The Snake and My Russell/Fordson Grader

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Rt. 1, Box 373, Mt. Crawford, Virginia 22841

I got this Russell/Fordson motor grader, serial number 229, and the snake, one hundred miles from my home. I came across this machine while walking through a woods in May. I stopped and took a long look and thought, 'What a piece of junk!' Lying under this machine was a large black snake, so I didn't get too close. For as long as I can remember, I never liked those long critters. This was my first visit to this farm and we were house sitting with our grandchildren.

About a year passed by, and I was told that the farm would be sold and if I wanted the grader I could have it. I said, 'No way would I want that piece of junk!' However, I would walk out there and take another look. Guess what! There was that black snake! Later we returned the one hundred miles home.

Several days later a Mr. Benson came by my machine shop for some repairs on one of his F20 Farmall tractors that he collects. I knew he would be interested in the old grader as he has other machines he plays with in tractor pulls. I offered the grader to him. He told me he was not interested and that I should take it for myself. I said to him, 'You must think I am nuts to haul that thing 100 miles up here.' A couple of days went by and Mr. Benson called to say he thought he had a way I could get that machine to the valley for maybe nothing. He had just bought a John Deere H for a Mr. Smith, a tractor collector who lived only ten miles from where the grader was located, and that he was coming here with a trailer that would haul five tons. He gave me Mr. Smith's phone number, and I don't know why I called, but I did. I told him of the grader. He said he would be glad to look at the machine to see if he could haul it. I got into my car the next Sunday, picked up Mr. Smith at his home ten miles from the grader, and went to see the machine. We saw the grader together, and there was that black snake! The snake felt our presence and crawled into the bottom rusted-out gas tank. Mr. Smith said, 'He has a home in there.' I offered the snake and grader to him. He said no, but he would be glad to bring it to the Shenandoah Valley for me when farming allowed some playing time to pick up his tractor.

A week or so went by and I received a phone call from Mr. Smith. The grader was on his trailer and he was coming today. He had picked it up two days earlier and parked it by his house. He asked for the best way to come to my place. I told him to come west on 1-64 and north on 1-81, exit 235 east, plus some Rockingham County roads. True to his word, here coming into my drive was the grader. We unloaded the machine. Coming up the interstate highway Mr. Smith said he heard this car honking its horn and the people were pointing to this black snake up on the steering wheel of the grader. He said this happened many more times and that the last time he saw the snake was back about 20 miles and the snake was hanging down over the edge of the trailer. He guessed he finally fell off. We continued to talk tractors and other good stuff for some time. Then we noticed the snake coming out of the gas tank! He's dead now, after a 100-mile trip. He measured out at six feet, six inches in length. I paid Mr. Smith and thanked him and he went to get his John Deere H tractor.