Characters of Greenfield

 

Mr. Claude Moseley was another of those beloved “characters” of Greenfield.  He was the owner of E.N.J. Brock Co., a hardware, appliance, and general merchandise store on the corner of Broad and N. Second St.   Mr. Claude was one of those people that could make a point with a short dry humor statement.

In times past, for many years, most of the businessmen of Greenfield extended credit.  There were many grocery stores and most of them did extend credit.  There were a few stores that were what we termed “Cash and Carry.”  Those stores were able to sell for a little less because there was a certain amount of loss by those extending credit, plus having your capital tied up.

The following incidents have been told over the years relating to Mr. Claude.:

A customer was buying toilet paper one time and made the remark that the paper felt a little thin to her.  Mr. Claude replied, “You can double it.”

Another customer, that had evidently been a little slow in paying his bill, came in to buy a can of paint.  He asked Mr. Claude how much it was if he paid cash.  Mr. Claude answered, “One dollar and ninety-five cents.”  He then asked Mr. Claude how much it would be on credit.  Mr. Claude answered, “One dollar and seventy-five cents.”  The customer then wanted to know why it was cheaper if he bought it on credit.  Mr. Claude said, “I don’t want your bill to be any larger than necessary.”  

Constables are an elected office in Weakley County from each District.   Constables are not paid any salary but are paid fees for serving warrants etc.  It was also a practice in years gone by for constables to try to collect debts to businesses for a fee.  One year a newly elected constable went to Mr. Claude and offered to take his old past due accounts and try to collect them.  Mr. Claude went to his account book and flipped to the constables name and said “You can start with this one.”  

Mr. Claude did not get in any hurry on anything, even his speech.  One day a customer asked the price of an article.  He replied, “One dollar” —- The man said “I’ll take it” —- Mr. Claud,”And  twenty-five cents.”

He was also part owner of M&B Motor Co., the Ford dealer in Greenfield.  He took a car from the lot to make a trip to Dresden and parked on the court square.  After his business at the courthouse was finished he got in a car and the key would not work.  He then had a mechanic install a new ignition lock and drove back to Greenfield.  Upon arriving at the Ford dealership, Lloyd Stout, who worked there as a mechanic asked him if he had traded cars.  It seems that Mr. Claude had entered the wrong car upon leaving the courthouse.  It had also been reported stolen by the owner.


 Peter B. Mosley was one of the earliest settlers of the Meridian, Jonesboro area and a large landowner.  There is an old Mosley graveyard about a mile and a half west of Meridian Church.

One of his descendants and namesake, Peter (Pete)B. Mosley was the Greenfield  Night Marshall in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  It was his job to patrol the business district after all of them had closed up for the night and also to assist the Town Marshall, John Holder, during the day if he needed any help.

The County Jail was in Dresden but Greenfield had a “Calaboose” which was located on South Second Street just around the corner of “Soup Street.” One of the sayings of Marshall Holder was, “I’ll put you in thar”, meaning you would be locked up in the “Calaboose.”

Most of the duties of the Town Marshall’s in those days was to handle altercations between people and to lock up those that had tipped the bottle a little too much.  Occasional break?ins happened in the business district but burglary of homes was almost unheard of.  It was 1960 before I knew what a locked door was.

One Saturday “Pete” was attempting to lock up Cecil White and it became a physical “wrestling match.”  As he was wrestling him to the ground Cecil started biting on Pete’s ear and almost chewed it off.  Pete carried a badly mangled ear to his grave.
   
In the late 30’s or early 40’s Pete had a 1932 Chevrolet.  This was a big old box type car.  Pete called his car “Old Liz.”  Don Grooms and some other kids decided to play a prank on Pete and they took some fresh “cow manure” and put in the drivers seat.  Not realizing it was there Pete sat down in it and when he realized what had happened he remarked, “somebody put “cow MANURE” in Old Liz or the “REAR END” on that cow must have been pretty high.”(These are not the actual words he used but you can use your imagination.)

There was also a colorful African American man around Greenfield in those days known as Pewter.  His real name was Newman Viney (Viny, Vinny, Vinney).  There was probably not 10 people that ever knew his real name.  Pewter was also probably part Indian.  He was a small man and always wore a red bandana around his neck held together with a small cow-horn tip.  He also most always wore cowboy boots.  Pewter’s common usage of speech was always prefaced with “yes sir Mr.”, or “no sir Mr.”

There are four crossings of the railroad in Greenfield.  One of the most used crossings is the one that was just north of the old depot which is the highway coming in from Dresden.

One day Pete was making this crossing and Pewter was riding on the running board of Pete’s car, OLD LIZ.  As they approached the rail road tracks Pete asked “is there anything coming Pewter?”  Pewter replied “no sir, ain’t nothing comin but a freight train, Mr. Moseley.”  Well, Pete proceeded on across the tracks and the freight train caught the rear end of “Old Liz” and spun them around.   Neither Pete nor Pewter were hurt but they sure were shook up.

Even to this day if you are riding in a car crossing the railroad tracks in Greenfield and the driver asks  “is anything coming”, you may get the reply, “ nothing but a freight train Mr. Moseley.”

Just a little more of the way it used to be in Greenfield……Joe Stout