BETTIE — Edsel Green parked his tractor beside the only traffic light in town and polished his beauty for the ride to come.
Rebuilt from hood to hitch, every bearing and seal, the red International was not pulling a disk plow or baler. Instead, Green’s haul on that autumn day was an old bench seat from a GMC van.
He had welded the seat, still covered in factory blue cloth, to a homemade mount that he raised and lowered with a hydraulic hitch. It felt pretty sturdy.
“We’re fixing to go look at the leaves change colors,” he said.
Green, 61, had dressed for the day in creased overalls and a camouflage baseball cap. Tall and burly, and a little stooped by age, the Bettie native restores antique tractors for a living. He had taken off work on a weekday in November to lead a few buddies in a country caravan through Bettie, Ewell and other Upshur County communities that don’t appear on a lot of maps.
“We’re diehards,” Green said. “We’ll ride till dark.”
From Green’s workshop beside the blinking light on U.S. Highway 271, the three tractors headed northeast on Bluebonnet Road. They rumbled down the cracked blacktop, stirring up leaves of crimson and gold, past green pastures and young hardwoods.
“It was all farmland out here at one time,” Green said. “This here 100 acres was all in a cotton patch when I was a little bitty boy.”
‘NOBODY GIVES A HOOT’
At around noon, Green braked and flagged down the others. “This is as good a place as any if y’all want to stop and eat,” Green said. “We ain’t on no kind of timetable. Nobody gives a hoot.”
For the picnic, the men had loaded a cooler with drinks and sandwich fixings and strapped it to the back of a Ford tractor steered by Richard Williams. Williams, 65, had driven in from Alba for the occasion and brought a retired buddy, John Dudley, to ride with him.
Williams said he uses his tractor on land where he grows corn, maize and oats, mostly to remind himself of the way things used to be when he was growing up in rural Rockwall, which is now a teeming suburb of Dallas.
“It’s something to play around with,” he said. “When you get old you get to thinking about old stuff more than new stuff because it’s connected to a lot of good memories.”
A third tractor owner, Neil Somerville, 60, had come over from Longview with his 1947 Farmall A. Somerville has known Green since they were both students at Kilgore College, and they got back in touch while fooling with tractors.
“It’s in the blood,” he said. “I was born in Michigan on a dairy farm. Left when I was 14. I said, ‘No, I don’t want to farm. I just want to play with tractors.’ ”
SERIOUS COMPETITION
Green was practically born on a tractor, he said. He was a fussy baby, and the only way his parents could have any peace was to put him on the family’s Super A.
“I was rode around and around in the yard to be put to sleep,” he said.
When he wasn’t quite 4, he drove his grandfather’s Farmall off a bridge on Chipmunk Road. Young Edsel had been distracted, he said, because he kept turning around in his seat to look at his grandfather, who was following closely behind in a pickup truck.
“I like to killed myself,” he said.
When he grew up he became a welder but continued to work on tractors. Green has won competitions at tractor shows from Texas to California, and he’s restored more than 20 of them in the past decade or so. “Anybody in the tractor business knows I’m serious competition,” he said.
The shop is open by appointment only.
“It’s a way to make a living,” he said. “I’m old. I still like to weld, but I can’t hold up to the hours seven days a week, so I found a way I could work.” And he works at his own pace. “If I wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning hurting, I get up and go work on the carburetor until 6 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “I’ll go have coffee with the boys, then maybe go back to sleep.”
UPSHUR COUNTY SIGHTSEEING
After eating their sandwiches, the men cut north then west on FM 593 in Ewell, population 20. “Used to be a good pea patch right there,” Green said, pointing to a cow pasture.
The caravan crossed U.S. 271 to Muledeer Road, and Williams challenged Green to a race. “When you think you’re ready to try to outrun that little old Ford, we’ll put up some money and we’ll see about it,” Williams said.
Green knew his buddy’s tractor could book it. He declined the offer. The tractors rattled and purred as they passed an old lake whose dam had burst decades earlier, draining everything but the winding channel. They went by a couple of dead hogs and the biggest copperhead that Williams had ever seen, then the old farm place that Green’s grandfather had operated when Green was a little boy.
They crossed the creek where young Edsel had driven the tractor off the bridge so many years ago, and they arrived home in Bettie. Back at the shop, the friends had to admit they were pooped.
Green tried anyway — unsuccessfully, it turned out — to keep the caravan rolling to Lake Gilmer.
“I’m ready to keep riding,” he said. “I could do this all day.”
50 responses to “Old rides, new life”
Hey there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the
post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll
be bookmarking and checking back often!
blbmcfibd yrjoe yjgkphc yicf duhvdqoxlhzsxjp
16178 194117Some times its a pain within the ass to read what people wrote but this internet site is real user genial ! . 152393
125798 397816If you?re needing to produce alteration in an individuals llife, during i would say the Are generally Bodyweight peeling off pounds training course are a wide path inside the direction of gaining any search. la weight loss 855862
907365 405452Yay google is my king helped me to discover this excellent web web site ! . 718860
331915 123109Thank you for this. Thats all I can say. You most certainly have created this into something thats eye opening and critical. You clearly know so considerably about the topic, youve covered so a lot of bases. Fantastic stuff from this part of the internet. 315738
446016 818681fantastic work? Outstanding weblog here! Also your web site a lot up quick! What internet host are you the usage of? Can I get your associate link on your host? I want my website loaded up as rapidly as yours lol? 329985
150149 581274Hello? DropshipDragon provides dropping for quality, affordable products direct from China to your customers. Perfect for eBay sellers and site owners alike!? 70630
404481 632553Intending start up a enterprise around the web involves revealing marketing plus items not only to ladies locally, but somehow to several buyers who are web-based as a rule. e-learning 334796
255329 787931Hey! Good stuff, please keep us posted when you post something like that! 225408
222220 915824Amazing post will likely be posting this on my blog today keep up the very good work. 933699
204371 743337It?s rare knowledgeable folks within this topic, nevertheless, you seem like there?s much more you are talking about! Thanks 921485
967398 492608I simply could not go away your internet site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the normal info an individual supply to your visitors? Is gonna be again continuously so that you can have a look at new posts 614019
754222 656356Hello. Cool write-up. There?s an problem with the site in internet explorer, and you might want to test this? The browser is the marketplace chief and a large element of other folks will miss your excellent writing due to this issue. 508864
296112 722745 Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So nice to locate somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this internet site is something that is needed on the web, someone with a bit originality. useful job for bringing something new to the internet! 490557
753912 659408Particular paid google internet pages offer complete databases relating whilst private essentials of persons although range beginning telephone number, civil drive public records, as effectively as criminal arrest back-ground documents. 276745
227186 523158As a result you?ll call for ultra powerful online enterprise tips to maintain operating in obtaining into matters correct your incredible web-based function. MLM 574147
890810 80609Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything in this way before. So good to uncover somebody with some original suggestions on this topic. realy appreciate starting this up. this superb internet site is something that is needed over the internet, a person if we do originality. valuable function for bringing something new towards the internet! 215220
252614 976152It is a shame you don?t have a donate button! I?d without a doubt donate to this brilliant blog! I suppose for now i?ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this blog with my Facebook group. Chat soon! 497833
63323 204314Yay google is my world beater helped me to discover this great internet site ! . 473546
200976 463174Likely to commence a business venture around the refers to disclosing your products and so programs not just to individuals near you, remember, though , to several potential prospects a lot more via the www often. earn funds 838434
350709 964550Greetings! Quick question that?s completely off topic. Do you know how to make your web site mobile friendly? My weblog looks weird when viewing from my iphone. I?m trying to uncover a template or plugin that may be able to fix this dilemma. In case you have any recommendations, please share. Appreciate it! 166820
351987 447180Fantastic post man, keep the good function, just shared this with the friendz 752234
882655 631475 You need to take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the internet. I will recommend this site! 249422
845850 329114Sweet web website , super style and design , rattling clean and utilize genial . 174957
549301 296349Hey there. I want to to ask just a little something?is this a wordpress internet log as we are planning to be transferring over to WP. In addition did you make this template all by yourself? Numerous thanks. 240052
458890 339984Some genuinely wondrous function on behalf of the owner of this site, perfectly wonderful subject material . 218340
350153 390255I do not have a bank account how can I location the order? 816759
182522 846682Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I believe that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this really is fantastic blog. A great read. I?ll undoubtedly be back. 220982
700162 507157This internet site is typically a walk-through its the data you wished concerning this and didn?t know who ought to. Glimpse here, and you will undoubtedly discover it. 313850
545821 69270Hi, you used to write excellent articles, but the last several posts have been kinda boring? I miss your super writing. Past several posts are just a little out of track! 920472
370708 141759You completed various good points there. I did a search on the theme and discovered the majority of folks will consent with your blog. 27098
314282 844157so significantly fantastic data on here, : D. 85396
433635 486159Gratitude for building this send! I in reality recognize the no cost information. 488045
878707 336214Hello! Wonderful post! Please when I could see a follow up! 252509
160008 134918I?ve applied the valuable points from this page and I can definitely tell that it gives a lot of assistance with my present jobs. I would be quite pleased to maintain getting back in this internet page. Thank you. 230792
harp relaxing music
398614 477884You actually ought to experience a tournament for starters of the finest blogs online. Let me recommend this wonderful internet site! 207831
707943 249744I want to thank you for the outstanding post!! I surely liked every bit of it. I?ve bookmarked your internet site so I can take a appear at the latest articles you post later on. 179416
683969 530182You genuinely should experience a tournament for starters with the finest blogs online. Let me recommend this great internet site! 491229
753053 451502Hello, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, fantastic blog! 744657
cozy
cafe ambience
relaxing Jazz music
Jazz Instrumental music
smooth jazz
jazz relaxing music
piano music
343720 130450Excellent weblog here! following reading, i decide to buy a sleeping bag ASAP 151395
880430 361466I extremely glad to uncover this website on bing, just what I was looking for : D as well saved to favorites . 583623