[DAVID GAGNARD]

Do you know the front from the back of a tree?

A cajun from mamou , louisiana decides to travel across the south to virginia to see the tree covered mountains and move out of hurricane country. When he gets to franklin , he likes the place so much that he decides to stay. But first he must find a job!

He walks into the international paper company office and fills out an application as an experienced log inspector. It's his lucky day! They just happen to be looking for someone, but first, the redneck log foreman takes him for a ride into the forest in the company pickup truck, to see how much he knows.

The foreman stops the truck on the side of the road and points at a tree "see that tree over there? I want you to tell me what species it is and how many board feet of lumber it contains."

the cajun promptly answers, "mais, dat one dere's a white pine, wit' 383 board feet of lumber "

the redneck foreman is impressed! He puts the truck in motion and stops about a mile down the road. He points at another tree through the passenger window and asks the same question. This time, it's a bigger tree of a different class.

"dat's a loblolly pine dere, an' she's got about 456 clear board feet."

the redneck foreman is really impressed with this coonass boy. He has been quick and got all of the answers right without using a calculator!

One more test. They drive a little further down the road, and the redneck foreman stops again..... This time, he points across the road through his driver side window and says, "and what about that one?"

before the foreman finishes pointing, the cajun says, "dat's a white oak, 242 board feet at best."

the foreman spins the truck around and heads back to the office a little ticked off because he thinks this coonass is smarter than he is. As they near the office, another foreman stops the truck and asks young mr. Boudreaux to step outside.

He hands him a piece of chalk and tells him, "see that tree over there?" "i want you to mark an x on the front of that tree."

the foreman thinks to himself, "dumb coonass, how would he know which is the front of the tree?"

when boudreaux reaches the tree, he goes around it in a circle while looking at the ground. He then reaches up and places a white x on the trunk.

He walks back to the foreman and hands him the chalk.. "dat dere's da front," the cajun says.

The foreman laughs to himself and then asks sarcastically, "how in the hell do you know that's the front of the tree?"

the cajun looks down at his feet, while rubbing the toe of his left boot cleaning it in the gravel and replies, "cuz somebody done went an' took a great big crap behind it!"

he got the job.