BUCK WATSON

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Adair auctioneer is graduate of Spout Springs U.

By Henry Giles
First published in November 6, 1971, Green River Sprite

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Colonel T.M. "Buck" Watson is a Green River Man of diverse interests, talents, and experiences.

Buck was the youngest of six boys

Buck, the youngest of six boys in the Watson family, was born and grew up in Green River near Neatsville.

His father, G.G. "Buddy" Watson owned land along the Green at Neatsville until it was bought by the Government for part of the Green River Reservoir.

After that, Buck bought a farm on Highway 55 a short distance north of Columbia. Mr. Buddy lived there until his death several months ago.

Col. Buck was graduate of Spout Springs University

Col. Buck calls himself a graduate of Spout Springs University, and he says his first money-making enterprise was raising ducks and selling duck eggs.

Each morning during the laying season he would follow the trail of his ducks down Blue Branch into the Green River bottomlands, gathering his duck eggs.

And back then, duck eggs were the same price as hen eggs. People in the neighborhood called his flock Buck's ducks.

He was driver for Red Ball Express

Even before World War II, Buck became interested in becoming an auctioneer, and was off to a good start when Uncle Sam's call to arms interrupted, and he was drafted into the Army.

Stateside, he had basic training in Combat Engineers, the in Europe he was attached to an Engineer dump truck unit, and drove trucks across the continent for the Red Ball Express.

After the War, he married Ople Goode

After the wars were over and Buck was discharged he married Ople Goode, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Goode, who now live at Eunice, slightly upriver from Neatsville.

Buck and Ople have two children, Linda, 19, and Jerry Tom, 13. Jerry Tom is in the eighth grade this year, and Linda, is in her second year at Lindsey Wilson.

Leonard Burton was apt to be his clerk

At one of Buck's auctions up in this section of the county, his clerk is apt to be Leonard Burton, of Pellyton. If it's a big auction--such as the one he had last week to settle the estate of the late Tee Williams--Col. Bob Wolford (Mr. Auctioneer we've heard him called) will be helping; doing part of the selling, keeping up with the bidding, and urging the bidders on.

"Miss Ople" was one to take money at auctions

And there's Buck's wife, Ople. "Miss Ople," Buck calls her. We're not sure of Miss Ople's correct title, but she's the one that takes the money after the bidding is over.

On occasions, when the bidding is too slow or too low to suit Buck, he will bid on whatever he's selling. If no one else bids, he instructs his clerk, "Mark it to Ople."

We've seen him buy some right interesting articles for Miss Ople. One item he had marked to Miss Ople last Saturday was a twenty-foot log chain.

"Anyone can make it big in Green River Country"

Buck has always said that anybody can make it fine here in Green River Country if they'll get in there and dig. And by dig, he means work.

If one thing doesn't pay off well enough, try something else; get more than one project going at a time, and dig, he says. And if anyone has ever proven that theory, Buck has.

Buck was successful in many fields

Besides being a successful auctioneer and real estate broker Buck farms and raises livestock. He is a well qualified and respected appraiser of real estate.

When land owner in the Green River Reservoir area decided to take their cases to court because the Government offers for their holding were too low, there had to be appraisals of their lands presented in court. Col Buck was in on most of the cases in the reservoir area, and presented his appraisals to the courts.

And in every case, Buck says, the land owner was awarded more by the court than the Government had offered.

He served two terms in legislature

In 1962 Buck decided to get into politics, so he ran for legislator for Adair and Green counties.

He campaigned tirelessly, vocally and in print, urging voters to "Vote for the Original Green Boy" for your next legislature. He was voted for and served two terms for us in Frankfort.

Ran grocery at Old Neatsville, 1959-1967

In the meantime, the Watsons were running a grocery store at Old Neatsville; from 1959 through 1967.

Also in the meantime, Buck was in timber business for four years, buying tracts of timber and with his own fleet of trucks doing the logging. Today, if asked how he did in the grocery and timber business, he'll answer, "Not too bad; but it took some digging."

Buck asked competitor Leland Grant to close for Buck's birthday

Leland and Virginia Grant also ran a grocery store at Neatsville. One morning Buck dispatched a messenger--a local loafer--down to the Grant's store, requesting that both stores close for the day.

It was Buck's birthday. Leland wasn't in, so Buck's message was delivered to Virginia. And that was it. Negative. There was no violence, but the Grants didn't close for a Buck Watson birthday holiday.

Not many will say, "I'm an humble man"

Not many will say, "I'm a humble man." But, listen to him a while and you'll know. Buck has said, if you want to talk law, see my big brother Carl. If its aviation you're interested in, brother Arthur is your man. If you're interested in the many ramifications of insurance, Brother Hubert will oblige. Brothers Robert and Z.T. know about farming and livestock, but if you have nothing much to talk about at all, and just want to shoot the breeze for a while, get in touch with the original Green River Boy, old Col. T.M. Buck.

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