C. Carey Cloud » Articles » Whistleville Man Invents a Whistle
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Whistleville Man Invents a Whistle by Stu Huffman, Special Correspondent Wednesday, August 7, 1957 The man from Whistleville who dreams up those toys in crackerjack boxes now has invented the world's first all-plastic whistle. He's C. Carey Cloud of Cloudcrest Creations here and already he has an order of 6 million of the tiny whistles. "They don't have an ear-piercing screech and in fact the tone is rather pleasing," he says, consoling mamas and papas disturbed by other toy whistles. The all-plastic whistle was on Cloud's drafting board for more than two years. It's really quite an accomplishment. And it's the latest in a series of accomplishments for the white-haired artist- designed born at a town once known as Dillman's Whistleville, east of Marion, and now known simply as Dillman. Among the feats of Cloud are his hundreds of plastics and paper figurines, "squeeze faces" and other gimcracks. One of his paper games - known as the Superman Radio Quiz for which some half- million youngsters joyfully sent in candy wrappers and a dime - was responsible for raising the post office at Morgantown, where Cloud's headquarters once were, from fourth class to third class. As an artist Cloud also has accomplishments to his credit. A painting showing sorghum—making in Brown County was reproduced in Ford Times magazine and another, showing a young couple walking hand in hand ahead of the girl's shotgun-bearing father, has won him praises in art exhibitions. He also is a past president of the Brown County Art Guild. Cloud began his career designing toys in Chicago where he was art director for a calendar firm. But he tired of the big city life and moved to Morgantown in 1947, then later to Brown County where he owns about 200 acres of scenic hill land backing on the state park. He calls it Cloudcrest, has subdivided it into lots and built the "Lake of the Clouds." The hill, immediately west of Nashville on Ind. 46 formerly was owned by the late Will Vawter, famed Brown County artist. "The Crackerjack Man," as the kids around Nashville know him, has some philosophical advice to give, too. He says: "You must never be afraid to learn. I like venturing into the unknown. Experimenting. Trying out the untried. That's how I figured out the all-plastic whistle." |
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