Thursday, December 22, 2011

Christmas Shopping With Hilda ~ From Hilda's Scrapbook

Awake I have worried, fussed, fumed and planned.
Asleep, I have sought over sea and  land.
Wherever I went, when I told them the price,
Clerks would smile, show sympathy and try to be nice.

I have been at the Wasatch, The Progress, and Squires
I have looked at all things a human admires.
At Gunderson's, at Biddle's and over at Pete's, too,
I asked to see their goods, both old and new.

I went to Penney's and then to the Sanpete.
I am quite sure I visited all places on Main Street.
I roamed North and South, and up and down,
Almost decided to go to some other town.

At last discouraged and in despair,
I searched mail order catalogs from everywhere.
But whenever I saw an article I thought would do,
I found that aft their price, there was Uncle Sam's postage too.

I have seen radios, automobiles, blankets and mitts,
But darned if I could find anything for only two bits.
Today I decided on this present  plain and queer.
Here is wishing yo a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Monday, November 30, 2009

A MELLER DRAMER

Cast of Characters:


Deli Kate - - - a young lady

Harry Man - - - her lover

Tom blackheart - - - a villain

Merry Lee - - - the maid

Epic Reader



Props:

Curtains, chairs, rubber ball, water pitcher, paper, table, toy broom, flat iron, chair, cloth to wring, Cards: SUN, HORIZON, MOMENT, HOUR, Banana peel, Rope



Reader:


Our story is about a beautiful young girl named Deli Kate who has fallen in love with a handsome man named Harry Man. They loved each other deeply and looked forward to their wedding with joy. Alas---They did not reckon with the lovely lady's father. He had decided that his daughter should marry for money, and has arranged with Tom Blackheart, who is very rich, to marry Deli. Now Deli, as all lovely ladies do, decided that she would not marry the rich man and tells her father so. He has secretly arranged with Tom to kidnap her and carry her to his home. Tom has agreed to do this, and when our story opens he has been successful and she is a prisoner in his home.


Our stage is set---and the curtains are parted. (two persons carrying lace curtains for this) The sun slowly rises in the east. (Boy having card with word "Sun" slowly rises from his chair at the back of the stage.) The maid comes tearing up the stairs. (Tears up card and the word stairs written on it.) to prepare for the coming of her master, Tom Blackheart, who will be very angry if all is not as he desires. soon Tom comes bounding into the room (with rubber ball) for he has the beautiful Deli Kate as a prisoner, and he is going to make her his wife. He must attend to his business matters so that he may make some money to please her, so he seats himself at his desk and pours over his papers, (using a water pitcher).


At last his work is done and he may now enjoy the company of his lovely prisoner. He rings for the maid, (wrings a cloth), and when she comes, instructs her to tell deli to come to him at once. He loves her deeply, but she does not return his love. A moment passes. (person with the card "Moment" flits across the stage) and Deli comes sweeping into the room. (with toy broom). She is haughty and proud, but Tom again asks her to marry him. He will give her everything that money can buy. But no---she will not, for that would only bring her unhappiness. Then he becomes very angry and tells her that none other shall have her and she will hang in the tower at sunset. He stroms out of the room. (Lifts his coat collar and shivers.)


Oh sad world--- is there no hope for her? She sits at the table and weeps and weeps. She prays for her lover to come to her rescue. Oh, will no one come? She scans the HORIZON for help.., (person holds it up for her to look over). An HOUR slowly passes (person with card "HOUR" crosses with long delibverate steps.) It is almost time for the villain to return. Her doom is sealed and she weeps more bitterly. The villain returns---and she shrinks from him. No---she will have courage and she makes a lat appeal. (Takes banana peelings and holds it up to him). Once more she cries, "I appeal to you." But he storms, "your appeal is fruitless." (takes the banana peeling and throws it away. "You shall die at sunset." (Throws her from him. She falls to the floor.) Then he leaves her to her fate.


Suddenly, she hears a sound and listening, discovers that it is hoofbeats approaching the castle. Another "MOMENT" passes and her lover, Harry Man, comes dashing (dashing water from bucket) into the room. She is happy and her fears are over, for he will save her. (He takes her into his arms to comfort her.) He tenderly presses her hand. (With a flatiron) He tells her to have courage for all will be well with her now. He cautiously looks around and finds that the villain has gone. Then he leads her from the room (using a rope) and away from the house and the villain. Tom Blackheart is thwarted and our happy couple, liet us hope, will live happily ever after. Our story is finished and the curtains close. (Curtains close together)


Found in Hilda's Scrapbook

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Manti Pioneer Settlers Are Plagued By Rattlesnakes

Chief Walker and a band of Ute Indians appeared in Salt Lake City, June 14, 1849 and requested that Brigham Young send settlers to the Sanpitch Valley to teach the Indians to build houses and til the soil. On the following August 20th, Chief Walker and an exploring party reached the present site of Manti and were well entertained by the natives. Favorable conditions for settlement must have been evident, because on November 19, 1849, some fifty families under the spiritual leadership of Isaac Morley and Captain Nelson Higgings, made their camp on the north side of the creek bottom and began what was destined to become Manti City.

All was not so rosy as might at first seem possible. The following winter proved severe and the settlers lost 127 head of their cattle from a band of 240. The male population was forced to shovel snow into winrows to provide shelter for the cattle and to uncover the dry grass for them to eat. even the horns of the cattle were sharpened to enable them to break the snow crust and also as a better protection against the wolves.

The first warm days of spring brought a most unexpected and unwelcome party to the camp. Just after sunset on this memorable occasion, a weird hissing and rattling was evidently heard coming. It seems from all points at once and the very earth appeared to be writhing with spotted backed rattlesnakes which, to the horror of the pioneers were invading the quiet camp. They took quarters in their beds, cupboards and in every accessible place in these outlying domiciles. And among a less hardy band would have created a perfect chaos of confusion. The whole male population with pine tordches casting a lurid light upohn the wierd scene, began an extermination campaign, which resulted in nearly 500 rattlesnakes being killed the first night. Although the fight against the deadly serpents continued for several days, not a single person was bitten.

This article was written by Gerald Henrie for the Salt Lake Trubune in about 1922.
It is taken from Hilda's Scrapbook.