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Shelbyville Illinois

Paul Compton: 1926 – 2019

Published December 9, 2019

He will blow his harmonica no more. Today I received word from Gerry Compton that his dad, Paul Compton, died December 5. I met Paul traveling through the outskirts of Shelbyville, Illinois during this summer’s Two Mules to Triumph ramble. Even in his nineties, he could still blow that harp!

Paul Compton, mail carrier, harmonica player and poet, in Shelbyville Illinois
Paul Compton: mail carrier, harmonica player and poet. (Shelbyville, IL)
I snapped the photo above of Paul as he played me a tune on his harmonica. Click on the player… Continue reading →
Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters, Travel by Horse & Mule, Two Mules to Triumph — Riding from North Carolina to Idaho | 2 Comments

Playing the Harmonica to Stay Awake

Published June 25, 2019

Paul Compton used to play the harmonica to stay awake. “I had a mail route and as I drove around I’d get sleepy so I just played the harmonica to keep from nodding off.”

Paul Compton: mail carrier, harmonica and poet. (Shelbyville, IL)

I met Paul because I needed to find a place to stake out my mules Brick and Cracker for the night. His son, Gerry Compton, said it was okay to picket them out by the old grain… Continue reading →

Posted in Travel by Horse & Mule, Two Mules to Triumph — Riding from North Carolina to Idaho | 1 Comment
General Store Too Proud to Ride a Cow

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