GRANDAD'S POCKET KNIVES

A HUNDRED YEARS OLD?


My Grandad Walter gave me my first pocket knives when I

was age five, or younger. 

I couldn't even open them with my little fingers. 

The white-handled-one on the right came first. It

was his SPARK PLUG chaw-cutting tobacco knife.

He broke the points off and dulled it good and proper. I had

admired it every time he cut a chaw. And one day he hugged

me and said: "Here's your knife...keep  it your whole life. 

Someday you can have a sharp one."

He was an Irish man from back around Hamilton, Texas.

Came to Dawson County to farm cotton and raise six kids. 

Settled around Pumpkin Center, north of Lamesa, in a drafty 

old house, with not much heat.

The whole family got the 1919 flu and neighbors had to come 

by and leave soup on the splintery wooden porch.

He could sing tenor, and taught church singing schools. He wrote

songs and I have a box full.

When I was two, he'd walk the sandy Lamesa streets five blocks,

collect me, and we'd walk the five blocks back to his house...we'd

put strings around horned toads and I'd lead them around.

He was quite taken with me and wrote a song called "The Daring

Little Robber." The "little robber" was me---I had stolen his heart.

He had LTBS...."LOW TOLERANCE FOR  B.S." which I was to

inherit. He wrote a poem "POLITICS AT THE  COTTON GIN."

Sometime after the first knife, he gave me the second one (on the

left above.)  It was a good knife, with a little bit of point...but
dulled for my safety.

He was a good Christian man who raised all his kids to love God.

He many times asked me: "Have you trusted Jesus?"

He passed away at age 76. Cotton farmers, or any farmers, from

those times lived hard lives, raised big families, and were worn out

by 55.

Close to the end end of his life, we were gathered one Christmas

and having a fun family time...and someone said "Let's get Grandad

to sing," and they talked him into singing a hymn...from his rocker he

sang:

"Leaning, leaning, 

Safe and secure from all alarms

Leaning, leaning...

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."

I was only about eleven when that happened and didn't  realize 

that the old hymn was based on the  Bible verse, Deuteronomy 33:27...

     "The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the Everlasting Arms."

That great hymn I was to lead congregations in singing...a

thousand times. But that was all ahead...

Just two---maybe hundred-year-old pocket knives...from USA

history...from hard times...from long ago in our great country...

when people had little...but were happy with life...

They have been dull ever since I got them...but it's okay...they 

carry great memories.

*****************

BY MIL

MEMORIAL DAY

2016