Beech Tree News Network

“Scroochy” Yates lived on Locke Lane-two houses from mine my Great Granddaddy’s home place. I guess that is why they named it Locke Lane; about a half mile from New Cypress, in Muhlenberg County- the only place I was born in 1933. 

Scroochy had three boys: S.B., Paul Eugene, and Fred Norris. S.B. was the oldest- I believe he married one of the Cornelius girls.

Although Scroochy never seemed to have anything but a pair of overalls and a pocket knife, he could make money on a rock- it was a mystery. He worked in the coal mines some and farmed… he and the boys. They had money too- they rode new bicycles, Fred Norris and Paul Eugene, the two younger boys. S. B., the oldest boy rode a fine horse. 

Mrs. Yates, the Mother, was a plain woman, very spare. She wore a white dish towel on her head when she went out anywhere, which was rarely. Scroochy bought the bottom land off my Grandpa Charlie’s home place and got better off financially. I believe he paid $500 for that parcel of bottom land. 

One day Scroochy went into Barnes Auto in Greenville and asked about the pickup truck they had on display in the show room…a brand new Ford. 

“The price is $2,500 dollars”, they told him. “How would you like to finance this Mister Yates?”  they asked him, as they looked at his faded, but clean overalls. 

“What do you mean?” Scroochy said.

“How do you want to pay for the truck?” 

“Does it have gas and oil in it?” 

“Yes”, they answered. 

Scroochy reached into the breast pocket of his overalls, pulled out a large roll of money and peeled-off twenty five one hundred dollar bills, and said “I’ll drive it home with me.” 

Later, fortune really smiled on Scroochy. They discouraged natural gas on the land he bought from Grandpa Locke, and drilled several wells. 

Great Grandpa Charlie was sitting on a million dollars and DIDN’T KNOW IT. 

I suppose the Locke’s came close to being well-off. But CLOSE only counts in the game of horse shoes and washers. 

Kindest regards…..