Once back in about 1938 as we were playing "ball"in the Rothermels School yard, someone made a good hit and sent the ball flying along the third- baseline into the left field. Our "ball diamond", though was skewed and left field extended into the Hebe-to-Klingerstown public road. It so happened that just as the ball hit the berm of the road and bounced, Allen Rothermel came driving by with his old International farm truck, with the side curtains rolled up. As was his habit, he was going along at only about 15 mph hunched over the steering wheel steering with his forearms, and not paying much attention to us playing in the schoolyard. The ball bounced into the truck, then made a few more bounces, but it stayed in the truck and was carried away. Several children immediately started running after the truck shouting, "Stop! Stop!"Finally as the truck was passsing Andy Schwalm's barn, Millard Boyer who was also riding in the truck, heard the shouting and asked Allen to stop. Millard then got the ball and threw it back. Then the children got into an argument about about how that "home run"should be scored. I don't remember how it ended. Written by Dr. John A. Romberger |
