PRICELESS

T.A. was a part time preacher, full time Sinclair gasoline plant employee, and "almost" Wright
City rancher.

I say "almost" rancher because even at my tender age, I could see that his operation was a bit ragged as compared to the way Grandaddy kept up his pens, fences, and well...everything.

Course, I will admit that compared to Grandaddy, the Garden of Eden may have felt a bit slighted in the care given to each agricultural detail?

When I was bout 11 year old, T.A. offered to pay me the magnanimous sum of 50 cents per hour to shuck dried corn in his corn bin, run the corn thru a hand powered sheller, and feed the corn to his hogs.

Imagine my blessed feeling to keep falling into these "cash cow" deals?

Anywho, it was winter, but the corn was in a (I would guess, old chicken coop?). All I had to do was sit in that building on a mountain of dried corn (all day) and pull the dried shucks off (did I mention that there were more rats in that corn than ears of corn?)

I swear I can't remember how long that gig lasted (not more than a week), but I think about then I began to realize that my life's occupation had to be a bit more intellectually stimulating than pullin' dried shucks from corn??? (sorry hawgs?)

A side story is that T.A. went to his eternal reward (took a long dirt nap) and his bride asked Dad if he would like to buy his shotgun. Dad didn't know guns from biscuits, but he asked, "how much?" T.A.'s wife said, "how bout $10?"

Dad looked at the gun (it was a J.C. Higgins, double barrel, .410 shotgun in new condition) and Dad said, "No ma'am, but I will give you $20!"

More than 30 years later, I still have T.A.'s shotgun. I have never shot it, but I treasure the memory of the ole WC farmer who toted it, his bride, and my Dad who bought it for me without having a clue what it's value could be?

My research indicates its worth at about $150 today, but because it belonged to one of my first employers, because it is a Wright City relic, and because my Dad bought it for me, it is PRICELESS!