Reed & Stapleton Family Stories
By William C. Reed, 2000
By William C. Reed, 2000
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From Journal Pages 14 & 15:
"Up the stream a short distance HARVEY STAPLETON, his wife ROSE ANN [STAPLETON] and a son and daughter, almost grown, lived in a tenant house on this same farm. Mother owned a small and a large spinning wheel and a large wooden loom on which she spun and wove cloth for the family clothing and other purposes. She was expert at both spining and weaving. In some way, probably by borrowing, Mrs. STAPLETON got possession of either Mother's loom or of a sleigh belonging to the loom - sister MELISSA [BRICKEY] says it was a sleigh. Any way, Mother wanted whatever it was and Mrs. STAPLETON had put off returning it under one excuse or another and had become insolent to Mother about it. One morning Mother asked Father and JACK [MASON] and MORGAN [BRICKEY] to go with her to get the loom, or sleigh, and said she was going to have it if she had to take it by force. MELISSA [BRICKEY] says that Mother said "she was 'going to have it or have blood." I saw them go and remember I asked to go but Mother said no. Whether they knew that Mr. STAPLETON was away from home that morning I do not know, but he was. When they knocked at the door, they were admitted. Mother told Mrs. STAPLETON she had come for her loom, or sleigh, and Mrs. STAPLETON said she couldn't have it as she had a piece in the loom and couldn't give it up till it was finished. Mother asked that the piece be taken out and Mrs. STAPLETON said no, so Mother called on the boys to help and began to clear the loom of warp and cloth. Mrs. STAPLETON resisted and struck Mother, so she then seized Mrs. STAPLETON's head against something which cut a place in her forehead. Getting loose, Mrs. STAPLETON picked up the family axe and with her hair down and blood running down into her eyes till she could scarcely see, she charged forward and ran against Father who had taken no part in the affair. In a loud voice he called out, "Whur air you a-gwi with that axe?". Mrs. STAPLETON whirled away from him and put down the axe and the matter soon subsided. The boys helped Mother cut the thread and so freed the loom, or sleigh - or both - and they brought it home. There was considerable discussion in our house over this affair - both then and until long afterward. The STAPLETON's had Father and Mother in the local Magistrate's Court but the case was soon settled and our families became friends again, after a fashion. There was an old lady (a Mrs. MARY HALL), some relation to the STAPLETON's - who visited them and at time came to our house with Mrs. STAPLETON. This lady would tell many stories about people and things - some of them Mother considered as untruthful - but when she so indicated, the lady backed up her tall stories by turning to Mrs. STAPLETON and saying, "Ain't it so, Rose Ann?". and Mrs. STAPLETON would answer, "Yes," in a very weak squeaky voice. This became a saying over the years in our famiy when someone told a doubtul story, someone would say,"Ain't it so, Rose Ann?". Submitted by Kay Mason KLMPIANO@aol.com on Apr 22, 2000 |
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