Wolsey (on highway 281)
Wolsey Author Writes Books to Retain History of Family
written by Roger Kasa for PAYDAY
Jack Price of Wolsey wanted his family to have a record of the family history. So, he has written two books which detail the early days of the Price family including the time they lived in Hitchcock.
One book, entitled, "Wild Horse Country in Wyoming," has a chapter which tells about his father, Jake, who was a horse trader.
This particular chapter relates to the family's days in South Dakota. He states that when his father came back with his covered wagon, after being on the road for several weeks, "we kids always got to raid his wagon and eat up the goodies he happened to have left. The two most popular items were peanut butter and Fig Newton cookies."
The first time Price traveled with his father "was a big day in my life."
"He had nicknamed me Jack the Horse Trader before I can remember and I always wanted to go with him trading horses," he writes. He was told that when he got big enough he could accompany his father.
When that day finally arrived, Price writes: "As we pulled out of the yard there was a feeling within me of having attained one goal in life, sort of graduation from being a little kid. As I sat upon the seat of the wagon, which was called the fee rack, alongside of my Dad and looked back at my cousin, Melvin Ball, who was driving the team of white mules hitched to the covered wagon, I knew this would be an adventure never to be forgotten."
At the time, the Price family was living on a farm on the east bank of the James River. The chapter relates the experiences of the trip including the building of a fire in the evening to keep mosquitoes away. His father also shared with Price and his brothers, Chuck, Don and Short, popcorn which did much to keep their minds off any insects.
The first stop was at the farm of Henry Albrecht's where Price's father and Henry sat for hours talking about the neighbors, the weather and the crops, but nothing about horse-trading.
Finally, Jake Price asked Henry if he had noticed the big bay gelding they had. He's a good honest horse, he'd make a good (to be continued)