EDUCATION OF A TEXAN
73
We all
laug~ed,
but not so much as we might've because
we wanted to hear more. Jimmy ignored old Billy.
"Well, maybe we can't do anything, but maybe we can.
At least, I'm willing to try. Why not let's elect a committee
and demand good water and paper cups? Cups don't cost any–
thing and they're a damn sight cleaner. Any of you willing to
go with me?"
We sat there kinda thinking it over and then we got shook
up considerable. Big Tex Buckley, sitting beside me, hoisted
his carcass off the ground.
"Sure," he said, "I'll go with you, buddy."
vVe all looked at him. Tex Buckley was pretty well re–
spected by everybody. He was one of the biggest men in size
anyone had ever seen and he had a quiet, even tempered manner.
He talked less than a dumb man, but he had a good, slow work–
ing mind that got places. Tex stood over six-foot-seven and
weighed around two-fourty, none of it fat. That gives you some
idea of his size, huh?
Well, some more of us decided it wasn't such a bad idea
and we let Jimmy lead us around the other gatherings, and, be–
fore long, we had a right sizeable bunch rounded up. Then we
headed for Mushy Calkins, our for eman. /
Now I ain't going to tell you what happened except that we
got our water and paper cups, which was what we wanted; and
Jimmy Gillard got his Union, which was what he
wanted.
We
had a hundred per cent Union gang mighty soon. Big Tex took
a leading part even if he didn't ever say anything. He always
went on the Committees, and some of us used to say that the
bosses gave in because they was more scared of him than the
Union. It always tickled me to watch him standing behind
Jimmy, who's a half-pint like me, solemnly nodding his head at
everything Jimmy said.
We only worked three days a week and Jimmy got us to
help him start an unemployment Council downtown. That went
over big right from the start, and us fellers in the Union was
soon getting groceries and gas and lights and clothes and better
conditions for other people. Then we all chipped in and rented
a hall and made it the Headquarters of our Union as well as
the meeting place of the Council. Jimmy stocked it up with
little paper booklets and made us read 'em all. There was sure
some new and mighty powerful ideas in them and we soaked it
up like West Texas land sops up rain after a drought.
