Author: Ray

I love my little Clowns story, we are so fortunate to get together once again.  Enjoy.

Ray wishes his friends  and followers a Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year.

As seen by The Little Clown.

My story begins with my first Christmas—– A few days before December 25th, 1934.

My friends and I were waiting patiently in our box on the table in the dining room.

A freshly cut pine tree was standing in the front window, it too, was waiting to be decorated soon.

It was very, very quiet—– not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Then suddenly a man did appear,
dragging a chair, which he placed by the tree.
Up he climbed up and attached a beautiful spear.

Next he wrapped the tree with lights—- strings of garland and cotton snow,
a Santa hung high, the mushroom down low,
a little boy with a tall hat, a bear—— then me,
we all were hung on bouncy branches around the tree.

Tinsel was draped from branch to branch,
and with the slightest draft, every strand shimmered and danced .
All was quiet for the next day—-
but, we were excited to be out after a long stay.
Then into the house there rose such a clatter,
when what to my eyes should appear, but a miniature person crying and screaming as there was something the matter!
The man had returned with a beautiful lady carrying this noisy spoof.
This bundle of joy was born December 10th to Bill and Ruth.
Now the quiet was in shambles——- but no matter,
I will hang around in spite of the clatter.
For the next few days I watched the family hustle about doing Christmassy things,
Two large stockings and one small, were hung from hooks and rings.
Boughs of greens were placed around ——— the wonderful smells of Christmas were abound.
Santa came and went and left a present or two, It was rather skimpy around the tree—– you see,
because it was a Christmas during the Great Depression.
And William Raymond was Bill & Ruthy’s Christmas present.
On Christmas day, Nana and Gramps came bearing gifts .
It was all recorded on Baby’s First Christmas list.

Relatives, neighbors and friends were generous with a rattle or two.
I watched the gang dwindle to a few, and then knew— this day was nearly through.
I was soon to be put away for another year—– along with the others, including the spear.
This routine has been going on for many-a-year——— It has been 88 times that  I’m out and free—-and now, the 89 th,
to be hung on a pretty Christmas tree,
I really don’t know how many more times I’ll last,
you see I’m delicate—- I’m only made of delicate glass!
But I’m feeling sure—– I’ll see my family once more,
and that will be in another year, so I’ll see you then, along with Santa and his reindeer.

 

Well I made it  through all eighty nine   (now 90)  protected on a shelf far above the floor.
I’ll be out again to see 90 ,  this time , not on a pine tree green, but in a special, safe place for me to be seen.
I’ll only be out a week, lets say,  and being  in  the company of Carol and Ray.
Pluto will be very near, as he is my younger friend, best and dear!
I don’t mind being put away for such a long time, cause the next time I’m out, again,  I’ll be fine.
Merry Christmas to all hanging around, I hope you have a friend like Pluto, my best-est  friend, just an old glass hound!

Pluto is my younger friend,
we’ll hang together to the end.
Clowning around is fun.
Good by for now——- I’ve gotta run.
The Little Clown.

My caretakers takers;
Bill & Ruth Freden , about 30 years.
Ray & Carol Freden ,  62 years.

“Christmas isn’t a season It’s a feeling” – Edna Ferber

You may also like;

The Days Before Christmas

W.Ray Freden
Seaview/ Marshfield, MA. 70 years.
”Down East” Maine 17 years.

In the 1940’s Scituate was a popular shopping spot for my parents, Mom grocery shopped at the A&P and  maintained  their  meats were the best.

Across the street was an Italian delicatessen with wheels of the best cheese. Mom would buy a wedge of Romano for grating on her pasta— Oh how good my Mom’s pasta sauce was–Oh-Yes– My wife’s sauce is good too!
Welch’s Hardware Store was toward the northerly  end of Front St. where my Dad always found everything he needed.

Welch’s, Front St. Scituate MA.
A centrally located Movie House, ”The Satuit Playhouse” provided the weekly news and memorable movies like ”Lassie Come Home”, Dumbo, Bambi, Pinocchio, Snow White——- Alice in Wonderland—- those movies have touch me to this day.

The Satuit Playhouse looking down the ally from Front St.

Not far westerly out First Parish Rd. or  Beaver Dam Rd. and off Branch St. was the Thomas Lawson Estate, a campus including a fountain within a common, a church, school, a wood tower covering the town water tank, Lawson had done to cover the ugly steel tank.

The Lawson Tower.

Driving through this immense  estate was certainly a ”Dreamwold” , as Thomas Lawson named it.  Much of the estate could be observed from the public roads surrounding the compound.
This day in the late summer of 1941, to my surprise, my Dad turned off Branch St. onto a dirt road into the Lawson compound. There were barns connected by tall wooden fences with big doors between the barns.

The home and  map of Thomas Lawson’s ”Dreamwold Estate”

The buildings within the dots contained Bill Chases Farm.
The lower dots border Branch St.  Lawson’s estate ” the nest” is on the right. The upper left is the Egypt Railroad station. Race track to the right.

Noises of all sorts were coming from behind the fences, My Dad parked the car and said ”lets go”, Mom declined, I took his hand and  we went through a doorway in the fence.  OMG! ,the monkeys were going crazy— screaming and bouncing all over their cage– there must have been 50 of them—along with monkey noises were tropical birds–parrots— way more than I can remember!
A call from my Dad– Bill!—Bill! — you around? If Mr. Chase didn’t hear — I could understand.  A turn around the corner of the barn revealed Bill Chase, wild animal keeper, then the ”Hi Bill’s” , hand shaking and ”how the hell are ya’s”!

It was evident that the Bill’s knew each other for some time– I never did find out!
As they chatted–more like screaming  at each other–over the noises,
I tried to take it all in, rubbernecking in all directions!
As I settled down,and  looking off to cages with big cats, A THUNDERING -TRUMPETING-SCREAM – louder than a train whistle- sent me many feet into the air!!  I don’t remember if I saw the Earth’s curvature—-when I landed — both Bill’s were laughing—THAT WAS NOT FUNNY!
Mr Chase told Dad he didn’t have much time, he was meeting a client looking at a big cat.  We got to see the ”Big Cat” a Leopard, a rather tame Leopard, I was about three feet from it, and long enough to get my fill of smell !  In fact, the stay was long enough to not only smell,  but burn your eyes!   Being the summer of 1941, there was never another visit to this farm.
WW ll  saw to that!

”Bill” Chase, far right.  Location of photo unknown.This article was published in the BILLBOARD NEWSPAPER,  1955.

 

Halifax, Mass., July 30. 1955

Chase Wild Animal Farm a landmark in Egypt Massachusetts for 20 years, opened recently in this new location with three times the area and a bigger operation for plant and stock.
Zoning laws and the growing need for expansion has been a problem for years for Charles P. Chase, “Bill”. Last spring he found a spot on Route 106, Plymouth St. in this town.
Since space permits, many of the animals will be allowed to roam within the confines of natural settings. In Egypt they were confined to cages due to the limited space.

The Animals included are, Elephants, Zebras, many types of Deer,Leopards, Llama’s, various spices of Monkeys, Tropical birds & Waterfowl.

Chase has set the admission at 50¢ for adults & 25¢ for muppetts.

This classified ad was placed in the Billboard newspaper, August 14, 1943.

African Lion, $ 40,000.
African Leopard, $ 100,000.
Lima, $200.,Emu, $200., Paca, $20., Coopers Hawk, $75.
Wildcat, $25., Blue Fox, $25.
Hampster, $1., Parakeets, $ 5. @ pr.
Tame Ringtail Monkey, $500., Boa Constrictor, $4.00 @ foot.
Black Raccoons,$ 10., De-scented Skunks, $7.50.,
Otter, $50.
Chase Wild Animal Farm.

A pendant available from the new farm in Halifax.

More reading;
https://cranberrycountymagazine.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-chase-wild-animal-farm-mystery.html

As I look back on my visits to Bill Chase’s Wild Animal Farm I was one lucky youngster, in spite of that Thundering Trumpeting Scream that scared me into space!

“WILD ANIMALS are less WILD and more human than many humans of this world” — Munia Khan.

 

A note from a Farm neighbor;

Andrea ,

 

W. Ray Freden
Seaview, Marshfield MA, 70 years.
Pembroke, Maine, 15 years.