Mr. Mac

I return a call to Mr. Mac, a man who has left me a voice message that he needs to speak with me "as soon as possible."

We exchange pleasantries--the little snippets of politeness that used to be a part of the preamble to ever Southern conversation but are now becoming rare. "How's the weather down there? How is your garden coming along? You'll getting any rain?"

I ascertain two things almost immediately about him by his choice of words and his soft Southern phrasing: Mr Mac is old, and he is Black.

He is from the little south Alabama town of Grove Hill. I have been there recently talking with loggers and forestland owners. Although it is the county seat of Clarke County, it is the kind of old Alabama town that has seen its better days. Other than a few small stores, a couple of churches, and the county courthouse, there is not much of a town left. Grove Hill appears to be in the throws of a long, lingering death. The surrounding countryside is mostly small farms and forest. The few houses that remain are weathered and are older than their inhabitants. The unemployment rate in Clarke County is 17%. If you don't log or farm, there is little to do.

Mr. Mac cuts to the chase. "I was wondering if you could help me? I been seeing the news on T.V. about them storms (which he pronounces in the low-country manner that sounds like "stoams") up north, and I was wondering if you might know of any work we could find?"

Mr. Mack goes on to explain that he has been a logger for 40 years. His son and grandson have grown up logging with him. They are all currently out of work.

I ask some questions. "What kind of logging equipment do you have?"

Mr. Mac admits that he no longer has any logging equipment. It is worn out or repossessed by the lender. He offers no explanation, and I do not press the issue.

He hopes to find work with someone else. He assures me that he can run any kind of logging equipment, as can his son and grandson. I hear pride in his voice as he tells this. He is down but not beaten.

Mr. Mac says that times just got too hard, and he could no longer make a living as the owner of a small logging company. His equipment got old, he could not afford to replace it, and in time it just "wore him down."

Now he simply wants to work. He still needs to "put bread on the table." He is willing to go to North Alabama and clean up storm timber if necessary. This alone is revealing. Most loggers hate storm salvage work. It is difficult and dangerous.

I take down his name and telephone number and promise I will let him know if I hear of any work associated with the clean up of the nearly 192,000 acres of timber in Alabama that have been devastated by the tornadoes a week ago. He makes me promise to leave a message if he doesn't answer. He assures me that he will likely be in his pea patch if he misses my call, and he will call back.

I am not optimistic I can help Mr. Mac. He is part of the nearly 40% of small independent loggers who have gone out of business in the last five years.

Next time I will tell you about Vernon. His logging business still survives, but but the writing may be on the wall for him as well.