Eldon my brother in law

Eldon Morrison middle name of John I think, came into our lives about in 1936 when we finally got wired up for electric lights. He worked as an electrician for Gwen Davies whose father had a Jewelry store in town. Gwen had this electrical business as a main means of income I think and Eldon was a budding student I call it of those most wonderful invention which we know as electricity. We were one of the last to 'hook up' --it was a financial problem but it some became affordable.
Eldon was the chief electrician. It was different then with two wires on split knobs in the open. We had a drop light in each room with a 40 Watt bulb. I remember when I came home from school --still in grade school--we were to have a lighting ceremony with all of us present. We could hardly wait for it to get dark. The kerosene lamp was lit and in the middle of the room with it at its brightest setting. Everybody sorta had a countdown like a moon launch then someone pulled the string to turn on the 40 watt bulb. Immediately the kerosene lamp looked red and the 40 watt bulb almost blinded us. So now we were 'with it'.
On this particular day, I remember that finally the order to Sears came--my order for a stamp collection book. Eyler Elliott at school got all of us interested in collecting stamps and I begged Ma to get this blank stamp book for me. In this new light it looked so good.
Eldon noticed that we had a female person his age in our household and became infatuated. I think this went both ways. He made more visits to check on the job than was necessary I think so that he could visit with Ella my older sister. Ella was 3 years older than I am and eligible for courting. This went on to get 'thicker and thicker' which was a benefit to us because Eldon also became a radio repairman and enthusiast. He brought a used Radio out for us to 'try' which then required a long outside antenna and a ground wire to collect the radio signal energy which was at that time very weak and far away. At last we could hear from the outside world and especially the radio station in Canada--Calgary--I think the call letters were CFCN. It was the best listening of all because they had old time music and old time fiddlers playing and I learned a few hoe downs on the fiddle by listening to that station. The sad thing was that the station was so far away that the signal would die out and I'd miss a part I needed to learn to finish learning a hoedown. We listened all night at times.
On Sundays it was the dickens--because there would be preachers ranting about the end of the world is coming--one of them said it was to end in 1940 and I was really alarmed because I was too young to die. I wasn't enthralled with big band at that time. Then in the day time from a Tacoma station we'd all listen to soap box episodes. "Pretty Kitty Kelly" was one and some other tear jerkers."Our Gal Sunday".
So Eldon became a fixture in the family. Ella admonished us to be on our best behavior when Eldon was around--and to NOT cuss. Ever. But one time on a Sunday Eldon came and they were in the next room with the door shut. I was with Ma and some others in the kitchen and we were having a heated exchange over some thing when I let out a forbiden term! SHIT TOO!! and then I realized that Eldon could not have missed that for sure--the whole house was stilled and I was embarrassed beyond words so I left the house in my agony to try to recover--how will I ever explain that utterance away anyway? It was dark when I finally came back in in my deep remorse. But nothing was said about it so we lived after all---and a little at a time I found out that Eldon knew a lot more of those vulgar terms having been around hard nosed loggers most of his young days.
Once we got to talking about a little science and we mentioned what they call today as "Greenhouse gasses"---only we were talking about human caused gasses--. He told about his buddies at the logging camp wondered if a fart would actually explode. So one of them let his pants down and with a cigarette lighter farted into the flame and it DID explode--Kapow! so they learned without having a laboratory facts you couldn't learn in high school .
Speaking of high school, Eldon dropped out. He rued the day he told me many times and was a strong advocate of education. He said that he "couldn't get along witht the teachers" and I can understand him because I argued too with my teachers even though the book said I was wrong. By the way, Ella and Eldon paid for my high school pictures and Eldon loaned me his suit and tie. I even wore that suit on a date or two. The tight vest felt so dressy.
Eldon read voraciously and gained a lot more knowledge by reading than most of us. I remember he liked to have popcorn at his disposal and a book or magazine and his pipe too--in which he smoked a flavored Maple Rum tobacco. It was the only topbacco that Ella could stand. Now I am ahead of myself.
The romance went along and I don't know when the date was set or where was there a marriage performed but I doubt if it was in a church because Eldon didn't adhere to any organized church or religion--I might add here though that he was quite anti Catholic in later years but before that I heard him say that if he ever joined a church it would be the Catholic church because it was the original church. But later on he changed in that line of thinking and became a mason which was quite anti Catholic--once after he took his first degree, he showed me a blue mimeod copy of a document which was actually from the Library of Congress--exposing the oath of the Knights of Columbus--I was shocked ---how could that be? and later I learned that it was some of the dirty tricks to thwart Alfred Smith from being elected president---look it up to get the real story. The hoax was actually read into the congrssional records in a expose.
But there was much to be gained in a professional life by becoming a Mason--, Eldon told me he did it to be able to get a good job and that's true, My cousin did the same. Nuff about that.
So Life was tough for anyone in those days. Eldon started several businesses on his own. One in Roslyn --a repairshop. He asked me to draw a cartoon for an ad he might use for his ads. I did but it was never used. At those times in their early marriage Ella helped in the businesses. Eldon repaired his own cars too. I remember one was a 1940 8 cylinder Pontac. He had lots of different cars. One I wish I had today was a 1931 Chev cabriolet. His Dad, named John, had a 1937 Ford which Eldon borrowed to court Ella lots of times. Many times you didn't really know it was Eldon driving in the yard. One car was a 1928 chev coupe.
When TV came along Eldon was reading all he could and learning about this miracle. He started a business over in North Bend. We bought our first TV from Eldon and we had it in Grandview. It was a very weak signal area but it made me wonder what and how come there is a picture out of thin air so I took a course in TV and built one--I still have it--, See? Eldon was quite an influence on all of us.
Before Bonnie was born Ella and Eldon would visit every Sunday--Ella was lonesome I guess for the old home and Eldon told us tales and tales. He also loved guns and had a pistol--a Reising automatic .22 pistol which I admired . Once when he was gone and the gun was left at our place I fondled it and took out the clip. I couldn't put it back in --a spring jumped out of place--. My brothers got onto me and made it all worse. So I left the house in darkness and stayed in the snow ditch till Eldon came out looking for me--he asked, "What kind of a meany( some word like that) do you think I am?" and he said, "come on in, I fixed it--it has happened before." Then he asked, "Do you want that pistol?" and I replied that I surely did. "How much money do you have?" and I said "I have a total of $6.50". He said. "That's my price" and I gave him my nest egg and I still have that gun. It is now a collector and worth over $300.But I wont sell it ever--I promised.
Eldon also had other guns. One 410 shotgun with s slightly bent barrel to the left--and a Winchester model 70 which he had re barreled to a caliber of .270 from a 30-06. I shot a few deer with it. I wonder who inherited those guns now.
Eldon was one of those true entreprenuers. When TV came into being the market was good for TV sets. He also contrived a cable for TV into Roslyn and Ronald. Which later was to be come a sort of Bonanza for him He sold the cable and then was able to pursue a few of his dreams like a cabin in Canada and an Airplane which his family will remember without my telling about it.
Earlier among the endevours , Eldon somehow became acquainted with a bulb farmer--who had an acreage down in the Thorp area. They farmed and cross bred different bulbs. I think we have a few of those Iris plants here which we brought from my Mother's garden.
I know they wanted a family but that wasn't as easy to have as first thought. There was a miscarriage and I remember the alarm in our family and we drove right down to help. Daddy didn't take that news as hard as my Mother did.
I must back up and tell you about where Eldon was actually born. On your way to Cle Elum from Ellensburg there is an open area called Swauk prairie. Then to your right if you left the free way, still going toward Cle Elum you'd pass through a canyon which is named MORRISON CANYON . There are remnants still of the old home in the brush where Eldon was born. He had relatives which I never had a chance to meet who lived in the Thorp area.
Eldon was a great influence on the family. I must say he wasn't fond of my Dad though and my Dad wasn't all that fond of him but Daddy did know that Eldon was a smart man.