Some old Tall Tales

Back in the early days of Grand Ledge, long before movies, television, radio or other entertainments, the telling of a good tale, true or not, was considered a talent. In 1922 V. Kent told of a storey from his youth to illustrate this point:

“It was considered to be quite a feat to be a good story teller. William Russell, everybody called him "Bill," was thought to be about the limit; he was the man who built the first hotel in town on E. River Street known as the Orleans house.”

One Story: One winter while Bill lived in his hotel, he was chopping wood on a farm on the northside of the river. So often had he crossed the frozen river to go to the farm, he said he had a path over the mill pond on the ice and had tramped that path so hard that when the ice went out the path remained and he went back and forth over the flowing river on that path for two weeks more!

Another one: He said that during that winter when going to work one morning he came to the bend in the river, and noticing some peculiar tracks in the snow he went back home and got his rifle and followed those tracks until nearly nightfall. When above Wacousta coming near to the Lookingglass river the tracks seemed to go up a tree; he looked and the hugest drove of Cat fish he had ever seen had gone up to roost in the tree!

“Bill later lived on the farm now owned by M.D. Sutherland, Billy Hixon, later father of Warren Hixon of Danby township and of Mrs. Ben Smith, then but a lad living at home accross the road with his parents, had a great reputation as a story te1ler. The men of the community got into a discussion; some thought Billy could beat Bill. They decided to have them pitted in a contest to see who could tell the best tale, agreeing that Billy being the younger should tell the last story,

Bill's story: "At one time I decided to make the largest fiddle in the world. I went into the woods and found a walnut tree eight feet In diameter, cut it down, and cut off a log 40 feet long from which I carved my fiddle I then found a hickory tree two feet in diameter and 60-feet long from which to make the bow, It look the whole length of a cat gut to make one string for the fiddle. I had to splice the hairs of 40 horse tails to string up the bow.

Billy's story: I at one time bought a yoke of oxen that weighed two tons each, I made a yoke out of a rock elm tree that was three feet in diameter, the yoke was eight feet long. I got a blacksmith to make a chain out of inch-round iron 14 feet long. I went into the woods and cut a white oak tree eight feet through from the but out of which I cut two cart wheels 10 inches thick. I made and axle from 12 feet more of this tree to fit the wheels and put them together thus completing my cart ready for business," He was asked what he intended to do with that outfit. He said. "I got it to haul Bill’s fiddle on." Young Billy got the prize!!