Odey Neal Cassell was born in 1886 and died 12/12/ 1977, having lived 91 years on this

earth.  His wife Nettie 1902 died in 1979.  The family burial plot is across the road from the gate leading to his house. I interviewed him in the morning at his farm on Back Mountain Road.  The house still stands today (photo 2000). What I remember after more than twenty-five years was that he was a huge man with a deep resonant voice almost musical in its’ delivery.  He sat in what appeared to be a very conformable rocking chair.  He was not feeling very well that day, although it was a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly and a few wispy clouds floating gentle overhead.

He could really tell his life’s’ story, of the days he worked in the woods as well as being a fireman on the Shay engines.  He said he threw cold in the engines’ system so fast that the escape valve popped- off going up the mountain to release the full head of steam. Two other stories he told were about rattlesnakes (I saw a freshly killed 10 button rattler on the road just before I reached his house) and the other story about his would be bout with Jess Willard a champ boxer of the day.

First, the rattlesnake story, it seemed that in the early spring on a very warm day he and a friend were descending the mountain walking the Shay tracks when they heard what he described as a whizzing sound.  Upon checking that sound they discovered dozens of rattlesnakes sunning themselves on a large flat rock where they had a winter den.  He and the friend began to kill the snakes but there were so many that they only killed a few.  The venom filled the air and they both became very ill from breathing its mist.

As for the Willard story, he said he was offered several thousand dollars to fight him or if the won several thousand more.  Well, it is best that you hear the stories as recorded for the details.  Even to this day, I can see him seated in that rocker a former giant still handsome, melodious of voice with gentleness and great dignity.