Since so many sub-divisions were built on the hills and sewage piped down into the valley it was too dangerous to cut the ice on the pond so in 1916 my father built an artificial plant. During the summer of 1917, men had been sent off to war so I was my father's helper at the plant. I would stove the furnace, remove the ashes, oil the boiler, feed pumps and watch the water gauge while my father slept a few hours.
I also carried 25# of ice to the water works each summer day for about ten years. As I said before we had the only telephone in the valley operated by the Phoenix Phone Co. and my brother called it Folke Fone--truly he was right
because it was the communication center of the village and was in constant use especially to call the Doctor. Dr. Edward J.C. Sanders was the one who made house calls during the day or night. He would travel by street car to
Alikanna; walk to our house and pick up a lantern which was only a candle in a lard bucket; because he would be traveling up and down the creek and over the hills. He was quite dubious about the light until he tried it one dark
night and from them on it was part of his equipment.
In Alikanna we could boast of having the first four family house or condominium called "Bed Bug Row" owned by a prominent family in Steubenville. As long as I can remember we had folks on relief; since my Dad was the Island
Creek Township Trustee, he wrote out store orders for clothing, coal and groceries. One wonders at times where nicknames originate. One day one of the men took his order to the famous Paul Castner Store for flour; he was given
a certain brand but refused it and demanded "Pillsbury's Best" so from that time on he was known as Pillsbury's Best Bill". I also got the name of "Ice" from the gang on the corner as I carried the ice to the water works. Some
say that nothing comes from Alikanna. What about the Stone for large paper mills around the world? Coal from the Castners mine? The good times at Stanton Park and the beautiful Casino overlooking Half-Moon? There we raised five
ministers--5 Doctors--Eisenhowers Pilot, many nurses and teachers. In looking over the territory at the present time one would think that I was telling a falsehood because there are no trace of ponds, buildings and etc. Since
New Route Seven was built the dirt was hauled to fill in the area. So it will only be the oldsters that remember the territory and it's parage of red, yellow and blue wagons every day.