This picture was sent to Bob
Brown by Fred and Ethel’s daughter and he in turn sent it to me. I know most
of the kids in the picture.
The one I knew best was Chester MacDonald. He was my mentor of sorts. He was
also my protector. If someone picked on me they knew they had to answer to
Chester. One night just about dark I had been at my Grandma Beatty’s house
and headed for home. When I passed Charlie Apple’s store his son Billy saw
me and came running after me. He hit me a few times before I could get away
from him.
Well, guess what, when I got down by McCoys drug store I ran into Chester
and told him what happened. He said “let’s go back up there.” When we got
there Chester hid in back of Barney Kearby’s garage and told me to walk by
the window real slow so Billy could see me, which I did and sure enough he
came bouncing after me. I ran to the back of the garage and then Chester
stepped out! He worked Billy over pretty good and he never bothered me
again.
Just before we all went to the army Chester got into a scrape with a couple
of older men up on the square in Paoli and the sheriff, Noble Ellis threw
all three of them in jail. Later that night when I was in Andy’s somebody
told me about it and I rushed over to see Chester. He was in jail all right.
He said they gave him fourteen days or fourteen dollars. He told me to tell
his mother where he was and to not pay his fine because he was going to “lay
it out.” I gave him what cigarettes I had and I told him I would be back to
see him. I hitched hiked up there every day and brought him a pack of
cigarettes. Sometimes I wouldn’t have the money but I would get it off
somebody like Clifford Cantner, Johnny Bundy etc.
One night I stopped in the old Town Tavern to get a beer and “Gizzy” Lomax
was in there. I asked him if he would like to donate a pack to Chester and
he said sure but first you have to take a drink out of my bottle. I said ok.
that’s not a problem. We went into the rest room and he pulled out a bottle
of “rubbing alcohol” and took a big swig and then passed the bottle to me. I
told him no sir I wasn’t going to drink that stuff. He said “then old
Chester doesn’t get any cigarette’s tonight.” I started to leave and “Gizzy”
said hey, and flipped me a quarter and said get him two packs. At the A & P
store they were two for a quarter.
Chester had a hard time growing up, like me he lost his father when he was
real young. That may be one reason he was so good to me. My Mom never liked
for me to run around with him because she thought he was too old (four
years) and too wild. Even though Mom did not approve I ran with him anyhow.
He was my friend.
Like the rest of us Chester went to war and I am told he stayed in and made
a career out of it. I hope he did and I’ll bet he made one good sergeant. I
have also been told that he died rather young and I was sorry to hear that.
Chester’s step father was a man by the name of Ollie Overlin. I never heard
the man give Chester too many kind words. Ollie was a local baseball pitcher
and they said he was fast, real fast. His brother-in-law, “Guinnie”
MacDonald was his catcher and they said he used two sponges in his mitt. Now
that’s fast.
One Sunday the local “Plutos” were playing a Negro team from Louisville and
Ollie accidentally hit a batter just above the heart. I was told that the
batter started running towards first base and fell over dead. They said
Ollie threw his glove away and never threw another ball!
Bob Brown’s mother, June Qualkenbush is in the picture. I remember June real
well. She was a good friend of my cousins the Abel girls. They are still
living, Helen is eighty-five and Mildred is eighty-three.
Ruby Beatty is also pictured. She is the mother of Donna Glenn of Vincennes
who recently retired as assistant principal at Vincennes High School.
Johnny Bundy was also my good friend. When he grew up he was a good
left-handed pitcher.