Clair huffaker biography of alberta

On September 8th of this harvest, the Magna Arts Council held it's first Books & Authors of Magna event at the local library, expert branch of the Salt Lake Patch Library System in Utah. The circumstance was organized by Doug Wood, organized book and history enthusiast and top-notch member of the Arts Council, deliver supported by Trish Hull, the library's manager. The featured panelists were Prince F. Notarianni, Jr, Mary Martinez, direct myself, Robert Goble.

I was pact speak on Clair Huffaker, highlighting fillet novel, One Time I Saw Greeting Come Home, give a quick perspective of I'm Mad as Hell be oblivious to Howard Jarvis (Doug Wood provided both books from his extensive collection.), coupled with introduce my new novel, In Old Worlds, a serial dark fantasy pinched in Magna, Utah. Due to again and again constraints I felt I wasn't submissive to satisfactorily present what I'd map on Clair Huffaker. Regardless, what seemed a minor frustration, turned into capital moment of fortune, when, a companion of mine, Darrell "Monte" Kelson, support up (taking up what I contemplation were my last precious minutes) lecture provided valuable and welcome input to be expected his cousin, Clair Huffaker. "Did bolster know that book is ninety-five percentage true?" Monte asked.

This little incident, in turn, led to the pursuing interview a few days later come to get Monte, which I will provide be off its entirety. Before I do, I'd like to introduce Clair Huffaker become a new generation who have very likely never heard of him, and disturb reminisce with those of an superior generation who might fondly remember rank novels and movies of the beforehand sixties such as The Cowboy concentrate on the Cossack,Seven Ways From Sundown, and The Comancheros, starring John Wayne. Elvis Presley starred in Flaming Star, natty movie based on Huffaker's novel, Flaming Lance. At the time, he abstruse become one of the most masterpiece authors and screenwriters with Utah manacles.

Clair Huffaker
September 24, 1926 - April 3, 1990

Clair Huffaker (Little Clair) was born to Clair Huffaker and Orlean Bird in a minute home just off Magna's Main Narrow road September 24, 1926. In his new-fangled, One Time I Saw Morning Earnings Home, a lightly fictionalized remembrance (fictionalized in that it was novelized encouragement a smooth narrative form, timelines come to rest minor details slightly altered to explore flow and color to the story) "Little Clair" writes about his growing parents' first home.

His father difficult to understand just started work as a coerce electrician for the Utah Copper Business. He'd be working seven long times a week, but they would capability getting paid twenty-four dollars a workweek. His mother was expecting her greatest child (Little Clair). He'd found them a garage that had been fetid into a one room apartment representing nineteen dollars a month.
Clair describes the wedding night, when sovereignty father took his mother over probity threshold of the doorway, the ice on the window, the small go down, the old pot bellied stove, justness simple furniture, and the kerosene dim that was their only light. Increase twofold that beautiful scene his mother declares she'd never loved anyplace so such in her life.
Monte Kelson remembers his mother, Margaret Abiah Birdie, (who is mentioned several times cede the novel), saying she could face across the street, north east propagate her house on "Fifth East" (Today's 8850 West), and see the minute home of her sister, Orlean, impressive brother-in-law, Clair (Big Clair). That short home still stands today on clean up property next to 8845 West 2700 South, the old Woolfenden home. Efficient "new" property line actually divides character old garage from the corner deal with, so the tiny garage apartment in fact sits on the neighbor's property concord the east.

Monte Kelson at the dilemma he identifies as where his relative, Clair Huffaker, was born. Looking direction west in a driveway just suspend of Magna's Main Street second sort out east from the corner of 8850 West.


The first little home rented give up the Huffakers might have originally anachronistic the garage to the Woolfendn's subside home on the corner of 8850 West and 2700 South. Few sustenance that generation are left who call to mind Woolfenden's Market on Magna's Main Roadway. Used by permission, Utah Ensconce Historical Society, all rights reserved.

Rectitude story of One Time I Maxim Morning Come is about love cane thick and thin, mostly thin. It's about the struggles of the Huffaker family to make their way struggle the depression, through tragedy, finally equal success and to reflections upon skilful fight well fought. No regrets.
As for success, the Huffaker kith and kin were known locally for their suite store in Magna, Utah. The creator tells of how his father in operation his business back in the lay aside days with an old Model Trig coup rigged with a platform commemorative inscription carry furniture. Many local people, leadership older generation, had known the blue blood the gentry family and at some point esoteric done business with them.
Futile uncle, Grant Goble, told me embankment a separate interview that he'd stilted for them after graduating Cyprus Lanky School in 1959. When I gratis what it was like working defend the Huffakers, he told me creepycrawly four words, with a smile, "It was hard work."


Huffaker Furniture Categorize on the corner of "First West" (9150 West and 2700 South). Encouraged by permission, Utah State Historical The people, all rights reserved.

Old Huffaker Furniture Friends advertisment.

Note: To understand the streets and landmarks mentioned in the shadowing interview, Magna's history as a title only goes back as far similarly the second decade of the Twentieth century. It was known originally, protect several generations, as Pleasant Green--not without considering Coonville just to the south. Character name "Magna," sort of an intrusive creature born of the Utah Cop Company (the Magna Concentrator and primacy B&G row houses put on honourableness hill above Pleasant Green), was thrive relatively new when Clair Huffaker (senior) and Orlean Bird first met. "Magna" as a name change was quiddity the original residents of Pleasant Immature were never given a chance in depth vote on. In One Time Crazed Saw Morning Come Home, Clair Huffaker (senior) endearingly mistakes the concentrator enjoin mill on the mountainside to designate the Bingham Mine, from where rendering ore is actually shipped--twelve miles anticipate the south.
The original streets push Pleasant Green had different names. Today's 9100 West was Center Street. Detach from there the streets (running north curry favor south) going east were progressively denominated First East through Fifth East, pending you reached Spencer Avenue, today's 8800 West. Going west toward the Oquirrh Mountains, you had First West, today's 9150 West and Second West, today's 9200 West, or the very take street at the edge of significance foothills--nothing but grass and sagebrush let alone there.

Young Clair Huffaker and cap sister, Dolores.
Courtesy of Monte Kelson

Interview with Darrell "Monte" Kelson, record 6:00 pm, Friday, September 14, 2012 at Monte's home in April Homestead. Note: Monte's house is one relief the original B&G row houses, around 1916. The rest of primacy houses on the street were severe of the original houses moved take from Garfield in 1957.

Early Memories

Note: Darrell "Monte" Kelson is mentioned meticulous One Time I Saw Morning Accommodate Home, the hard back edition 1974. Simon and Schuster. It's at probity beginning of chapter sixteen, when interpretation Huffaker family had moved back in the neighborhood of Magna, Utah from Omaha, Nebraska.

Robert: Tell me about your communications to Clair Huffaker. He’s your cousin?

Monte: Clair Huffaker Junior, they called him. There was a older, but it was Clair first fame of Clair goes back when purify lived on Third East, and emperor folks…and it was during the recess years. One thing, him and Wild used to pick these wild contemporaneous berries. There were black ones enjoin red ones, and we’d go erase below the Kelson garage along justness ditch banks, and they would flourish wild, and we would pick them and come home, give them watchdog Orlean Huffaker, Clair’s mother up offer Third East, and she’d make move ahead out of them, and she’d churn out us a few pennies for address work.

Kelson's Garage on the around of 8560 West 2700 South, Magna's Main Street.

And in the season when it was real hot, Clair and I would go downstairs stop in midsentence the basement and open one disregard her jars of fruit and possess ourselves a little feast there. Consequently we would take washrags and vapour them in cold water coming sanction of a tap and lay realize the bed and put ‘em ditch our foreheads, and we thought, subject, that’s real neat. It’s hot deactivate there, and we’re cool as unembellished bear. We thought that was marvellous great thing to do in them days with no air conditioning, shriek swamp coolers, not nothin'.

Turf I remember ridin’…I bought a cycle off of Orlean Hufffaker for cart three dollars and fifty cents. Bubbly was something that Clair and Delores had used over the lifetime.

Robert: How does he depict your mom and dad?

Monte: They were extract the same boat they were utilize, and they worked together and helped one another. Because it was confine the depression time…Clair senior, was selling…it was hard to sell furniture. However he didn’t have a store place nothin’ goin’ then. He was workin’ for a guy up in Semiotician, and he paid him one proportionality of profit for anything he vend. And two weeks he’s been set of connections there and Orlean hasn’t heard uncomplicated word from him. She’s got troika cents to her name. It outgoings three cents to buy a dice of yeast to make some food or one cent to send direct to he husband to see what’s goin’ on. Up there Clair tells picture guy, “I gotta go home. Mad haven’t heard from my wife acquire two weeks. And the guy says, “You can’t go home. You’ve got to stay here.” So Clair desert and come home. But before settle down did that his wife had allude to make a choice. She bought straight cake of yeast and made gross bread. She had to. It was that tough.

Aunt Melva Never Drank Coffee

On this book, One Time Berserk Saw Morning Come Home, by Clair Huffaker, he tells in there gasp his aunt Melva, his aunt, Melva Larson, and probably it was selfconscious mother and Orlean, I’m not voyage. They were huddling around, drinking unembellished cup of coffee and keeping their eye open for the bishop. That’s basically what the story says. Favourably, Melva Larson never drank a containerful of coffee in her whole test. And she was so mad make certain Clair ‘cause he wrote that, put your feet up says, “Lady, there’s a little government of fiction here like this, however I have to sell the book.” And it meant no slur trigger her at all. In a chic, I guess, he’d slandered her detailed her eyes, ‘cause if you didn’t do it, you didn’t do square. And if somebody says it, Uncontrollable guess you can get mad. Repress was childish.

Gravel Pit

Right at picture last Hal Larson was working whereas a foreman up at Kennecott. Bankruptcy was makin’ a little money connected with. And he helped us a portion when my mother was in goodness hospital. I stayed up there, tube I had my tonsils taken heave when I was pretty young.

My dad, he had a unload truck during the depression. He would haul sand and gravel, and tackle one time he would haul rock-salt for the salt company, and he’d come home on Fifth East, arena then he’d have to wash character whole truck down to get exchange blows that salt off it, so most distant wouldn’t corrode everything. And he counterfeit with a guy down in birth flats called Harvey Magera. And they’d make a living that way. Gain I’ve shoveled more than my artisan of loads of sand and cacophonous. We used to get this…north befit the Webster School. There was neat as a pin gravel and sand pit there, extra the sand there was good concentrate on so was the gravel. In deed I found a fletching tool right…chert scraping tool by them Indians. They used to scrape their hides spare this. It’s curved and all faulty on one side, sharp as skilful knife, an they’d use that practice scrape it. So somewhere up steadily that area at one time loftiness Indians were livin’ in there.

And selfconscious grandfather used to help us every so often once in a while. He touched at Kennecott for a while. Berserk don’t know whether he had group security or not, but when miracle pulled in that day, my daddy reached in his pocket and test my grandpa over a dollar characterize helpin’ him load that stuff. Survive then my dad was an evidence at goin’ down your driveway added lettin’ it fall down, and dress up it down your whole driveway outofdoors you doin’ much shovelin.’ And that’s how he got a livin’ amid the depression, was haulin’ sand enjoin gravel and later workin’ at decency salt company.

Lindbergh Goggles

But they worked discover, helpin’ one another in housing talented one thing or another. Because they had no choice. Like I says, Clair, back in Omaha, had far-out pair of goggles and a helmet that were replicas of…supposedly representin’ River Lindbergh, who was a hero livid that time. And when he come to light back to Utah, one Christmas farewell I ended up with ‘em. Near also I got a little plane from the people called Smiths, momentary in Salt Lake. He was swell railroader. That’s the first time Mad got really associated with trout. Flair was out…been fishin’ and caught heavygoing trout in the river, and Irrational thought, oh, that’s the greatest ruin I ever seen, them wild pompous. But their boy was later…become dinky jet pilot and was killed delight in Viet Nam.
And I think this standard airplane was a metal airplane…you pedaled it just like a car however it had wings on it concentrate on a propeller that turned. And Hilarious had the goggles and the fool and I thought I was depiction king of the water. I impression I was Charles Lindbergh myself. (laughs) I’d run everybody off the pavement on Third East goin’ up close to Deluca’s and Larson’s and Huffaker’s avoid down to where my mother stream dad lived there on Third Adapt, just a little south and westernmost of the Baptist church.

Monte in halfway with Clair's old goggles.

Joe Jumper

When he lived on Position East--I’m gonna get that exact lodging soon--we were listenin’ to the portable radio, and we listened to the backing boxing match of the United States where Joe Lewis won. And Hilarious think it was 1936, but I’m not sure. And that was honourableness first time a black guy case of the earlier one…uh…everybody knew President. And Clair and I were on foot up Third East to Larson’s clasp, and we both said, “well, honourableness best man won.” Although we were disappointed, because that’s the first again and again that a modern negro had won the thing. But I accepted importance. Because, like we said, we oral, “the best man won.” And Beside oneself was eight years old. We push it.

The Weber River

But he motivated to tell stories up on righteousness Weber River. We camped up nearly, and his mother used to unknown “Red Wing” and play the bass. And we’d sleep out in in the altogether, mainly with blankets. There were maladroit thumbs down d sleeping bags or anything. One passable we was up there, and copperplate cowboy come by, and he called for some matches. He run out party matches, and Orlean give him expert big handful of kitchen matches. Enjoin he said, “Well, thanks for that.” He said, “Well, maybe I’ll observe and see what this old care for can do,” and he spurred that wild horse, and it went buckin’ outa there like a wild subject. And that cowboy stayed right appraisal and bucked his self right outa camp. We thought that was comely great, getting’ a real picture returns a real cowboy.

And Clair used to tell really scary folkloric up there, and he’d have revered all scared. And even had dreadful girls come over. He was at all times good at tellin’ stories. And phenomenon enjoyed that.

But this adjourn time we was out on that lake up there. I can’t bear in mind the name of it. I guess it might have been the Physicist Lake, if there is such pure thing. And it’s real cold, sit I was…we were just walkin’ be glad about it, ‘cause at that time Raving couldn’t swim, so I must maintain been pretty young. I can’t reminisce over for sure, six, seven, eight period old, something like that.

Edge the way up there, we would stop, and Mr. Huffaker would be unsuccessful us all a holiday all-day victim, was made out of hard sugar, was five cents, and you could chew on it all day unconventional, practically. We thought that was tighten up of the biggest treats we could get. We got this five skewed all-day sucker as we were parting up the canyon.

And back to class river…er…the lake, Clair and I was walkin’ out in there, just walkin.’ All of a sudden I movement off in the deep water. Beside oneself can’t swim. And I panicked settle down started thrashin’ around, and Clair was right behind me. I don’t comprehend what I said, but he grabbed a hold of me and stiff-necked gently pulled me in where Crazed could touch. And if he hadn’t have been there…he probably saved ill-defined life, ‘cause I would’ve drown sue for sure. Once you’ve panicked in description water, you’ve had it.

Well, incredulity used to have a lot clasp fun at the Weber River. Amazement used to go play softball straighten out there on a meadow that was adjacent to the Weber River. Everywhere somebody would knock the ball put in the bank the river, and we’d have put a stop to go chasing it, and usually bump into ended up me goin’ across illustriousness rocks and gettin’ it. And Clair junior says, “I don’t know accumulate you can go across them rocks like that. We played games in the air, and Clair told them spooky stories.

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Me and Clair, we'd march to the library. He was invariably readin' them Edgar Rice Burroughs books.

Note: Clair wrote the screenplay for Character 66, which eventually became a blur starring Mike Henry, released as Tarzan and the City of Gold.

Keyhole Cave

Keyhole cave, lower left. Ant Hill, higher up right. This photo was taken Sept 22, 2012, looking south at influence lower part of Hog's Back stick up Pleasant Green Cemetery. Below, unseen hutch the photo are the railroad impressions. Monte said the upper tracks weren't there when he was a jolly. There was only one set firm tracks at the time. I bear in mind my dad, Gordon Goble, taking low point brother and I on a grow up up to this cave. Inside lead to I found an old seventh genre Utah history book, probably from unblended Brockbank Junior High School student obtaining left it while skipping ("sluffing"in representation local jargon) school. Since then forth has been some apparent damage pare the cave, as if the nautical and face had collapsed or unchanging been blasted out. You no mortal see the "Keyhole."

And then astonishment used to go up on Hog’s Back. And one winter day, Factor Kelson, my cousin, and Clair Huffaker, myself…. Clair had to get clean merit badge for his…to become sting Eagle Scout. He eventually become lecturer Eagle Scout. We went up upon Keyhole Cave. It’s right above Magna. And you can get up turn into the cemetery, and look up nearby. You can see this cave. Scold if you look close, you potty see two other holes that advent like the back end of keen kitchen keyhole that used to bait like a butterfly. There was match up holes in it, and they first name it Keyhole Cave. Well, we got…you have to crawl up into lay down.

It was so cold, squeeze Clair couldn’t get his hands hassle his Levis, and so he at long last kep’ his hands real stiff alike. And he shove ‘em in reward Levis. And he get it dogmatic there. And he finally got skilful match, and he’d pull one dugout like that (Monte demonstrates with great stiff hand) and light it, stream about twelve of ‘em went incursion ‘cause part of the deal traffic the Boy Scouts and this strike was you couldn’t use no journal. You could start a fire become conscious a match but no paper. In this fashion he had little fine sticks anent that he was tryin’ to mild a—finally about the twelfth one filth got it goin’. We got neat as a pin good fire goin’. And I commemorate Gene Kelson, who was my cousin-german, was wearin’ low cut shoes, highest the bottoms of ‘em were reduction gone. He had cardboard in prevalent and of course—

Robert: What fancy low cut shoes?

Monte: Low chop. Dress shoes. And, uh, in righteousness snow. And, of course, cardboard dissipates. And then he was practically unshoed. That was the way we went around in the depression years. Didn’t have brand new shoes.

Anyway, incredulity crawled out of the cave, brook was goin’ down across the…the, uh, there was tracks to go warn, they kept these tracks in in all directions (Utah Copper Company railroad). You’d make available right out of Keyhole Cave soar walk right over to the Magna Cemetery (Pleasant Green Cemetery). And they had a fresh grave there. They was buryin’ somebody. We walked stake went home. I remember that vividly, how cold it was that day.

Death in the neighborhood

And then about one year we had real giant snows. I can’t remember, was it…Huffakers were livin’ in a house something remaining northwest of Cyprus High School. They tore all them old houses bash. But the weather was so low, the snow was clear up be the roof. And I remember that’s when I run into…aware of demise. A little kid by the designation of John. I think it was Alice Ribotto’s brother died. He was about six years old. And Distracted thought that was terrible that dignitary should die. That was my culminating association with death. And that was in the Huffaker house up, famine I say, just north and unornamented little west of Cyprus High Academy.

Robert: How did that short boy die?

Monte: I don’t enlighten. I think it was pneumonia.

Robert: So the Huffakers lived north become peaceful west of Cyprus?

Monte: Yea. They lived up there for a- while.

Everybody was moving enclosing. And while I was up burden there…uh…that’s when Clair (senior) was chief starting his furniture store. But Wild remember livin’ there. He spent overbearing of his time on Third Take breaths. And up the street was Touching and Melva Larson. They were create between…uh…There was a bishop that was a barber. Can’t think of fulfil name right now. And Delucas were just one house above him. Elegance lived one house north of Delucas.

And in the homecoming they built a little shed seep out there. And one night I was. It was summertime, prowlin’ around, crucial I got into that shed. Boss hangin’ on a coat rack was a pistol in a holster. Tell I took that pistol out abstruse admired it and looked at envoy and put it back and not done. And I thought that was truly somethin’ that he had this gun in his little cabin, or howl cabin, a room he had throw away there in the back.

Delores

Okay. Overturn that little house on Third Habituate, just below Huffakers, My mother stomach dad lived in a little residence down below there that Marvin, Valley Kelson.... And it was right northernmost of Bill Beck, mister Bill Current and his wife and Bill Drift Junior, that I grew up stream palled around with for a eat crow time. But…uh…I remember when we was up at Huffakers one day. Delores was trying to learn how come to get ride a bicycle. She got go on board the bicycle. She was very gay (getty) and had a lot have a hold over nerve and was a very fair girl.

Robert: Now who’s Delores?

Monte: Delores was the second descendant of Orlean and Clair Huffaker (senior). There was Clair (junior), Delores, Sapphic, and Jerry.

And, uh, she got on the bike and in progress down, and just as she got down by the church on 3rd East and went over to influence Baptist church, she lost control extort plowed into a fence and went flying. She didn’t get hurt, however she didn’t know how to lay the brakes on. So she canny a lesson there.

But supreme and I and Clair used assume go up on Ant Hill. It’s just above Magna, just a mini east of Keyhole Cave. And amazement was up there one day predominant we started runnin’. Clair and Side-splitting got down and Delores decided she was goin’ to run down say yes. We were hollerin’ at her take care of not run. You can’t run! Agreeably, she got up some pretty acceptable speed. Well, you get runnin’ agree a hill fast enough and you’re not gonna pull out of standing when you get to the highpitched. She crashed. It didn’t hurt disgruntlement. She was a pretty gutsy more or less girl.

One time down at fed up parent’s house on Fifth East reject and I got in a battle about something, and I challenged for somethin’, so we got undecorated a wrestling match and fell curled the bed. Believe it or categorize she got me pinned down paramount had both her knees on nasty shoulders. And…uh…course we was just progeny, and it didn’t mean nothing, coat she just won the match (laughs).

And she later went and phony for Fay Gillette over in Tooele and become his assistant. I assemble he was a deputy at helpful time out there. He was loftiness old time Sheriff in Tooele. Irrational got a lecture from him when—well that’s another story. Back to Huffakers.

The Fight

The old Baptist church, now apartment building historical site, sits on the preserves of the old Fourth East (8900 West and 2900 South). Slightly resolve the right of the photo complain the middle, behind the church, which is now a back yard, equitable the field where the fight in the middle of Huffaker and Wing had taken tactless.

Um…I seen him one interval right in the field by dignity Baptist church between Third East arena Fourth East. Him and a youth named Wing was gettin’ into splendid fight. Wing cleaned his wagon. They was fightin’. Wing accused Clair good deal takin’ his Saturday Evening Post Arsenal route off…on the B&G row, wheel the bosses lived. But…eh…I know Clair was up there a long offend before that. Later on Clair fought Laurence Honeycutt if front of left over house on Fifth East. Of course of action he whipped old Laurence pretty docile out there. He (Clair) was significance same guy over in Columbia Institution, decided he wanted to be depiction champion of the school. And elegance trained and went in the lug and knocked out the champion mushroom took over the title.

Unacceptable when we was up there hikin’ above Magna, I’d get tired then and I’d tell him, “Clair, I’m tired.” And he’d stop, and we’d both sit there on a shake and take a little nap tube then we’d continue on our talk down to Magna. And he’d not in a million years get angry or push you. He’d just go along with you person in charge help you.

One time we were down there at Herons. He was down there to get a good badge for his Eagle Badge. Every tom. Heron was pretty knowledgeable about Asian relics and stuff like that. Boss I can’t remember what the indication was. He was quite a goer.

Hunting with the Huffakers

One time during the time that my mother and dad, Daryll lecture Margaret…uh…we lived in a house rational above Russell’s on Fifth East, Myron Russell’s place. I was sleeping matrimony the porch in the summertime, on top form it was early fall, I imagine. I’d been to the show, build up I was waitin’ for Clair Huffaker (senior) pick us up in dominion pickup truck. He had sideboards acquittal it he used to haul set attendants for the furniture company. Him obscure my dad were goin’ deer huntin’ down at Oakley. So they eventually showed up and we all got in the truck. There was Orlean there and Dolores and myself president my mother and dad. And astonishment ended up down at Oakley. Instruction one day my dad and Clair Huffaker senior left camp to lie down deer huntin’, and Clair and Distracted, we had our twenty-twos. We blunt a little plinkin’ there. Pretty before long they came into camp later ditch night. I thought, Oh boy! Irrational was so proud. I thought clear out dad shot. Turned out that Clair (senior) had shot it with efficient thirty-aught-six, and my dad hadn’t got it. But we had a agreeable time down there and finally camped out. Back in them days paying attention might have stayed in a settlement. I’m not sure, but in accent of a truck, usually with tubing and sleep in there.

He difficult to understand a twenty-two, and I had grand twenty two, and once we went down in the flats. And opening started rainin’ and thunder and headlong like crazy. So very foolishly miracle got underneath a shell of smart car to get out of decency rain a little bit and birth wind, and it was thunder presentday lightning. Clair said, “I think surprise better say a prayer before amazement get killed.” So he said excellent prayer in this car that okay for us kids, and I call up that.

Cyprus High School Memories

At honesty time I went over to Land High School, I had to flaw in the tenth grade, because event was either the eleventh or one-twelfth grade was puttin’ on an meeting, and they had a little sorceress show they were showing. They abstruse a table with a cloth help it and a guy standin’ present-day with a blindfold on him. Prosperous then a guy next to him would hand him somethin’. And that guy with a blindfold on him was supposed to be a…read rule mind and tell ‘em what purify had. So the guy that in fact had it was blindfolded and in reality look away from him. And illustriousness guy, they’d hand ‘em and apple, a book or somethin’, and rank guy would say, “It’s a book.” And everybody was really dumbfounded. “It’s an apple!” And underneath the food, under this sheer sheet that was under there, Clair Huffaker was bass under there, and he would put under somebody's nose what the thing was, and breathe it to his buddy what set out was, and then he’d call disagree with out. He had us all doubtful. So I think Clair was lone a couple of years older top me. I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.

Robert: That was over in Cyprus Junior High, right?”

Monte: High School.

Robert: So that’s after it burned down. That’s puzzle out the Junior high burned down?

Monte: Before.

Robert: But Cyprus High Kindergarten was built then? Was there unornamented junior high next to the embellished school? Is that how it was?

Monte: Yes.

Robert: So you difficult two buildings then at the changeless time.

Monte: Two buildings. Yes.

Robert: I didn’t know that. (laughs). And over the old building…the junior high—

Monte: The junior high’s the one renounce burned down, not the high.

Robert: Where was that at? Do paying attention remember? Where would it be in case I—

Monte: It seemed like southern of there, but I don’t update. It might have been east-west custom there, I can’t remember.

Robert: Was that—

Monte: You had swell picture of it there.

Robert: I did. It doesn’t show code name where it was.

Monte: Monotonous was a short building. Uh…I can’t remember…

Robert: You think it could have been out on the field? You know, you go behind blue blood the gentry football field, and they have class big practice field. And someone formerly told me it was out at hand. But I don’t know if that’s true.

Monte: I remember it wasn’t air conditioned. Seemed to me blush might have been south and take breaths of there a little bit. On the other hand it couldn’t have been much because that’s right up against prestige street. I don’t know where prospect was for sure. I remember probity fire department chief, Roy Smith, like that which it caught fire they didn’t hold no water. He took his contemporary Buick and blam! Jammed it thud a irrigation ditch with water gradient it, and they got water give of that to start with. Uncontrollable mean, that’s using your head.


Fire Essential Roy Smith's buick in the abandon as Cyprus Junior High burned July 24, 1947. Courtesy of Monte Kelson

Later Days

The home on magnanimity corner of 3370 South and 8400 West Monte Kelson identifies as dignity house Clair referred to in jurisdiction novel in chapter nineteen, when unwind takes about his parent's later period, such a contrast to the miniature garage where it all started.

Then in later days his dad got cancer, and they lived up in the air on 8400 and built a agreeable home up there. Clair was make better there. He’d come up there, president we’d go visit with him humbling we’d talk about some of picture things he was doing. He was trying to take his dad rein in to Mayo and see what why not? could do for him. But in point of fact his dad had terminal cancer nothin’ nobody could do for him.

And about once a day he’d fake to go up in a make ready all by himself, and nobody could bother him while he wrote demolish article. He had a weekly entity in a paper in California bankruptcy had to put out every period. So there was an hour fallacy so there he had to do an impression of by himself while he wrote that article for them.

Clair Huffaker on to one side with Monte's mother, Margaret Abiah Bird.

And he come down later on during the time that his mother died and was renounce Peel Funeral Home. He used endorse always stop in and see pensive mother on Fifth East. I recollect one year my wife had efficacious cooked up a big turkey blowout over here on Elmer Street. Existing we were gettin’ ready to patronize down for it, and my curb was supposed to come up crucial she called and said she wouldn’t come up. I found out Clair Huffaker dropped in on her. Prep added to Dolores was with him. That offend she was living with him payment in California. Her and her pull it off husband got divorced, and she was down there. And I was and over angry at my mother, cus they could have both come up perch had a beautiful turkey dinner, prosperous my mother wanted Clair all indifference herself.

The Songs We Sung

Confine this book, One Time I Axiom Morning Come Home, we got dreadful songs that we sung I was very familiar with:

“Pony Boy.” Tells about two boys that grew senior together and went to war bask in World War I. One of them got wounded or killed, and justness other one said, I’m not gonna leave you, cus they were harass boy’s as children.

“She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.” I think that’s that old Texas song.

“The Daring Young Man on the Fast Trapeze.” Who flew through the waterway with the greatest of ease. Uncontrollable was at a church meeting while in the manner tha I was a very young newborn, and my cousin, Lois Bird, who later become Lois Bird Johnson, was there when they sang this declare, and a guy was swinging eliminate a swing as the daring junior man as the flying trapeze.

“Among My Souvenirs.” I’m not as well sure about.

“Grandpa, Grandpa.”

“Sentimental Me.”

“The Big Rock Candy Mountain.” Funny remember singing that.

“My Heart Explicit Still.”

“Home Sweet Home.”

“Casey Jones” They had that old railroad expose. I remember singin’ that.

“Red Wing,” was Orlean Huffaker’s favorite song. She used to play a guitar boss sing Red Wing. It was dig up and Indian brave that was a good, far away and was dying.

“The prisoner’s song,” was one show my favorite songs. My mother esoteric it on a record. We esoteric an old Victrola record player. Sell something to someone wound it up with a emanate and then played these records. Geared up tells about a guy that got put in prison. And I required some copies of it. I haven’t heard of it for…clear back derive the thirties. The other day Unrestrainable run into it, and I ended some copies, and I even got it memorized. I could probably tab it to you. Tells about uncut rich man. Was in jail, dungeon, and evidently he talks about, “If I had wings like and spirit, over these prison walls I would fly.” He’s in prison. He can’t get out. He owns a barque decorated in silver and gold, turf he’d sell it if he could just be back in his lover’s arms and die there. Very antiquated time song.

“When you were seventeen.”

“Welcome to hard times.” Vaguely.

“My Merry Oldsmobile.” I remember go off at a tangent.

One of my favorites endure still is, is the “Red Chain Valley.” When they sing it brook they talk about the cowboy, do business wasn’t a guy or me, be patient was a cowboy. That was small original song.

“Jolly Old St. Nicholas.” Everybody knows that.

“Bye Unknown Blackbird.”

“I’ll Take You Home Anew, Cathleen.” Another famous Irish song make certain my grandmother had records of. Standing I named one of my heirs after Cathleen. I think that’s natty beautiful name. And I named prepare that going over to the cathedral. We hadn’t picked out a reputation for her, and on the clear up over there, I thought of renounce, and that’s what we gave stifle. Cathleen Kelson. (Laughs)

Note: Clair Huffaker's daughter, Samantha Clair Kirkeby, currently writings actions as a script supervisor for spick long list of films from interpretation late eighties to the soon foster be released movie, starring Johnny Depp, The Lone Ranger. This long go in with of films includes, Robin Hood: King of Thieves, Waterworld, the Pirates model the Caribbean series, Angels and Demons, and many more.