Back in 1946 or '47 my Mother's Daddy ("Pa"), bought an International Model
"A" tractor. He used the tractor in his logging business until the
late 50's. In 1957, I came along. During my early years I would
ride along with Pa. He would load me up in the seat with him.....
my brother, and "Doc", an old black man that lived on our farm, would stand
on the drawbar and off we would go to the store.
Pa had
always said "Man (his nickname for me), when you grow up this tractor will
be yours". I never forgot that, in fact I had counted on it!
Years went by and the old tractor was retired. In the late 60's my
uncle Clayton took on the project of getting the tractor running again.
He did and used it for a while and then it was retired again.
It set
in a shed at another one of my uncle's homes for a while and one day in
the mid 80's, a fellow came by and wanted to buy my tractor. My uncle
didn't know that "Pa" had given the tractor to me years ago so he sold
my tractor.
He got
$700.00 and split the money between Mama and my aunts & uncles.....Boom!
My tractor was Gone!
I had
tracked the tractor down and offered to buy it back. The man who
then owned it was using "my" tractor to work his garden and would not part
with it. Every time I saw this man I asked about my tractor but he
wouldn't even think about letting me have it back.
This
went on for about 12-15 years. In late August, I saw this man at
a local gas station and asked again, "When are you going to let me have
my tractor back"? I guess he finally had a weak moment and told me
that I could have it. He told me to come by the following week and
he would have the tires pumped up and I could take it back home.
I did
not wait. I called a skid truck and within two hours the old International
was back home where it belonged. The engine was locked, there was
gunk in the carb and gas tank.....it was a mess. I worked on
it for a few days and got it running again.
I plan
to do a full restoration job on it. By the way, the uncle that sold
my tractor is now 77 years old. I called him up and he was happy
to find out that I had gotten the tractor back home. He helped me
get it fired up again. People say all things happen for a reason.....I
don't know what the reason is but there is one thing for sure.....This
old "A" will never leave home again!