339 – Modern Times

Mark Jarvis

In 1910, the Cheney’s house didn’t have an indoor toilet. There were chamber pots in the bedrooms, and there was an outhouse.

Candles and oil lamps provided light. Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves supplied heat.

In spring 1910, the Cheneys remodeled and modernized their house. It would have all the modern conveniences.

Built-in closets, as we know them today, were not common in 1910. Homes often featured armoires or wardrobes for clothing storage.

While some homes had running cold water, running hot water was still a significant luxury. Many homes still relied on heating water on the stove. The Cheneys would now have a hot water tap.

Gypsum didn’t yet have a municipal water system. The Cheneys had an elevated water tank, probably fed from a water well and powered by a windmill.

The modern, low-tank flush toilet was becoming standard around 1910, replacing earlier models with high tanks that were pulled by a chain.

In 1910, only about 10% of all U.S. homes had electricity. The Cheney’s would wire the house for electric lights, even though they had no electric service. In the fall of 1910, the voters of Gypsum elected to buy the existing privately-owned lighting plant. Let there be light!

I don’t know the address of the Cheney house. It’s on Maple Street in the south part of town. On this 1903 map, there are only five houses on South Maple. I’m guessing that it might be the house on the corner of Eighth Street and South Maple.

Map – Gypsum, Kansas – 1903 – excerpt

E.R. and Ida Cheney

Ida continued to teach grades 3 and 4 in Gypsum grade school. She became more involved in civic organizations. Ida hosted meetings for the Embroidery Club and the Home Culture Club. She became an officer in Eastern Star, and was involved in Sunday School.

She joined E.R. by attending school functions. E.R. Cheney was director of the school board, so was invited to most school functions.

Rollo, Ned, and Fred

For the 1909/1910 school year, Rollo Cheney was a junior. Ned was a sophomore. Fred was in 8th grade.

All three boys were on school basketball teams; Rollo and Ned on high school team and Fred on 8th grade team.

Ned Cheney and friends found ways to have adventures. Ned had a lifelong love for the outdoors.

Ned and Rollo participated in a Possum Feast.

J.W. Cheney to Austria

Dr. J.W. (Will) Cheney, E.R.’s brother, was a doctor in Kingman, Kansas, a small town forty miles west of Wichita. He made the decision in 1910 to go to Vienna, Austria for a year for advanced medical studies.

On Will’s return, he would become an Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist (EENT) in Wichita. His specialization would have an impact on Ned Cheney, who would intern with his uncle J.W. in the future.

A pipe dream

E.R. Cheney must have enjoyed smoking a pipe. Here’s a story where he received two pipes as gifts, one from Austria and one from England.

As I read this story, I had a rush of childhood memories. E.R.’s son Ned also loved smoking a pipe. Ned was my grandfather.

As a child, I loved the smell of pipe tobacco in Ned’s study. There were lots of pipes and humidors of sweet smelling stuff.

The shelves were filled with anatomy books with tantalizing pictures of naked human bodies. On a high bookshelf, just out of reach, was a human skull that we named George.

The study was dark. It was a rather small room. If the lamp wasn’t turned on, it was a bit spooky. But as a child, I found it exotic.

Country Doctor

The automobile had changed the timeline for the doctor and patient. In many cases, timely treatment affected the patient’s prognosis. For example, when a rattlesnake bit Sam Clarke, early treatment may have saved the patient.

But even with the automobile, the doctor’s travels weren’t without weather and road hazards.

Timeline

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