The Last Laugh

W.L. (“Steve”) Stevenson

Search and Discovery Article #12003 (1999)

(from The Sumner [Illinois] Press—10/21/93)

Many of my friends from 37 years in the oil business are colorful individuals. One of these is a geologist who was a co-worker for many years with Shell Oil Company. He thrived on controversy and thoroughly enjoyed being in the center of a vigorous technical argument or a political discussion. Consequently, he was a natural target for practical jokes.

     In the 1960s Shell maintained an office in Seattle, Washington, for the purpose of carrying out their Alaskan operations, and Dick was assigned to this group. Because it was a relatively small office, its operation tended to be informal, and there were frequent company social gatherings.

     On one occasion the decision was made to have a company picnic on a small island off the Washington coast. All the employees drove their cars to the beach, and transportation by boat was provided to reach the island. The morning of the picnic Dick drove his small car to the beach like the rest and proceeded on to the festivities. However, he failed to notice that he had left the trunk lid of his car unlatched and slightly open.

The festivities took off on schedule and, as was often the case, Dick was one of the last to leave. A few of Dick’s friends who left earlier noticed the unlatched trunk lid and decided a practical joke was in order. A large boulder lying nearby provided a handy means with which to carry it out. They promptly muscled the big rock into the car trunk and closed the lid. It was after dark when Dick came back to his car in a “well partied” condition. He failed to notice the peculiar tilt of his car and hustled on home.

     The next morning Dick went out to his car, which he had abandoned on the driveway the night before, and finally observed that the front end of the car was pointed skyward and that its attitude was that of a “ruptured duck.” After some period of time in which he fruitlessly examined the suspension system for possible damage, he opened the trunk in search of tools and discovered the cause. He immediately recognized the handiwork of his friends.

     In the process of trying to get the boulder out of the trunk he decided to see if it would break. A few blows from his rock hammer failed to yield more than a few chips. However, one of the chips immediately drew his attention – it was a beautiful dark green color. On a hunch he hauled the boulder off to a mineral dealer who promptly sawed a small portion off the end and pronounced the rock to be solid jade. He was offered $5,000 on the spot and after some hesitation decided to decline.

     It has been many years Dick and I have met and talked about old times. At our last meeting he thoroughly enjoyed relating that he had decided to keep the jade boulder indefinitely as a reminder to his friends.

     Dick, wherever you are, I’ll bet you are still saying, “He who laughs last, laughs best!”, while gazing at the jade bookends on your mantle and admiring the ladies in your family decked out in the finest jade jewelry.