I remember one time when Roger and I were helping Papa clear some excess growth of the Hedge rows.  Osage Orange trees planted during the dust bowl days to keep the top soil from blowing away.  Most of them have been removed today so we can be in the same situation if we enter an extended drought again.  The Osage Orange tree or Hedge Apple tree it is more commonly known as is one of the hardest and has a natural preservative in it.  Some of the fence posts on the place were put in in 1932 and are still in excellent condition.  They are so hard you cannot drive a fence staple into them, except if you can find a crack to wedge it into.  You cannot cut them either, they are like concrete.  Amazing stuff.......Anyway, Roger and I were switching off about every 4-5 minutes on the ax, cutting of the excess growth of the hedge row, while Papa sounded like a steam engine going about 50 feet ahead of us.  He would cut for 8 or 10 minutes left handed and then switch to right handed for 8-10 minutes and then back and forth, without ever taking a break.....except for the occasional stoppage to re-sharpen his double bit ax.  During one of his sharpening events he looked back and saw both Roger and I resting at the same time. 

He came over to us and asked if we had been watching him work and what we thought about it.  We said he was just as capable left handed as he was right handed and wondered why he never took a break.  He said, "When I cut left handed, I am resting my left arm, it doesn't do any of the work except to guide the ax.  When right handed, my right arm gets a break for the same reason."  Looks like you guys are trying to use both hands equally with every stroke, you couldn't work for  2 hours without completely wearing yourself out."   We had to agree, we were both exhausted.    

Clarence Harley Stark 1900-1967.

He continued, " I can remember back in the late 30's, I was out here trimming the same hedge row and a fellow I knew came by.  His name was Everett.  He was a nice guy but was a little slow and had a stutter when he talked.
He said his m-m-m-main sow had developed a l-l-l-l-l-lump on its f-f-f-f-forehead that was sq-sq-sq-squishy when you t-t-t-t-t-touched it.  'I told him that it was just water on the brain and he could get rid of it by putting a 2 x 4 on the lump and tapping it with a hammer.

About 2 days later Everett came back out and jumped the fence with a club in his hand, swearing at me.  I took the singletree off the horse and the plow and held it like a baseball bat.  I yelled a Everett to slow down or he was going to get all he could handle....He did slow down and came over saying.......I d-d-d-did wh-wh-wh-what you s-s-s-s-s-said with the t-t-t-t-t-t-two by four and when I h-h-h-h-h-hit it with the sledge h-h-h-h-h-hammer, it k-k-k-k-killed my sow.  "Everett, I told you to TAP the 2x4, not to Hit it with a sledge hammer."


I don't know if this was true or not, alll of Papa's stories were loaded with facts, and knowing the people around Weir, I can believe that someone would actually do as my grandpa suggested.  It takes all kinds to make the world go round.