Charlie Was Always Welcome In Our Office

When you are in the construction business, having visits from salesmen are part of the deal. Most salesmen find a way to show up when you are the busiest and then overstay their welcome. Not all, but many. When Charlie showed up, I was more than happy to shove things to the side and set and visit. He was that kind of guy. He worked for Waukesha Pearce Industries, out of their San Antonio office, but stationed in Austin.

We first met in the early 1970’s. He sold about the best brand of excavators for that time. The Koehring Company had just started building hydraulic excavators. Up until then cable operated hoes were used.

Charlie sold us a Koehring 466. It was by far the most advance machine of any kind I’d ever crawled up on.

Throughout the next several years we bought several excavators and compactors from him.

Somewhere along the way, Charlie decided that I needed to meet other people in related businesses. I was just a young fellow and he helped me network. If he was headed out to call on a customer he thought I’d benefit from knowing he’d ask me to ride along. I remember one trip to La Grange that we went on. I don’t remember the fellow he introduced me to, nor do I remember it turning into anything. But it was a nice gesture.

But the one ride along that I best remember was up to Round Rock. Charlie said there was an attorney that owned some property up that way and he’d want to subdivide it. I think Charlie thought introducing us might lead to some work for me, as that was right up my alley. I suppose their was some skepticism from Charlie, me and others that an attorney could ever get that land developed.

We met and talked awhile, but Jack the attorney was bound and determined to hire some people, buy a fleet of equipment and “get in the business”.

He did just that. He went on to complete that project and continued doing developments. That was the start of an extremely successful construction endeavor that spanned 25 or 30 years. Jack Garey Construction Company went on to build state highway projects around the state. So much for an attorney not being able to transition.

Jack and I have been friends but only did limited work together. But without the introduction by Charlie, it’s doubtful that Jack and I would have ever forged a friendship.

Only a few years ago, while on a hunting to Mexico with Jack and others I told the story of how we first met. I’m not sure Jack remembered our first meeting, but I sure do.

Sometime in the early 80’s Charlie left Waukesha Pearce and started to work for Central Texas Equipment. We continued doing business. With the busyness of that time period for me, I lost track of Charlie. I can’t recall for sure that I even knew when he passed on.

Throughout the years since then I have thought about Charlie and the ride-alongs.

Charlie never talked that much about himself or his past, but would occasionally say something about the war or his upbringing, but I didn’t have the good sense to provoke a conversation about his life. I guess I was more concerned with my own life than the life of others.

To My Surprise

About midnight one night a while back, I woke up like I often do and got busy with reading a few posts that had been put on The Angora Chronicles.

The more I read, the more things lined up. Something sounded hauntingly familiar about a story that John Harrison shared with us. When I came to the part where the writer of the story talks about his short stature, his being friends with Louis Pearce II and Charlie Waring, I realized the story had been written by my friend Charlie Hall, less than a year before he died.

You will see that the story cuts off after the war, so nothing said for sure that it was Charlie, but I called John Harrison in Houston to verify some of the information. Sure enough, my hunch was right.

I had a wonderful conversation with John. As a result of that phone call The Angora Chronicles Group grew by 20 or so members that afternoon. Even many more since that time. I will always be grateful to John for letting others out in Menard know about us.

It is my hope that if there is more of Charlie’s writings, that we can obtain it.

Once again through The Angora Chronicles another story comes full circle. I wish Charlie was still around to enjoy it with us.

Now For The Amazing Story That Fell In Our Lap One Day . Follow this link to read it.

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