INTRODUCTION

THE stories on these pages are all true. They may be "dressed up" a bit, but are, nevertheless, more or less authentic. The names are also true to life except where otherwise stated.

In these stories I meet again old friends and neighbors, and wish to warmly and lovingly greet those dear, old friends, school mates, chums, and perhaps child sweethearts who, like me, have become "full of years" and bent with the burdens of life.

Many of these dear old friends have long since "gone to their reward." The remaining ones are scattered far. I believe that none of those mentioned in these sketches remain on High Prairie. Amongst the youngsters who grew up there there were several school teachers, at least two ministers, one social worker, two Salvation Army workers, two nurses, and many farmers.

Memory calls up the following names, with stories which might have been told. Some of them are:

The seven Berry boys, with their sister, Mary, and her husband. Park Plummer; Jim, Lee and Ernest Putman and their sisters, Lettie, Fannie and Pearl; the Rothrock family, Dwight, Perry, Maurice, Horace, Blanche, Cora and Edith; Bill and Sam Courtney; the Cheyne family; the Penningtons; the Pitmans and Jimmie Hinnell; Jim Siefert; the Varkers; the Parshalls; the David Clark family; also the Joel Clarks, and Uncle Jason dark; the Bostons; the French family; Jim Lindsey; N. B. Brooks and his wife Rose; the Bridgefarmers; the Victor Kormil family, Doc Lee, his wife and children; the VanVactor family; Eli Copeland who became Lola's husband.

And I am told that Chief Justice Douglas, at one time, lived in Klickitat County, and had roamed over the hills of High Prairie. Whether our High Prairie is the same High Prairie he roamed over, I do not know.