No Vacancy: The Case of Abounding Cliches

By Robert Franklin Jackson

Fact: In 1930, a paperhanger, my father, survived the depression years and obtained ten lots of Lake Freeman.

Fact: Between the years 1931 and 1950, the seven cottages were built.

Fact: Places like Monticello, Indiana Park, Lakes Freeman, and Shafer Lake were created by the construction of Oakdale and Norway dams.

Fact: By driving south of Monticello and crossing a bridge over Lake Freeman and turning right, you would come to a subdivision called Sunset Park. There, you will find the seven cottages, and Cottages for Rent and No Vacancy signs.

Fact: Croquet, badminton, basketball, and cards were played by relatives and friends.

Fact: In 1951 the cottages were sold. Six of the seven cottages exist today.

Fiction: The sheriff and deputies, MPD officers, district attorneys, and the judges of White and Fayette counties were characters created in the mind of the author. The real public officials are most assuredly upstanding citizens.

Fiction: California Amusement Park was an outstanding attraction, but Lakeside Golf Course did not exist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796017144

Robert Franklin Jackson

Your Author, Robert Franklin Jackon, following an enlistment as a U.S. Navy Seabee/deep-sea-diver, four years in elementary school teaching/administration, twenty-seven years as a high school geography teacher, the office of Historian General NSSAR, is not content unless he is working on a writing project. Projects include: Family Genealogy, Sons of the American Revolution - History Vol. III, plus several pamphlets, just completing a 3,200 page encyclopedia of his home town, Oroville, Oroville 1915 - A Place in Time, ninety acrylic paintings, and presently, The Blues of Portsmouth P.D. a Series of eight episode, four other novellas, The Truth Book, wewillfindyouamach.com, No Vacancy, and Pene-lope and Anti-gone, and the book of a musical comedy, Stoneface.

Book preview

Chapter One

Walker’s Cottages - Monday, May 20, 2013

Watt Walker had driven to the Walker’s Cottage site on Lake Freeman from Indianapolis to do prepare for the opening day of the rental season, which runs from the week including Memorial Day through the week including Labor Day. The property has been in the Walker family since 1930. The original developer was Walter Walker, Sr., an uneducated interior decorator, but what he lacked in education he made up in shrewdness.

Watt drove in the center driveway and turned left and parked behind a large cottage. He had mentally counted the six cottages on the right. All the cottages seemed to have weathered the winter months. He entered and had to step over a number of objects that had been stored there during the off season, seven out board motors, a sturdy croquet set, horseshoes and stakes, net, badminton rackets and volley ball, basketball, U.S. flag, and the Walker’s Cottages and No Vacancy signs. All of these items would soon find their appropriate place. He decided that now was the time for the signs, which would be hung near the mail box.

As he was pounding the stake for the Walker’s Cottage sign, he was startled by a voice behind him asking, Are you Walker?

Watt, a trained observer, saw a young woman, wearing a very loose fitting caftan which revealed only a inch of denim shorts below the bottom hem. She wore sandals, ball cap with a pony tail bobbing in the back, and sun glasses. He thought, ‘If I had to pick her out of a line-up, wearing different clothing, I’d have a hard time.’

Yes, I’m a Walker, one of four. Watt is my name, and your name?

I’m traveling light and my name is rather heavy at this time. I need affordable lodging. Can I rent a room?

"I’m afraid not. You can see the ‘No Vacancy’ sign.’

Who are you trying to fool. Are you afraid to rent to a girl traveling light. I count srven cottages, and only one pick-up. Where are all your customers?

Our season doesn’t start until May 26th. As of now the cottage have no electricity or water. In the next five days. I must clean all the cottages, mow the lawn, drag the boats out of the shed into the water, set up the croquet, volley ball, horseshoe and badminton courts. The lake froze during the winter and the ice damaged the pier, and a dozen other things.

"It sounds like you need help. Is there a Mrs.?’’

No, I’m single, Why do you ask?

If there is a spare bedroom in the cottage where you are staying, let me use it, and I could be your helper. No pay, just maybe share your meals.

You won’t give your name? Where did you come from? Are you running from the law?

Yes, I’m running, but not from the law. If you need a name, you can call me ‘Help.’

OK, ‘Help’ I’ll try you for two days. Any questions?

I hope there is a lock on my bed room door. A girl can’t be too careful. Now, if you have a weed eater, I’ll follow you as you mow the lawn, trimming around the cottages, trees, the flag pole, mail box and that tall bird house. There must be two acres of tall grass to cut.

Watt and ‘Help’ working steadily had the two acres looking great by noon. They dumped the grass trimming into a pile near the trash can, and planned to burn it in a couple of days after it had dried.

‘Help’ you’ve earned your board and lodging. Let’s drive into Monticello to buy a week’s worth of groceries."

I’ll help you make a list. You drive to town. I don’t want to be seen in Monticello.

You must be really afraid of someone in town. Do you want to share something.

Not now, maybe later when I get to know you better.

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‘Help’ wanted the makings for tacos, pizza, hamburgers, and enchiladas. I like to eat everything but strange vegetables like cauliflower, okra, egg plant and asparagus.

For lunch ‘Help’ opted for a cheeseburger with ripe tomato and sweet relish.

Following lunch they dusted and connected the electricity and water in the seven rental cottages.

For dinner they cooperated in piling on grated cheddar cheese, green olives, peperoncini, and pepperoni onto a large Bobboli pizza crust. After the evening meal ‘Help’ said, I know I am tight lipped, but I am dying to know the history of the cottages. Also, you said you are one of four Walkers.

The other three Walkers are my brothers, Walter IV, known as Quint, Warren and Wayne. I fit in between Warren and Wayne. All of us are law partners. The others are all married. We are the fourth generation to own the cottages.

That means that Walter Walker, Sr., your great grandfather started building cottages. Was he a contractor?

No, Walter Sr. was an uneducated interior decorator. But what he lacked in education he made up for in being shrewed.

Help’ said, Tell me the story."

Walter was an excellent paperhanger, but during the ‘Great Depression’ work was hard to find. When the wall paper company he worked for was facing bankruptcy, Walt was owed back wages. When he was offered hundreds of rolls wall paper in lieu of his back wages, he accepted and then approached the owners of abandoned apartments buildings, and reasoned that if their apartments were newly papered, they would be more desirable as rental properties. Pay him his wages, and he would supply the wall paper free. It worked and Walt found steady employment.

That doesn’t explain how it got the land here on Lake Freeman.

Walt learned that the same property owners owned lots on Lake Freeman which they were unable to sell. Walt purchased two lots at $30.00 each. He once again approached the property owners with a proposition. He reasoned that if he cleared the land of weeds on his lots, he could attract buyers. For every two lots he sold, he would be given one lot. He was successful, and he soon owned ten lots, five on a lake front road, and five behind them, on a back road. The back lots sold for $20.00. Land between the lake front road and the lake was reserved for all property owners to build piers.

With ten lots, when and where did your great grandfather build the first cottage?

First you must learn of the birth of my grandfather. In 1931 Walt and Eva Walker had a son, Walter Jr., and they built a cottage on the center back lot and named it ‘Walt-Inn.’

Did Walt Sr. plan from the beginning on having cottages for rent?

I can’t say, but this will explain how it happened. Every weekend during the summer the Walkers invited family and friends to enjoy the lake activities of fishing and card playing. When the friends begged Walt to stay home, and rent ‘Walt-Inn’ so they could bring their friends, Walt refused, but instead in 1932 he build a second cottage, ‘Walk-Inn’ on a front lot, just for renting.

When I was using the weed eater I noticed the names of three cottages were Eva-Ree, Lela-Mae and Mauri Rose. What’s the story there?

Eva Marie, nick named ‘Ree,’ was my Great Grandmother’s name. Lela Mae was her sister, and the wife of Ralph Hodgin, who built and owned this Cottage.

Don’t tell me that Mauri Rose was an uncle.

No, by 1946 Walt Jr. was 15 and thinking about girls. He wanted to stay in Indianapolis more. Walt Sr. offered to build Walt Jr. a cottage which he could rent to girls clubs. Mauri Rose was his favorite Indy 500 driver, do he named the cottage after him.

I didn’t see a name on the big two story cottage next to Walk-Inn.

Just at the start of the Korean War. Walt Sr. built the two story Cottage. Walt Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Navy and Walt Sr. lost interest in naming the cottages. It is called #Six."

Why a two story cottage?

The bottom floor was built to store the row boats during the winter. So there you have it. The history of Walker’s Cottages. ‘Help’ I think I’m ready for bed. We’ll give it hell tomorrow.

Watt, thanks for the room and board.

My pleasure, ‘Help.’

Chapter Two

Walker’s Cottages - Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Watt woke to the smell of hot coffee. ‘Help’ had risen early to prepare breakfast.

As soon as Watt was seated ‘Help’ poured pancake batter in one skillet and broke four eggs in another. She served him in five minutes.

‘Help,’ I could get used to this. How did you sleep?

Quite well, thank you. I’m still on the run, but I feel very secure here. What is our clean-up project for the day?"

Two biggies. We must move the row boats from #Six, and make repairs to the pier. With the weather a little warmer last winter, the ice damage was not quite as severe. It is a chore we must deal with each spring.

Maybe you should replace the wood 4 x 4 pilings with some concrete. Then maybe place a set of aluminum beams on the concrete.

I like the idea. For temporary help, you sure do plan ahead.

I hate temporary fixes that require repeated solutions.

Let’s tackle the pier first, then the row boats can be placed in the stalls. Would the outboard motors taking up room on the sun porch be safe if we set them in place on the row boats? With the outboards out off here, I could start cleaning-up this place.

Yes, the outboard are safe, each will be chained to the boat with a padlock.

  

Watt gave ‘Help’ a pair of old sneakers to wear in the water. Just be careful of what you are stepping on a broken bottle, a sharp rock, or a mussle shell.

Watt found that the ice had lifted each wooden piling out of the silt. With a sledge hammer the