Exploding Pipe

Exploding Pipe
told by
Brian Barnett
I've heard this story from several different people. I heard it more than one time from both dad and papaw though, so I'll give them both credit as the source.
Papaw used to have a great-aunt or grandmother who lived with his family when he was younger. She was blind and she was rather old. She smoked a clay pipe and often sat in front of a fireplace to smoke it. When the men would come in from working, they would drop the remaining tobacco from their own pockets into her can that she kept by her chair.
Apparently on this particular day, the guys had been out shooting guns and had stored the bullets in with the tobacco. When she went to load her tobacco, she packed one of the bullets in with it. Of course eventually the bullet went off, blowing up the pipe, all but the stub still in her mouth.
Now, I've heard two versions of how this story ended. I suppose you can pick your favorite and run with it:
Ending 1 (the most likely scenario): She was fortunately unhurt, and just a bit shaken up over it.
or
Ending 2 (the more romantic scenario): She was fortunately unhurt and the guys were still in the field shooting. When the pipe exploded, she went to the window and yelled "You boys stop shooting so close to the house! You're getting a little too close."
Category:Stories from the Barnett Family
Category:Stories