Mama used to claim that Uncle Walter would argue with a signpost. This was a pretty accurate summing up of one of his well-known tendencies. I don’t know if he actually believed he was always right, but he certainly put up a very convincing defense of his position on any issue.

He was canny in business. Some thought him an operator. Regardless of that, it’s true he knew how to make a trade to his advantage. I don’t believe anyone ever bested him on a business deal, and he could talk his way through almost any negotiation and come out on the winning side. He was a man who took advantage of every opportunity that came his way.

Now one of his boon companions was an old friend, Smith Purcell. Smith would drive out on

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