GROOMER HOUSE

Across the Fence 



By Arvord Abernethy 

In two recent columns, I had mentioned the old rock Groomer house out on the Leon River. Mrs. Sterling P. Williams called me and told of some of their contact with the Groomer house. 

They were living on West Ross and both nearby gins were having a big season, running both day and night. The dust from the gins was almost unbearable. One day when Mr. Williams was downtown, he got to talking with Art Oates, the owner of the Groomer house. Art asked him if the dust was bothering them and Mr. Williams told him that it was. Art reached down in his pocket and pulled out his key ring and gave him the key to his river cabin and told him to stay out there as much as he wanted to. The Williams were certainly grateful for this expression of kindness. 

They would have to pass the Groomer house going to the river cabin, so Mrs. Williams took time to sketch it and then paint two pictures of it. One was given to the Oates as an expression of thanks. 

Mr. Williams remembered as a barefooted boy being downtown and seeing Mr. Groomer coming into town with a wagon load of pork and hams for the stores. They looked mighty good to a growing, hungry boy.

Shared by Roy Ables