Jim’s Journey – March 26, 2015

— a recollection of a journey through time throughout Western Clinton County 1934 – present day as told by James Hedgeland to Tracy Embick.

During the summer months of my youth our lives were filled with all kinds of play. First was marbles. Ben Benshaw was one of the best – he cleaned me out a few times. It was easy to play – we all carried marbles around in our pockets, wherever we were we would make a ring in the dirt and start a game. The number of players didn’t matter, we could have two rings if more wanted to join in.

I talk a lot about being a boy growing up around Renovo and what we did. I would gladly talk about what the girls did too, but I don’t know much about what they did – swimming comes to mind.

Among other things boys did was camping in the backyard and along the river. We did a lot of hiking and exploring the mountains and areas around Renovo. I spent a lot of younger years at Clyde Werts farm in West Renovo. We hiked all over the mountains, swam in the river and played at Jesse Hall Park. I have my name scratched in the post of the pavilion up there.

We played in the barn, went on picnics. Roy Werts liked to build cars out of clay and put toothpicks in the body to hold the wheels. He then put them in the sun to get hard and dry. He taught me how to do it and it was a lot of fun.

Now I want to tell you about an accident I had. One day I was headed to West Renovo to play with the Werts brothers, I was riding my bicycle, past Hap Weaver’s house, this is what people tell me – I don’t remember it. Tom Curran was driving a Plymouth car – a coupe. Tom couldn’t see me in time to avoid hitting me. I don’t know how far I flew but anyway I hit my head on a guard post. Tom got out of his car and started to wipe the blood off my wound on my head. I had a pretty good gash in my head. He said I was trying to talk, but when he picked up my head, there was nothing. He thought I died right there.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the Renovo hospital. I heard my mother ask me if I knew where I was, and I said no. She told me what happened, they kept me in the hospital a few days – then they discharged me with my head all wrapped up. A man in South Renovo that fixed bicycles fixed mine all up. It looked pretty good. To this day I don’t remember heading up the road to West Renovo that day. Things happen don’t they?

Us boys liked to play baseball where piper aircraft was. One day during the summer I remember a circus came to South Renovo. I was all excited. This was the first time I ever heard about a circus. I remember there were three monkeys, a tiger and a lion – and the elephants of course. I remember there were two sideshows. But I didn’t have enough money to see them. I wanted to see the parade and the acts under the big top anyway. I remember the elephants passed right by me; they were huge and made me a little weary. I never had seen an animal as big as that.

A young boy about my age took care of the baby elephant. He had two toes grown together on the foot, never seen anything like that either. Before long someone asked me if I knew a place they could take the elephants to get in the water, they led them down to the river. They sprayed water all over themselves. I thought it was pretty neat. I bought my mother a colored ice drink and it was green. I headed home with it to the green, by the time I got there all that was left was green water.

That was my first time seeing the circus. What a memory.