Written and Contributed by David Barker
  December 2006


JIMMY JONES

Jimmy Jones was a figure around Qulin for many years. Both adults  and  children  commonly
knew him as Uncle Jimmy. At one time he owned the house  across  from  where  the  Hoyle's
lived or just back of the Baptist Church. At some point he sold the house and kept a small
two-room garage like structure behind the house that faced onto an alley.  the  story  was
the Uncle Jimmy had emigrated from England and was engaged to be married but while working
in the U.S. had lost an arm in an accident. In those days if you lost an arm or leg it was
just too bad. He then wrote to his fiancee and told her that he would not be able to  take
care of her and called the marriage off. Sometime later he moved on Black river and  lived
there for several years just fishing and reading. At that time he became  acquainted  with
Grandma Hitchcock and they became good friends. Later he moved into Qulin where  he  lived
until his death. He always wore a distinctive bowler hat.

For many years he was Justice of the Peace and was known for his no nonsense attitude.

The most interesting thing about Uncle Jimmy was his reading habits. Approximately once  a
month he would take a suitcase full of books that he had  read  and  return  them  to  the
Poplar Bluff where he would then refill the suitcase with new books. He must  have  had  a
special arrangement with the Library because he was able to keep  the  books  longer  than
most people. On the other hand he probably read books  no  one  else  read.  His  favorite
author was William Shakespeare and he had read everything  Shakespeare  had  written  many
times. He was undoubtedly the best-read person in Qulin in those days and  possibly  ever.
Uncle Jimmy was not a big man and walked in his later years bent over with a cane  but  he
was one of those people that somehow commanded respect. Children sensed this  easier  than
adults. Where as children we might taunt  Granny  MacKay  to  get  her  to  haul  out  her
horsewhip and snap it at you, we would never think of being disrespectful to Uncle Jimmy.

I remember one time when I was about 10 years old  and  had  heard  someone  described  as
eccentric. I asked Uncle Jimmy what that meant and this was his reply: Remember  when  the
steam locomotive comes by and there is the drive rod connected to the drive wheels but  it
is off center. That is the eccentric. when people are a little off  center  we  call  them
eccentric.

Uncle Jimmy had arranged for Mrs. Kate Chapman and Mrs. Nentrup to be  custodians  of  his
estate. When he was well in his eighties he went into the hospital  at  Poplar  bluff  and
quietly died. At the time of his death he had only $300 or just enough to bury him. It was
almost as if he had planned it.

Looking back on Uncle Jimmy you realize that his was a life that was wasted. He had  spent
the better part of his life studying the great classical writers and  probably  knew  more
about literature than many college English professors but he never taught a class. On  the
other hand who would have been interested in listening  to  a  lecture  on  literature  or
poetry in Qulin in the 1930's. Nevertheless, it seems like  there  was  a  great  mismatch
between his intellectual gifts and the time and place.

DAVID BAKER.