The Saga of Johny Jergeson meets Uncle Tip

A holograph account by Bob Painter · Scottsbluff, Nebraska · May 19, 2016

Transcribed from the two-page manuscript. Original spelling, punctuation, and paragraphing retained.

In the spring of 1937 (I think if I remember correctly) Uncle Tip came home to the ranch in Harding County (the old Milet place) from Jamestown College for the summer break.

That previous winter he had been State Handball Champion in North Dakota.

Uncle Bill Cranston met him at the train depot in Bowman North Dakota to take him home to the ranch.

They decided to have a few beers in preparation to go to the ranch. As they were enjoying their beer, Johnny Jergeson began to make fun of Uncle Tip. Tip tried to ignore him, which made Johnny think Uncle Tip was afraid of him.

Johnny said he was going to give Uncle Tip a good licking.

Uncle Tip said don’t do it in here lets go outside into the alley as he wanted plenty of room for giving him the whipping.

Johnny had stolen our Aunt Helen’s saddle horse the previous summer. Uncle Tip had spent several days looking for the horse, the evidence indicated that Johnny had stolen the horse was why he couldn’t find it.

Aunt Helen used the horse to ride to her school teaching job in the winter session of school.

Uncle Tip said to Johnny, you aren’t worth much so I am not even going to make a fist. His hands were toughened up from playing handball, so he just started slaping Johnny in the face as fast as he could hit him. Johnny was never able to lay a hand on Uncle Tip.

When he got done slaping him Johnnys face looked like it had gone through a meat grinder.

The last time I saw Uncle Tip in Missoula, he didn’t want to talk about the story. He said he wanted people to forget about it.

If whoever reads this, wants to forget it, fine, but I will never forget it, as I cherish the memory of it. It is an exampel of what Uncle Tip could do.

By Bob Painter at Scottsbluff Nebraska

May 19th, 2016.

By way of interest, Johnny brought his cattle to the neighbors for summer pasture. I found out his plans at school and told my mother Marion Cranston Painter about the plan for Johnnys cattle.

She said “Oh Johnny Jergeson” but didn’t elaborate any further. I am sure she told our dad Preston about it when I wasn’t around.

Because of her knowledge of Johnnys past, I am sure there was a thorough discussion held when I wasn’t listening.

 

Transcription Note

Method.  Diplomatic transcription. The writer’s spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraph breaks are reproduced as written. Nothing has been corrected or modernized.

Original spellings retained.  “Johny” in the title against “Johnny” throughout the body; “slaping” for slapping (twice); “exampel” for example; “their was” for there was; “Johnnys” without the apostrophe (twice). Apostrophes have been supplied only where the writer clearly formed them.

Uncertain reading.  “the old Milet place” — the surname is written small and could be read Milet, Millet, or Mielet. A local land record or plat for Harding County would settle it.

Places.  Harding County is in the northwest corner of South Dakota; Bowman, North Dakota lies just across the state line to the north, which is consistent with meeting a westbound train there and driving south to the ranch. Jamestown College is in Jamestown, North Dakota. Missoula is in Montana.

People named.  Uncle Tip — Tip Melby. Uncle Bill Cranston. Aunt Helen, a schoolteacher who rode the stolen horse to her winter school. Marion Cranston Painter, the writer’s mother. Preston Painter, the writer’s father. Johnny Jergeson.

Provenance.  Two-page holograph, undated as to composition beyond the writer’s own dateline of May 19, 2016. Written at Scottsbluff, Nebraska, recalling events of the spring of 1937, which the writer himself qualifies with “I think if I remember correctly.” A recollection set down at a remove of roughly seventy-nine years, and to be weighed as such.

Note on the account.  The writer records that Tip Melby himself did not want the story told and “wanted people to forget about it.” That wish is part of the record and is preserved here alongside the account.