While visiting my folks in Dothan, Alabama, I took my
son, who was 8 at the time, to Porter Hardware.
He commented on the two worn granite steps up
into the wooden floored, 40 foot wide block long
store. He explored the contents of a long glass
topped and fronted case - asking what the various
items were and what they did. He looked at the
shelves that went up 14 feet to the embossed
tin ceiling and asked the obvious question. "How
do you get things on those top shelves?" and was
delighted when the old clerk grinned, walked half
way down the store and came back riding on a
"library ladder" which rode on wheels at the top,
along a rail you wouldn't notice otherwise and
another on the floor behind the counter - out of
sight.

"I need some "L" screws" I said and drew a picture
for him. The old guy hopped on the ladder and
took off towards the back of the store. In a flash
he was back with a box which he opened and removed
one of its content for me to examine.

"I need one about 3/4" longer." said I.

Back on his ladder, but this time just to get to
a box on one of the upper shelves here near
the door. Back to the counter he came, after
sliding down the ladder just to show he was
still spry, opening a different colored box and
extracting exactly what I needed.

I had to ask "Why were the shorter L screws
way back there and these way up here?"

"Cause when those came in there was room
on a shelf back there. When these came in
there was room on this shelf over here." he
said, without adding "DUH!"

"How the hell do you find things in this place?"
I questioned.

"Cause I know where I put stuff." the old guy
said with confidence only a hardware guy
earns after 50 years.\

"But what happens if you leave or something
happens to you?"

"Job security son - it's called job security"

I later learned he owned the store. He got his
revenge on his kids when he slipped this mortal
coil.

But before he left, my son got to ride AND operate
a dumb waiter type elevator to the basement where
he was shown around - cast iron pot belly stove parts,
buggy springs and even a small barrel holding three,
for some reason unsold, buggy whips.

My son and I talk about our trip to Porter Hardware
periodically - and he just turned 30. He may be
part of the last generation to know how things were
BEFORE shrink wrapped packaging and Borgs.

charlie b