Once upon a time, there was a man named Chester Adelbert Bundy (CAB for short). He was an old man who lived until he was about seventy-six years old. In his lifetime, he worked building sawmills and such. The “and such” came later in life after, as a man of about forty, he married Hazel Tatman. No middle name; just Hazel because she was a twin and her mother probably thought she was having one child that she would name Hazel Amy or Amy Hazel. When she ended up with twins, she did not conjure any new middle names for the babies and named one Amy and the other Hazel. CAB and Hazel lived together for some time and had five daughters.

During that time, CAB worked in construction. He could make BIG machines “sing.” The beginning of his work was with big machines called “steam shovels.” Later, the power came from diesel engines. Sometimes, something in the machines would wear out or break – or just not work. At that time, CAB and his helper person called an oiler would need to fix the machine.

Ordinary tools did not work to repair the big machines. Special tools were needed. Everything on those big machines was BIG! So, an ordinary screwdriver or an ordinary set of wrenches, or … an ordinary-sized socket set would not do.

United States steel companies made the very best steel in all of the world at that time. CAB bought the best tools so he could work on the machines when they had a problem. Big wrenches – box end and open end wrenches – at least eighteen inches long and made of very thick steel. Huge ball pein hammers. Huge, long screwdrivers. Special pliers, larger than the ordinary “house” pliers. And, largest and heaviest of all was the 3/4-inch-drive socket set. Most everyday socket sets are 1/2 inch drive or smaller. There are 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch, which is the size of the square connector on the ratchet. And, that 3/4 inch rachet must weigh bout five pounds – before putting on the socket! The men (and they were all men) who used those tools must have been incredibly strong people.

The time came, as it does with all life on earth, when CAB died, leaving the tools without work. One of his daughters (let’s call her MLBB) inherited all of the tools. The hammers. The wrenches. The socket set. The daughter was not a big machine operator; so, the tools were placed into a place for safe keeping. There they sat for years without any work to do.

Time came when the daughter married a fine man. A man who knew very well how to use tools. But, the CAB tools were too big for him to use. He did not work on BIG machines. And, so the tools sat, unused in their safe place. They were eventually moved into a tall, red tool chest for safe keeping, occupying several drawers. As the years passed, new and smaller tools were added to the tall chest. Tools that were appropriate for the husband to use when he worked on cars or adjusted something in the house. Whenever the husband needed a specific tool to do some job, MLBB generously made funds available for him to buy that tool.

Over the years, the red tool box was filled with tools and more tools. Many kinds of hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, socket sets, drill bits – and many kinds of tools that MLBB could not even identify – but, the husband knew just what they were and how to use them.  Anything to make the job of the husband easier. She believed that the proper tool is what was to be used. She did not believe that a screwdriver was ever to be used as a chisel – and, so, chisels were also part of the tools living in the big red box.

Of course, after many, many years, the husband also passed – life is like that. And the wife was left with all of those tools in the big red box. She occasionally went to the tool box and opened the drawers, thinking about her father and her husband. Once in a while, she needed to use a tool from the box, but not often. She had always had her own tools in the house for the jobs she needed to do.

Each time the drawers of the tool box were opened, the tools thought they would once again be put to use. They were tired of staying in that box, never being able to do the work for which they were intended. Year after year went by. When she looked at the big tools, the wife sometimes thought she heard her father talking about a machine called the Bucyrus-Erie Sometimes, the wife would say to them, “If I only knew someone who would use you and keep you in good condition, I would be sure they could have all of you.” But, she didn’t know anyone; each time, she would close up the drawers and go away.

The wife lived in a wonderful community with wonderful neighbors. She asked around her community to see if anyone needed tools like the ones in the big red box; no one could help. Then, one day, a neighbor said, “My family is a family of farmers – up north. There is my dad and brothers and, soon, a nephew will join them as a farmer. They have big tractors and other big machines. Maybe, they can help.”

The day came when her dad and mom came to visit the wife to look at the tools in the big red box. Each time he held a tool, he knew its name and its purpose. He knew all about the tools that he touched! “This tool is for building wire fences.” Or, “this tool is for doing this.” The Dad knew just what each tool had been built to do.

The wife said, “I want these tools to be used. I want them to do the work they were designed to do. They have been sitting in this tool box for so many years. No one is using them. I am not using them. They must be used!” She said, “I know the steel on the 3/4-inch-drive socket set is the best. It was made with United States steel – probably, more than eighty years ago, when steel was really, tough steel.”

The Dad told her that the tools were in excellent condition. Everything had organization about it. He would be very pleased to take the tools back to his farm and put them to good use. And, so, the tools went on their way to North Dakota with the neighbor’s dad and mom to be used as they were supposed to be used.

And, the tools were happy. They could look forward to doing the work they had been missing for years.

Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are greatly appreciated.