I think Albert King and family took care of the Locust Grove switchboard and he worked on the telephone line that was one strand of galvanized wire and most of the poles were chestnut or locust wood. The wire was fastened to a glass insulator at each pole.

SOME young boys were always using the gravel shooters to practice shooting at the glass insulators. The gravel shooters were mostly made of a Y forked part of mountain laurel or other hardwood. The rubber bands were cut from old automobile inter tubes as they were made of rubber and there was so many tire blow-outs and flats that it was easy to find the inter tubes. The holder was made of a piece of leather, usually a shoe tongue as most shoes were leather and sooner or later had to be discarded. They were half soled and heels replaced as long as possible. But they would get to where the tacks didn't have materiel to clench the sharp tacks. "Wow" did the tacks hurt when a shoe sole wore down and the tack stuck your foot. This usually happened when stepping on a rock in a path or road.

Then sometimes a tack was missed being bradded on the shoe last as a repair was being made. Don't want to forget using the tallow as a coating on the shoes to waterproof the leather. It didn't smell too good when you warmed your feet near stove or fire. Especially if your desk was near the stove in schoolhouse. If you was near the stove it was too hot and if you was at outer edge of room, you stayed cold.

I suppose some of you remember the aviator caps with goggles the boys wore, the sheepskin coats the men wore, the knitted socks made from wool and etc. School lunches were carried in Karo syrup or lard pails. Liked to look for teaberries in the woods and chewed the leaves for the mint flavor. Oh the smell found in the woods in each season of the year can't be described.

Edgar L. Vest
eevest@swva.net