School and Brothers

I had started school at Cox Canyon in New Mexico and was in the third grade when we moved to Arizona. I found the school in Young to be much like the one in Cox Canyon except Young had at least two teachers and many more students. Our first school building there was an old dance hall- at least it was on Saturday night. There was one large room and when school was in session there was a teacher at each end of the room. Some of the pupils were eighteen and nineteen years old but had never learned to read so were forced by their parents to attend. I don't know how well they did academically but I know they were embarrassed to be with all the younger pupils.

Our next school building was an old store which had been converted to class rooms. That held the largest number of pupils I saw in my days in Young. There were four teachers and all of them were excellent instructors comparing favorably with teachers anywhere. I have often noted that the pupils in Young were socially divided by their means of getting to school. The most affluent rode horses. The less affluent rode donkeys and the "poor" kids walked. This was only partially true since the reason we rode horses was that it was too far to school for us to walk and we did not have any donkeys. However, when Ruth began to attend school we were forced to drive a buggy. Also during a few years we had transportation furnished by the School District. It was called a "School Conveyance" and consisted of an old stage coach driven by Claude Delbridge. That was good transportation but did not last long. Delbridge was replaced by Rufe Russell who hauled us in an iron tired wagon pulled by a pair of skinny horses. This was poor transportation and we were the butt of many jokes from our fellow pupils who called us "Hindus." That name caught on and there were many people who called Pleasant Valley "Hindu."

In my opinion, the quality of the school in Young was about what you wanted to make of it. For example, Floyd rebelled and refused to do any studying. He was a very quick learner and was not content to plod along patiently while some of the slower students learned their lessons. Victor had a different problem. He was a natural lefty and when he was trying to learn to write the teacher insisted that he use his right hand. As a result he did not write successfully and he hated the very thought of school. I had a more pleasant experience than either Floyd or Victor. I attempted to do what the teachers asked me to and found that they were pleased and were complimentary of my efforts. I think that attitude made all the difference. I enjoyed my school experience while my brothers hated theirs. I continued to stay in school while they got out as soon as possible.

I was fortunate in that I was able to work each summer after I got old enough to hold a job. The "Old Maids," Ola and Betty Young, kept a place open for me each year and I also worked for Orville Hazelwood who owned the ZT cattle ranch. The only thing I knew how to do was ranch work and fortunately that was what was available. Many of my friends joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, the C.C.C. but I wanted to be free to return to school each fall. Mr. Pinson, the local Forest Ranger, advised me in this matter and I have always been grateful for his advice. I earned about the same wage as the CCC boys, thirty dollars a month but I was free to come and go as I desired. My duties were many and varied. I did everything from doctoring screw worms to hoeing gardens to repairing fences. I also did regular cowboy work, herding, branding, marking, de-horning and castrating calves. When September came I was right back in school where I thought I belonged.

Floyd did ranch work very reluctantly. He just did not like it but there was no other employment available in Young. Dad sent him to high school in Globe. He stayed in the home of the Rice family and he and the Rice boys played hookey every school day so he failed all his subjects. Dad ordered him home where he stayed for a short time and then joined the Navy. This was in 1928 when there was a "Peace Time" Navy so it was very difficult to get promoted to a higher rating. However, he was a genius on anything mechanical and during his four-year hitch he worked up to Machinist Mate First Class and became very proficient on lathes and boring mills. At the same time he learned a great deal of mathematics. Most of his time was spent on the Navy repair ship, Medusa where the motto was, "we repair anything from a watch to a battle ship."

The Navy experience was really the only education Floyd received but that was enough to allow him to go as high as Assistant Plant Manager at Air Research during his working career.

Victor did ranch work very successfully and also did well in the cavalry during World War II where he became Master Sergeant. He served with the Mars Task Force in India and Burma. This Force was dropped by glider behind the Japanese lines in India and survived for eighteen months supplied only by air. His outfit was responsible for re-taking the Burma Road. Vic's handwriting improved but he never felt confident in any academic area. He spent some years at Air Research in Phoenix and was known as a very valuable employee.