Memories of Charlton County - by Gibson and Mays Back to Table of Contents 47. WHEN TOM CHESSER'S WAGON FLOATED DOWN THE CREEK (Pp 96-97) One of my best
friends was Tom Chesser who lived nearly all his life on Chesser Island in the Okefenokee Swamp. I often stayed two or three days with him and his brothers on Chesser Island and we would spend our time duck hunting or fishing. Later, after I had moved to Waycross, Tom got sick and was put in the Waycross hospital. I went. to see him often for we had lots to talk about. I told Tom about Pearce Lambert loaning me some buggy shafts in the middle of the night and I said
"Tom, did you ever know old Pearce?" Pearce was one of the best persons I ever knew. He was accommodating and was respected by everyone that knew him. Tom said "I reckon I do remember him!" and told me of an experience he had one day near Pearce's house. Tom's daddy had just bought a brand new wagon and Tom was using it for the first time. It never had been wet, had never sat in the sun and it was water-tight just like a boat. Tom
started to Folkston on the first trip with that wagon and just before he got to Pearce's house he came to the creek. He began guiding the mule through it for there wasn't a bridge there at that time. As he was crossing the stream the water was so deep it picked the wagon up off the frame and floated it downstream. Tom jumped out and pushed it up against some bushes so it wouldn't go any further. He tied the mule to another bush so it would stay in the water and he walked up to Pearce's house
and told him what had happened. Pearce was glad to come and help and he and Tom waded down there and floated that wagon body back to the mule. The frame had four corner posts which were used to keep the body secure and they put it back between those posts and led the mule on out of the water. That was a tight wagon but not unreasonably so for they made good wagons back then. But after any wagon sat in the sun or got rained on, it would get cracks here
and there and then it wouldn't be watertight. This particular wagon had not taken any abuse at all. It was just like a boat. Pearce Lambert was respected by everyone in the county and Tom never forgot how helpful he was when he needed him. My friend Joe Morton was in the hospital the same time Tom was and I visited him often. He had worked for the Department of the Interior and had spent nearly every day in the Okefenokee Swamp, and Tom went with him
guiding him around. Morton told me he would tease Tom saying "I'm going back in the swamp tomorrow and I think I'll get Harry to go with me." Tom would get all put-out and say "I don't know why you want to do that! I know lots more about that swamp than Harry does!" Then he'd laugh when he realized Morton was teasing him. | 
