Excerpts from Interview with Don Meikle about His Father

Excerpts about John Henry Meikle from an Interview with His Son Don Meikle (Interview by Ted Meikle, on January 2, 1980)

View or Download Source:

PDF Document

Ted: Tell about what your dad did here as Justice of the Peace and some of that stuff.

Dad: Well, as I remember of Dad being the Judge here in town, I can remember he was Judge one time, oh, I don't know, for ten or twelve years. And then Mother complained about it; she didn't like people coming to the house. The cop instead of giving a ticket--I don't know if they could even write a ticket out then--they would always catch them and bring them up to the Judge. They'd bring them right up there and he would--they would go in the front room then--we called it the parlor--and fine them or give them a talkin' to or whatever. Usually it was just a talkin' to. I don't think they fined anybody an awful lot of money or put them in jail long, because they would have to feed them. But I can remember that Dad the first time he was Judge that it was fifteen dollars a month he got, or every two or three months. It was not very much money. But I know he was Judge, and then he quit it, and then they come after him, oh, in two or three years. They couldn't get anybody to do it I guess or--anyway they come after Dad and he was Judge again for, oh, eight or ten years.

They had a court house and they had a jail. The courthouse was a little red brick building and the jailhouse was white brick about ten by ten. I guess they'd lock people up in it but I can't remember that. The jailhouse was built down by the canal above the old U.I.C. depot and so was the courthouse. But as far as me knowing what went on when Dad was Judge, why, us kids was just kept out of the room when somebody would come up to see him.

Ted: Either you or Keith told me about the time they caught a bunch of kids in the pool hall, and took them up to see the Judge. In fact, I think one of your brothers was one of them. Was that Keith that told me that or was that you?

Dad: No, they used to catch Keith or Jack in the Pool Hall, it seemed like, every week! I can remember they caught Keith in there--I think it was either Keith or Jack--I think it was Keith, though. I don't know whether Dad was Judge then. But they was going to fine him, and Dad said, "Well, if you do, why, then I will do something with the man that runs the place, because they knew Keith wasn't of age." He said "You shouldn't fine the kids. You should fine the person that runs the Pool Hall." I can remember Dad putting up a fuss over it, and anyway, they didn't fine him.

Dad was pretty well up on the law, as far as the laws went then. In fact, I have heard Aunt Amy and several of them comment that Dad should have been a lawyer instead of a farmer. He'd have made a good lawyer.

Ted: You told a story about an attorney that came up from Logan, and he put him in his place.

Dad: Ya, I can't remember who told me that--whether it was Dad or who it was. This attorney came up to defend somebody, and he just kept a laughing at these little hick town courts. Dad let him go for a few minutes. Then he told him that if he made one more crack or one more comment, or disturbed the court one more time, he would lock him up. He says "I'll lock you up in that jail and I will leave you there until we have court again." He says he made a believer out of this attorney. I can't remember whether it was Dad that told me that story, or who it was who told me how he straightened this attorney out, this attorney laughing about these little hick town courts.

Ted: Aunt Mary said they used to take Grandpa Hines in the car and take him down to Logan. Did you ever go with your parents to Logan in the car with your grandad or anything like that?

Dad: Not very often. Kids, it seemed like in them times was supposed to be seen and not heard, and stay home. I can remember going for peaches a time or two, driving over to Brigham City for peaches. I know they took Grandad for rides. Often Dad would. Dad was real good to him. He always went over and cut his hair. He would always say, "Well, I've got to go over and shear Father." He always cut his hair and kept him trimmed up good--and cut his beard. I can never remember, but I know they took him for rides quite often in the old Model T, but I can't remember going along with them.