Showman Doyle Longsdorf ~ Pioneer of the Month ~ June 2011

MEMORIES of Showman Doyle Longsdorf (1857 – 1935)

I, Showman Doyle Longsdorff, was born in Churchtown,. Pa. April 12, 1857. My parents were Augustus Emanuel Longsdorff, born July 7, 1834, died, January 21, 1898, aged 64 years; and Catherine Elizabeth Wonderly' (Wundelich) born February 18,1829, died August 13, 1907, aged 68 years. Of my father’s family I have very little record. My grandfather, Michael Longsdorff and my grandmother, Mary Hannon Longsdorff, lived in Churahtown Pa. My grandfather at one time owned a great many acres of rich farm and timber land in the eastern part of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and at one time he was sheriff of the county. I have heard my mother tell that at that time there was a law that everything, even a baby’s cradle, could be sold for debt.

Through grandfather’s generosity while serving as sheriff and by signing notes for people, he lost practically all, and. very 1ittle was left for the family. He donated to the city of Kingston, Pennsylvania the plot of ground used for their cemetery.

My father had a brother Dr. Adam G. Longsdorff of Wichita, Kansas. Prior to locating there,

he had served as a state senator in' Maryland There was Showman Doyle Longsdorf

also a. brother Harmon who moved to Ohio and one George

of Pennsylvania. A sister Elizabeth whom we called Aunt Betsey who married Jacob Kline and lived in Camp Rill Pennsylvania; and Aunt Louise, whose first husband was named Doyle for whom I was named. After his death

she married Josiah Helligas, who served as a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature 1856-1858, from Montgomery County, Pa..and there was a sister Mary L. Cook also of Pennsylvania.

The name Wonderly is derived from Wunderlich and earliest records of this name are found in the records of Kotelen, Germany in 1848. One Hans Wunderlich, who had his name translated into French, calling himself Mervieleus. Some of his descendants continued to use this translation while others resumed the name of Wunderlich.. Johannes Wunderlich, my great, great, great, great grandfather, was born in 1700, died in 1760. His wife, Anna Barbara Densler, my great, great, great, great grandmother, was born in 1702 and died in 1765. Records from then on are published in a volume called, “Genealogy of the Wunderlich Family in America" This record shows that members of this family held many important positions of trust in Germany, France, Switzerland, and America..

My parents had ten children.
They were:
Showman Doyle Longsdorf Born April 12, 1857

Died January 9, 1935

Ella Louise Longsdorff Born Deoember 4, 1858

Died January 29, 1931

Michael Herbert Longsdorff Born August 30, Died 1860

Emma Jane Longsdorff Born July 19, Died1863

Flora May Longsdorff Born November 17, Died 1865

Berties Lerene Longsdorff Born Apri1 28, 1868

George Wonderly Longsdorff Born December 3, 1870
Died March 22, 1873

Elizabeth Bell Longsdorff Born July 3, 1873

William Landen Longsdorff Born July 13, 1876

Alice Longsdorff Born March 12, 1879

Died April 8, 1879

As I was the first child, they undoubtedly thought me a wonder and I was named in honor of the family's minister ------ Showman , and an uncle, Doyle. As I was very young I had not any say in the matter.

My father was a shoemaker by trade; then being a shoemaker meant a maker of shoes, as most all boots and shoes were hand-made. In those days, factory-made shoes were very few. Father was a real artist in his line and took real pride in turning out fine work. He received $20.00 a pair for boots. One of his customers was Captain Addison Moore who had married our cousin, Elizabeth Kline, a daughter of Aunt Betsey. The last pair of boots he made for the Captain was in 1886, just before he left Pennsylvania for Kansas.

Although father worked steadily and fast, be could hardly support his large family. I remember when I was four or five years old I contracted a very severe case of smallpox, my face and hands were solid scabs. I remember people coming to the window and looking at me. There was at that time a photo taken of me showing the horrible condition I was in. I had contracted the disease from my father who had had it in a mild form. He in turn had contracted it from a corpse whom he prepared for burial.

I remember my father as being strict, expecting the children to be respectful and obedient. We could sometimes work mother, but when father told us to do a thing we did it. When we were at play on the street and he wanted us, he would give a shrill whistle, and believe me we would immediately go to him

I remember every night my mother would gather her children to her and we would kneel about her knees and say our prayers. It is something I often think about. During the rebellion (Civil War) my father, although not called to serve, was drafted, and as my mother was unable to care for her brood, the children were sent to relatives. Emma went to live with Aunt Louise Helligas, Ella to live with Uncle Strauck and I with grandfather Wunderlich. Michael Herbert was the baby at that time.

My grandparents were very religious and lived their religion. They would not allow any work whatever to be done on Sunday. .Al1 preparation for that day was made on Saturday. Every day we held a prayer in the morning. Blessing at noon and singing of hymns or reading from the Bible at night. On Sunday we would attend Sunday School, then a sermon, home for dinner and to feed the stock and back to church again for evening service. Every Wednesday night we attended prayer meeting. We never beard an oath or a smutty word at his house

After three or four years I returned home, but E11a and Emma stayed with the Aunts until they were married. Ella married Harry Gardner who for years was a carpenter instructor in the Carlyle Indian School. Emma married his brother, Ben Gardner, who held some church positions. I remember a while after I came home, Herbert and I decided we wanted to visit with Emma at Aunt Louise's, a distance of about ten miles. One Saturday, we rode there with a market team; after we arrived Aunt Louise was scolding about something, and it struck us we were not very welcome. Although; we had intended to stay over Sunday, we hoofed it back home very early in the morning. Oar father thought this a big joke and .made a great deal of sport of it.

As we were a large family, it was necessary for us to get out and hustle as soon as we could. I had very little schooling, As soon as I was through with one job, someone else was there with another. I was about twelve years old when I got my first steady job. I worked for Will Loose on his farm, living with his family. My wages were turned into our family. I get out of it a suit of clothes a year and in the late summer I wore cotton trousers made by my mother and I went barefoot until mighty near winter. Father was too busy making shoes for others to make shoes far his children.

When I was about 19 years old, my uncle, Dr. Adam J. Longsdorff, who was visiting in Pennsylvania, asked me how I would like to go west and work on his farm and that suited me. I went to Wichita and worked there for several years. Soon after I arrived my uncle took me to a play featuring "Belle Golden". I was 19 years old and it was the first show I had ever attended. I 1aughed so heartily that the audience laughed at me instead of the play, but it, being the first I had ever seen, it naturally was the funniest. I remember we burned a great deal of corn there on the farm for fuel because it was cheaper and handier than getting coal. At that time, it was eighteen cents a bushel.

My uncle did not seem to have much use for General George B. McClellihan. He claimed he could have ended the Civil War sooner had he cared, yet I remember my father, who belonged to the Drum and Fife Corps, had marched and paraded for McClellihan when he ran for President of’ the United States and was defeated by Abraham Lincoln -- so that was just the difference of opinion. My uncle bad a good practice. I remember during the Scarlet Fever epidemic he had fifty or more cases and it kept him going day end night. One night a call came for him and I beard him say to Aunt Maggie, "Tell them I just can't go," but after a while he said no, I had better go; I know the younger Dr.'s won't so I must." He then hitched up his two little ponies and drove away in his especially made light buggy. Sometimes his calls would take him twenty or thirty miles away. He always carried matches with him, so in case of a large prairie fire he would have a chance to back fire and get away. In his younger days, he, as was the custom, wore a long beard. It was dark brown and silky, so long he would wrap it about his neck and tie it as a muffler.

He and Uncle ------ Doyle some years before had traded in Negroes. They, at that tine, were bought and sold and branded with a hot iron as were cattle. Uncle Doyle died, and Uncle Adam, although not a religious man, claimed Uncle Doyle carne to him and said, "Adam, don't buy any more negroes”, and Uncle Adam did not buy any more negroes. Those he had were freed but some refused to leave saying that it was as good a home as they needed.

My uncle wanted to educate my brother, Herbert, to be a doctor to take up his practice, as he felt he was getting old--too old to attend to it. He sent him to a medical school for two years and one day Herbert said he didn't want to be a doctor. Uncle did not argue with him, only said it was up to him, Herbert then quit school and got a position in a grocery store.

During the winter of 1878 or 79, Cousin Louise, Uncle Adam's only daughter and I made a trip to Pennsylvania--my first trip back. We laughed after about an experience there. Father bad two hogs in a pen fattening for winter; they got out and Sister Flora and I were running after them to get them back in the pen. One hog got caught between the double gate and Flora caught it by the tail. I called to ber to hold on until I could get there but, with the hog pulling one way and: Flora the other, the hog got trough. the gate and when he did, Flora fell backward with most of the pigs tail held tightly in her hands. After this, we had a great deal of sport with her about pulling the pig's tail.

My father had obtained a good position in charge of a boy's dormitory in a large school and had been comfortably located, but the lure of the West was with him and he and the :family came to Wichita to live. Sister Flora, in the meantime bad married a man named Warren Stiteler' and was living in Virginia. He, after some years, died, leaving her with six children. She later married J. Holmes Moore. Cousin Louise had first married a captain in the army from whom she had later separated. uncle Add had taken a great fancy to her daughter, Annie, and bad insisted on adopting her, so she was always known as Annie Longsdorff. She, cousin Louise, later married a man named Long. This marriage was also a failure, as he proved to be a worthless sort of a fellow. It was during the time he was on Uncle Add's (Adam’s) farm, and I thought perhaps I was not .needed there, that I decided to get some other kind of work.

I went to Arkansas City, Kansas to work for John Kronert, Retail Grocery Company, but there was excitement about cowboys and cattle and I got it into my head that I wanted to be a cowboy. This caused my mother considerable worry for she thought I was not strong enough for that kind of life, and Indians and cowboys meant nothing but danger to the easterner. I still wanted to be a cowboy, so I went to the Indian Territory--not Oklahoma. While there, I developed a bad case of typhoid fever through drinking impure slewey and stale water. They took me back to Wichita to my Uncle Add (Dr. Longsdorff) . I remember he held me in his arms, and I beard him say, "I am afraid he won't last until morning." But I fooled them, and after a while I was looking for a job again.

I knew I could always go back; places where I had formerly worked, so I went back to Scott Corbett, one of my, places. He said he could not pay me what he should, but I wanted something to do and I told him to never mind the price, just so I could live. He hired at a price named, but always paid me extra. After a while I went back to John Kronert Grocery Company in Arkansas City.

Cousin Louise had been in a number of runaway accidents and was in very poor health. She spent a great deal of time at Geuda Springs, Kansas and other health resorts. She had beard a great deal about the curing powers of the Great Salt Lake, Utah and was very anxious to try it. Uncle Add wrote me at Arkansas City, asking me to go with her to Utah.

Her daughter Annie had married George Amborn in December 1886 and my sister had married Birdie had married Dr Levi Cook on June 1, 1887. My brother, Herbert, had married Elizabeth Homer, May 1887.

Louise and I came to Utah early in the fall of 1887.. The first place we lived was 555 South West Temple in part of Heber C. Clyde’s place and we had a hard time getting along. I would ask for a position and they ask if I was a member of the church, and as I was not, there did not seem to be an opening for me. Finally I presented to Mr. Cartright, at D. & R. G. a letter of introduction from his brother in Arkansas City. When I was given this letter, I thought I would not use it, but I needed work and was given a job trucking and unloading freight. I had not been used to such heavy work and it was hard on me yet I held the job for about a year and a half. We then moved te Seventh South, and from there to South Temple. Here we made acquaintance of one of Brigham Young’s daughters--I do not remember her name--who lived across the street and did us many good turns.

We moved to 200 East, Second south, and Louise, although ill, with the help of Tina Lund, of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, run a bearding house. One good friend I'll never forget was the Bishop of Bountiful, Brother Ashby. He sold vegetables and many a time he left with us the unsold stock, which was a great help to us. I thought him one of the finest men I had ever known.

I quit the D. & R. G. and get a job with Applegate and Busby Commission Co. and later. I worked for E. G. Hines Commission House for several years. My cousin died November 19, 1891 and her body was sent to Wichita for burial. Tina Lund was still with us and helped a lot at this time. Also Bishop Ashby again befriended us in helping to get the body prepared for shipment. There was no undertaker at that time.

There was a watch maker who boarded with us who did a great deal to help us. Brigham Young’s daughter was there also. A Mr. Empy who was connected with Clark Eldredge Co. proved a mighty good friend to me too. I had gotten acquainted with him some years before. He was taking subscriptions at that time for the Salt Lake Temple which was twelve feet high, when I came to Utah. The rock, for this foundation had been hauled by ox team. I told him I had no job and not much money but I wanted to give $1.00, enough to say I helped build the Mormon Temple.

There was a time while I was delivering for Hines Commission Co. that I thought I knew just about everyone in Salt Lake City. My parents wrote me that Elizabeth wanted to marry a man by the name of O. J. Riley. This man the folks did not like very well, but Elizabeth later however, married him in spite of their objection, and he proved to be a very fine type. He was some years later killed in a Railroad accident in Perry, Oklahoma. She afterwards married a man by the name of Wageok. Uncle Add died August 3, 1893 and his wife, Aunt Maggie, died October 27, 1894.

George Haverstic, a cousin of mime and Carl Mauck were working for Hines at the time I was. I often heard them talking about Sanpete County buying calves etc. Mauck had been in the county and bad been told that it was the best in the state. He and Haverstic started out with a team. They were only gone a half a day when they gave up the trip and returned to Salt Lake. Mauck still wanted to go. He then talked to me and I told him if he wanted to go I would go with him, but if he stepped I would go on. He then went to Cash Co. and bought a team and we had a buggy fixed to order, suitable for buying calves, eggs, etc., and we started out, by way of Thistle. He with the team and I on my bicycle. It had been raining and the roads were holy terrors. We arrived at Mt. Pleasant on September 1897. I remember it was rainy and I waited under a shade tree by R. Whittaker’s until Mauck arrived with the team. I did net think then that later I would marry and live across the street. There was no snow that year until February and then we got a foot or more in one night.

We rented a house of Clinis Ericksen on West highway towards Spring City, 5th west --north, near James Monson’s.. Amasa Aldrich was postmaster. Joseph Monsen was city marshal, and lived near us. One day I borrowed a whee1 barrow from him, when I returned it 1 put it, as I had been taught, where I got it. Joe said that was new to him as usually they would have to go for things loaned out.

Mauck would visit neighboring towns with the team and I on my bicycle would go towards Richfield, sometimes to Richfield in a day. I often made the trip to Mayfield and Gunnison for lunch and back home again at night.

The roads were rough and dusty. We stored eggs in the basement of Madsen's

Store building on Main and State Street and did a good business. We had been here about one and one half years when Mauck decided that he would return to Sale Lake, as business had not been what he had expected, so we divided up. (A strange thing happened; we bad brought a pint of whiskey with us, and we still had it. Carl asked what to do with it and I said, "Take it back. I don't want any of it. So back to Salt Lake it went.)

After a while George Haverstio came and was a partner for a year; then he returned to Salt Lake City, then to Idaho and back to his home in Missouri. I then, in about 1899, formed a partnership with Neil M. Madsen. About 1900 he moved to Scofield. Some time after this A, C. Madsen and I became partners in the implement business, known as Madsen & Longsdorff, and did a good business until the depression started in 1931.

My own business was known as S. D. Longsdorff Produce Co. In the year 1906 I thought a great deal about my mother and one day I told Grandpa Madsen (Andrew Madsen) about it and he said, "Showman if I felt like that about it, I would go back and see her." I decided then and there that I would.

The following Feb., 1907, I closed up my business and went to Pa. to see my mother and sisters, Emma and Ella and Flora. Mother had gone there, after my father's death in Wichita, to live with the girls. I first went to Carlyle to Ella's and as mother and Emma would not be there until Saturday morning, I went to Virginia to see my sister, Flora.

Saturday morning we were at the market right by the railroad and Emma and mother arrived. They did not notice me at all. Emma said, "Where is that big brother of mine, asleep?" Ella replied “I guess so.” on the way home in the bus I sat right by them. I bumped up against them and tried to get them to notice me but they wouldn't. I couldn’t wait any longer so I said, "How, are you, mother?" They almost went thru the top of the bus. But it was 28 years since we had seen each other, so was it any wonder? I had a very enjoyable trip and saw a number of old acquaintances, among them, Newton Meyers and the Cockly Brothers. We had been boys in the same town and played Halloween tricks together. I stepped up to Newton Meyers who was running a restaurant in Machanicburg and said, “remember me when you were a bad fellow," he replied with astonishment, "I don't remember you at all." When I asked him if he ever knew a Showman Longsdorff, he fell all over me. The local papers had quite a write up concerning my visit after so many years absence. My mother died the fo1lowing Aug. 13^th.

In 1909 when the Pioneer Monument was dedicated, my sister Bird and her husband Dr. Levi Cook of Nevada, Missouri, visited me. I went to Fairview and rode with them to Mt. Pleasant on the train. The first thing Dr. Cook said to me was, “How in the World did you find your way down here?” In 1915 Bird, again with sister Elizabeth and her daughter, Helene, came and we enjoyed about six weeks together.

.About this time I joined the Provo. Elks Lodge, 849, my number being 209, I have been paid member ever since. I had joined the A.O.U.W. Lodge - while in

Wichita but I had not been able to keep that up.

I had one of the first automobiles in Mt. Pleasant. I think it was the third, Dr. A Lundberg having the first, F. C. Jensen purchased a Cadillac and I a Case, which I named "Betsy". It was a large gray machine with a left hand drive, and I surely did get the wear out of it. Many people had their first automobile ride in it, and enjoyed them, although the roads were rough, rutty, and rocky. I still have it. In 1927, I purchased a Buick and called it "Lindy" in honor of Lindberg's flight over seas. Hilda Madsen and I were married October 7, 1919.

In January 1922 we left for a trip to Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma to visit my brothers. Herbert at Kansas, and Will at Wichita, my sister Birdie at Nevada, Mo., and. Elizabeth at Ponca, Okla. I also saw a number of old acquaintances.

I had received my father's violin and I bad much enjoyment playing it, both in Salt Lake City and Mt. Pleasant. I later purchased a better one and Dr. E. G. Mills, Irwin StansfieId and myself often played at private dances, as well as Missionary parties at Mountainville, and with. others .we had floats in parades, and took part in other public affairs. I also played second violin in John E. Larsen's orchestra at dances in Mt. Pleasant - Opera House. Most always for fun.

A cracker Jack baseball team was organized, with some professional players imported. They played several years. I acted as manager and we had a great deal of sport out of it.

Mt. Pleasant Baseball Team 1903

Back Row L to R: Carlos Gundrson, J.W. Boyden, Showman Longsdorf,

L.P. Nelson, ........ Hall (import), Jens Gunderson,

Front Row, L to R; ...........Thomas, Andrew Peterson, ..........Hopkins,

William Hansen, J.W. Cherry.

In 1924 I was elected a member of the North Sanpete School District. At that time Louis A. Peterson was Supt. of North Sanpete Schools. He moved to Logan not so long after and A. E. Jones was made Supt. Members of the board at that time were John R. Graham, Fairview, President, C. A. Larsen, Spring City; Darrel Rasmussen, Moroni, and Fred Smith, Fountain Green, with John S. Blain, Spring City as clerk and Louis L. Nielsen, Ft. Green as tytreasurer. I was very anxious to get certain needed improvements taken care of, and with the splendid cooperation of the board members, Supt. Petersen, Supt. Jones, the faculty, and citizens, I feel that a great work was accomplished. At the

Hamilton School a lot of half dead trees were removed and ones planted, grounds were beautified, and shrubs were planted.

At N. S. H. S. a number of trees were removed and a lot of new ones planted as well as shrubs, roses and more lawn. The old boot jack fence was removed. The grounds prior to this had been used to a large extent as a pasture. But the greatest job was making a foot-ball field on the campus, where it was said "it could not be done," as the plot on the east side of' the N. S. H. School building was a rocky hill, but with splendid co-operation it was moved. Men were set to work digging out the rocks. One party was paid $100.00 for breaking them up. There was a great deal of dynamite used and the blasts were numerous and loud. Blasting out the rocks, which seemed to multiply and grow overnight, volunteer citizens, free of charge, supervised by Wm. L. Madsen, hauled the hundreds of loads of rocks to the crusher and back again for foundation of walks, etc. I spent most of my time there for about two years, and donated my first year’s wages of $ 300.00 and more towards the work, just how much I cannot say.

My cousin's daughter, Nadine Haverstic, was emp- Hilda & Showman in a Skit or Play

loyed as a`teacher at Ft. Green School for a short time,

and that seeded to make me feel a little nearer to my relations.

My sister, Birdie, and her husband, Dr. Cook, visited me again in 1932, staying with us several weeks. I often think of Bishop Ashby of Bountiful. He, when I was down and out, used to encourage me by saying I would yet live to see the day when I would have a good business and surplus to comfortably take care of me. I did; there was a time when I had a wonderful business, shipping produce by the carloads and hundreds of cases of eggs, 100 or 200 cases each week. I candled them all and only sold first class stock. Never once was I complained against.

Then came the break in my health and the first failing in my eyesight. I have often thought of our neighbor, Dick Whittaker, when his eyesight failed him, I did not realize at that time what it meant not to be able to see. I had health. I enjoyed work and I enjoyed life.

I have had many severe sick spells, met the depression, lost in the banks that have closed and savings companies that have failed, but nothing to me compares with the loss of my eye-sight, which failed me in 1931.

Dictated November

20, 21, 22, 1934

Showman Doyle Longsdorff Died January 9, 1935

in Mt. Pleasant, Utah.