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(1) SKETCH OF MY LIFE FROM
MY BIRTH UP TO MY 73RD YEAR. AM NO WRITER BUT PLEASE ACCEPT
THIS AS A GIFT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH LOVE FROM MOTHER ALICE
MARIAN IRISH.
I WAS BORN 22 FEB 1859
IN LINN CO IA. IN A LOG-CABIN NEAR BUFFALO CREEK WHICH EMPTIES
INTO THE WAPSIPINICON RIVER AT ANAMOSA IOWA. MY FATHER &
MOTHERS NAMES WERE LEONARD AND RUTH MARIAN PARR. I HAD ONE
BROTHER WHOSE NAME WAS WILLIAM. HE WAS THE OLDEST OF US 4
CHILDREN. NEXT TO WILLIAM CAME EMMA, THEN ELLA MAY AND I WAS
THE YOUNGEST. WHEN I WAS A FEW DAYS OLD MY MOTHER WAS TAKEN VERY
ILL WITH BRAIN FEVER WHICH LEFT HER IN NO SHAPE TO TAKE CARE OF
HER HOME AND FAMILY. SHE BECAME VERY WEAK AND MELINCHOLY AND
NEGLECTED HER WORK. MY FATHER WAS OBLIGED TO SEPERATE HIS
LITTLE FAMILY AND MOTHER WENT TO MT. PLEASANT WHERE THEY WERE IN
HOPES TO RESTORE HER MIND AND HEALTH. SHE HOWEVER LINGERED ALONG
A FEW YEARS AT THAT PLACE AND DIED. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE SHE WAS
BURRIED. (2) SHE WAS RATHER TALL WITH DARK EYES AND HEAVY LONG
DARK HAIR, I WAS TOLD.
FATHER AT THAT TIME
OWNED A GOOD FARM AND HAD CONSIDERABLE PROPERTY BUT HIS HOME
TIES BEING BROKEN AND HIS FAMILY SCATTERED HE BECAME DISCOURAGED
AND RESTLESS AND WHEN A COUSIN OF HIS SUGGESTED GOING TO
CALIFORNIA TO THE GOLD MINES THEY DECIDED TO GO TOGETHER. AT
THE TIME OF THE SEPERATION OF OUR FAMILY SOME PEOPLE BY THE NAME
OF SHAFER TOOK BROTHER WILLIAM WHO MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 12 YEARS
OF AGE AT THAT TIME. WHEN HE BECAME A YOUNG MAN HE WENT TO
CALIFORNIA AND MARRIED A CATHOLIC GIRL. THEY HAD BORN TO THEM
TWO GIRLS. THE PRIEST AND A WOMAN RELATIVE OF WILLIAMS WIFE
STARTED TROUBLE BETWEEN THEM WHICH RESULTED IN A DIVORCE.
WILLIAM CAME TO IOWA ON A VISIT. THEN WENT TO MICH. AND MARRIED
AGAIN WHILE THERE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE IS NOW. HE MAY NOT
BE LIVING.
(3) A FAMILY BY THE NAME OF BELTNAP IN
ANAMOSA, TOOK SISTER EMMA TO THEIR HOME. THEY WERE WEALTHY
PEOPLE AND GAVE EMMA EVERY ADVANTAGE THAT A RICH MANS DAUGHTER
HAS. SHE LACKED NOTHING IN THE WAY OF FOOD CLOTHING AND
EDUCATION EVEN HAD A PIANO AND MUSIC TEACHER. SHE WAS VOTED THE
BEST-LOOKING GIRL IN ANAMOSA FOR HER COMPLEXION WAS PERFECT, HER
FORM LOVELY, HER HAIR THE COLOR OF GOLD, HER EYES A LOVELY BLUE.
I NEVER SAW HER BUT I HAVE A NEIGHBOR, MRS GEO. PEETY WHO USED
TO SEE HER QUITE OFTEN AND SAYS THAT SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL.
SHE WROTE POEMS. BUT THE SAD PART OF HER GIRLHOOD DAYS WHICH
COULD HAVE BEEN FULL OF HAPPINESS (IF MRS. BELKNAP HAD BEEN A
MOTHER TO HER) WERE MADE PERFECTLY UNBEARABLE BECAUSE MRS.
BELKNAP WAS AN OLD MAID WHEN SHE MARRIED MR. BELKNAP AND THEY
HAD NO CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN AND WITH HER SELFISH, JEALOUS
DISPOSITION IT WAS WELL THAT SHE HAD NONE. (4) OF COURSE SHE HAD
NO MOTHER-LOVE IN HER HEART. SHE SCOLDED MY DEAR SISTER AND
WHIPPED HER UNTIL THERE WERE PURPLE MARKS ON HER ARMS AND
SHOULDERS IN FACT UNTIL THE BLOOD RUNS. EMMAS SCHOOLMATES
BEGGED HER TO TELL THEM WHAT CAUSED THOSE MARKS ON HER BODY.
UNTIL SHE SAID IF THEY WOULD NO LET MRS. BELKNAP HEAR OF IT SHE
WOULD TELL THEM.
MY MOTHER WHO RAISED ME STARTED WITH ME TO
GO AND SEE MY SISTERS AND BEFORE WE GOT TO ANAMOSA WE LEARNED
THAT THEY NEVER TOLD HER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT HER OWN PEOPLE
AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY OF THEM TO COME TO SEE HER. BUT MY
FATHERS SISTERS PEOPLE, AUNT SABRE CONKLIN AND HER SONS, IN SOME
WAY LEARNED THAT MRS. BELKNAP WAS CRUEL TO EMMA. FOR INSTANCE,
EMMA AND A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS WELL RESPECTED THERE IN ANAMOSA
WERE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER, AND AS HE WAS A POOR MAN, SHE
FORBID THEM EVEN SEEING EACH OTHER.
EMMA LEFT HOME (5) (WHICH WAS REALLY MORE
LIKE A PRISON) AS SHE HAD NO PRIVILIGES OR RIGHTS AS TO HER OWN
HEARTS DESIRE. SHE MET A MAN PERRY BROWN BY NAME. HE ALMOST
WORSHIPPED EMMA. THEY WERE MARRIED. THEY WERE QUITE HAPPY.
AFTER A YEAR OR SO PASSED BY, A BABY BOY CAME TO THEIR HOME,
WHICH REJOYCED THEIR HEARTS FOR A SHORT TIME. ONLY AS WHEN
LITTLE BABY GUY WAS 11 DAYS OLD THE YOUNG WIFE AND MOTHER WAS IN
A WORLD WHERE THERE IS NO SICKNESS, SORROW, OR PAIN. PERRY WAS
ALMOST WILD WITH GRIEF.
HIS MOTHER WHO WAS NOT KIND TO MY SISTER,
TOOK LITTLE GUY AND RAISED HIM AND THE LITTLE FELLOW NEVER WAS
TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT HIS MOTHER AND WHEN HE WAS OLD ENUF TO READ
HE READ THE NAME EMMA BROWN ON MY SISTER TOMBSTONE AND ASKED WHO
WAS EMMA BROWN, YOUR MOTHER. WHEN GUY WAS A YOUNG MAN HE WORKED
AND PAID FOR HIS OWN COLLEGE EDUCATION. A GIRL THAT HE LOVED,
PROVED FALSE, HE JOINED THE STANDING ARMY. I HEAR NO MORE OF
HIM OR HIS WHEREABOUTS.
(6) LEONARD NOYES AND WIFE, YANKEE PEOPLE
AND WELL TO DO FARMERS ADOPTED MY SISTER ELLA MAY. THEY SENT
HER TO SCHOOL AND SHE HAD EVERYTHING FOR BODILY COMFORT. ALSO
MR. NOYES'S HAD A DAUGHTER DELIA. SHE WAS JEALOUS OF MY SISTER
AND TREATED HER WITH CONTEMPT. SHE HAD A BROTHER Laverne WHO
WAS A GENIUS. HE BECAME ONE OF CHICAGO'S MULTIMILLIONAIRE'S.
GAVE FREELY OF HIS MONEY TO HIS WORKMEN AND DONATED LARGE SUMS
OF MONEY TO CHICAGO FOR THE BEAUTIFYING OF PARKS. OWNED
SPLENDED MARBLE FRONT HOUSES IN CHI. BUT WHEN HE DIED AND HIS
PROPERTY AND MONEY WAS DIVIDED NOT ONE CENT CAME TO HIS ADOPTED
SISTER ELLA MAY NOYES. THEY VERY THOTFULLY NEGLECTED SIGNING
THE ADOPTION PAPERS. SO MY SISTER WAS NOT A PARR, WAS NOT A
NOYES (IN WRITING).
(7) WHEN SHE BECAME A YOUNG WOMAN SHE TAUGHT
DISTRICT SCHOOL AND EARNED HER OWN LIVING. SHE WAS A GOOD
LOOKING GIRL, RATHER TALL AND IN GOOD FLESH. DARK BROWN EYES,
AUBURN HAIR, QUITE A ROSEY COLOR ON HER CHEEKS. WAS A GOOD
MIXER WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE WHO RAISED ME TOOK ME TO
SEE HER ONCE WHEN SHE WAS 13 YRS OLD. I WAS 11. WHEN I WAS 17
YRS OLD, SHE CAME FROM HER HOME AT NOYES'S (WHICH WAS ON A FARM
NORTHWEST OF SPRINGVILLE, IA ABOUT 3 MI) TO NEWTON, IA. WHERE I
LIVED AT THAT TIME.
ELLA WAS ENGAGED TO MARRY ISRAEL MASON IRISH
BUT THEY BROKE THE ENGAGEMENT AND SHE MARRIED AN ENGLISHMAN WHO
CAME FROM NEW YORK CITY WITH A LOT OF ORPHAN BOYS, WHO WERE
BROUGHT OUT HERE TO LINN CO TO FIND HOMES.. A MAN BY THE NAME
OF HORACE BROWN, RAISED HIM. MR BROWN WAS A WEALTHY FARMER, HAD
IN HIS HOME A WIFE (NO CHILDREN) A MOTHER AN AUNT, A NIECE, A
NEPHEW, AN OLD IRISHMAN WHO WAS (8) HANDYMAN, AND THE SOURSE OF A
LOT OF AMUSEMENT BY HIS EVER READY WITTY SPEACHES. HENRY DANKER
WAS THE ENGLISHMANS NAME. PAT ONCE SAID WHILE WE WERE VISITING
AT BROWNS, WELL MISTER BROWN AND HENRY & I CAN GO WEST AND RUN A
BIG RANCH. BROWN CAN DO THE HEAD WORK, DANKER CAN DO THE HAND
WORK & I CAN DO THE JUG WORK.
MR BROWN ONCE SOLD A FAT STEER & TOLD PAT TO
TAKE HIM TO HIS OWNER AND BRING BACK THE MONEY. HE TOOK THE
STEER TO THE RIGHT PLACE & HIMSELF TO A SALOON AND WHEN HE CAME
HOME MR BROWN SAID. HELLO! PAT, WHERE'S THE MONEY? PAT BEGAN
TO BLUBBER. AN SHURE, AN I WISHT THE DAMN STEER HAD DIED WHEN
HE WAS A CALF. THEY JUST LAUGHED AND FORGAVE HIM BECAUSE HE
WAS, OUTSIDE OF THAT ONE FAULT OF GETTING FULL, A GOOD FELLOW.
WHEN HENRY AND MY SISTER WERE MARRIED THEY
HAD VERY LITTLE MONEY. MR NOYES WAS PLANNING ON GIVING ELLA A
40 ACRE PIECE OF TIMBERLAND TO CLEAR OFF AND MAKE THEM A HOME.
(9) BUT MRS NOYES SAID IF ANY ONE GETS A DEED TO THAT LAND IT
WILL BE ME. HENRY'S RENTED LAND HERE IN LINN CO FOR AWHILE.
TWO BOYS WERE BORN HERE, FLOYD AND FAY. THEN THEY WENT TO
KANSAS, TOOK UP A CLAIM, PLANTED A PEACH ORCHARD. HAD NO CROP
OF AND KIND, GRASSHOPPERS CAME. HAD NOTHING TO FEED THEIR TEAM
BUT CORN. NOT MUCH TO EAT THEMSELVES, NOT EVEN SALT. ONE BOY
BORN WHILE OUT THERE.
CAME BACK TO IOWA STARTED WITH COVERED WAGON
AND THEIR LITTLE BUNCH OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS & CLOTHING NOT MUCH OF
THAT. THEIR HORSES WERE BOTH BLIND. ONE MARE HAD A COLT.
HENRY TRADED HER AND HER COLT FOR A LARGER BETTER HORSE WITH ONE
GOOD EYE. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE HOME PLACE WHERE ELLA WAS
RAISED, HENRY WAS SO SICK HE WENT TO BED AND ELLA WENT ACROSS
THE ROAD TO A NEIGHBORS AND SHE, TOO, WAS DOWN BEDFAST AND THEY
WERE SO POOR AND STARVED THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THEM IF I
HAD MET THEM ANY WHERE ELSE. AFTER AWHILE THEY WERE ABLE TO GO
TO SEE THEIR OLD ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS. WHO DID NOT SEEM
OVERYJOYED TO MEET THEM. |
