Finger Lickin' Good

Floyd and Lloyd Walls in the early 1920’s. 

Photo Courtesy of

  
Lloyd Walls  

Written by 
As told to LeRoy by his dad, Lloyd Walls 
 

Pop told us about a time in his younger years when he and Charlie White, his brother-in-law, were moving cattle. In those days there were no cattle trailers and not many trucks so most people moved cattle by driving them while walking or riding horses.

Mom and Pop were living on the old farm near Victor School that Pop called Poverty Holler. Pop and Uncle Charlie were driving three or four head of cattle about 10 miles from Grogan to Charlie’s farm. Grogan is about 10 miles southeast of Elk Creek.

They had started early in the morning but it had been slow going as some of the cows would occasionally head down a farm lane and it took them a while to move the cattle back on the road.

They knew they would go by the Grogan General Store and had planned to get water and something for lunch there. I imagine they watered the cows in a creek along the way. They arrived at the store later than expected and much hungrier.

Unfortunately the store was small and never had many supplies and on this day was out of just about everything.

They first checked on sandwiches which were often available at general stores. Since they didn’t have any sandwiches they asked about bread and cheese or candy and cookies. They didn’t have much but they did have crackers. After checking on about every possibility they could think of to go on the crackers—Uncle Charlie, who apparently retained some sense of humor in the midst of the frustration--finally asked, “Well, do you have any axle grease to go on these crackers?”

When Uncle Charlie said that, I guess John Tom Grogan, the owner of the Grogan General Store, realized just how hungry they were. He then invited them to go over to his house and his wife fixed them lunch.

Over the years when someone mentioned being really hungry, Pop would often ask if we were hungry enough to eat crackers and axle grease. As we envisioned it being eaten peanut butter and cracker style—Pop’s little joke often put a new spring in our step and we were then able to hold out until lunch or supper time.  

12/17/2001