Charles E. Burchfield, Journals , October 17, 1920

Yesterday I went to the Stark Depot to meet Joe & the Kaisers. While there, my attention was attracted to the sight of the thinning trees beyond the Liberty stable in the hazy October sunshine by an old man and a group of boys. There was something intensely interesting about them – The old man was the old fast, disappearing type of close-footed farmer, the kind that inspired the creator of the popular Grotesque – Uncle Sam with caved mouth and hooked beard. The boys were putting in a dull moment in furious tussling. The old man watched them with absorbing interest, his eyes sparkling & his whole body quivering he enjoyed, but at the same time, there probably lingered in his mind some remnants of the duties of a grown-up man and that he was called upon to cull their boisterousness. So when the tumult was at its height, he would call in a high squeaky “Boys” hey there!” and rap one of them with his cane. This done, he would resume his attitude of attention and watch them with obvious enjoyment.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, October 17, 1920