“My Life” by John A. Belcher

Matthew Belcher
4 min readDec 13, 2020

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I found this essay while going through some of my grandfather’s old things. He wrote it in 1928 when he was 15 years old. I tried to transcribe it but there were a few words I couldn’t make out which I have marked with a (?) in the text. There was no Chapter II — Matt

Chapter I

“I Begin Life”

It all started when I was born on June 25th, 1913. They named me John after my grandfather. Growing was slow, but fat (?). So when I was two years old, I had typhoid fever, which was almost the death of me. But as luck would have it, I begin to grow slow but sure.

When I was four years old my adventures begin. My brother and I, hearing that a bear was at Riverside Park, decided to go out to see it. We caught a car and proceeded to town. We then wondered what car to take next. About that time a big fat policeman came along and took us to the police station. The chief fed us marshmallows until my dad came and took us home.

When I was six I started to school which in my mind was a wonderful place, but a year told and I was miserable.

I believed in Santa Claus until Christmas 1922 when I saw my mother bring something home from town and put it in the closet. When she left the house I unlocked the closet and found a bright red scooter. Christmas morning I awoke and ran down the stairs and got my scooter and rode around the house but I found out that it wasn’t as much fun as it was to believe in Santa Claus.

Chapter III

“My ambition”

When I first began to take shop at grade school, I wanted to become a carpenter. Ever since that day I have built things and dreamed about the day I could build homes. I have also watched carpenters at work pounding one nail after the other into the beams. My first airplane model that I ever made out of solid wood looked more like a board with two smaller cross boards to represent wings. It could be called an airplane only by me. But my latest was in the late model airplane contest held at Jack (?) last June. It was entered by my brother to take the place of his which was unfinished.

I also made our dog and cat each a small house, helped my brother repair the garage, and many other things that will help me when I become a carpenter.

Chapter IV

“High School and my future”

I graduated from school no. 82 on June 12, 1928 and we had a fine commencement, but a small class of sixteen.

My first day at tech was a happy day because I was glad to be able to go to such a large and fine school. The job of finding my roll room was easy and my brother told me the room number and in which building it was. As soon as I knew my room number the work of finding my rooms began. I also found then early. The first week the work was easy, but as the days passed it became more difficult.

The first shop that I was put into was plumbing shop which I liked very much. The things we did most here was thread pipe, caulk a joint, cut (?) pipe, uncaulk a joint, and make a lead cup. My final grade was A+.

The next shop was sheet metal shop. The things we were supposed to make were a pan, book ends, sugar scoop, cookie cutters, which were made up of a spade, a heart, a club, and a diamond. Next was a tin cup which was very hard. We were also supposed to make a funnel but we did not have time because tomorrow we go into the cement shop. I received an A in my final grade in sheet metal shop. From the cement shop we go to the electric shop and from there to the carpentry shop and there to the paint shop.

I have signed up for two years of high school but if I like my course, I might take four years.

I have made no further plans for my future because things may happen in which they would be broken, so I will continue to live and let life make its own plans.

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