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Texas Bob's World

CRAWDAD FEED

THE GROUP OF 30 MEN STOOD OFF TO ONE SIDE LOOKING AT THE LONG PICNIC TABLE COVERED WITH BUTCHER PAPER.  THEY WERE ALSO WATCHING THE TRUCK PARKED SIDE WAYS TEN YARDS FROM THE END OF THE PICNIC TABLE.  THEY WERE GATHERED IN A TIGHT LITTLE GROUP LIKE A COVEY OF QUAIL UNDER THE NOSE OF A BIRD DOG ON POINT.

SOME OF THEM WERE SMOKING CIGARETTES.  A FEW WERE TALKING SOFTLY AMONG THEMSELVES.  TENSION HUNG OVER THEM LIKE A BLACK CLOUD.  IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE ALL RACE HORSES WAITING IN THE STARTING GATE FOR THE DOOR TO SPRING OPEN AND THEY COULD BE OFF.

THEN EVER EYE WENT TO THE TWO MEN THAT CARRIED A LARGE BASKET TO THE PICNIC TABLE AND POURED A STRING OF RED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUTCHER PAPER FROM ONE END OF THE TABLE TO THE OTHER.  CIGARETTES WERE DROPPED IN THE DIRT AND RUBBED OUT WITH THE TOE OF A SHOE. 

A COUPLE OF THE MEN LOOKED BACK AT THE TRUCK AND SAW THE DRIVER BUSY SETTING UP HIS OWN TABLE.  THEY LICKED THEIR LIPS IN ANTICIPATION.

JUST THEN A NEW MAN WALKED TO THE FOOT OF THE PICNIC TABLE AND STARTED A SLOW WALK UP ITS LENGTH. HE WAS LOOKING AT THAT RED LINE ALL THE WAY.  WHEN HE GOT TO THE HEAD OF THE TABLE HE LOOKED AT THE TRUCK AND ITS DRIVER.

YOU COULD FEEL THE GROUP OF THIRTY STRAINING AT THE BIT, READY TO BE OFF JUST AS SOON AS THE SIGNAL WAS GIVEN.  YOU COULD ALMOST SEE THEM LEANING FORWARD.  THEN THE NEW MAN NODDED HIS HEAD AND THEY BROKE FOR THE TABLE SET UP BESIDE THE TRUCK.

EACH MAN GRABBED A 16 OUNCE PLASTIC CUP, FILLED IT AND WALKED OVER TO THE PICNIC TABLE.

IN 1950 I WAS A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND LIVED IN THE CITY SERVICE OIL COMPANY CAMP THREE MILES EAST OF GLADEWATER, TEXAS.  MY DAD WORKED FOR CITY SERVICE.  MOM AND DAD HAD MOVED DOWN THERE FROM OKLAHOMA IN 1931 WHEN THE EAST TEXAS OIL FIELD OPEN UP.

BY 1950 DAD WAS CHIEF ENGINEER AT A PUMPING STATION IN THE SABINE RIVER BOTTOM.  THIS STATION HAD A 5,000 BARREL TANK THAT RECEIVED OIL FROM NUMEROUS OIL WELLS IN THE AREA.  THEN THE PUMPS PUMPED THE OIL TO A BIG TANK FARM ON THE KILGORE HIGHWAY.  THE TANKS IN THIS TANK FARM WERE 10,000 BARREL TANKS.

EACH TANK HAD A LARGE DIKE AROUND IT IN CASE OF A SPILL THE OIL WOULD BE CONTAINED INSIDE THE DIKE. THE DIRT FOR THE DIKE HAD BEEN DUG UP FROM THE AREA INSIDE THE DIKE.  WHEN IT RAINED THIS AREA WOULD FILL WITH WATER.  IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THESE AREAS HAD WATER IN THEM PERMANENTLY.  THEN THE CRAWDADS MOVED IN.

ONE DAY A NEW MAN WAS ASSIGNED TO THE POSITION OF SUPERINTENDENT OVER THE TANK FROM.  THIS MAN WAS FROM SOUTHERN LOUISIANA AND WAS PART CAJUN.  AS HE WAS INSPECTING THE TANKS HE SAW THE CRAWDADS IN THE WATER AROUND THE TANKS.  THIS GAVE HIM AN IDEA.

HE CALLED THE CENTRAL OFFICE OF CITY SERVICE OIL COMPANY AND CONVINCED THEM TO GO INTO THE BUSINESS OF RAISING AND SELLING CRAWDADS.  THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO SPEND ANY MONEY TO RAISE THE CRAWDADS, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS HARVEST THEIR CROP ONCE A YEAR AND SELL IT.  HE GOT A BIG BONUS FOR HIS SUGGESTION.

AT HARVEST TIME HE SAVED BACK ENOUGH CRAWDADS TO THROW A CRAWDAD FEED FOR ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THE TANK FARM AND ALL THE PUMPING STATIONS.  I REMEMBER WHEN MY DAD TALKED ABOUT THAT FIRST CRAWDAD FEED HE EVER ATTENDED.

HE SAID THERE WERE THIRTY MEN THERE.  THERE WAS A LONG PICNIC TABLE COVERED WITH BUTCHER PAPER.  THIS PICNIC TABLE DIDN’T HAVE ANY BENCHES TO SIT ON, YOU HAD TO STAND UP TO EAT.  THERE WAS A PEARL BEER TRUCK PARKED AT ONE END OF THE TABLE AND THE DRIVER HAD A TABLE SET UP BESIDE HIS TRUCK WITH FOUR KEGS OF PEARL BEER AND A BUNCH OF 16 OZ. PLASTIC CUPS WITH THE PEARL BEER LOGO ON THEM.

THEN TWO MEN THAT HAD BEEN BOILING THE CRAWDADS CARRIED THE BASKET OF CRAWDADS OVER AND POURED THEM DOWN THE PICNIC TABLE IN A STRING.  THE SUPERINTENDENT WALKED ALONG THE TABLE INSPECTING THE CRAWDADS AND THEN GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR THE MEN TO PITCH IN AND START EATING.

NOW I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I WOULD GO TO A SLUSH PIT CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE AND CATCH A BUNCH OF CRAWDADS.  I WOULD BRING THEM HOME AND PEEL THE TAIL MEAT OUT AND MOTHER WOULD MEAL AND FRY IT LIKE FISH.  BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO ONE OF THOSE CRAWDAD FEEDS BUT I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE.  BUT YEARS LATER WHEN JOHNNIE AND I WERE AT CADDO FISHING, ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS INVITED US OVER TO EAT CRAWDADS WITH THEM.  I WAS READY TO GO BUT THAT WENT OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON WITH JOHNNIE.  BUT TO BE SOCIABLE SHE WENT WITH ME.  SHE DID MANAGE TO EAT TWO OF THE TAILS AND A LOT OF THE SALAD THAT WAS SERVED WITH THEM.

ME ON THE OTHER HAND, I STAYED WITH OUR HOST UNTIL ALL THE CRAWDADS WERE GONE.  ONE THING THOUGHT, I COULDN’T SUCK THE HEADS LIKE THE CAJUNS DO.  BUT THEN NEITHER DID MY HOST.

I’VE EATEN A LOT OF THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVEN’T EATEN.  I’VE EATEN CRAWDADS, SHRIMP AND ALLIGATOR, ARMADILLO, TURTLES AND BLACK BIRDS, GOATS, VENISON AND ANTELOPE, AND SOME OF THE CAFÉS I ATE IN WHEN I WAS IN MEXICO I MIGHT EVEN HAVE EATEN DOG OR CAT.  WHO KNOWS?