Evening star., 1934-04-15

..
All the while, too, he jis' KEEP a-chewin'
tobaccy an a-smokin' cigarettes, a-roll-
in his own from the 48 big sacks of plug
cut tobacco he bought every 80 days.
Of course, Old Bills hair had to be
whipped into shape every now and again.
He had it braided-two braids down his
back, with ribbon on each end. Some
times he would roll it up, neSt-like, on
the top of his head when he put on his
hat and walked miles on some journey.
Other times he just stuck the braid ends
into trousers pocket.
But finally one of his grandsons teased
Bill into clipping his hair off to see how
he'd look. Besides, his wife had died
and no one now had the patience to
comb it, braid it and tie ribbons on as
she had done. "Anyhows," confessed Old
Bill, "styles wus a-changin' an I orter
be a-changin', too. I'd cured all my ails,
I figgered."
During these same years Old Bill
worked up a reputation for removing
warts. Both old and young came to him
he would touch his fingertip to his
tongue and then touch the wart. Ritual
there always was and he would advise
like a knowing father, GO home an
don't watch-hit1l come off"
II kin shed off warts-done hit agin
an agin-fust thing they's plumb went.
kin shed ringworms an eczema itch
charm 'em away-jis' like a-that.
1T amt nothin' much-jis' folks
faith"
I saw Old Bill often after our first
meeting. He had decided, he said, to
lease me his 7OO-odd acres at 81 an acre
bonus, provided would agree to drill a
test WELL To finance and make worth
while such a wildcat venture I would
have to have several thousand acres of
leases all together. Old Bill even offered
to help me with his influence and would
go with me to certain other landowners.
THE upshot of the deal was that Old
Bill and 1 became sort of partners.
We spent several days writing up Oil
leases in the thicket and carting around
a notary public with us so that each
lease could be properly acknowledged.
There were several nonresident owners
whom we had to see-squatters or their
descendants who had moved away, and
a few lawyers who owned various tracts
So, on a hot August day Old Bill and
I started for Dallas. With the tempera-
ture 105 degrees in the shade, Old Bill
complained of the heat and blamed his
suit of heavy underwear. I suggested
that we stop and that he remove his
underwear Heck, nav! I'd a-ketch
my death O. dampness," he fired back.
The increasing heat, however, soon
made Old Bill agree to compromise.
stopped under tree and he rolled up
his trousers while took my pocket knife
and cut off his underdrawers at knee
length. He rolled up his shirt sleeves
and I slaShed away his undersleeves close
to his armpits. In the undershirt proper
J cut large holes for ventilation. Then
on to Dallas we went.
There was a lot to Old Bill that I
gradually came to know. Education and
advantages might have brought out GER
tain abilities Again, they might have
ruined him-one never knows. AS for
money, he easily handled more than any
one in the thicket. He was known for
his always respectable bank balance in
Livingston, for the additional wads of
cash which he had hidden in and around
his home. He made it rule to raise
enough cotton and corn and such crops
to buy his -four, coffee and sugar. He
trapped, clearing as much as 81, 100 in
one year not long back. In times past
he sold bear meat and veniSon to lumber