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Show Remembering The Old Btfl. Watering Trough By BERTHA L. MUIR Today I am remembering an old watering trough which was located on the corner of 2nd South and Main Street. As I remember it, it was made of wood and was long enough for four horses or more to drink from it. THE WATER must have come from a spring because it flowed from a pipe at the east end of the trough and as I remember it, the water was never turned off. It must have been well drained, because the water did not run over to cause a muddy wet area around the long wooden, two foot deep trough. People enjoyed the clear water from the tap and animals from the trough, dogs, horses and cows. THE school children from the Central School later known as Stoker and located where the present Stoker School stands, carried water from the spring in shiney tin water pails. They were sent in pairs, two girls or two boys. It was indeed a happy experience when it was one's turn to fetch the pail of water. We would wash the bucket and dipper real well then fill the bucket as full as we could to carry it. You may know we lingered at the old trough as long as possible to enjoy the freedom from school. I remember one person who went with me many times. That was Amy Fernley Brown. She had come with her family from England. She told me many stories of England as we walked along with our water pail and dipper. I imagine we all contracted many communicable diseases all drinking from the same pail of water and the dipper which went back into the pail after each child had a drink. But some of us survived, just as we did from drinking of the sacramental water in the old white church which stood on the square near the old water trough. THE WATER was passed from one to another in silver mugs with handles on each side. It was hard to find a spot on the mug that we thought no one had touched. Many of the men wore mustaches and after they sipped the water they wiped their mustaches with the back of their hands. Some of us survived that too. WATER has always been valuable in our community. The early settlers used the water from irrigation ditches. Then they discovered flowing wells and deep wells from which water was drawn with a wooden bucket. Later many people had windmills. It was a sight to see. The mill wheels turn all over the town whenever a breeze blew that was strong enough to turn them. PEOPLE shared water with each other. I remember Sylvia Syl-via Harrison's family, the Paces, had a wonderful well from which my family could get cold, cold water to drink. One day my new pink sun bonnet was blown from my head into the Pace's well. We all tried to get it into the bucket to save it, but it sank to the bottom of the well. We took watering turns each week to keep the gardens gar-dens growing. Most people were kind and would turn the water into the main ditch when their turn was over. THE NEXT person would be ready with hoe and shovel to get the precious water on his garden. But there were some who would not and the next one to use the water had to walk up the ditch to remove the mud and gunny sack dam. Sometimes neighbors fought over the water with hoe and shovel. I remember one tragic death which resulted from one of these feuds. But most people along the ditch line were kind and honest. IT IS little wonder that the water meant so much to people. It meant death to their garden if watering turns were missed. This meant a loss of fruit and vegetables for immediate use and for winter storage. Tickets designating the time each turn should be taken, were issued by the water master. Many times a watering turn had to be taken at all hours of the night. An alarm clock was set and no turn was ever missed. The water was so necessary for our livelihood. WE USED the water also to flood our lawns, flower gardens gar-dens and shrubs. The children loved to splash around in their bare feet in the ditches. Sometimes the lawns would get as dry as dead grass if we didn't get rain. But usually in August we would get a soaking rain and the lawns would become green again. We kept our flowers and shrubs alive by carrying out all the bath water and any water without too much soap in it. THE CITY piped the water from the canyon streams down the various streets. At intervals a water box with a hinged lid on it was located. From this we could carry . water to our homes. I remember my father and brothers filling a washer, boiler and two tubs and the reservoir on the old stove so that my mother could wash on Monday. ON EACH day of the week in those days special things were done; wash on Monday, ironing on Tuesday, mending and baking on Wednesday, ' sew clothes on Thursday,"1 clean the house on Friday, cook and get clothes ready for Sunday. No washing, ironing or cleaning were ever done in our mother's home on Sunday. Sun-day. Relatives came out from Salt Lake on the "Old Dummy" to spend a pleasant day in the cool shade and eat a good meal at Uncle John's and Aunt Bertha's. WATER was and is so important im-portant to all of us and as we trace its supply from the old spring and the watering trough, to the deep well, the water hauled in barrels burned out to keep the water pure, the water box, the creek water, the canal, the windmill and the water piped to our doors by the city. We have learned the value tof water in our lives. In those early days we did not waste water. It was used sparingly because in many cases it had to be supplied by carrying it in buckets, hauling it in barrels, pumping or in pulling it with a pulley from deep wells. NOW, oh happy day we have the Weber Basin water. Our town is kept blooming and green by just the turning of a tap. But even with this abundance of water, so easily provided, we should never waste water. It is our very life, blm |