THE EARLY YEARS

To the best of my recollection, we lived in Pampa and Borger, Texas, in 1959. We left Gainesville early one morning after packing up the car. Mama and Dutch were in the front while Luann and I were in the backseat. The floor of the car was filled with our clothes so we had a bed to sleep on. All of our household goods were put in a trailer we rented and hauled with us.

When we got there, all I remember about this house was that there was a large dry creek or big ditch running in the back of the yard. I had really big rocks in it and I don't believe I was allowed to go there.

Borger was remarkable because of the carbon black plant that covered everything in fine black soot. Everywhere you went, you saw everything covered with this soot. I can't believe that anyone could ever get their house clean with this environment let alone their lungs.

The only other memory of Borger was trying to walk on Butch's stilts, and not succeeding. He had gotten (or made, or stole) some stilts and was walking around on them in the area in front of the house. I was watching him and wondering if I could do that. Once he let me on the stilts, I got really afraid of the height (must have been at least 10 inches off of the ground). I think I fell and wasn't a very successful giant.