Newspapers: Wisdom Commotion-Rev.10-04, Part I; LaSalle Parish, La. Submitted by Jack Willis Date: 16 Oct 2004 Source: From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal, Grass Roots and Cockleburrs Date: 04 Oct 2004 ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** *********************************************** Grass Roots and Cockleburs-Rev.10-04 (original publication date: 20 June 2001) Wisdom Commotion On occasion I've had the privilege of sitting at the knee, and later reading some of his chronicles of some of the greatest demonstrations of wisdom commotion (common sense), that were ever related and penned by one Eli W. Plummer. So, it seemed appropriate at this time, to share a few golden nuggets of his stoic observations of one of God's most peculiar creations, the human being, by one of the most able practitioners of this noble calling Mr. Eli Plummer 's family relocated to Indian Creek near Indian Bluff on Catahoula Lake around 1900, from the Summerville community about eight miles north of Jena, Louisiana. These juxtapositions them to several families in this community who were some of the shrewdest observers of Mother Nature, and human nature Almighty God ever created. Two of those families were the Allens and the Hebrons Common "horse sense, the ability to "add up things" in their true perspective, and come to logical, workable conclusion is a quality of mind that is inherent in every individual at birth. Formal education is beneficial and serves to broaden one's horizons, but it adds not one whit to one's original fountain of intelligence. An almost insurmountable gulf lies between "learning " and wisdom", according to Mr. Plummer. One particular tale was first related by Mr. Plummer, and later substantiated by one of the originators and participants in the event, one Cecil D. "Pete" Allen. Pete' s father was James "Jack" Allen, and was one of the best taletellers to ever perfect the art in the Nebo community. He spent years working around the mills in the Trout-Good Pine-Tall Timber Metro-Plex employed by the Buchanan interests as a millwright. When the mills cut out he was forced to seek employment elsewhere and one job was in Baton Rouge. Mr. Jack would catch the ancient, dark blue Interurban bus at Frank Benton's Café and Bus Station on Sunday afternoons to begin the long ride to Baton Rouge. Pete usually brought his father to town to catch the bus. Mr. Jack would put his "grip" in the baggage storage compartment, and dutifully climb aboard. Then shortly the old bus would roar off belching a cloud of black diesel smoke rising to the heavens. All of the men folk in the Nebo community owned a little pet mare horse, which was broken and trained to ride and plow. They utilized this special animal for cow and hog hunting, and for delicate plowing in their home gardens Every spring they planted a small patch of corn, usually covering about an acre, to raise as a food supplement for the little mare through the winter. The Allen's had followed the custom one particular spring, but had had an unusual amount of rain since the corn came up, and as a result, grass abounded in the rows and middles. One Sunday evening, before Mr. Jack was to leave, he and Pete walked down to check out the corn patch. Mr. Jack then gave him very explicit orders for the next Monday morning. He told him to take the half-shovel plow point off the Georgia stock plow, and in its place, to bolt on a full shovel plow point and a "buzzard wing " heel sweep. Then he was to harness and hitch up Dolly, the little mare, and to double-plow out the middles The Monday morning sun came up, bright and brassy, and Pete's focus was on getting the assigned garden chore over and done with soon as possible. He got the Georgia stock ready, hitched up Dolly and pointed her through the garden gate to the outside of the first row. He got her and the plow lined up and proceeded to plow down the outside of the first row. When he got to the other end, he turned Dolly around and came back down the outside of the row again. He then moved the horse and plow over in to the first middle and began to plow it out. When he got to the other end he leaned up against the cross brace between the plow handles and surveyed he and Dolly's handiwork. At this time Pete made a monumental decision. He decided the middle he had just plowed out looked just as good as the outside of the row he had double plowed. So based on his observations, he decided that there was no need to double-plow the middles. So he began to methodically single plow the middles, instead of double-plowing them as ordered. He had cut his labor in half and was through with the task in a short while. When he had finished he took Dolly and the plow to the barn, unhooked from the plow, took the harness off Dolly and turned her loose in the lot so she could go roll in the dust after her labors. You might know that it didn't rain a drop the whole week Mr. Jack was gone to Baton Rouge. He rolled in on the bus Saturday afternoon and Pete was there to pick him up to carry him to Nebo. After Mr. Jack had a cup of coffee the grabbed Pete and headed down to the corn patch. He walked up to the fence and peered at the rows. He turned around after a quick glance and crooked his finger and told Pete to follow him to the barn. When they got to the hallway of the barn, Mr. Jack stopped near some plowing harness and undid a plow line from a bridle hanging on the wall. He folded it about four times and proceeded to whip Pete all over that barn hallway. For the rest of the weekend Pete dodged his Daddy.His Mama kept his food warm in the warming safe above the stove and he generally hid out until time to take Mr. Jack to catch the bus. When Mr. Jack was about to get out of the truck at the bus depot, Pete worked up nerve enough to ask his father how he knew he didn't double-plow the middles? Mr. Jack's eyes twinkled as he replied," If you had, all your tracks would have been going in the same direction. Next week: "Uncle" George Hebron GR&C (6-27-01) Jack Morgan Willis