Published: August 17, 2008 12:53 am            

ALBATYS: Cheers to good friends; relish them

Legend has it that the old building that stood at Third and Main streets in New Albany was used as hospital during the Civil War.

I know for sure that for many years it housed Burch Happel’s tractor dealership. Several years ago, I rented what had once been the parts department from Burch to use as a warehouse for our small business. For most of the week it was just that, a convenient place to store merchandise bound for our store in Louisville, but a couple of nights a week it took on an altogether different role. It became the impromptu meeting place for some of New Albany’s most colorful citizens.

Had you driven by in those days you would have seen as many as eight to 10 guys sitting around the side of the old building, It was a scene reminiscent of the barber shops and general stores of yesterday. The conversations were always lively. The stories were always interesting and every once in awhile, true. The more the stories were told, the fish got bigger, cars and horses got faster and the women in our past got prettier. Some of the tales were whoppers. To this day I still don’t know if there is really such thing as “fiddle worms”

Among the regulars was old Bob Vest.

Bob was born in Alabama, served in the Pacific during World War II and came home to marry and commercially fish the Tennessee River. After a stint with the railroad and a try at mechanic work, he put in 30 years with a big Louisville chemical company. I never knew anyone that took the word “neighbor” more to heart. Bob never met a stranger. If he could do something to help someone, he did just that. I helped carry Bob to his final resting place in an old cemetery across the river. That was a sad day for me.

Sometimes Bob’s best friend came with him. Arthur “Dink” Scott is a name familiar to most people around Floyd County. For years he was the New Albany Animal Warden. He also knew as much about horses as most anybody around town. Scotty had a thousand stories to tell and I never tired of hearing him talk about days gone by. As a young man, he had ridden bulls and broncs in the rodeo for five dollars a ride. When I paid my last respects to Scotty, I spent a few extra minutes looking at the pictures of him and Bob and smiled as I remembered how good of friends they were.

To some, it may have seemed an unlikely friendship Bob, a white man raised in the segregated south and Scotty, a black man from New Albany. But theirs was a friendship based on mutual respect and the knowledge, that sometimes takes awhile to acquire, that color doesn’t make the man. I can still hear Scotty describing them as “this old salt and pepper team.”

Charlie was the malcontent of the group. We all know somebody like Charlie. He complained about everything. A friend of mine and I use to joke that we could imagine Charlie, in his old age, berating the nurse at the retirement home; “you call this vanilla pudding! There was a place at 23rd and Broadway, they knew how to make pudding.” We still liked the guy.

Among the regulars was a man everyone called Junior.

Junior retired from an aluminum company and spent his time going to auctions and flea markets around town. Junior always bragged about being able to eat at the Legion Post for a dollar and a half. I always made it a point to ask what they charged for corn bread and tea. Again and again he would tell me “ you get all the tea and cornbread you want for free.”

Finally, I asked one too many times. His face turned red, an enraged Junior glared at me and said “you know damn well you get the tea and corn bread for free.” We all had a good laugh. I guess you had to be there.

I still have dinner once or twice a month with a couple of the regulars.

Sweeny Dellinger, who in his long career sold enough used cars to encircle New Albany three times, can still be found at every church picnic, fall festival and parade for miles around. How many used car salesman can sell thousands of cars and still live in the town where they did it? A good guy in all respects.

I always enjoy time spent with my old friend Vince Sieg. Vince, in his mid seventies, still works everyday. He can be found taking pictures, cutting timber and delivering groceries for charity.

Vince and his wife, Dorothy have spent a lifetime quietly helping others. Vince also knows where every street, business and farm is located in four counties. If Vince can’t tell you how to get there, you don’t need to go.

At first glance it may seem like this is just a sentimental look back at some of my friends, but it’s meant to be more than that. It’s my way of reminding you of the importance of time spent with good friends. And if you see an empty seat on the liars bench, take it, you may learn something.

And if you learn the truth about “fiddle worms,” let me know.



Andrew J. Albatys is a Henryville resident and Sellersburg business owner. He can be reached via e-mail at douglassloop@aol.com.

        

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