The Goat Man and Stock Market Day in Wise Va

THE GOAT MAN, AND STOCK MARKET DAY IN WISE COUNTY. In our town’s we all knew that Wednesday was stock market day and that meant a lot of action would be going on for the lucky one’s who got to attend or in a child’s eyes it did because back then it was not just yard sale items to be found no sir they had live stock and you never knew what kind unless you went.Some people would buy with cash, others traded around and got what they wanted. and so was the case of my neighbor, Bill who was a kind and always happy man some what older than my parents and he had a very jolly wife Rosie. who just happened to be a MAIL ORDER bride from some big city and together they made a very happy couple ,except on Wednesday’s .You see Bill was said to catch trading fever on those days and on top of that he always walked the rail road tracks about six miles to get there and as a child it was great fun during the summer months to set out side and watch for his return now my brother who is three years older than I assured me he knew when to get off the tracks when the train came .And it was so much fun to see him come up those tracks just a singing a good old mountain song like old Susanna and leading a string of goats well most time he led or maybe they were leading him it all depended on how high he was stepping or how loud his songs were . Now just as he would pass in front of the house we could see he most times had found another banjo and it would be hanging from his back and he sure could play any one he had and if he was really happy why I bet you could have heard him over that old coal train. Now my mother could be strict at times and she often did not find his ways funny but my daddy sure did and he would just laugh at mom and say
where could you find a "Happier" neighbor, than Bill at and mom would reply not to say things like that in front of us children .I Did not see why because everyone should be happy, but Rosie agreed with her at least on Wednesdays because you sure could here her yelling real LOUD!!!!....