Good Old Days: The Cultivator

by Mildred Olson

1922-1923:

The two young girls, ages six and nine, loved to go to the farm with their papa. This day would be especially fun, as they would ride their favorite horse to the farm, and their mama had fixed them a super delicious lunch. They planned to be gone most of the day, as their father would be cultivating the beets.

Her papa sat on a seat behind them as they perched on a big bar that stretched from side to side. As preparation for their privilege to ride on the cultivator, they had been firmly cautioned to never, never put their fingers in the grooves of the lever that controlled the blades. Papa would push it forward to lift the blades and pull it back to lower them. At times, he would have to get off, walk to the back, and free the blades of weeds or large beet leaves. This time, as he did this, the youngest girl could not resist. She reached over and put three fingers into the grooves. They just fit.

“Don't pull the lever, papa,” she said. “I've got my fingers in the grooves.”

He didn't hear her and, climbing onto the seat, he gave a hefty pull.

Her screams could have been heard miles away. Smashed fingers and the top of the middle one, barely hanging on with a wee bit of skin, bleeding profusely.

Her papa wrapped the fingers as tightly as he could in a clean, white hanky, put her between him and her sister on the horse, then raced to town.

When they learned there was no doctor in town, having no time to waste, they rushed to their papa's close friend, Doc Allen. He wasn't a doctor. He was a druggist. He took one look, shook his head, and said, “Don't think I can save that finger, but I'll try.”

He put her on a stool and told her, “If you're a good girl, you can have that pretty chest and all of the prizes and candy in it. But you must sit still and not cry.”

Papa had been watching but, feeling a bit queasy, hurried outside. Her mama came in to watch the procedure. The scene made her sick and she hurried out. It was then that the oldest girl in the family stated she could watch. It took less than two minutes before she fainted and fell to the floor. Doc Allen then requested no more families allowed.

It took a while before they knew the finger had grown on and that the two smashed fingers almost looked normal.

Their papa never let them near the beet cultivator ever again.

In spite of all the cuts, gashes, and bruises, those were the good old days.

Addition: She got the fancy chest with everything in it.