By STAN STAPP

Sixty-five years ago, December 25, 1933, my dad's Christmas gift to me was a bound ledger-type book that he hoped I would utilize as a diary. It had blue ruled lines, a read margin line, and the pages were numbered.

My father, Orrill, had carefully cut out the first 48 pages - for what reason I know not - leaving about 200 for me to relate the story of my life for years to come. I was 15 at the time.

Orrill probably was following in the steps of his dad, Jeptha, who had persuaded him to keep a diary at the age of 12 - which he faithfully did until he was 18. During that time (1890 to 1896) Dad lived in six different Nebraska towns: Nelson, Surprise, Maywood, Somerset, Grand Island, and Aurora. This was because his father, a preacher, traveled around the state by horse and railroad, setting up Baptist churches. All for the princely salary of $200 per annum.

Orrill and his younger brother, Arthur, were placed in homes of the faithful while the good reverend was out recruiting potential church members. (Their mother had died in a fire when Orrill was seven and Arthur three years old.) In his diary Dad detailed his life as a young man, revealing almost all, and hinting at the rest. It was often written by pen (wooden handle and metal nib dipped in an ink well, as I did when a schoolboy) or pencil, on several kinds of paper, often on the back of school lessons, sometimes in a small tablet, or individual sheets.

I gathered the pieces of his diary together 12 years ago upon buying my first computer, and producing a 99-page (8 1/2 x 11) single-spaced account of his life as a teenager. I then "published" his story for members of the family by having Wallingford's Sudden Printing photocopy the pages, and then I inserted them in loose-leaf binders.

Now, oh how I wish I'd kept my diary as long as my father kept his - but I did manage six entries before giving up.

However, over the years, I did detail much of my life in another way, through my newspaper columns: including my own short-lived "newspaper," The Magnet, 1931, and annually until 1940 as a "Christmas card"; Lincoln High Totem, 1935-36; Outlook from 1937-1974; Today newspapers, 1974; column in various Seattle weeklies for several years; Skyliner (in Anacortes) 1978-81; Fremont Forum, 1984-85; North Seattle Press/Seattle Press, 1986-1998; Belvedere Bugle (condo paper) 1988-89; and the Jet City Maven, 1998.

Here is a sampling of what I wrote about in the diary book my dad gave me for a Christmas present:

Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1933 -
Practiced playing hockey on roller skates in the street at N. 41st and Ashworth until Kenny Hawkinson came along and after trying it several times broke the stick in five pieces. It wasn't much good anyway. Not much doing during vacation, which lasts until after New Year's, because of the rainy weather, and Harold Moffet still has to limp, and Jerry Smith has the mumps, and besides it is hard to get everybody to come out at once.

For Christmas I printed a copy of my Magnet newspaper which had the pictures of nearly all of the kids around here.

This month it has rained more than any other month ever recorded and there is a possibility that the rainfall record of the year will be broken.

For the past several weeks we have been going up to the Lincoln High School gym (my school) and watching the basketball games in the community and commercial leagues. In prep play, Lincoln High placed second in football being defeated by Garfield for the title.

Most popular song is "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore."

Saturday night my sister Patricia, Evelyn McCain, Cleo and Betty Watts, Harold Moffet, Lucille and Jerry Smith, and me went to Bruen's 45th St. Theatre (now the Guild 45th) and saw "F.P. 1" (Floating Platform No. 1), and "Turn Back the Clock" with Lee Tracy.

The Depression is still on, prices are low, but money is scarce. Times seem to be getting better, however. Christmas night we had a party at my house, attended by Milton & Agnes (my brother and wife) and their two kids, Brownie and Louise; Harold Brown (Agnes' brother) & wife Ruth, and Billy; Mr. & Mrs. Brown (Agnes' folks); and of course our family.

Thursday, Dec. 28, 1933 -
Out of three goldfish that Art (my brother) and me gave Ma for Christmas only one remains. One of them died before Christmas, and the other was dead this morning. The one still alive is called Alt Heidelberg because of his red nose.

Because of vacation I'll spend most of my day today and tomorrow in the basement stacking Outlooks as they come off the folder after being printed. Pat will help. I get 30 cents an hour. (The Outlook was printed in our basement for many years.)

Saturday, Dec. 30, 1933 -
Went to the Fifth Avenue Theatre and saw "Alice in Wonderland" with Charlotte Henry. Piled a lot of wood in the backyard afterwards. Bill Finlay, Lucille and Jerry Smith, and my sister, Pat, and me went roller skaing around Lincoln High School. Bill hit a bump and sprawled in a puddle of water where he hit his head hard.

Every Saturday my family listens to a broadcast over the radio of the Admiral Richard Byrd Antarctic Expedition which is on its second trip to the South Pole. (Although the broadcast was full of static, it seemed a miracle to hear it at all - so far away.)

Saturday, Jan. 6, 1934 -
On New Year's Eve I took a drum, whistle, alarm clock, and doorbell to bed so that I could make a noise without much effort.

The next day Stanford and Columbia played in the annual Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. Stanford was a heavy favorite, but it rained about 8 inches in 24 hours before the game and there was 18 inches of water in the stadium until they pumped it out. Columbia won 7-0. On the same day Seattle had a very warm sunshiny day. Very unusual. The rainfall was not beaten as California got all of the rain. Over 30 people were killed in Los Angeles because of a flood caused by the rain.

Last night Pat, Lucille, Jerry, Marilyn Hooker, and me went to see Lee Tracy in "The Nuisance," and "Narrow Corner" at Bruen's 45th St. Theatre.

Keith and Bruce Mahler are moving out of the district.

Popular tune of 1933 was "Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf," from the Walt Disney Silly Symphony colored cartoon comedy "The Three Little Pigs."

Got four ties for Christmas. The West won the football game in the West-East annual contest Jan. 1. Bill Smith, Washington end, played in the game. Lincoln High's basketball team doesn't look so good this year.

Friday, Jan. 12, 1934 -
Monday, January 8, was my 16th birthday for which I got a watch that still runs. Went to the show and saw George Arliss in "Voltaire," and "Sunset Pass." Race Night was on in which 10 racers stage a race on the screen, which has many funny occurrences and the winner is not known till the end. The last number on your ticket corresponds to one of the racers and the holders of the winning tickets (which is one in 10) gets a prize box of nationally advertised brands of foods, candy, etc.

The other goldfish died a couple of weeks ago, and after cleaning the bowl we got two new ones who seem alright.

Men of the hour: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin of Russia, Adolph Hitler of Germany. Something is likely to happen in Germany? Japan? War? Russia? the United States?

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1934 -
For the last several weeks we have had almost unbroken sunshiny weather with no rain or snow and many flowers are already in bloom. Jerry, Lucille, Pat, and I went to the show (Bruen's 45th St.) but because we had to wait an hour to get in we walked over to the University District and back. We do quite a lot of roller skating, such as going down Interlake Ave., from N. 42nd to N. 35th without stopping.

The kite flying season is starting. However, I lost my kite yesterday and so did Bill. My kite was six feet high and I have string which will withstand 24, 30, or 42 pounds wind pressure, depending on which one I use. Both our kites broke loose about the same time. Neighborhood kids on bikes recovered my kite in West Fremont (probably Ross area) and brought it back. Bill's kite, also a six-footer, was not found. I have a "bat" for my kite which runs up the kite string, and drops a message and returns pretty good.

Saw a Wallace Beery movie at the 45th, the "Bowery." On Race Night I won a box of groceries. Went to Snoqualmie Falls with the Moffet family.

Sunday, Feb. 18, 1934 -
The king of Belguim died when he fell while climbing a mountain. War is likely to come soon. Every nation is building up armies and navies.

Keith and Bruce Mahler have moved away, and De Ette Paulson, who lived two houses south, died a month ago.

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Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!

Stan Stapp is the retired publisher of the old Outlook, a family owned community newspaper that served North Seattle for several decades up until its sale in 1974. He and his wife, Dorothy, now live in the Wedgwood neighborhood.