Saturday 15th August 2009 – Only for Tax Purposes

Having done the library and courthouse work, I went back to Glasgow for another look. Well, a first look, really, since the last time I looked somewhere else. And it isn't there. There are a few houses dotted about, particularly where the railroad depot was, but that's all.

..........It being Saturday, there were a couple of people in the yard (that's American for garden). I asked them if they knew where they lived, which they must have thought was odd, but I didn't want to lead them into saying anything particular. I got a variety of answers: "Glasglow (sic) Edition"; "Farm Edition"; and "Farmer".

When I prompted them, they knew it was "Glasgow": "Oh yes, that's what it says on the tax bills". So "Glasgow" only exists for tax purposes.

But a bit of it was built. And it's still there. The tram stop was built (actually, they all say "trolley" or "street car").

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(It's much too substantial to be a shelter, so it must have been an electric sub-station)

So it was a 'rapid transit' system. It ran from Cedar Falls, through Waterloo, and up to Waverley. They thought it was called "CF&W Northern", but they weren't absolutely sure.

The oldest inhabitant, whose family has farmed the area for generations, remembered travelling on the trolley. He thought everyone called the place "Farmer", but he couldn't remember whether it said that on the station or not. He remembered that there was a store, and an ice house.

So this Glasgow was another railway invention which never made it. Which is a pity, because it would have been very popular now. One of the people I talked to worked in Waverley, and his wife worked in Waterloo. If the trolley had survived, some developer would have made a killing, with it being already platted.

But it was not to be.

.

The oldest inhabitant told me where Mount Vernon Cemetery was; told me where to find his gravestone. I was a bit taken aback, but the invitation was irresistible. So I went and looked at his grave. The stone has only one date on it, so it is possible to fault his planning just a little. I've been to one or two cemeteries on this trip. I've seen stones with only one date on them quite a few times. I'd always assumed that it was never finished, for some reason. But now I know better.

..........He didn't think there were any Glasgows in the cemetery, but he was wrong: there were a whole set of them. But the names and dates suggested they were not related to the one who first settled where his house is. When he talked about this, he mentioned another cemetery nearby where he said there was quite a fancy monument to "the pioneer", by which he meant the original settler. So maybe those would-be developers in 1902 called it "Glasgow" in honour of the 'pioneer'. Perhaps that was the proper thing to do.

..........

Later that night, in downtown Waterloo, I heard the barman ask a young lady "would you like a tongue in your panties?" I was a little taken aback: it sounded overly frank, even for young persons.

.........."I hope you wouldn't ask grown-up ladies that", I said.

.........."Why not?" he said,.

.........."Well, you wouldn't have to ask, would you?"

..........It turned out to be the name of a cocktail. But I guess you were way ahead of me.