Several years ago, my Great-great Uncle Jimmy owned a farm that bordered the Fleming Pike. The state/county would make deals with the land owners along the roads that were to the benefit of all parties. The government would dump big rock all along the road and pay the land owners to break it up (referred to as 'napping') and keep it spread out along the roads.
One terribly cold day in January, the local Judge was out riding the roads to see if they were being properly maintained by the land owners. He came to Jimmy Brannen's property and an old black fellow was napping rock along the road. Judge Parnell stopped to talk to him for a minute and the old black man asked him if it was the 4th of July. The Judge was surprised by the question and said no, and asked him why he thought that. The old man said there was so much traffic on the road that day he figured it was the 4th of July. The Judge then said to him that he didn't seem to be working very hard and the old man replied that he didn't have to work too hard because he was working for the county that day.
The Judge road on up to Uncle Jimmy's house and relayed the story to him. He asked Jimmy how he could stand to have a man that stupid working for him. Jimmy grinned and told the Judge that if he had about five more just like that, that he would own all of Mason County.
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