Water pails

Water buckets (pails) were used to carry water from the outside well and were used for drinking and/or washing hands. They were set on a washstand with a hand wash pan. A long handled dipper was left in the pail. Before the crockery water cooler was thought up, as I remember, we had our own drinking cups. Later the water cooler, which was large enough to hold two or three pails of water, was filled (it had a lid and a spigot). Generally each pupil had a little collapsible drinking cup which might have been a smite more sanitary.

Another water jug was the little gallon ones that kids carried to the men when they were working in the field and at thrashing time. The jug was wrapped in a gunnysack to help keep the water cool. We rode the pony usually and considered it fun. Kids who did that job were called "water boys". 

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