and come on back without her."   So father went out and looked at the workhorse and then he looked at the little race mare.  He had prayed to Heavenly father to guide him to do the right thing so that he would be sure to get back home.  So he looked at the race mare and put the bridle on her and fixed her up and he got on her back and away he went to find that cow.  He went down on the willow bottom and the trail wound around and around the willows.  He just kept going and going.  Finally he found the great big lovely cow and she hadn't found her little calf yet so he turned around and started back.  He hadn't gone far when his attention was drawn behind him.  He looked and there were 5 big Indian men on horses whipping those horses trying to catch father.  Father just kicked the little mare in the ribs and loosened the reins and let her go.  She took off just like that.  He had presence of mind to know that he didn't dare to let her run too long or she would loose her wind and he had about 5 miles to go.  So when he seen he was ahead of them far enough he would pull the reins in and slow her down.  And that is what he did.  He would hold her down until he saw that they were gaining on him and then he would let her go.  He would run real fast for a little ways and the he would hold her down again.  The Indians came just as fast as they could.  As they got in sight of the fort the Indians could see that they could not catch him and every one fired a shot at him.  He could hear the bullets whizzing past him on each side of his head, but not a one hit him.  They swung the big gate open and my daddy rode through into the fort and his life was spared.  It was only a few days before that that the Indians caught two of the herdsboys, about the age of 10 and 14, down on the willow bottom and the Indians took one of the boys and unjointed every joint in his body.  They took the other boy and skinned him just like they would an elk or something.  And that was what frightened my daddy so, but daddy got home alright, but the two blessed boys died.

Publisher's Note:  Based on the approximate age of Martin Calvin, this incident must have occured either at Fort Palmyria or the fort in Spanish Fork, Utah.   Families from the Palmyria Fort were encouraged to move into the Fort at Spanish Fork in 1856 when hostilities between the pioneers and Indians increased with the Walker or Walkara Wars of 1853-1856 .  Since it was so far for Martin Calvin to travel to find the cow, they must have been in the Spanish Fork fort.

Chief Walkara

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This story is about Christianna Dolbell Riding, daughter of Christopher Lister Riding and Lisa, when she was 18 months old. It happened March 25, 1859, in Santa Clair, Utah. 

Christianna Dolbell Riding

Little Christianna had been ill and as it was rather hot in the house, her father laid her on a quilt under the boughrey. The boughrey was a frame porch affair covered with boughs or vines which was cooler than in the house.

Her parents checked her every so often to make sure that she was alright; however, this one time they checked just a little too late and their baby was gone! Christopher ran outside and looked all around. In the distance he could see two figures galloping on horseback just going up over a hill. It appeared that one was carrying something cradled in his arms. He quickly sounded the alarm and soon a dozen men answered the alarm and gave chase. They chased the two for about 8 miles before finally catching up with them and baby Christianna. They were just outside the Indian camp and had they gotten to camp they probably never would have seen the baby again.

The men asked why the Indians had stolen the baby and they answered "To scare white squaw." The men were so angry that they whipped the two Indian men good and told them to let that be a lesson. If it ever happened again they would kill them. The men returned home safely with little Christianna. When they returned to the house they discovered a new baby brother waiting to greet Christianna and her father Christopher. Her mother said this was the happiest day of her life.

They later discovered that that same day a little Heap's girl had been stolen and they never found her. It was a custom for the Indians to steal white baby girls and raise them as Indians. They would later become wives for the chief's sons.



Buck up Little Buckaroo



Wyoming State Logo Bucking Bronco

I always really liked the brown and gold Wyoming License Plate with the dominate bucking horse silhoutte.  You can always tell what county a car is from in Wyoming because the associated county number was prominately displayed on the far left.  The Big Horn Basin County number is "9".  Mother took some pride in knowing all the counties and their associated numbers in the State. 

Did you ever wonder where the Logo originated?  Apparently it dates back to World War I when used by Wyoming troops.  It is supposedly based on a real horse and rider.   The horse, "Steamboat," competed in rodeos between 1901 and 1914 when he became infected with blood poisoning as a result of contact with a barbed wire fence during a thunderstorm.

One of my brother Rick's favorite comments when things are kinda tough is, "Buck up, little Buckaroo".  It seems to interject an element of courage into a situation.   A good quote to remember in challenging times.  Grandma would agree.

Winter 1865 in Round Valley Idaho cont.

Round Valley Idaho

Mrs. Cloe B. Rogers continues her story of the snow bound boys in Round Valley that terrible winter of 1865. Continuation of story of boys Christmas in lonely cabin posted December 2010, and tragic death of George Barzee and John Boice February 1865.

(Double Click on Images to Enlarge)

Terrible Winter of 1865



Round Valley Idaho

Mrs. Cloe B. Rogers continues her story of the snow bound boys in Round Valley that terrible winter of 1865. Continuation of story of boys Christmas in lonely cabin posted December 2010.

(Double Click on Images to Enlarge)

 

 

The Pearls



Story told by Joy Marostica in "Till We Meet Again.

Calvin and Helen, my grandparent's youngest children, were our most frequent baby sitters, and I enjoyed being part of their many teen age activities.  To watch Calvin shoot baskets and Helen lead the cheers was so exciting!

One Christmas Calvin gave his sister a very special present - a necklace of imitation pearls.  On the night of the biggest basketball game of the season Helen put them on over her cheerleading sweater, so Calvin could see how pleased she was with his gift.

Calvin wanted the whole family to see him play in this important event.  I remember climbing to the balcony of the Lovell gymnasium with Grandma and Grandpa so we could have the best view.

The game turned out to be extremely exciting, but I couldn't keep my eyes off Aunt Helen, who was doing a spectacular job in her cheer leading.

Suddenly to my horror, little white balls were rolling from Helen's neck all over the basketball floor.  I'm sure no one else knew where they were coming from ... except Calvin.  The referee blew his whistle, and then to my relief fans, players, and referees were helping Calvin as they scrambled around picking up the elusive pearls.  My chagrin turned into amusement, and my cousins and I have never laughed so hard.

As I reflect upon the situation, now, I have great respect for Calvin, as he took charge.  Accepting the retrieved pearls, he walked unashamedly over to the red faced Helen.  With the eyes of the entire crowd upon them, he again gave her his "gift."  I'm sure rather than feeling embarrassed Grandma was very proud of his composure.

Lumpy Dick

Lumpy Dick

Grandmother's youngest son, Calvin, will never forget "lumpy dick".  When he was in the fourth grade the teacher asked the children what they had for breakfast.  Most everyone reported bacon and eggs, or cereal and orange juice.  But when it came Calvin's turn he proudly said, "lumpy dick"... there was shocked silence ... then snickers.  Calvin felt he needed to explain, so he said, "Yeh, lumpy dick, right Frank? right Dwight, right Pee Wee?  You know how we always have lumpy dick at our house!"

Delila's Lumpy Dick Recipe

Lumpy Dick -  "Dick" is boiled pudding

3 qt. rich milk

6 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

3 cups cream

Heat milk to boiling - stir continuously

Mix flour, salt, and cream to pie dough consistency

add by handfuls to hot milk until it thickens.

Stir constantly.

Dish up in bowls, sprinkle with sugar,

serve with milk. Delicious!

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Source:  Till We Meet Again, by Joy Marostica

More Lumpy Dick Recipes:

Heat milk scalding hot--in a large pan. In a bowl beat an egg with a fork a few moments then add some sugar, pinch of salt & grated nutmeg, flour enough to use up the egg--rub between your hands till about like rice, then stir into the hot milk cook a few moments and serve with milk or cream.


I found this conversation about "Lumpy Dick" on the internet:   My grandfather was a child of the youngest of several polygamist wives. My grandmother always felt that his family had been on the short end of the stick and lamented that "Poor Grandpa was raised on nothing but burnt toast and lumpy dick." I never learned just what lumpy dick was. When I met my husband and he began to tell me things 'pioneerish', I asked him if he knew what lumpy dick was. "Oh, you mean flour mush [as it was called in his family]. Sure, I'll make you some." We enjoy it a great deal and have it often to celebrate our heritage and appreciate the sacrifices. Once we served it to friends after having told that when there wasn't much to eat, but the cow was still giving milk and the chickens were laying an egg or two a day and there was still a little flour in the bottom of the barrel, mother would fix lumpy dick to fill her poor babies' tummies. Our friend spooned some lumpy dick onto his plate and exclaimed, "Oh, gribble-grabbles!" That is what his family of Oregon pioneers had called it and he ate with relish. This is the recipe my mother-in-law taught to me:

1 qt. milk (raw is best)
1 tsp salt
1 pat butter
Heat milk, with salt and butter in a heavy pan. When the butter melts, add:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup flour
Mix the flour into the egg and work with fork or fingers until crumbly. Grab a handful and dribble it into the hot milk through your fingers, rubbing out any big lumps. Add all of the egg/flour mixture and any flour from the bottom of the bowl. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Serve on a dinner plate, dotted with butter, sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour more milk around the edge of the plate.
This recipe comes from Mink Creek, Franklin County, Idaho. (Franklin County is where the Marshall and Boice/Boyce families settled, and Grandmother Asay's birth place.)
 

President Ezra Taft Benson



President Benson's Signature

 From 'Feasting' with the Prophets:
Recalling the thrifty days of his childhood, President Benson said, "We would come into the kitchen and get the aroma of baking bread, then we would persuade mother to let us take the top off the loaf, put butter on it and consume it in our hands."

Although President Benson's mother baked a dozen loaves at a time, she sometimes ran out of bread and would buy a loaf. The store-bought bread, said President Benson's father, tasted "like cotton." If she didn't buy a loaf to stretch the family's bread supply, she would make what the family called Lumpy Dick by stirring whole wheat flour into hot milk and it would make into a consistency of pudding. She would sometimes put cinnamon and maybe a little sugar on top of it and pour cold milk over it. "This would be our supper, and it was delicious," recalled President Benson.
Source:  'Feasting' with the Prophets by Ann Whiting Allen, Deseret News Food Editor published: Saturday, Oct 1, 1988

The Garden



But if ye are prepared
ye shall not fear. D&C 38:30

The prophets' counsel to acquire a year's supply of food was followed to the letter by my grandparents.  Delila spent many hours filling canning jars with pickles, green beans, beets, tomatoes, and all the wonderful produce harvested from her large garden.

We grandchildren delighted in hiding among the peas, gorging on their delectable sweetness, and there was nothing better than Grandma's corn on the cob - cooked 5 minutes after it was picked.
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Source:  Till We Meet Again by Joy Marostica