"I can tell right now you don't know shit about dynamite."

I laughed long and hard. What a story!

Merry Christmas, Gerard!

Posted by Mike at December 26, 2013 1:18 PM

That's a good one. Dynamite was sold at our local hardware store for years. Spring plowing in New England meant rocks, lot's of rocks. Now, I guess they just go around them.

Posted by Will at December 26, 2013 1:18 PM

Back in the day, my college's ROTC department had an old Special Forces NCO, also from Texas, who told us cadets a similar tale of caution. With commercial or military explosives, a little goes a long way.

Posted by waltj at December 26, 2013 2:43 PM

Great story! Knew a guy that had a permit to blow up beaver dams. Told good stories also.

Posted by t-dubyah-d at December 26, 2013 4:32 PM

Now, I guess they just go around them.

The whole place is overgrown with new trees. They'd have to cut them down and pull the stumps before worrying about the rocks. After that they'd probably need to spend a couple of generations raising folks who could learn to pick beans and harvest corn. Farming is hard work, I think one needs to be raised to it.

Posted by chuck at December 26, 2013 5:06 PM

A story about an overconfident nitwit trying to fix a vital system, one every household must have, and only managing to render the system inoperable, a home unlivable, and make it necessary to spend lots of money that might have been put to better use, having ignored advice from one with a little practical experience.

How strangely resonant, in these times.

Posted by Mike James at December 26, 2013 5:33 PM

I grew up on stories just like this one. My grandfather was a local prankster and knew enough about human nature to get entire communities exercised. The takeaway from this video and stories from my grandfather is how much sense and tolerance the cops had back in those days.

To their defense, I'm sure cops would be delighted if the worst they had to deal today was some smart, hardworking and benign farm kids with a few stick of dynamite.

Posted by edaddy at December 26, 2013 7:28 PM

"Strangely resonant" pretty much sums up the subtext of this tale for these times all right.

Posted by vanderleun at December 26, 2013 7:50 PM

A similar yarn from an English counterpart who made a living by telling after dinner stories - one Blaster Bates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbZsVd7j7l4

Yer man should consider following in his footsteps.
"Where there's muck there's money", as the old Yorkshire saying goes.

Posted by Frank P at December 28, 2013 9:29 AM

Awesome. I retold the story today, complete with Texas accent.

Posted by Cobb at December 28, 2013 3:52 PM

Awesome. I retold the story today, complete with Texas accent.

Posted by Cobb at December 28, 2013 3:52 PM