Pierre's Tree

When I was in my early twenties, I rented a small house from a man named Pierre. The house was in a cul-de-sac. He owned all of the surrounding homes. When Pierre learned that I did tree work, he asked me to cut down a twenty-foot Evergreen because it stood too close to one of his buildings. It was a Yew, a favorite of mine. I suggested that he might move the tree and use it to screen a busy road. I said it would cost $75 to cut the tree down and $150 to move it. I was young and enthusiastic. Pierre saw that and the value of the tree. It was fall, and the Yew was dug by hand, pulled from the ground with block and tackle, pushed up a ramp by four pairs of hands, and driven forty feet to its new home. This took two days. Twenty five years later the tree is strong and beautiful. It's probably over 60 years old now.
—John Duvall