The Crooked Iron Incident

by Velda P. Hancock

We bought rebuilt and owned the Big Six Repair Shop in Thatcher Az. where Clarence repaired most any broken thing.

One day as I was tending the shop while Clarence went on an errand, Otto Lee came in with the crookedest, bent up scrap iron I could imagine, and asked for Clarence. He needed the iron straightened right away. It was about 3 feet long. 4 inches wide and 118 inch thick.  I said, "I can straighten it if you will give me a whip. Bring it over to the vice."

He did and clamped it in horizontally and tightened it, then loosened it saying. ''See, it just doesn't do it"

"Of course not," I said. "Put it in vertically just before the first bend." He did.  "Now, take this hammer and pound,it straight for 2 or 3 inches." .

He did. "Now loosen it and slip it down· to the next bend and pound it straight." 

He did, but said "You said you would straighten it but you are making me do it"

"I told you I would straighten it if you would give me a whip.  Well, that's my whip go on and finish it."  He did, and soon all the bends were straight He viewed his work with satisfaction. Then I said, "Now bring it over to the anvil and tap a few plaes and it will be as good as new."

"Thats plenty straighf," he said, ''What do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything" I said. "You did all the work",

He took the straightened scrap iron and went away pleased with his work.