CRAWDAD FEED
THE GROUP OF 30 MEN
STOOD OFF TO ONE SIDE LOOKING AT THE LONG PICNIC TABLE COVERED WITH BUTCHER
PAPER. THEY WERE ALSO WATCHING THE TRUCK PARKED SIDE WAYS TEN YARDS FROM
THE END OF THE PICNIC TABLE. THEY WERE GATHERED IN A TIGHT LITTLE GROUP
LIKE A COVEY OF QUAIL UNDER THE NOSE OF A BIRD DOG ON POINT.
SOME OF THEM WERE
SMOKING CIGARETTES. A FEW WERE TALKING SOFTLY AMONG THEMSELVES.
TENSION HUNG OVER THEM LIKE A BLACK CLOUD. IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE ALL RACE
HORSES WAITING IN THE STARTING GATE FOR THE DOOR TO SPRING OPEN AND THEY COULD
BE OFF.
THEN EVER EYE WENT
TO THE TWO MEN THAT CARRIED A LARGE BASKET TO THE PICNIC TABLE AND POURED A
STRING OF RED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUTCHER PAPER FROM ONE END OF THE TABLE TO
THE OTHER. CIGARETTES WERE DROPPED IN THE DIRT AND RUBBED OUT WITH THE TOE
OF A SHOE.
A COUPLE OF THE MEN
LOOKED BACK AT THE TRUCK AND SAW THE DRIVER BUSY SETTING UP HIS OWN TABLE.
THEY LICKED THEIR LIPS IN ANTICIPATION.
JUST THEN A NEW MAN
WALKED TO THE FOOT OF THE PICNIC TABLE AND STARTED A SLOW WALK UP ITS LENGTH. HE
WAS LOOKING AT THAT RED LINE ALL THE WAY. WHEN HE GOT TO THE HEAD OF THE
TABLE HE LOOKED AT THE TRUCK AND ITS DRIVER.
YOU COULD FEEL THE
GROUP OF THIRTY STRAINING AT THE BIT, READY TO BE OFF JUST AS SOON AS THE SIGNAL
WAS GIVEN. YOU COULD ALMOST SEE THEM LEANING FORWARD. THEN THE NEW
MAN NODDED HIS HEAD AND THEY BROKE FOR THE TABLE SET UP BESIDE THE TRUCK.
EACH MAN GRABBED A
16 OUNCE PLASTIC CUP, FILLED IT AND WALKED OVER TO THE PICNIC TABLE.
IN 1950 I WAS A
JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND LIVED IN THE CITY SERVICE OIL COMPANY CAMP THREE MILES
EAST OF GLADEWATER, TEXAS. MY DAD WORKED FOR CITY SERVICE. MOM AND
DAD HAD MOVED DOWN THERE FROM OKLAHOMA IN 1931 WHEN THE EAST TEXAS OIL FIELD
OPEN UP.
BY 1950 DAD WAS
CHIEF ENGINEER AT A PUMPING STATION IN THE SABINE RIVER BOTTOM. THIS
STATION HAD A 5,000 BARREL TANK THAT RECEIVED OIL FROM NUMEROUS OIL WELLS IN THE
AREA. THEN THE PUMPS PUMPED THE OIL TO A BIG TANK FARM ON THE KILGORE
HIGHWAY. THE TANKS IN THIS TANK FARM WERE 10,000 BARREL TANKS.
EACH TANK HAD A
LARGE DIKE AROUND IT IN CASE OF A SPILL THE OIL WOULD BE CONTAINED INSIDE THE
DIKE. THE DIRT FOR THE DIKE HAD BEEN DUG UP FROM THE AREA INSIDE THE DIKE.
WHEN IT RAINED THIS AREA WOULD FILL WITH WATER. IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THESE
AREAS HAD WATER IN THEM PERMANENTLY. THEN THE CRAWDADS MOVED IN.
ONE DAY A NEW MAN
WAS ASSIGNED TO THE POSITION OF SUPERINTENDENT OVER THE TANK FROM. THIS
MAN WAS FROM SOUTHERN LOUISIANA AND WAS PART CAJUN. AS HE WAS INSPECTING
THE TANKS HE SAW THE CRAWDADS IN THE WATER AROUND THE TANKS. THIS GAVE HIM
AN IDEA.
HE CALLED THE
CENTRAL OFFICE OF CITY SERVICE OIL COMPANY AND CONVINCED THEM TO GO INTO THE
BUSINESS OF RAISING AND SELLING CRAWDADS. THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO SPEND ANY
MONEY TO RAISE THE CRAWDADS, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS HARVEST THEIR CROP ONCE A
YEAR AND SELL IT. HE GOT A BIG BONUS FOR HIS SUGGESTION.
AT HARVEST TIME HE
SAVED BACK ENOUGH CRAWDADS TO THROW A CRAWDAD FEED FOR ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
WITH THE TANK FARM AND ALL THE PUMPING STATIONS. I REMEMBER WHEN MY DAD
TALKED ABOUT THAT FIRST CRAWDAD FEED HE EVER ATTENDED.
HE SAID THERE WERE
THIRTY MEN THERE. THERE WAS A LONG PICNIC TABLE COVERED WITH BUTCHER
PAPER. THIS PICNIC TABLE DIDN’T HAVE ANY BENCHES TO SIT ON, YOU HAD TO
STAND UP TO EAT. THERE WAS A PEARL BEER TRUCK PARKED AT ONE END OF THE
TABLE AND THE DRIVER HAD A TABLE SET UP BESIDE HIS TRUCK WITH FOUR KEGS OF PEARL
BEER AND A BUNCH OF 16 OZ. PLASTIC CUPS WITH THE PEARL BEER LOGO ON THEM.
THEN TWO MEN THAT
HAD BEEN BOILING THE CRAWDADS CARRIED THE BASKET OF CRAWDADS OVER AND POURED
THEM DOWN THE PICNIC TABLE IN A STRING. THE SUPERINTENDENT WALKED ALONG
THE TABLE INSPECTING THE CRAWDADS AND THEN GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR THE MEN TO PITCH
IN AND START EATING.
NOW I REMEMBER WHEN
I WAS YOUNGER I WOULD GO TO A SLUSH PIT CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE AND CATCH A BUNCH OF
CRAWDADS. I WOULD BRING THEM HOME AND PEEL THE TAIL MEAT OUT AND MOTHER WOULD
MEAL AND FRY IT LIKE FISH. BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT
TIME.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO
GO TO ONE OF THOSE CRAWDAD FEEDS BUT I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE. BUT YEARS
LATER WHEN JOHNNIE AND I WERE AT CADDO FISHING, ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS INVITED US
OVER TO EAT CRAWDADS WITH THEM. I WAS READY TO GO BUT THAT WENT OVER LIKE
A LEAD BALLOON WITH JOHNNIE. BUT TO BE SOCIABLE SHE WENT WITH ME.
SHE DID MANAGE TO EAT TWO OF THE TAILS AND A LOT OF THE SALAD THAT WAS SERVED
WITH THEM.
ME ON THE OTHER
HAND, I STAYED WITH OUR HOST UNTIL ALL THE CRAWDADS WERE GONE. ONE THING
THOUGHT, I COULDN’T SUCK THE HEADS LIKE THE CAJUNS DO. BUT THEN NEITHER
DID MY HOST.
I’VE EATEN A LOT OF
THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVEN’T EATEN. I’VE EATEN CRAWDADS, SHRIMP AND
ALLIGATOR, ARMADILLO, TURTLES AND BLACK BIRDS, GOATS, VENISON AND ANTELOPE, AND
SOME OF THE CAFÉS I ATE IN WHEN I WAS IN MEXICO I MIGHT EVEN HAVE EATEN DOG OR
CAT. WHO KNOWS?
TUNE
. . . THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY
LIKE TO JOIN OUR FREE
MAILING LIST?, CLICK ON THE HEART BELOW
|
I would love to hear your comments on
the pages we prepare and recommend, we enjoy doing it for your pleasure,
our pleasure is receiving your comments. |
Page design By:
Texas Bob |
|
|
Visitors to the site since
7-12-03 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|