bobt
Addicted to ArboristSite
"Inky" and "Crabber"
Our little town in the middle of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan sure had it's share of real characters when I was growing up as a kid.
Two of the most celebrated of our "Old Timers" were "Inky" and "Crabber". I don't even know their right names, as everyone in those days had nicknames.
They were quite a couple. They lived in two one room tarpaper shacks that were next to each other on mining company property. They didn't own the property, but simply put up their little camps where they pleased. Of course back in those days it was common practice, so they lived there tax and rent free.
They shared everything; a well, outhouse, big garden, chickens, a cow, and woodpile that they made together.
You would think that they were best friends, but to hear from them, they hated each other. As kids, we would ride our bikes out to see them, and maybe go trout fishing in the creek behind their shacks. Whenever we went out there you could hear them cussing and swearing, and hollering at each other. One couldn't work the well correctly according to the other, or the other pulled up the radish seedlings with the pigweed when tending the garden. It was a constant bantering between them.
"Inky, you stupid Finlander, you can't even split the wood right. It's always too big to fit in my stove!" says Crabber. Then Inky counters with "At least I am splitting it, you lazy Swede!" Well, it was always like that.
They would play cribbage for matches, as they rarely had any money, and the games would go on for days, before they called it a draw!
Yes, they were buddies in the best and worst sense of the term!
The best story I ever heard about them happened when they were younger. They were out cutting pine logs on the Republic flats with a two man crosscut saw, when Crabber shouted at Inky,,,,,,,"Gawd Damn, I don't mind that you're riding the saw, but QUIT DRAGGING YOUR FEET!" Inky threw down his end of the saw and said "THAT'S IT"!!!! And he walked the 9 miles back to town. And Crabber was driving the old Model-A behind him all the way trying to get Inky to talk to him, and ride!!!!!
Bull headed was Inky's middle name!
Bob
Our little town in the middle of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan sure had it's share of real characters when I was growing up as a kid.
Two of the most celebrated of our "Old Timers" were "Inky" and "Crabber". I don't even know their right names, as everyone in those days had nicknames.
They were quite a couple. They lived in two one room tarpaper shacks that were next to each other on mining company property. They didn't own the property, but simply put up their little camps where they pleased. Of course back in those days it was common practice, so they lived there tax and rent free.
They shared everything; a well, outhouse, big garden, chickens, a cow, and woodpile that they made together.
You would think that they were best friends, but to hear from them, they hated each other. As kids, we would ride our bikes out to see them, and maybe go trout fishing in the creek behind their shacks. Whenever we went out there you could hear them cussing and swearing, and hollering at each other. One couldn't work the well correctly according to the other, or the other pulled up the radish seedlings with the pigweed when tending the garden. It was a constant bantering between them.
"Inky, you stupid Finlander, you can't even split the wood right. It's always too big to fit in my stove!" says Crabber. Then Inky counters with "At least I am splitting it, you lazy Swede!" Well, it was always like that.
They would play cribbage for matches, as they rarely had any money, and the games would go on for days, before they called it a draw!
Yes, they were buddies in the best and worst sense of the term!
The best story I ever heard about them happened when they were younger. They were out cutting pine logs on the Republic flats with a two man crosscut saw, when Crabber shouted at Inky,,,,,,,"Gawd Damn, I don't mind that you're riding the saw, but QUIT DRAGGING YOUR FEET!" Inky threw down his end of the saw and said "THAT'S IT"!!!! And he walked the 9 miles back to town. And Crabber was driving the old Model-A behind him all the way trying to get Inky to talk to him, and ride!!!!!
Bull headed was Inky's middle name!
Bob