Sharron’s memories of Axel Johnson bring to mind another story I was
told by my dad. He said Axel was a master with a double bit ax. Dad said
Axel would sit and sharpen his ax with a carborundum stone until it was
razor sharp. Then he would tell Dad, “OK Donald, let’s go and ‘slash’
down some trees. He meant what he said! Dad said that any poplar tree
that was not wider than the width of the ax head came down with ONE
whack! Many years after Axel and even Dad were gone, I moved an old
wooden granary and under it were several stumps of small poplar trees
about 2-3 inches in diameter that were cut off slick, with ONE whack.
They must have cut the trees to move the granary to that spot. Most
people leave a stump looking like a beaver chewed it off, but not Axel!
As Bill Hosmer said he wasn’t fast, but was steady and never slowed down
or quit for hours on end. Grandpa Hans Johnson had a similar pace. Once
when I was around 11 years old Grandpa took me to a 50 acre field and
got me started harrowing with an old ‘boss’ harrow. He told me to go in
second gear. I said, “Fifty acres in second gear, I”ll be here forever!”
He looked at me sternly and said, “Better forever going than forever
broke down–second gear.” Grandpa always used to say ‘Forth and back
across the field’ while we all said ‘back and forth’. I asked Dad why
Grandpa always said it that way? He asked me, “Now who do you think is
right?” I guess you go forth before you come back. More old lessons!
Thanks Gary, Sharron, and Bill!

Dick