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Talley
W. Nichols
This is going
to have to be a story about my Uncle Talley as it is remembered by a kid
growing up—and then by that same adult who is grown.
My earliest
memories of my Uncle Talley did not come from the man's image of himself. They
came from the man himself. I never saw my uncle doing any kind of displaying.
He was just being my uncle. I might have been in the way, but I never knew it.
Instead, during those moments when I was with him, it always seemed to me that
he thought that I was the only one that mattered.
And how is a
little kid supposed to know that his uncle is paying attention to him? When an
adult stops what he is doing and comes over to you and starts explaining the
things that are going on, then you know. I just remember that he would come
over to me when I was watching and explain the processes. And he never "dumbed
it down" for me and used "baby terms." Instead he explained how these things
worked in such a way that I was forced to ask him questions. I think he planned
it like that. For if I asked a question, then it proved that I was listening.
Then he would explain what I had missed. He would go into very technical terms
for a little kid, but then that itself would open up new words and new
processes. And more questions. He seemed to like it. And I adored him.
Now you adults
need to understand that a little kid is like a sponge. He can soak up quite a
bit. However, a dry sponge won't soak up very much and the water will only run
off. So Uncle Talley would show me how something worked. (a little soaking)
Then later, when we came back around to that area, he would ask me questions
about what I had learned in that area. When I faltered, then he would tell me
again. Now I was "a little wet" with knowledge and he would fill me up.
Every time my
dad would bring me to the plant when I was growing up, I wanted to go see my
Uncle Talley. I knew that I would see something new. One day he would show me
the entire electro-chemical plating facilities and explain every step of the
way how it worked. I learned that nickel wouldn't stick to zinc alloy before I
learned that there were electrons. Copper first! The next time I would get to
see the vacuum plating facility. Then I would visit the ladies who were placing
the sprue into the presses and separating the parts. I was particularly
impressed when they installed wrist cuffs that were attached to cables that
pulled your hands out of the way—just in case you weren't smart enough to
move out of the way of a 50-ton press!!!
But eventually I grew up and during that
time my Uncle Talley sold Nichols Industries to Kusan. I was heart broken, for
I always thought that someday I would be an "Uncle Talley." But Uncle Talley
went down Bolton Street and founded "Tally-Ho Plastics." It kind of has a good
"ring" to it, doesn't it? It was a "tool and die" and "plastic injection
molding" company. There they made all kinds of interesting parts. And again,
Uncle Talley would show me how things worked. He showed me a vertical mill that
barely touched a carving that they had made. The stylus would go over every
single square millimeter and on the rest of the machine, 2 milling heads would
cut into the steel to make copies. Tooling. He said that they could start these
about quitting time and by the next morning it would be finished. However, then
they would carefully polish things so that the plastic would release.
Later came years
when my Uncle Talley was retired, and I could no longer visit him at a
factory—and even trips to his lake house were gone and there wasn't much
for him to do. His eyesight was also fading, but he asked me one day, "Do you
think I ought to buy a computer?" I said something like, "Well, Uncle Talley,
you are an engineer and the very fact that you would ask such a question shows
that you probably ought to buy one. You have an inquiring mind and always have
and won't be satisfied until you figure out how to make one of these work." He
wasn't convinced.
A few weeks later he visited my folks again and said that he had
asked his son the same question and Robert said something like, "Well, Dad, you
are an engineer and the very fact that you would ask such a question shows that
you probably ought to buy one. You have an inquiring mind and always have and
won't be satisfied until you figure out how to make one of these work." I never
knew if this was completely accurate, but I accepted it, for he seemed to think
it was a "sign." So he bought one and I did the best I could to teach him how
to work it. I installed his e-mail and taught him how to use it. Others helped
when I could not. However, I visited as often as I could, for visiting my Uncle
Talley and my Aunt Ruth was always a joy to me.
I was there
towards "The End" and I look back and remember my thoughts of the man and what
others said about him and how my dad always taught me that if I would only be
as honest as his big brother, then people would trust me. My dad said that his
big brother, "T.W." was the most honest man he had ever known.
Now I am getting
up there in years and I know that humans are...well, "human" and my uncle
wasn't any different in that respect. However, "Respect" is what he earned, for
Jacksonville made him the mayor, and named a street after him and there are
MANY businessmen who remember him as their inspiration and the "Industrial
Founding Father of Jacksonville, Texas." But he was more than that to me. He
was...My Uncle Talley. —MN
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Some Of Uncle Talley's Patents
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To Click On The Thumbnails! |
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Here's a photo of Uncle Talley using his computer in about 1997.
I'm proud of the fact that I helped talk him into getting a computer, as I knew
he would be able to learn to use it. He could master nearly
anything.
Painted by
"Penny Nichols" Mary Ruth Nichols, but I have NEVER heard anybody call her
anything but Penny) sometime in the 1950's.
Here's an almost forgotten newspaper clipping submitted by
Richard Strom telling the Nichols Industries experience—or at least part
of it. It's hard to read, so if you click on the photo, then you will see the
photo in full size, which will force you to scroll your screen and most parts
are readable. Thanks to Richard!
My
dear Aunt Ruth Nichols in about 1997. She's quite a lady. Wife of my Uncle
Talley and took care of me many times in the 1950's. Even saved a family
member's life! I love her to pieces! She lived to be 100 and went to be with
Our Lord in 2015.
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