MARBLES
Marbles, just what in the World could be a good memory and story about plain old
marbles? They’re round, smooth, pretty and easily rolled across the floor, so what more
is there about marbles?
My Uncle Ralph is nine years older than I so it was always easy to look up to my Uncle for
a number of reasons.
Earlier in life little was realized between us as shared interests. But now, with him at age
82 and I being 73, we have shared memories that bring us closer remembering episodes
of past days.
One day I asked Uncle Ralph, “How about you and I going to Red Fork so that we can
reminisce about memories of events we have from our different days growing up?” He
agreed to the idea.
When the day came for our “trip of memories”, I anticipated having a good day with this
Uncle of mine. My anticipation was rewarded several times over, but only one event will
be presented in this story.
With me driving, we visited several areas in Red Fork that encouraged recalled memories.
As each memory was spoken of we added details of history for each location we visited.
Frequently we understood that, though we grew up a decade apart, there indeed were
common threads woven through our lives. However, the following experience wasn’t
anticipated at all. Once told, there seemed to be something spiritual about the initial
event and what was soon to happen this day and others to follow as a result.
Parked in front of his old homestead, Ralph said, “Oh no, someone cut down the old tree
that has the marbles in the trunk!” “Marbles, in the trunk? What do you mean?” was my
immediate question.
Ralph’s answer opened the story, “When Jim (Ralph’s 14 month older brother) and I were
young, your Uncle Jim made a cannon out of a short, small diameter pipe with a cap that
screwed on the pipe’s end and the cap had a hole in its end. He mounted the pipe on a 4
inch wide by 8 inch long piece of wood by bending nails over the pipe. Jim would place a
TNT type firecracker in the pipe, thread the fuse through the cap’s hole, screw the cap on,
pack newspaper down the pipe, drop a marble into the pipe, aim it at that tree, light the
fuse, then “BOOM,” the marble was in that tree trunk!”
That was 75 years ago and this Uncle of mine was now “pumped” when he spoke of that
memory. “Wonder if those marbles are still in that tree?” was the question to himself as
he looked down at the tree.
Looking up, Ralph and I saw a black car pull up beside us with a couple inside. The driver
asked, “Are you…?” “No”, we said almost in unison. Ralph continued, “I lived in that
house and that fallen tree is a memory to me” The driver then said, “Well, we hired
someone to haul off that trunk and I thought you were them.”
From my truck’s passenger seat Ralph told the driver the shorter version of the above
story. Immediately, the driver said, “So, that’s where those marbles came from!” He
continued, “I would frequently hit a marble as I cut into that tree with my chain saw; they
would fly, or drop out of that tree.” Hearing those words, Ralph adjusted himself and
with a bit louder voice asked, “Do you have any of those marbles?” “I think so, but don’t
remember where they are!” was the answer.
After leaving the location in front of that fallen tree, Ralph said, “I wish I had just one of
those marbles.” An opportunity was just then provided to me to, hopefully, make this
Uncle of mine “one happy Dude!”
Just after 5 o’clock the next day I was knocking on the door of the home where the tree
trunk had laid. No answer, but while walking back to my car, I noticed the same black car
seen the day before turn into the driveway. My business card was in my outstretched
hand while asking, “Do you remember my Uncle inquiring yesterday about the marbles?”
“Yes, I do!” she said. We talked more about the personal story and how much one of
those retrieved marbles would mean to my Uncle Ralph. She indicated that an effort
would be made to find at least one marble and, if found, I would receive a phone call. I
drove home with the hope that this important link would connect each part of this story
and become another joy in Ralph’s and my life.
The next week I received that important phone call and was told that not one marble
was found, but that five were found. Arrangements were made for us to meet with
Sammy and Jamie to receive the five marbles. This caring and lovely couple had placed
the marbles in a jeweler’s box with a ribbon on top. Doing that, they exhibited emotions
toward this one episode in the history of my two Uncles that is highly appreciation by me,
but especially, by my Uncle Ralph. Since my Uncle Jim is now captured in the growing
state of Alzheimer’s disease, it is my Uncle Ralph’s hope that there will be an opportunity
for Jim to be in the best state of mind to view the marbles and remember that event,
happening seventy five years ago, of shooting marbles in the tree.