Dixie and Sukie
New Ipswich Historical Society
Marion Davis Audio-Tape Transcriptions
Sometime before her death in 1986, Marion Davis recorded her memories at the encouragement of her brother, Walter Buck. The recordings were transcribed by a secretary.
The Friends of Wapack have made these available to the Historical Society. Marion was born on February 8, 1894 in Fitchburg, MA.
Dixie dies and Marion has an accident
Dolly was a kicker, oh, she was an everlasting kicker at certain times of the year. Finally Frank had a chance to sell her to an RFD carrier in East Jaffrey. He thought the world of her. He said she was a dandy horse. Well I guess she was as long as she was alone in a stall. Dixie and Sukie would work together but they were better driving horses than the other two. Dixie and Sukie were out plowing one day and Dixie just keeled over dead; her heart gave out. She had been windbroken for quite some time; that is after she would work a little while you would hear her wheeze, and it is probably what wore her out. I felt pretty bad over that because I loved Dixie. Old Sukie lived on to be 36 years old.
The last time we ever hitched her [Sukie] up Frank called up from Middletown "Would you come up and meet me?" I'm starting down home afoot". Well, it's better than 3 miles from town to home so I hitched Sukie into the Concord buggy to go to meet him. I hitched Sukie into the Concord buggy and set out. As we went along the road to Gibson Corner, Sukie stepped on a rolling stone, somersaulted right under the buggy, and I ended up in the ditch. By the time I was on my feet and was trying to get her out of the shafts, I had unharnessed some of her. She lay perfectly quiet, obeying my continued warnings to "Be still"... Frank came along just then and he did manage to get her up. The seemed none the worse for it all, but I had a more or less permanent reminder of the affair: a good lame hip; must have struck a rock with my hip, and I know it injured cartilage there. It bothered me for a number of years: sleeping was impossible unless I put pressure on this hip. Also I found my hat in the ditch where my head had rammed it so hard that it was imbedded in the sand.
As I have said, Sukie seemed all right. She had had her accident so quickly that the bit even broke in her mouth. But Frank had her by now entirely away from the harness and buggy, and standing easily. The best part was she showed no ill effects; in fact, she was dancing about, ready for whatever was next. Frank put the bridle on her, turned the buggy around, hitched her into it, and we went for home...Hoorah! boys! She traveled!! Sukie was thirty-three at this time, and we decided that had better be her last trip. from then on, she had a box stall in the barn when necessary and would be put into the pasture across the road during the summer. Ruth, a little tot then, would go over, have someone open the gate, and then lead Sukie into the barn. It was a pathetic sight---that contrast: the little girl leading the old, old horse---so old she could not hold her head up any more. Her head, as a matter of fact, was now on a level with small Ruth's shoulder. Before this, Sukie had never seemed to like children, but now she sensed that Ruth was looking out for her.
Photo Archives
Cocktail hour with the Barrett family
James Roger diary entry
11th December 1912
Frost and fair; wind southwest. David & Daniel fixing up at the Fox place. I did a little in the Hall for Grange tomorrow; also watered cattle, etc. Gave cabbage to hens and went to the Mail. C. Knowlton sawed wood for the Hall. I paid telephone bill; also the Pilgrim Press account of $.46. Got letter from Mrs. Hersey with payment of her cemetery lot.
What a scene that would have been to see little Ruth leading old Sukie back to the barn. The lion shall lie down with the lamb and a little child shall lead them.