by Larry Hunt
CHAPTER FIFTY
The Mill
After breakfast, Luke and Sam hitch up the wagon and go into Scarlettsville to the Mill. Riding into the open expanse of ground in front of Scarburg Mill Luke sees three, old, black men sitting on the bench underneath the giant oak tree. He stops for a moment and looks at the magnificent old oak. Even though, it is three-quarters of a century older, it is the same tree the British used to hang his g-g-g-grandfather. It is still a glorious sight to behold. Its spreading limbs must cover a distance of one hundred feet or more. Driving the wagon closer to the wooden bench, although, it had been a long time, he recognizes Jethro, Rubin, and Daniel, or Rube and Dan’l as everyone calls them. The three men, for many years, have worked for Uncle Isaac, helping run the mill.
“Howdy, Jethro, Rube. How you been Dan’l?” Luke said. “It’s been quite a spell since I’ve seen you three. It’s me Luke Scarburg.”
“Why,” said Jethro turning, “who done said that? Is that you Master Luke Scarburg, well I’ll be it is. It is you ain’t it Master Luke? Yeah, it’s been a long time.” The three men stand, remove their hats and greet Luke as he steps from the wagon. “Good to see you Master Luke, somebody had done told your Uncle Isaac that they though you, Master Robert and Master Matthew had been kilt in the War.”
“Well, Jethro, they were almost right, I made it back, but I haven’t heard from Father or Matthew since that little fight at Gettysburg. Enough War talk, what have you three been up to?”
“We just come down here and sit on this ole bench everyday Master Luke since Master Isaac closed the mill, and dream about what used to be.”
“What? Closed the Mill! When did all this happen?”
“Oh,” said Jethro, “them Yankees or the Home Guard they was all the time coming by and taking Master Isaac’s cornmeal and flour. Yore uncle said it was just plain stealing, so he closed the mill. Then a couple of months ago a band of low down Yankee deserters came through this area burnt Scarlett and kilt the Master and Mizz Linda Lou. We have hoped when the War done ended Master Isaac would reopen the Mill, but with him now dead and gone we’s guessed the mill she is done finished, just like the rest of Scarlettsville.”
“Fellers, didn’t all three of you work for Isaac?”
“Shore did Luke, we worked fer him fer years.”
“Come over here men and sit back down on the bench, I’ve got something I want to talk to you about. But first, the War is over there are no more Masters, you are free. I wish you would call me just Luke. As free, hard working men, I have an idea for the three of you.”
Luke explained the plight Scarlett was in, how the mill needs to be reopened, and he thinks the three of them can re-open the mill and run it.
Jethro speaks up first, “Mast... uh, Luke, we won’t have no trouble grindin’ corn ner flour and makin’ the mill work, but Luke you knows neither me, Rube nor Dan’l don’t have nuff learnin’ to do that figurin’ end of the business.”
“I may have an answer for that Jethro, Sam come over here for a second,” Luke motions to Sam sitting on the wagon seat. “Sam can read, write and cipher. He’s my brother-in-law, and he may be young but he’s sharp as a tack. What about it Sam, you want to take on the job as mill foreman?”
“I don’t know Luke! This may be too big for me.”
“Nah, Sam, you’re plenty big enough, your legs go all the way to the ground. All right, here’s what I propose. Sam, you, Jethro, Rube and Dan’l get this mill back running and get it making some money. I suggest a partnership – Sam and me will get half and Jethro, Rube and Dan’l you will get the other half. If you decide you need extra hands we will split their wages between our two halves, sound fair?”
“Luke is you sayin’ me, Rube and Dan’l gwine to be part owners in this here mill?”
“Yes, what I’m saying Jethro is we are all going to be partners. Sam will be in charge and you three will run the day-to-day grinding operations and we’ll all share in any money earned. What do you say?”
“Sounds good to me,” says Sam.
“Darn right, youse can count on us,” says Jethro.
Luke knew Jethro, Rube and Dan’l have worked at the mill most of their lives. Jethro said, “We’s even worked for Captain Tom afore he done went on to the Promise Land.” They know all about the workings of all the various pieces of machinery, but Luke wants to know their opinion of the mills current operational readiness.
“Luke, them low-down Yankees come through here about a year ago and since we don’t have no cornmeal nor flour fer them to steal they gets mad and busted the big waterwheel. We’s has to fix it for shore. They done tried to set the Mill on fire, but we’s put it out, and it didn’t do much harm. They hitched a couple of mules to one of them grinding stones and jerked it off over yonder to the edge of that field. It ain’t hurt none, we’s just gots to put it back in its place in the Mill. Then they went and busted up the rest of the stores in town, them that had not already be tore up.
“They didn’t burn this here Mill; well they tried, and they didn’t burn the church nor the old Masonic Hall Number One. They’s still standing. We don’t know why they skipped them, theys must’a been religious or mason men.”
“Well, I hate to hear about the town, but I’m glad they spared the Meetinghouse and Masonic Lodge, and you saved the Mill. Speaking of the Mill, so you believe you can get the old Mill back up and running?”
“Shore nuff, in fact, yer brother William and sister Elizabeth came upstream with a man that had a whole boatload of corn he wants to have ground in to cornmeal. He’s still tied up on the bank a bit downstream, says he come a long way to get his corn ground and now don’t know ‘xactly what he’s to do. Sez he got a store downriver sommers and folks are beggin’ fer cornmeal.”
“Dan’l run down there and tell him we’ll have this mill back up and running in a week! If he can just wait.”
“A week?” said Jethro, shaking his head.
“You bet’ya Jethro, you, Sam, Rube, and Dan’l can do it, I’m sure of it.”
“Well,” says Jethro, “that makes one of us! First off Luke, we’re gonna need some hard cash money for supplies to fix thangs – you got any ready Yankee money?”
“No, no I don’t Jethro, but I’ve got a load of guns in the wagon. Do you know anyplace I can sell them?”
“No, but peoples around here’s got hard money, but there ain’t nothing to spend it on. Most don’t have guns, them Yankees run off with ’em. I say next Saturday we done have us an auction right here at this Mill – we’ll put the word out, and you’ll have them guns done sold in no time.”
“Sounds like a plan, let’s getter done fellers.”
THE AUCTION
Saturday morning a large crowd has gathered in and around the Mill. Word has spread far and wide that an auction of guns is to take place at Scarburg Mill. Jethro was right, the people wanted guns, and they came to get them some. In the South, a man without a firearm feels as naked as he would feel if he were without his clothes.
Luke, Nate and Sam stand on the back of a wagon, and Luke holds up both arms to quieten the crowd and shouts, “Welcome, one and all, for you who don’t know me I’m Luke Scarburg. Isaac, that ran the Mill, was my uncle. My grandfather Captain Tom ran it before him. My great-great-granddad John Scarburg built this place and got hung right over yonder on that big old oak during the Revolution fightin’ the British.”
At the mention of Isaac, John, and Captain Scarburg, the crowd broke in to a big round of applause.
“Thank you, thank you,” said Luke holding up his hands up to quite the crowd again. “Before the War ended Nate and I made a trip to Alabama. On the journey down there and during our trip back we accumulated a stockpile of weapons – most of which someone tried to use on us. Unsuccessfully, I might add.”
This comment brought a chuckle to the crowd.
“I realize the Yankees and even some of the Rebels have stolen most of your weapons, so today Nate, Sam and I are gonna
auction off this pile of rifles, pistols, gun belts, boots, vests, pocket watches, spurs, saddles and what have you. Now I’m not going to lie to you, most of this stuff you see in front of you on this wagon was taken from robbers, thieves, cutthroats, highwaymen and Yankees. And I’ll be the first to admit most of ’em...”
From Nate, is heard a slight clearing of his throat ‘Ahem.’
Luke glanced toward Nate, “Well, what I meant to say all of them got themselves killed, and I’m sorry to say most of ’em was killed by Nate, Sam and myself. I’m not sorry to say though, they had it coming.”
There was another round of applause from the crowd.
“I told you folks that just in case you feel a little squeamish or hesitant to bid on these items we will understand. You do as your conscience dictates. For those of you that might need a little ‘courage’ you may have noticed this large 35-gallon, oak barrel in the back of our other wagon. Step up and pour yourself a cup of this Tennessee Jack Daniel’s sipping whiskey. In fact, we won’t object if you refill that cup a time or two.” Another round of applause breaks out among the attendees.
“Now at the end of the auction of this outlaw stuff I have a real treat for the coon hunters among you. Looking around that is most of you men – we’re going to auction off two coonhounds.
“These hounds are the likes of which you have never, ever seen. These two are the first of many that my brother-in-law,” turning to Sam, “hold your hand up Sam,” Sam waves, “is going to raise and sell.
“I know, you’ll be surprised at their looks, but you’ll be more surprised when you go hunting with them. Sam calls them Walker Coon Hounds. You two lucky fellows, who win them, tell your friends they can come by Scarlett and see Sam Babb when they want to own one for themselves. Our compliments to Sam for the barrel of whiskey his Pa brought from Tennessee.” That brought another round of thunderous applause all around again.