The Life of Me: An Autobiography

by Clarence Edgar Johnson

EPILOGUE

Clarence Johnson — January 11, 1906 — November 9, 1994

Clarence Johnson died quietly in his sleep at daybreak on November 9, 1994. He had been ill for about three months. He was 88 years old.

This book was scanned and edited by David Larry Johnson in loving memory of his Dad.

Index

Abbie, from Wichita Falls to Abbie……………… 94
Abbie, from Abbie to Lamesa in wagons…………… 99
Abbie, moved there from Lamesa…………………. 93
Account books, we boys kept…………………….117
Age 4, CJ plant in field………………………. 18
Airplane, At Lamesa, World War One………………111
Albert, Dodge car ran over him………………….136
Alternator, CJ invented it, 39 years early……….134
Anita fell in water……………………………200
Anita wanted to drive without a license………….233
Anita fell off horse…………………………..229
Anita went to college………………………….240
April Fool's day at Wise Chapel, age 8 or 9………145
April Fool's day at Hamlin School………..146-147-148
Apartment, in California, we hunted one………….218
Arkansas, Dennis & CJ went to look for farm………240
Arkansas, we moved to from Royston………………240
As a man thinketh……………………………..151
Auto, Dennis drive at age 4 or 5………………..189
Auto, WFJ's first car…………………………. 74
Auction sale, odds and ends, saddle horse………..228
Availability slip, to get into War-Work………….209
Baby, big baby, wore dresses for years………….. 35
Babies, CJ learned about, & calves & colts……….114
Ballard School, near Lamesa farm………………..106
Barn blew part way down……………………….. 15
Bank went broke, had road building money in………124
Batteries, old, from phone company………………129
Beer, CJ tried to drink some……………………191
Bible and Sears Roebuck Catalog………………… 57
Bicycle tires not in big box…………………… 61
Bicycle, Dennis rode his into Death Valley……….216
Big Box from Sears & Roebuck…………………… 57
Big Spring Mail car, to Lamesa………………….101
Binder, pulled it and tractor behind car…………235
Bed, Larry's in travel trailer………………….215
Blasting powder, CJ play with…………………..121
Blow-up in Mama's kitchen………………………132
Bob cat, Royston farm………………………….224
Bones, we gathered and sold at Lamesa…………… 83
Boot Jack at Grandma's house…………………… 51
Boxing gloves in our family……………………. 30
Brag on self………………………………….170
Bruner boy, prickly pear………………………. 26
Brag on what cars would do…………………….. 75
Bridge, Papa drive truck off of…………………174
Broken fender era……………………………..201
Bull called Surley……………………………. 45
Burglar in filling station……………………..172
Butter, Annie churn it in jar on saddle…………. 54
Bushes and culverts, we stopped for many of them…. 95
California, we went into War-Work……………….210
California, we went again in August 1943…………217
Car, old Chevrolet, WFJ wanted to give to Dennis….231
Cattle round-up at CJ's Royston farm…………….234
Cattle drive to Kent County…………………….192
Calomel tablets, hole in porch floor……………. 64
Calves, nursing, sucking………………………. 45
Calves, can it be mine?……………………….. 70
Cap Rock, Reo had to be helped up it……………. 74
Catalog, Sears……………………………….. 57
Catclaws and whirlwind…………………………108
Candy, sugar stick in Papa's trunk……………… 30
Car trouble, ring gear on way to Oklahoma……….. 96
Caddie, Earl did………………………………119
Candy, CJ sold it in Hamlin School………………141
Car, model "T", Ed Lewis & CJ repaired motor……..200
Car, CJ bought Buick for $30……………………204
Central, telephone operator……………………. 47
Cellar at Exum farm, bananas hung in it…………. 23
Chivaree…………………………………….. 70
Churn, Annie tied milk jar to saddle……………. 54
Character reading at sight……………………..134
CJ plant in field at age 3 or 4………………… 18
CJ liked to watch parents and learn…………….. 38
CJ slow reader……………………………….. 57
CJ went to college…………………………….240
CJ frank whipped……………………………… 47
CJ woman chased with hoe……………………….105
CJ gambled, didn't know it was gambling………….115
CJ in 7th grade in Hamlin School………………..137
CJ hole in pants in school……………………..143
CJ got 110 volt shock………………………….131
CJ kept Larry while Ima worked at Lockheed……214-215
Clark, Clarence, ice box and at gin………….226-227
Clean out plates and eat out of them next time…… 91
Cows, milk them and sell cream………………….207
Cows, drove them to R R stock pens at Lamesa…….. 93
Cow, Papa shot cow……………………………. 55
Cow, give-down milk, English in college…………. 12
Cook stove, ration board at Stamford…………….236
College, CJ started at age 51 ………………….240
Colt, can it be mine?…………………………. 70
Command, rule of, or line of, in our family……… 30
Cottonseed, we play in……………………….52-53
Cottonseed, haul and set fires………………….163
Cottonseed, CJ haul after school, had to stay in….143
Cotton picking in Oklahoma…………………….. 97
Cotton, Papa took to gin from farm……………… 72
Cotton, good in 1919, until worms hit it…………116
Coin purse, (pocketbook) CJ wanted to buy one……. 88
Count, bolls of cotton while picking them……….. 37
Conflict, between Earl and CJ……………182-183-184
Coach Hinton, came early & didn't get paid……….142
Coyotes, more of them, chase dog back home……….100
Cream, sold during World War II…………………207
Crazy sayings,……………………………….. 62
Cripple Creek, vacation trip to…………………187
Cows, froze to death at Lamesa…………………. 86
Cycle, Frank, motorcycle………………………. 86
Dancing, parents didn't approve of……………… 41
Death Valley, we went through…………………..216
Dennis, finished High School in 1949…………….239
Dennis went to college…………………………240
Dennis drove car at age 4 or 5………………….189
Dennis ate dirt from under car fender……………190
Dennis, 3-years-old, walked mile and half for cows..188
Dirty words not used in our family……………… 46
Dog plow in field…………………………….. 19
Dog, Old Scotch, tricks he did…………..31,32,33,34
Dog, Old Scotch, sick & died at road camp………..124
Dog, Old Scotch, fight other dogs……………….126
Dog, Old Scotch, paid his way on Lamesa farm……..126
Dogs, Robert's greyhounds……………………… 49
Dogs, Wes Kennedy's, chase cars…………………198
Dodge car, had magneto, I used Ford coils………..166
Debnam, big, big horse………………………… 87
Desert, Death Valley, we went to it……………..216
Denver, CJ went & worked in lumber camp………….158
Drain your car every night era………………….201
Drain car, CJ did one cold night at midnight……..202
Dreams, CJ had…………………………….66 & 67
Drinks, Johnsons, water, sweetmilk, buttermilk…… 7
Dry, Roby, during World Flood………………….. 3
Driving Old Sow, kid's game……………………. 69
Drop out, CJ dropped out of high school………….139
Duck hunting, on plains, duck soup………………113
Dug-out, CJ's parents lived in one……………… 4
Earl shot peaches off trees …….it was told……101
Earl, powder monkey, road work at Gorman…………121
Earl, boss of truck lines, CJ objected at time……181
Eggs, CJ gathered them at early age…………….. 12
Electric lights, we got them in Hamlin…………..119
Electric train, CJ got his first one…………….133
Electrical Engineering Course, CJ took by mail……134
Employment office in California…………………210
Emma and Will got married……………………… 2
Engine, gasoline, made it run washing machine…….133
Erector set, CJ made things with it……………..129
Exum Farm, bought it in fall 1910, moved to it…… 23
Exum Farm, six good years……………………… 78
Exum Farm, sold it & moved to Lamesa……………. 79
Farm, Mama & Papa bought their first one………… 4
Farm in shinnery south of Hamlin………………..164
Farm, Johnsongrass hay farm…………………….164
Farm, CJ & Ima moved to in 1932…………………185
Farm, Royston, we bought from Jim Johnson………..215
Farm, Royston, Jim wouldn't fix up papers, no deal..221
F.B.I. Came for one mule driver at road camp……..123
Fender, broken fender era………………………201
Feed stacks, don't climb on……………………. 52
Fence building, WFJ, Old Scotch helped him……….126
Fight, Earl and CJ…………………………….182
Fight, CJ & kid at Lamesa……………………… 89
Fight, Old Scotch, CJ sic him on other dog……….126
Fight, Hob Reed and CJ, almost but not quite……..230
Fire, we kids set fence row afire……………….163
FIRE IN THE HOLE………………………………123
Firecrackers, at Lamesa, 9 for half dollar………. 90
Fire in bucket under dining table………………. 78
Fizzlums, book in Bible………………………..171
Fly chaser, CJ invented………………………..131
Flash light, CJ made his first one………………120
Fleas under man's house……………………….. 66
Forecast, weather, on telephone………………… 46
Frank whipped CJ in cotton patch……………….. 47
Frank carried U.S. Mail in buggy……………….. 74
Frank bought Grant automobile………………….. 75
Frank away from home at Lamesa…………………. 82
Freshman, CJ, high school, at age 18…………….139
Funny papers, at Wichita Falls…………………. 93
Gamble, CJ, didn't realize it was gambling……….115
Gamble, CJ shoot dice………………………….190
Games we played………………………………. 69
Games, party games,…………………………… 41
Garage, CJ had at Royston………………………204
Gaddies, we visited them in Oklahoma……………. 8
Gaddie, Grandpa came to live with us, and died…9 & 10
Garden at Exum farm…………………………… 24
Gasoline, World War One, up to 29 cents gallon……103
Gay, Mr. Gay hired CJ in grocery store…………..169
Gin at Royston, CJ worked there…………………225
Gladys Flint, sweetheart………………………. 40
Getting ready to go to California, War Work………209
Good-looking, my family……………………….. 27
Good years, 6 at Exum Farm…………………….. 78
Gorman, Texas, we went to build road…………….120
Goats, Larry needed goat's milk, we bought goats….206
Grant auto, Frank bought one…………………… 75
Grandma's house, CJ played with matches…………. 63
Grub trees, WFJ clearing land at Flint farm……… 13
Gun, CJ found one in old house………………….112
Gun, Frank's pistol, CJ & Joe shoot it…………..167
Gun, Joel shoot hole in wall……………………173
Guns, we boys muzzle-loading ours……………….112
Gulf of Mexico, CJ went there…………………..149
Gypmill, CJ got job there, August 1943…………..217
Hammer, boy found one on road to Lamesa………….106
Hack, our new one…………………………….. 17
Haul cottonseed cake, WFJ, to ranchers, Lamesa…… 82
Heat in Royston home, used old lube oil………….207
High prices, World-War-one, gasoline 29C gallon…..103
Hinton, Mr., coach at Hamlin High School…………143
High School, CJ took 7 subjects…………………139
Hole in pants, CJ in high school………………..143
Hot water, Papa put hot coals in pan of water……. 78
Hoeing cotton, woman chased CJ with hoe………….106
Horn, auto horn in Joel's bed…………………..130
Horn-tooting Scripture…………………………171
Horse, Old Ribbon, buggy horse…………………. 72
Horse, sick at party,…………………………. 44
Horse, lost, Old Nancy, saddle mare……………..195
Horse, Old Pony Boy, Carriker's saddle horse……..230
Horse, Old Keno, at Flint farm…………………. 16
Horse, Mr. Debnam, huge stallion……………….. 87
Horse, rolled over on Joel……………………..114
Horse, Old Nig, at saw mill in Rocky Mountains……160
Horses, Mr. Hamilton's, tired in field………….. 82
Horses, we kids roped and rode………………….105
Hudson, Sox & Red, CJ worked for them……………169
Ice, CJ made ice at West Texas Utilities, Hamlin….139
Ice box, Clarence Clark, and cotton gin………….226
Ideas, CJ at Lockheed in California……………..219
Ima's kinfolks, death in Gordon, light, match…….188
Ima's kinfolks, Wouldn't have made it anyway……..188
Ima worked at Lockheed…………………………215
Jesse James, CJ's 3rd cousin…………………… 11
Joel, with rattlesnake in field…………………104
Joel, horse fell on him………………………..115
Joel, shot hole in wall………………………..173
Joel was smart too, made windmill and submarine…..101
Joel, Earl's gun, "Now it's not loaded."…………173
Joel, turn truck over………………………….173
Job for CJ at McCamey, Texas……………………155
Johnsongrass hay farm………………………….164
Jump seats in car……………………………..102
Kerosene lamps, we quit using them in Hamlin……..119
Kerosene, quality poor, mixed gasoline with it……207
Kerosene, we heated house with it & old lube oil….207
Kicked by mule, kid…………………………… 25
Kitchen, how Mama saved time…………………… 91
Kennedy girl, slipped away from her dad………….198
Knife, CJ found one…………………………… 66
Knife, large, for cutting heads off bundles……… 77
Lake, by yard at Exum farm…………………….. 73
Lamesa, we moved to, first time, from Hamlin…….. 79
Lamesa, we drove to from Oklahoma………………. 97
Lamesa, WFJ bought 2 farms…………………….. 79
Lamesa, we moved to, from Abbie, in 2 wagons…….. 99
Larry, CJ kept him nights, in California…………214
Larry, born 1942………………………………206
Larry was spoiled, rocked him to sleep…………..213
Land rush, Gaddies nor Johnsons were in it………. 9
Leather from Sears, in big box…………………. 59
Lick plates clean, at Lamesa farm………………. 91
Little sister, look the other way………………. 28
Light fire in wood stove with alarm clock………..129
Lost, Old Nancy, saddle mare…………….195-196-197
Log, butane, for fireplace, Carriker…………….232
Mail car, Lamesa to Big Spring, Passengers……101-102
Maize, we haul………………………………..167
Match, gets light when strike one……………….188
Matches, CJ play with at Grandma's……………… 63
Mama rode in back seat of hack…………………. 17
Mama had love for baby and for me too…………… 14
Married, CJ got……………………………….181
Machine shop, CJ taught in college………………241
McCamey, CJ left and went back to Hamlin…………156
McCamey, CJ went to on motorcycle……………….152
Medicine, calomel tablets, hole in porch floor…… 64
Merry-go-round, we had at Exum farm…………….. 69
Miss Fortune, Ford car…………………………165
Milk, saved to make bread………………………106
Mice, CJ shoot in house with 22-rifle……………187
Motorcycle, CJ repair, couldn't stop it………….151
Motorcycle, Frank got one……………………… 62
Motorcycle, CJ got one…………………………152
Motor, sewing machine, Albert found, sold to CJ…..131
Moved into house on small Lamesa farm…………… 80
Moved to Lamesa by rail……………………….. 81
Moved to Lamesa in two wagons………………….. 99
Moved back to Hamlin after selling Lamesa farm……117
Moved to Royston farm, Ima, Dennis & CJ, 1933…….186
Moved, Johnsons, back to Texas from Oklahoma…….. 3
Moving picture machine, talking, CJ invented……..133
Mule kicked kid in head……………………….. 25
Mule colt, jumped out & wanted back in pen……….105
Nursing calves, Sucking calves…………………. 45
Neighbors, had reputation for stealing…………..105
Night lights in house from old batteries…………129
Nig, Old, black horse at lumber camp…………….160
Oklahoma, from Wichita Falls, pick cotton……….. 95
Oklahoma, Reo car trouble……………………… 96
Oklahoma, Grandpa Johnson moved to for grazing…… 1
Old Scotch, our family dog…………………….. 31
Old Scotch returned to Exum farm……………….. 84
Old Scotch, fight………………………….126-127
Old Ribbon, buggy horse and kids ride…………… 71
Old Ribbon take Papa's dinner………………….. 72
Old Nig, horse at lumber camp in mountains……….160
Operator, telephone…………………………… 47
Orange, Texas, CJ went to………………………211
Overtime, work in California……………………212
Owed me $2, Hob Reed, at Royston………………..230
Pants, hole in CJ's in school…………………..143
Packwood, Miss, teacher in Hamlin school…………142
Parents & CJ doing things together……………… 38
Party games………………………………….. 41
Paralysis, CJ………………………………… 27
Parents taught us many things………………….. 34
Parents, ours, leaders in the community…………. 35
Parties preferred over dances because…………… 43
Papa & coals of fire for heating water………….. 78
Peddlers came to farms………………………… 75
Peanuts in barn loft at Exum farm………………. 24
Phantom Canyon, on vacation trip………………..187
Phonograph, Frank and Susie got one…………….. 60
Pick cotton, count bolls………………………. 37
Pig, Uncle John's, hot weather, pig out of pen…… 51
Pig at Ballard School,…………………………107
Pigs ran wild at our Royston farm……………….224
Pikes Peak, our trip to………………………..238
Picaroons, tools at lumber camp…………………160
Pistol, Frank's, Joe and CJ shoot it…………….166
Plant, CJ plant in field at early age…………… 18
Play, school play, take posters to other towns……141
Poem, to my father, WFJ………………………..162
Pocketbook, coin purse, CJ wanted to buy one…….. 88
Preacher and the bear, song on phonograph record…. 60
Prickly pear, boy sat down in one………………. 26
Quirts, WFJ made them for us kids, taught us how….111
Rabbits, Government bought at Lamesa……………. 81
Rabbits, twist them out of holes……………….. 83
Rabbits, froze to death on plains………………. 86
Race, to cotton gin…………………………… 73
Races, motorcycles at Hamlin Fair………………. 73
Rawhides on plains……………………………. 83
Rats, at Royston farm………………………….187
Ration coupons, gasoline, to go back to Calif…….218
Ration coupons, gasoline for cookstove…………..221
Rankin, Texas, CJ slept there one night………….157
Record, Preacher & the bear……………………. 60
Reed, Hob, owed me $2………………………….230
Reo, our first car……………………………. 74
Reo, ring gear broke tooth on way to Oklahoma……. 96
Rest room in garage, CJ and Joel used it………… 95
Retired and traveled…………………………..242
Red River, we forded it in Reo…………………. 98
Repair truck, CJ repaired rotor arm……………..170
Repair car lights for cotton pickers & others…….171
Repair cars in garage at Royston………………..204
Ribbon, Old, one of our horses…………………. 72
Road work, WFJ do work to pay taxes…………….. 77
Robert, Uncle, paid us cash for work we did……… 50
Roundup time at CJ's farm………………………234
Rowbinder, Ima & CJ cut feed with……………….204
Royston, Ima & CJ moved there in 1933……………186
Road work at Gorman, Texas……………………..120
Rocky Mountains, we made trip there in 1934………187
Rule of command in our family………………….. 30
Santa Claus, CJ didn't know about him……………114
Sand storms, the worst one…………………….. 85
Sayings, crazy……………………………….. 62
Sand & dust in air in kitchen………………….. 86
Sand colic, our horses died with it…………….. 93
Saw mill in Rocky Mountains, west of Denver………158
Saw mill, CJ left there and went to Hamlin……….161
Scotch, Old, our dog………………………….. 31
School, Ballard, on plains, teacher lived in……..106
School, we drove from Hamlin to Wise Chapel………137
School at Hamlin, CJ in 7th grade at age 16………138
School, CJ started at age 7, Wise Chapel………… 25
Sears Roebuck and Bible……………………….. 57
Sears, order, big box…………………………. 57
Seventh grade, CJ in Hamlin School………………137
Sex, male and female………………………….. 46
Shipyards at Orange, Texas……………………..211
Shot, WFJ shot cow……………………………. 55
Shot, man got shot in Hamlin…………………… 76
Shoe last, from Sears, in big box………………. 60
Sister, little, look the other way……………… 28
Simpson Johnson, went to Melvin's ranch…………. 1
Slow reader, CJ didn't like books………………. 57
Snake in girl's toilet, at Ballard………………107
Snakes, hunt rattlesnakes near Roby……………..233
Snakes, rattle, at Royston farm…………………186
Snuff, Susie tried it, got sick………………… 21
Sop plates clean at Lamesa farm………………… 91
Song book, WFJ's, Henry Gaddie kept it years…….. 8
Sookie, Susie's nick name……………………… 76
Sold big farm at Lamesa………………………..116
Stove, gasoline, CJ borrowed in California……….221
Stovepipe Wells, in Death Valley, California……..216
Steam engine, toy, heat water on cookstove……….132
Surley, another name for bull………………….. 45
Susie got married…………………………….. 76
Suitcase, lost off Reo fender………………….. 95
Sunday work, we began to do it………………….119
Sweetheart, CJ's, Gladys Flint…………………. 40
Syrup Mill, at Flint farm……………………… 15
Syrup, molasses, Earl and CJ haul it, sleep out…..179
Talking picture show, CJ invented it…………….133
Target practice, with our 22 rifles……………..100
Telegrams, Ima & CJ sent to each other…………..213
Teacher's pet, CJ…………………………….. 27
Telephone, we got our first one………………… 46
Temptation, CJ tempted to steal money in store…… 90
Telephone company, old dry cells………………..129
Teacher, Miss Packwood, boys gave her trouble…….142
Texas, CJ took Ima and kids back to from Calif……211
Texas, we went back to in August 1943……………215
Teach, CJ, general and machine shops, in college….241
Teach, CJ, one year public school in Arkansas…….242
Texas, a state of mind………………………… 20
Tires, bicycle, cotton in tires,……………….. 61
Tire about to blow out, bridle rein around it…….103
Toddy, man sick in bed,……………………….. 7
Tobacco, Frank and Ruth liked it……………….. 20
Rest rooms dirty, we used bushes & culverts……… 95
Toll road in Oklahoma over sand dunes in pasture…. 97
Trucking business, WFJ got into…………………129
Truck line to Abilene, CJ drove…………………181
Truck turnovers, Joel 173, Albert, Dode, & WFJ……176
Truck run off bridge, WFJ & CJ………………….174
Truck, Joel drove between car and wagon, hit both…177
Truck in mountains west of Denver, CJ drove it……158
Truck, Earl, bumblebee in cab, apples on road…….178
Tractor, CJ built one at Royston farm……………203
Tractor, "Pull-Ford" at Lamesa farm…………….. 87
Train, Ima and kids rode to California…………..213
Travel, CJ and family, to Pikes Peak…………….238
Traveled after retirement………………………242
Trail drive, near San Angelo, whiskey for free…… 53
Tumbleweeds and sand bury fences on Texas plains….112
Wash dishes or lick plates clean……………….. 91
Water fight, we boys and Mama…………………..165
Weather forecast, daily on telephone……………. 46
Wen, beside CJ's nose…………………………. 28
Weather, cold, rabbits and cows froze to death…… 86
Whip, Frank whipped CJ in field………………… 47
Whirlwind and catclaw bushes……………………108
Whiskey free, cowboys camped near San Angelo…….. 53
Whiskey as a medicine, Gaddie's home……………. 7
Wichita Falls, we went in 1918, WFJ carpenter……. 93
Wichita Falls, we kids picked cotton……………. 94
Wind, stories about strong wind on plains………..109
Windmill and garden at Exum farm……………….. 24
Women's' wear, CJ consulted Sears catalog pictures.. 59
Windmills, many on plains & courthouse lawn………103
Work on Sundays, we began to……………………119
Windcharger, CJ built one before farmers got them…130
Work hard, sleep hard, worry none………………. 36

End of Project Gutenberg's The Life of Me, by Clarence Edgar Johnson