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Brother Fishes Shoes Out of Outhouse

By Capper's Staff
Published on March 27, 2013

I was in second grade and going to a one-room country school with an outhouse in the back. My parents didn’t have much money. To save wear on our shoes, we had to go to school barefooted long as the weather permitted.

On a cold, November day a little classmate and I were playing in the outhouse. I kicked my leg high as I could, my shoe came off and fell down the johnny hole. The weather was so cold, and I had to walk two miles home barefooted.

Mom sent an older brother back to school and he rescued my shoe with a fishin’ pole. Mom then had to do a clean up job.

My parents didn’t have to remind me after that to keep both feet on the floor in an outhouse.

Daisy Lane
Fair Play, Missouri


Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.