Way back in the 40's and 50's we had several neighbors. Some good and some absolutely rotten to the bone. Just north of our old homeplace was an older man. He was a wicked old devil, wife beater and kid hater. After his wife died he was so vile his own kids wouldn't even come visit him. At the age of 82, I think, he got to where he couldn't even stand himself. His son came to check on the old devil and found'm hangin in the barn. Pappys comment: "Couldn't he wait a little longer". Pap tried to help him over the years but the only thing in return was this old devil spreadin lies etc about the Gibson family. West of this old devil was another man, older I think. He was about as bad and was an athiest also. His wife was a real gem. She was a devout Christian and tried lliving it. Hard to do around a headstrong old reprobate. He gave here orders that if he died first to bury him north and south and not east and west. Also no mention of anything Christian to be put on the headstone. Well, finally he died! She DID NOT honor his command to bury north and south but she did relent and not inscribe any referrence to Jesus Christ. We also had a nighbor south and east of home a little bit. He was a miserly old dude, tight as bark on a tree and would really pinch pennys. Not being conservative--just money grubbin. He helped nobody but was always ready to take all he could from anybody else. He was a Seventh day Adventist or at least claimed to be. He was killed by his John Deer tractor on a Friday evening after sundown, while gathering corn cobs in town to feed his cattle. If any adventist are on here you'll know that the Sabbath starts at sundown Friday and ends at sundown on Sat. The family had a hard time finding any preacher to take the funeral. We also had another nighbor, a Cherokee Indian that was also a Christian preacher. He was as honest and Godly as any man I ever knew. He came to these neck of the woods in the oil boom of the 30's from Oklahoma reservation. He would help anybody that needed it. This is just some of the nighbors of ours years ago. There were many more and I think most of'm were good and decent people. All of'm are gone now and even some of their kids are also dead and gone. The nighborhood is no more. Houses and homplaces are a thing of the past as big farms have engulfed those smaller family farms. Giant hog factories are dotting the countryside now, pollutin the soil, water and air with the chemical filth of the rich conglomerate feed companies. Sharecropping was a common thing especially in the South years ago. It has reared it's ugly head up here now with hogs, turkeys and chickens. Beef hasn't taken hold here yet. I can still remember all those good times, visitin with neighbors, family and friends. Music was most always involved to a certain degree. More in some events than in others but still was represented. Nighborhood quiltin get togethers along with rug hookin, corn shuckin, featherbed makin parties and of course---Chowders! Hog butcherin, rabbit huntin, chicken killins and a host of other things were commonplace then. Seemed that about any excuse was good enough to have a get together. I can't see anything wrong with that after all these years either. We should be so blessed today. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 25, 2000

Answers

More about our neighbors. A HUGE man lived 3/4 mile south and 1/4 west. His name was Bud Nelson. Standin well over 6 ft and weighin close to 300 # and gentle as a lamb. Not much fat on the man, he was just big. Way back in 1955, I think, he and his son, Gaylen were movin a house down the road. Back then it was kinda commonplace around these parts to just up and move your house to a different farm rather than to just do it simple and move yourselves. They had moved the house for quite a ways with Bud drivin the truck at times while his helper would walk alongside and watch for wires, lines etc. Bud had changed off and was walkin alongside a watchin while Gaylen was settin on top of the house, liftin up lines, limbs and wires as needed. He had just held up a wire with his stick and didn't remember or see the remainin wire just feet behind the one he was holdin up. The wire brushed up against him and electrocuted him. He tumbled down the roof of the house and fell towards the ground. His dad saw it happenin and ran under and caught his boy. Gaylen was not killed instantly so they rushed him to the hospital. He died several days later of TETNUS! The hospital made a boo boo and failed to innoculate him with a shot. I think he was about 20 years old. Old Bud had injured his HUGE back while catchin Gaylen. He was more worried about his boy than himself. In the aftermath of the accident Bud kept gettin worse and worse. He died shortly thereafter with cancer from those injuries.

Down the road a little further east was an old maid who just happened to be an R.N. Her bachlor brother lived with her and his name was Charlie. He had just bought a Model T Ford and wasn't used to drivin in very well. A cow had wandered out onto the road and ole Charlie was hollerin "Whoa!" to his Ford and ended up drivin into the ditch and still hit the cow!

Smiley Burnett had came down this way in 56 to visit my uncle Perry. Perry was a rich wildcatter oil man and had become friends with Smiley. Perry had a big beef barbecue and invited the whole country. Most all people showed up for the "free feed". 2 beef, 6 hogs and untold chickens were cooked in the ground in a hole dug by Perry's cat. Logs were burned for 4 days to build up coals. Beef was quarted, wrapped in foil and then gunny sacks. Hogs were halved and chickens were whole. All the meat was loaded into the pit and then covered up with the catapillar. It cooked overnight and then was opened up with the cat. Some of the best grub I've ever knawed on. Perry didn't think we had devoured enough so he asked mom to slice some off to take home. She didn't take enough to suit him so he took the big knife and sliced about 10 times more than she had. Good times that are almost forgotten. Of course, it's been about 45 years ago this fall. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 26, 2000.