Stories of New Ipswich
New Ipswich Historical Society
A Facebook Post by Patricia Kangas Ktistes
Well, dear readers, she's at it again.
Another tale from our intrepid correspondent in West Rupert, Vermont, LINDA DICKER MONTAGUE, a New Ipswich native, musing on the topic of
BAD BOYS AND GIRLS
WARNING: The stories you are about to read are true. Most of the names of the guilty and the innocent, perhaps not too innocent, have been omitted or disguised.
This is New Ipswich Dragnet!
Yes, some of us brats should have been netted and dragged to the woodshed for a backside swatting with a leather belt.
Of course, I was basically a little angel when a youngster, though at times had my lapses from sainthood. One early memory involved me being left alone in a living room where I found a box of mixed chocolates. I started sampling the sweets, taking one bite each of a quantity of them, until finding a suitable one. The rejected candies were returned to their respective places in the box. Amazingly, I did not get punished for the caper. Instead, laughter was the reaction of our hostess and Mom, who treated the incident with good humor.
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When in Mrs. Shea's second-grade classroom at Central School, I had two rubber squeaky mice, one red and the other green. We kids were lined up at the door, ready to board the buses. I took great exception to Bobby Cole calling me a "green rat.” As he deserved it, I punched him. Mrs. Shea was not pleased as I caused Bobby to cry. “What a sissy!” I thought. Now Bobby and I really were friends and would catch frogs together in the brook near his Appleton Road home.
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The Central School playground would have certain puddles during a rain. After one such storm, we were spinning rapidly on the merry-go-round. A classmate fell off into a large puddle. The teacher on playground duty, Miss Persis J. Battis, allowed her to be dismissed for the day to return to her village home. Shortly afterwards, I flew off the rapidly whirling pleasure ride. Miss Battis thought that I had contrived the stunt to be sent home as well. Instead, my wet dress was placed on the radiator to dry out and I shamefully had to wear another girl's gym clothes.
Once in a while the boys and I would fight. We pelted each other with snowballs, rocks, and acorns with sharp points. Those acorns sure did sting when hurled against bare arms.
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One summer night we girls [in a certain corner of New Ipswich's “Finn District”] decided to escape to Pratt Pond for a late swim. The eldest of us was behind the wheel of a very early 1950's Pontiac Chieftain. It had a splendid Indian figurine decorating the nose of hood and once was owned by her late grandfather. I guess she had a driver's license, but when you are stealing a car, who cares?
So by our strength [girl power], with several of us pushing the vehicle, we got it to roll down the hill. Our driver jump-started it on the deserted road, and it came to life quietly. The rest of us climbed in. Then it was "Get 'em up, Scout,” Tonto's command when he prepared to ride with The Lone Ranger. And now with Chieftain Pontiac in the lead, we were on our way for a swim!
When we returned to the driveway, the house was still dark. Perhaps our outing had gone undetected? I am aware that there is a reader out there of Life in New Ipswich who was present on this nocturnal excursion. Her father, who was watchful, may have noticed at least our return to the driveway. Let us hope that he slept soundly that night.
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A very naughty Greenville boy, a few years my elder, enticed a girlfriend and me for a motorboat ride on Pratt Pond. I was 15 that summer. He started off with speed, then slowed down when we were in open water. Surprised I was when he pulled down my bathing-suit top. This guy seemed very proud of himself, though I was indignant. Fortunately my friend was with me, otherwise this fellow could have tried to spirit me off to a remote and unknown location. If that had been the case, I would have dived overboard and been swimming as fast as a barracuda, heading for the shore. Some nerve he had…
James Roger diary entries
23rd October 1912 (Wednesday)
Wet day, wind mostly east NE & SE. Mild temperature. David at Spofford’s fixing apples which he took to depot in afternoon and bought a set of buggy harness. I fixed carrots and beets and put them down cellar. Also hall lamps for men’s meeting tonight. Got letters from Alice and Hamish who is coming some day this week. The Mason’s installation postponed until 25th as rain prevented members from attending.