Chas. F. Foree, Comanche-co's well known and popular auctioneer, became reminiscent the other day when talking to a Star reporter, and revealed some of his boyhood experiences back in northeastern Missouri, which show that he, although now only 52 years of age, has had a lot of training in what is usually referred to as "Knockabout University." The place of his birth was near Williamstown, Mo. His father was a native of Kentucky, but while quite a young man he found his way to Missouri, where he helped to convert the fertile soil into good farms and early day homes. He moved from Missouri to Illinois, but finally located again in Missouri. He was married twice, and was the father of 17 children.

Charley recalls quite vividly his boyhood labors on the farm. He says that, as all of the boys were not needed at home, he had a chance to work away from home some. As a boy, 10 or 12 years of age, he helped neighbors many a day at raking hay, cording wood and other such work, and received for his labors for 20 to 25 cents per day.

Charley refers with degree of pride to his first suit of real good clothes. A neighbor offered him 50 cents per day if he would help him husk corn. Charley gladly accepted, and evidently did his work well, for the neighbor paid him 75 cents per day instead of 50 cents. After a few days work Charley drew his pay and with part of the money - about $3, he paid for what do you suppose? On sale in town were a lot of army overcoats, leave-overs for the Civil War of several years before. He picked out the largest coat he could find. His mother cut off the brass buttons and then ripped up the coat and colored the blue cloth a nice black. With that cloth she made Charley a full suit of clothes. Of course Charley was proud when that suit was finished and when he first put it on.

Charley says that he also bought a pair of shoes, paying something like $1.50 for them. He can also tell you from his own experiences something about planting corn by hand, hoeing, corn and many other slow and old fashioned ways of farming. But if you want to see Charley warm up to a subject ask him about that fine, all wool-and-a-yard-wide suit of clothes which cost him just $3.

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Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!