Grandpa Washington

Grandpa Washington was a very secretive man.   He told me stories while we sat on the front porch.  I do not know whether  they were true or not.  I never knew of him ever telling a lie and so I think it is true.  One of his sons told me he had never told this to them.  However  that time may not have been a good time to tell anyone this story.  When Great great grandpa  Berry's children got married he gave them some land.  Grandpa's Daddy talked his Mother into selling the land, he  took the money to go buffalo hunting and he  never came home again.  Back then if a woman was a widow men riding the range would come by and eat and pay her.   This was the way she made her living, she always had pies and cakes.  Other people would come and buy her cakes and pies.  Grandpa said he did not know all the men who came by but one became their friend.  Back in the older days men respected good women and would help them all they could.  Grandpa was born not too long after the civil war he was ninety three when he died in 1954.  The man he got to know and came by fairly often was Sam Bass, the outlaw.  Sam Bass and his gang came by and ask Grandpa to go with them and hold their horses while they went into town.  He did not tell him they were going to rob the bank in town.  Grandpa never told me what town, I learn early not to ask him questions.  Grandpa said he heard shooting and Sam Bass came and got his horses and told Grandpa to ride.   When they got to the turn off to Grandpa's house Sam Bass told him to ride that way and said I ride this way and he was gone.  The story was told that only two got away and that was Grandpa and Sam Bass.  Grandpa told me not to tell anyone and I never did.  One day  after Grandpa  died and my brother Walter ask me if Grandpa told me about Sam Bass then I knew he told Walter.   Grandpa love to fish but he needed some one to petal the boat while he fished for bass with his fishing rod.  Walter went with him that is when Grandpa told him.  I don't know how Grandpa knew but he told me that Sam Bass changed his name and went to south Louisiana.   I hope you have enjoyed the story of my Grandpa and I thank you for reading my blog.   Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom and I hope you will grow one of your own.  Happy Gardening to you from me Juanita.