But, Clyde was a character. He was one of thousands who came North, from Kentucky, during the war, to get a lucrative "war job." He was one of the first "characters" I met in my young lifetime,, at that point. He had done, "jus a little" some moon shining in his time, was an avid hunter, and had a recipe to fix any "critter" you could think of. Each morning he would relate some "meal" his family had eaten the night before, and always end the evening with a "little drink" of "shine" that someone would bring to him on their trip to "Ahia."
Some were from the South, Kentuckians, but Clyde was a "Briarhopper." Or as he pronounced it , a "brarhopper." I remember one Friday, Clyde was going to take a weeks vacation, next week. "Are you going down to Kentucky to visit your relatives?"
"Naw they all is a living up here, mos are workin at Frigidaire, jus gonna spend the week visitin with them."
He never tired, paced himself, as strong as an Ox, he could cut more sod than any of the others. You cut sod by bending over, taking that cutter, putting it in the ground, your forearm in your knee, and pushing with the knee to move the blade. I had blisters on the back of my arm. There was nothing mechanized or modern in those days, just back breaking work. My back is still suffering from some damage from those days.
Clyde was one sod cuttin' Brarhopper, if there ever was one...
