A Good Read

[Rusty]

I just finsished a book by Jim Bob Tinsley, "The Life and Times of Bone Mizell." Bone was a cowhunter in central Fla. born 1863 died 1921.
Bone was known in the area as a top cow hand, a trickster, and a hard drinker. He wouldn't be a role model for your kids but he has gained folk hero status around Arcadia, Fla. That would also be our own JerryB's home town. I told him about this book when I got it. The book is full of footnotes where the author did a lot of research to put this book togather, so it's not just oral tradition in print.

One of the favorite stories about Bone started when one of his friends and fellow cow hunters up and died out in a cow camp. Knowing something had to be done he started digging a grave. When he came back into camp some of the other cow hunters had started to wash the body and prepare it for the burial. WAIT JUST A MINUTE THERE, cried Bone old Bill wouldn't have let you do that to him while he was alive and I'm not going to stand here and let you take advantage of him now that he can't do anything about it. Bill was laid to rest near the cow camp and words were said over him.
Some time later a young "Jew Boy" from New Orleans kindled up a friendship with Bone. He also took sick and died while at the same cow camp. Bone also saw to it that he got a Christian burial. Months later the boy from New Orleans, who had a rather wealthy family that found out about his passing, sent money to a local undertaker to have the body sent back to New Orleans. Bone was the only one that knew which grave belonged to which party. Bone was paid a fee by the undertaker and dug up the body of old Bill to have it shipped to New Orleans. He talked about it later and justified his actions saying that when he was alive Bill had always wanted to travel but could never afford to do so, so he was going to take his train ride. On the other hand his young Jewish friend had confided to him that he was sick of his family and their ways and had left New Orleans because he never wanted to see them again. To Bone it all seemed like the logical thing to do.

[AJMD429]

Sounds like a really good read to put life in perspective.

[dr walker]

I'll have to look that one up at the library, I am always interested in local history.
Thanks for the review.

[Hobie]

Had to laugh at that last. Pretty funny that but I bet he was in ernest about the choice. That is a friend!