Co pyright , 192 1 THE STANDARD P UBLISHING CO MP ANY 5 3 5M T ' E M P 13 um ' w vfi hnston MY ON e e . o 0 S , G org E J , Who s e rved thru the World War as First Lieutenant in THE UNITE D n Who r S TAT E S AIR SERV I CE , a d e turned home from ove rse as a living m lifi tion the c e es of war exe p ca of ru lti , the injustice of r e publics f or sacrifice s volunteere d and freely given at the , — first call to arms and to his de parte d en and e - office r en C fri d f llow , H ry lay n who e the e e sac Thompso , gav supr m rifice at the time and place my son e ce e n e nd o e r iv d his i juri s , a Wh s body now re sts in a charming little church e n he N Sea in yard ov rlooki g t orth , — farthest northern England this little narrative of American life is affection n e ately a d reverently dedicat d . CONTENTS FORE WORD HAPTE R I C . SOMETHING THAT LEADS UP TO AND E XPLAINS A TE R CH P II . TH E BEGINNING OF MAIN STREET AND THE IN “ ” “ ” TRODUCTION OF SKINNY AND GEORGE 23 A TE R CH P III . ’ HEN BROUOH LER S BLAOKSM ITH S RAG HOP, “ ” “ ” CARPETS AND SPEAKER AND HONEY BANKS A TE R IV CH P . C V R SUR JOHNNY POWELL, BU KWHEAT ENDE , PRISES HIS WIFE A TE R CH P V . SPLINTERS C O NT E NT S A TE R I CH P V . PAGE THE V - BELLS OF GREENDALE , THE GRA E DIGGER , AND THE TOWN PAINTER AND BAND ROOM 55 7 A CH PTE R VII . C AN ITOR R D C V CHUR H J , AILROAD ETE TI E “ ” AND TH E HAUNTED HOUSE CHAPTE R VIII . S M R I S LOP A SHALL , B LLPOSTER TUMP, ET A E R CH PT IX . THE C C JUSTI E OF THE PEA E , THE BAKER AND — RETIRE D FARMER TH E TOWN S QUARE AND A FEW E CCENTRIC CITIZENS A E R CH PT X. — TH E BIGGEST N OSE IN GREENDALE MARCUS ’ CA-N DEE L — D , THE AWYER BROWN S RUG A STORE AND DOC NAWALT . A TE R XI CH P . SURVE YE R CLARKE WAR DEN AND THOMAS BAR C . LAY, THE BANKER A TE R CH P XII . TH E S S - S TATION TORE , COURT HOUSE QUARE AND NICKNAMES 6 C O NT E NT S A TE R CH P XIII . PAGE THE OLD S C M C B ONGS, POLITI AL AR HING CLU S W - AND JOHN ELLS , HORSE TRADER AND OTHERS A TE R CH P XIV . THE - V COURT HOUSE , THE GRA ESTONE CUTTERS “ ” THE LAL LAP AL OOSA AL , ET A TE R CH P XV . S CA S B S EAT OF THE POLITI L PELL INDERS, TUT ” JOE T E S E W TERING , THE OWN DITOR AND J ISH CLOTHIER A TE R CH P XVI . ’ L C S L—JIM E B A K HOTE GRE N, HOTEL PORTER — — TH E GAMBLERS MINSTREL BAND THE AB — — SENT MINDED MINISTER DE AFY MILLS AND THE SCOTCH PEDDLER A TE R CH P XVII . HONEY FLY HAYNES . A TE R CH P XVIII . TH E O - C RGAN GRINDER, THE FANTASTI PARADES S S OIL THE TREET FAKIRS , AND TRAP C O NT E NT S APTE R CH XIX . PAGE ASHES ON THE SLIDE—PIKE POLE—AMOS KELLY AND NATHANIEL D ICKE N H OOP E R A TE R CH P XX . THE L K ANDLORD OF THE ETTERING HOUSE , THE S K - C A L ZZ K CAI NA E HARMER, UNT I IE IN D AND THE HORSE A TE R CH P XXI . ? L VI ~ K T S B BLIND E ENDALL , THE OWN CON TA LE , - C T A THE PRINTING OFFI E, THE OWN RTIST JIM S V C D V AND IL IS , THE HA K RI ER E CHAPT R XXII . —“ A MELLOW AND AFFABLE CROWD BUMBLE ” —“ ” BEE LEWI S IODINE JOE AND HUGH ARTLAY D C , THE PUMP O TOR CHAPTE R XXIII ' TH E ME N A S KE P P E R OF GREENDALE, AND MO THE SPIRITUAL IST E CHAPT R XXIV . — THE OPEN COUNTRY PILLARS IN TH E CHURCH — — TH E TOWN BOOTMAKER CEMETERY HILL AND THE TOWN TRAGEDY 8 C O NT E NT S A TE R CH P XXV . PAGE L E — R LE W C V M S . HENRY , THE O OMOTI E NGINEER ’ — MON E GAN S SHANTY THE RAIL ROAD WRECK — ’ BAIR S MILL AND BEGGARLOOTS A E CH PT R XXVI . TH E FIRST REGRETS OF THE DAY TH E OLD —“J ‘ ” HOME AND MOTHER TH E HOME - COMING THE OLD SWIMMING- HOLE P OEMS i SAD V e W c R le . PER ERSITY , Jam s hit omb y M M n TH E R TO Y . OAD ESTERDAY , Will aupi A R S . e EAL WIMMING, Edgar Gu st T e HE D C G . S . A E ISION , ppl garth TH E PLAYMATES OF YES TERDAY H K T E V D C H c e . e S . e ILLAGE O TOR , ora ll r THE LD M M n O S . ONGS , Will aupi HE IT San nc c e n “ FOUND , Fra is o Bull ti WE H AT A W O S . TAY HOME , Edgar ’ IN A FRIENDLY SORT 0 WAY A T H E S ene SHES ON LIDE , Eug AN D M E ene CHILD OTH R , Eug ene e CONTENTMENT , Eug Fi ld 1 0 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE ' Fr ntis t ece The Old Sycamore . F o p ’ Welty s Wate ring- trough 25 ’ Taylor s Ice - pon d 28 ’ Henry Brouchle r s Blacksmith Shop 34 Levi Brouchl e r 36 39 Fultie 40 ” Sp e ake r and Honey Banks 41 45 Splinte rs 49 53 Bells 56 P assing C emete ry 59 Ground-hog 59 ’ Fligge rs Stone Wall 61 65 Frank Strong 66 Skillet Bre ake r Maynes 67 ” Slop Marshall 71 John Martin Luthe r Stump 73 Doctor Towne 74 11 ILLUST R A T IO NS Jim Biggs Tommy Gill P e g- l e gge d Johnny Quinn Corporal Hock B en Mye rs Alex Trimble John M cQuaid Jame s P orter Kinard Billy Mc Quaid Gypsy Jim Wells Edwin Boice An Dr . awalt Railway Station Leap Frog ” B e ardy S eward Just Whiske rs Lallap aloosa Fur Coat Laughing Joe Mc Clain Baltimore Twist Editor of Tribune Editor of Argus 12 ILLUST RAT IO NS Inmate of County Home S on of an Honorable Bill Hix on Chee se - cutter Mills Traine d B e ar Amos Kelly Kettering House Landlord Dutch Liz Doctor Moyer Jim Silvis Bumblebee Lewis Iodine Joe Sexton Trux well D e af y Stimp Old Home The Old Swimming - hole FO REWO RD inte rpre tative of th e e ve ry- day life of th e m com on pe ople . To have publishe d this story of My ” Own Main Stre e t at an e arli e r day might have b e e n a bre ach of trust and de corum . The e of h O e e e e t rms trust , I p , hav b n nolle d the by limitation . Many of char a cte r s e e the e of e nam d hav paid d bt natur , b e th e e e and , if any living, long, tim int r v enin ha s hO e e e g , I p , blurr d any asp rity the e e or de scriptions may s m to contain, that the y could hardly obj e ct to SO remote e a re fe renc to them . 16 A ERV E RS TY ' S D P I . en e bo ee e Wh but a littl y , it s m d My d earest rapture r an In nc e e en e e fa y v r, wh I dr am d — I was a Man a M an ' — N ow sad p erversity ' My th eme Of e e rar st , pur st joy I en in nc e e s wh , fa y bl st , I dr am I am a Little Boy ' ' From the Biographi c al E dition of the Complete Works o f J c R 1 9 1 3 . U c ames Whit omb iley . Copyright , sed by the spe ial of -M B . permission the publishers , the obbs errill Company 1 7 E CHAPT R I. SO METH I N G THAT LEADS UP T O AN D E XP I N S TH I N E LA S O ME G LSE . i s u e f or the - ERE no vol m city bre d . H e neve r knows what youth may H e e . e e e e m an afi ld must , p rforc , hav miss e d in life the wonde r of re al boyhood the the e in outdoors , unconscious d light of knowing e ve ry one and e ve ry corne r e e of v ry back lot .