Now this is a grinding wheel! It is not the one in Jake Smith's back yard, but it is pretty close. His had a bicycle seat on the end where the pedals are located. He used to set there and pedal which caused the stone to rotate. He would hold an axe blade against the side. When the first side was sharp, he would turn it over and sharpen the other side. He would finish by dripping water on the blade and the spinning stone. When he was finished he had a blade that was so sharp it could be used to shave and he tested it by removing a patch of hair from his arm.
Granted he could not make a living by sharpening axe blades, but it did help supplement the income he and his wife received. She cleaned houses for some ladies in town to help make ends meet. He was a retired police officer, or so I heard. He would occasionally "strap his service weapon" on his belt and scare us kids. He was quick to tell us how fast we would be dispatched to the other side if we did not get out of his yard. And to emphasis that he meant business, he would twirl the pistol on one finger. Then he would set down in the chair that was located by a tree, lean back against the tree and have his afternoon nap.
One afternoon, Jake and one of his cronies waited until he was sound asleep and then they crept up and carefully encased the old guy in ropes so when he woke up and started to tip his chair back down, it did not tip. He pulled the ropes over his head, tipped the chair down. Sadly when he stood up to walk, he found his feet were tied and catapulted to the ground. He did not find this nearly as funny as us kids hiding over in the weeds behind the shed did! Damn lucky he did not shoot us that time. He knew who did it, but of course we all lied and said, "No! Jake went bike riding and he is not back yet."
Life was so simple back then. Sorry to say I have not seen one of those wheels in years and the one I saw was in an antique shop and priced far out of my range. Nor do I own an axe. I do possess a 10 pound sledge hammer and a hatchet. The hatchet was a pricey little purchase, but there are times when that little guy comes in very handy. I used it a couple times to separate a chicken head from the body, but I do not do that any more. My favorite way to butcher chickens was to grasp their feet, step on the head and jerk upward. It was quick and painless, but barbaric. Kenny's mom used to tie thier feet together and hang them from the clothes line. She then streeeeeeeeeeeeetched out their head and proceeded to cut their head from their neck with a butcher knife. Now THAT was barbaric! I could scald and de-feather a chicken faster than anyone in the county, but that is history and I now buy my chicken breasts at the local frozen food section.
I just remembered why I started this blog! I came across my hatchet the other day and noticed that there was a nick on the blade and that the blade was dull. I have an electric grinding wheel in the garage with coarse and fine wheels. I used to use it to sharpen my hoe, but since the snakes have taken over the garden, I do not plant any more and that area goes to weeds for the geese. I am sure at some point in time I am going to have to do something, but for now, I am just going to have my humble breakfast of grits and cheese and think about something else.
May Jake Smith rest in peace setting in his chair, propped against the tree, dreaming of his bygone life as a peace officer retired and sharpening axes and knives on North Strong Street, in Nickerson, Kansas.
