That was his name.

When we left Montana, I left a lot of good friends behind.  One fellow I got well acquainted with was John Sherry.

He had been a cowboy at one time.  When I use the word “cowboy”, I mean a real, honest to goodness, cow workin’ man.  Back in the days when they had trails instead of roads and horses instead of cars.

In those days everyone watched out for their neighbors, and was friendly and helpful.

John told me one day he was riding to town (on his horse, of course) and stopped in to check on a bachelor friend of his that lived in a small cabin.  John asked him if he needed anything in town.

“Yes, would you mail a letter for me to Sears Roebuck?”

John got to town and was ready to mail the letter when he noticed it was unsealed.  He checked inside.  The letter contained a $5.00 bill and a note.  The note read; “Send me one pair of boots.”

No size, no color, no style.  And no return address.

John rode back to the bachelor’s cabin and told him what he needed and got the order straightened out.  Then John went back to town and mailed the letter for him.

I assume he got his pair of boots.

One day John went to help a neighbor do some butchering.  They butchered a cow.

The cow’s owner said; “Save the tail, we’ll have oxtail soup.”

John said; “Yes!  Save the tail.”

The owner said; “Save the liver.  We’ll have liver and onions.”

John said; “Yes!  Save the liver.”

The owner said; “Save the heart.”

John said; “Yes! Save the heart.”

The owner said; “Save the head.  We’ll make head cheese.”

John said; “Yes!  Save the head.”

They went to clean the head for head cheese and the owner said; “Save the eyeballs.”

John said; “Save the eyeballs?!?!”

“Yes, boiled eyeballs are good.”

Not to be outdone, John said; “O.K.  You eat one and I’ll eat the other.”

The guy boiled the eyeballs, set a couple of plates, and brought one eyeball each over to the table.

John told me later; “You know Adrian – that eyeball rolled over and looked at me and I just couldn’t eat it.”

They didn’t waste the head.  There was still the tongue and brains.

In modern day slaughter houses, when they butcher a pig, they say; “Use everything but the squeal.”

At fast food places they say; “Parts is parts.”