Out On The Mudline
Heat Provider Has Connections To Mudline Friends
By W. P. Sissell
Bynum and Vicinity
Several years ago I wrote about my playhouse in the big Oak tree at our front gate and the wreck I witnessed from that hidden away playhouse. That accident happened a long time ago. The men involved were several of the Eidson boys who were involved in hauling stave blocks to the mill in Water Valley.
Earlier in the week, in preparation for the cold weather soon to come, I had a new propane tank installed to hold my winter supply of fuel. Years ago, when Dave Folson worked for us, he would have been piling wood outside our back door—which I would carry in, stick by stick. Later the wood ash would be carried out. Hay cutting time was wood cutting time for Dave, because of his allergy to the dust that went along with putting up hay. The propane gets directly to the fireplace without the in bringing of wood and out toting of the remains.
An Old Friends Son
As I went out to show the man about the placement of the tank, Nannette introduced him. The gentleman was Gene Eidson—which I immediately connected with the Eidsons some of our Mud Line neighbors of long ago.
Gene was the son of one of the men involved in the aforementioned wreck and a nephew of George whom I knew during our Crowder years. The many children of George were Gene’s cousins. Gene’s father had gone to the Illinois area and raised a family there. He told me that his father said that they moved to the Brown family’s farm on Flower’s Creek from the Taylor area of Lafayette County. Because he said the house was gone I called Miss Martha Rowsey who confirmed that location.
As I talked with Miss Martha, something she said makes me think that the truck involved in the wreck probably belonged to George, who had come home to live with the family after starting a family of his own elsewhere for he was married and had one child. He had his brothers helping him with the block hauling. All of his children were pleasures to have in the classroom and have become worthwhile citizens.
I told Gene about two of those cousins, Betty Eidson Mills and Ray. Betty and her husband became owners of a nursing home in New Mexico, which they operated for many years. At a reunion several years ago Betty’s daughter, now in Nashville, told her mother that if she would come and live with her, she would care for her for the rest of her life. Betty’s answer was, “I’ll be there as soon as I can close out my business here.” Betty says that once she got to Nashville she has been very busy as a nursing home consultant (she is a nurse.)
Then I told him about Ray. Ray, out of high school, entered the army and became a paratrooper. In a letter to his high school English teacher, written as he waited to make his first jump from a plane, he wondered why he had been fool enough to volunteer for the paratroops. After service he has become a theme park developer. The last time I heard from him he had a park for sale somewhere on the Texas coast.
I’m afraid I took up a lot of time talking about the old times out on the extended part of the Mudline but Gene and I had fun and finally got the winter wood pile ready for cold weather. I know that we will have a cozy and warm winter. We hope you too have a good week and winter.
You can reach me most any time at 23541 Highway 6, Batesville, MS 38606, 662-563-9879 or wsissell@bellsouth.net.
