photos courtesy the Brown County Historical Society
The Old Hickory Restaurant and Bar in Nashville.
Wilson’ s chair on display at the History Center.
a million subscribers. His column was titled“ Chimes and Chuckles from Curly Shingles Farm,” and consisted of a poem and several paragraphs of anecdotes, theories, and humorous reflections.
Wilson began reading his poems on R. F. D. Radio Hour in 1930. It was broadcast from Cincinnati, Ohio on station WLW. His work was
very well received by listeners, and fan mail came from as far away as West Virginia and Montana. He also broadcast from station WKRC in Cincinnati and WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana, plus stations in Chicago and Louisville.
His first book, My Indiana Farm, appeared around 1930, and is a compilation of anecdotes and reflections on farming and natural life. It was followed by publication of books Radio Rhymes in 1933, and Pop. 359 in 1941. Pop. 359 reflects the local color of Wilson’ s hometown, Moores Hill, with humor and heart. Jokes and Jingles from Curly Shingles is a collection of his previously published columns. Some of his classic jokes:
“ Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!”
“ Why did the farmer bury all his money? To make his soil rich!”
“ Why don’ t skeletons fight each other? They don’ t have the guts!”
And some of Tramp Starr gems from a golden age of jingles:
“ When the rooster crows at the break of dawn, / The farmer’ s day has just begun./ With a hoe and plow, he works the land, / Making sure the crops grow grand.”
“ In the barn, the cows do moo,/ The farmer’ s work is never through./ With hay to stack and fields to tend, / His day begins and never ends.”
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Nov./ Dec. 2024 • Our Brown County 49