Brown-Crocker

Thomas Caddy Jr bought a farm six-and-a-half miles southeast of
Loup City NE in 1904. His daughter, Belle (Lucy Arabella (Caddy)
Garner) tells of her life on the farm when she was a child:

"We had all sod buildings except a small grainery and barn. And
what a barn! The boards didn't overlap, leaving big cracks.
Father got what they call battens, about four inches wide, and
nailed then over all the cracks. Then he put up a floor for a hay
loft. It was a big old barn. They stored hay here for the stock
in the winter when the weather was too bad to bring hay in from where they had stacked
The chicken and milk houses were sod.
"We had a cool sod house, believe it or not; it was warm in
winter and cool in summer. We had a board floor. It was pretty good size, but all in one room. Father bought lumber and divided it into four
rooms. The north end only had one window; that was
my parents' room. The south end had two windows so he made two
rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. The middle room
was kitchen, dining room, and living room. It must have been 15
feet square--maybe larger.
"Before we left Albion, father had a horse-posered threshing
machine which he used one year. Then he got a steam engine power
threshing machine. We children sure thought this was a biq deal,
although father nearly worked himself to death with it.
"He loved horses. I've seen him buy out-law horses, then gentle
them until us children could ride or drive them. He bought one
thoroughbred, registered, with a long list of papers, called
Lincoln. A beautiful horse, but someone had ruined him. Father
put him in a box stall, told us never to go near hin. Father told
the boys to open two little doors by the feed boxes and set a
bucket of water in one and put corn in the other one. Hay was put
down in his manger from the hay loft above.
"This horse would bite, kick, stomp, and fight anything that went
near him. Father always talked to his stock. He talked to Lincoln
every time he went near him. In a short tine he had him so he
could lead him out to drink from the water tank. Then Father got
a harness on him. From then on, he gentled fast. By fall Father
put him on the wagon at corn-husking time. The next summer I
drove him on a buggy. We called it a single-horse buggy. A few
times, though, to tell the truth, I was a little afraid of
Lincoln. As I remember, Father probably had him about three
years. Then he was sold to the governnent for a breeding stallion
for cavalry horses. Father paid $75.00 for him, papers and all
included, and sold him for $500.00.
Father always bought rough-looking horses, curried and brushed
them and took good care of them. They always responded in a few weeks.
Didn't look like the same horses. One thing I never knew
is how Father managed to get a bunch of horses to the sale barns
at Grand Island. Loup City is about 45 to 50 miles from Grand Island. Father rode
a saddle horse, leading a couple.
He tied one onto the tail of each of those he was leading. Maybe he tied some to the saddle, too. I never did know just how how he tied them. Then he took off for Grand Island. He always got them there, and made pretty good on them. He must've done it three years or more.

"One thing I remember was when we were stil in the soddie (sod house) where we lived about four years."
Father came home from town with some printed songs. We children were told we should
learn to sing. He always whistled at his work. When he hauled
grain to town it was quite a trip for a team. On a clear night we
could hear him whistling before we could hear the wagon.

"Anyway, after the chores and the dishes were done, we all
gathered around the table and Father tried to learn us to sing.
Maybe there was lots better singing. I am sure no one could
enjoyed it more than we did -- or tried any harder.

"At this time (1969) I am 76 years old. I've seen so many things
come into use. The first washing machine, cream separator, steam
threshing machine. Now combines and corn picking machines. I saw
my first automobile when I was 14 years old. My husband took me
to the State Fair the fall after we were married. There I saw the
first airplane. It looked like a box kite. The pilot sat on a
seat with no protection of any kind, and flew it once a day when
wind and weather permitted. He got it off the ground, circled
around a few times and brought it down again. That was 58 years
ago this coming fall. I asked my husband if he thought they would
ever get the airplane where they would be used much. He said he
didn't think so. Now they are getting ready to land a man on the
moon. Who knows? They will probably find other planets out there
in space. There seems to be nothing men can't do but stay out of
wars and keep the peace." - Lucy A (Belle) Garner- taped 9-14-1969.