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Carl Volpp

February 1966

Before his mother's death, Carl lived with her on the old homestead. One night, after they had retired, a knock came on the door and when Carl answered it he found a stranger on the steps. The man explained that he was from Sidney and had run out of gas. In answer to Carl's questions, he couldn't even say for sure which way he had come, but when Carl asked if he had come through Richey the man said he had so Carl figured he could find the truck and assured him he would help him.

They went to the shed where he kept his gas barrels and were getting some gasoline when four or five horsemen rode into the yard. Quickly the stranger reminded him, "It's Halloween." It was too late to step back out of sight into the shadows because they had already been seen by the horsemen so Carl went forward and greeted them.

It was a group of young men from the neighborhood, and they asked Carl to join them for some 'Halloweening'. Carl was willing, but he explained about the stranger's plight and told them he would have to take him and some gasoline back to his truck. They told him to go ahead and they'd wait for him until he got back; they'd even catch up his horse and have it saddled for him.

Carl delivered the stranger, and when he returned he found the fellows, all lined up like little Sunday School boys, waiting for him, and his horse saddled, ready to go. They went, but details of the next few hours are lacking.

Next morning Carl started to do his chores and went first to turn on the windmill. It wouldn't turn on. Investigating, he found the wheel and the tail tied together. He began searching about for the ladder that he kept nearby and finally found it - tied to the top of the windmill, just under the wheel.

If he spent time and effort getting that prank undone, it was nothing to what lay ahead of him. He had been cleaning barn the day before and had left the first load in the manure spreader instead of emptying it yet that afternoon. Now he found that his pals (!!) had removed the wheels from the spreader leaving the box on the ground for him. He had to unload the load from the spreader, with much stress and straining, replace the wheels, then throw the load back on again. With friends like that who needs enemies!

 

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