"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs—jolted by every pebble in the road." –Henry Ward Beecher
The Great Depression didn't just sprinkle pebbles in the road. It spread rocks of despair on almost every path. With today’s war and other uncertainties, we’re seeing the “roads” of our lives pocked with potholes and pebbles.
That's why humor is so important.
I like to be around people who can retrieve a funny story to take the jolt out of reality. That's one reason, among dozens, that I enjoyed spending time with my friend, the late James Harper. He was a treasure trove of laughs. Practical jokes took the sting out of the 1930s.
Here are two of James’ classics:
E.T. Youngblood, proprietor of Alfred Dorman Wholesale Grocers, was a quintessential Southern gentleman. He ran a thriving business with warehouses in Jesup and Eastman. Golf and quail hunting were two of his pastime passions.
E.T. decided that he had to have a pedigreed bird dog, so he searched the nation. James said the grocer found a blue-ribbon pointer "up the country" and wired $150 to its owner. The dog, with a prestigious bloodline, was to be shipped via Railway Express.
E.T.’s apprentice, Carey Brannen, was also a quail hunter. James believed Carey tipped off “Cracker” Williams (namesake of Cracker Williams Recreation Center) and E.J. Nix, the freight agent at the depot.
E.T. couldn't wait for his dog to arrive. Neither could his buddies.
In the meantime, “Cracker” scoured the streets to find a mangy, flea-bitten mongrel. And when the high-dollar dog arrived, the switcheroo was made. The prize dog was hidden, and E.J. called his friend to hurry to the train station.
E.T. was flabbergasted. He cried, “I’ve been bamboozled!” And that stung more than the hefty sum that he had paid for the pointer. Carey, “Cracker” and E.J. milked the prank for a few days. Finally, they delivered the mail-order dog to the Pine Street warehouse.
All the characters in the prank are dead. But almost 100 years later, folks are still laughing when they hear the story.
And James was in on this next practical joke.
John Mattox, T.G. Ritch Jr., Carey Brannen and James orchestrated this practical joke on a buddy, who will remain anonymous. They told their gullible friend about a party in Doctortown. Pretty girls from Brunswick were visiting their uncle, down by the river.
T.G. and James chauffeured their friend to "the party." When they walked up on the porch and knocked on the door, a gruff man answered. John Mattox was playing the mean uncle inside. In a surly voice, John demanded, 'What do you want?"
''We've come to the party," James said.
"I told you boys to never come back!" John bellowed.
From the other side of the door, they could hear a shotgun being loaded.
"Run!" T.G. hollered.
The trio scattered for the woods as John kicked open the door and blasted buckshot over their heads.
James and T.G. yelped and fell. Their friend kept running, all the way to U.S. 301.
Carey “just happened" to be driving by and saw the fellow frantically hitching his thumb. Before they got to town, Carey said, "It's too bad James and T.G. got shot." His rider was stunned that the news had traveled so fast. But he agreed they should go to the hospital to check on their wounded friends.
When Carey pulled into the Cherry Street parking lot, T.G. and James were hiding behind a tree, watching.
And laughing.
Next time you see Booger Harvey, ask how he and his buddies borrowed the idea from the 1930s and pulled this prank in the 1960s.
And listen to his gold-medal laugh.
(A version of this column was originally published on Aug. 10, 2011.)
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com