Everyone has something to give the world, and for Francis Johnson, son of
a US Senator, that legacy was twine. More specifically "The World's
Largest Ball of Twine (By One Man)".
Johnson entered the world 17 April, 1907 and departed it October 24, 1989. He lived on his family's farm, in the state of Minnesota. Later, he worked for the state's Department of Agriculture and, still later, as a self-employed carpenter. All brought him into contact with baler wire: the twine so essential to farming life.
Fate found Francis Johnson in March, 1950. That was when he wound the first piece of wire around two fingers - and decided he'd just keep on going. Johnson decided to make the world's most supreme twine-ball.
What began as a hobby soon outgrew his jacket pocket. As the vision achieved reality, adding twine required the massive jacks used for railroad cars. Twenty-nine years later, in 1979, The World's Largest Ball of Twine was completed.
Francis had ten years to savor his triumph, which was featured in The Guinness Book of Records. Upon his death, it was moved from his residence to a more central site: outside the nearby village of Darwin (population 252).
Darwin's grateful public built the Ball a special gazebo - partly in honor of the first Annual Twine Ball Day. This event is always controlled by a Twine Ball Committee. (Which is, in turn, controlled by the late visionary's nephew, Harlan Johnson).
Unfortunately, Johnson could not rest easy. In a competitive rural locale to the south (Valleyview, Texas), farmer J. C. Payne had suspiciously similar aims. He had decided to make the world's largest ball of string.
It was finished in 1991, and three years later, elbowed its predecessor completely out of the Guinness pages.
"Francis' ball weighs 8.7 tons; it's eleven feet high and measures 40 feet around," says Mrs Betty Willing of Darwin. Mrs Willing runs the Corner Store and Curiosity Shop, and she knows the scoop on this battle of the balls. "That other ball," she notes somewhat pointedly, was "in fact made by several people". The Darwin ball, she says, "was in People magazine."
The Darwinians soon carefully added the words "BY ONE MAN" to their Ball's explanatory sign.
The good people of Darwin may actually be right. After all, Guinness lists The Largest Ball of String on Record as only thirteen feet, two-and-one-half-inches in diameter - although they say it's 41' 6" in circumference. Says Mrs. Willingly, "It's made of plastic string, so it weighs considerably less." As for the circumference problem: baler wire would naturally settle.
The real secret, however, probably lies with publicity. On February 9, 1993 (one year previous to the Guinness coup d'etat), Payne's new ball was bought by Ripley's Believe It Or Not! - as the lynchpin exhibit in a museum of oddities.
Ripley's, which began life as a private collection, has become a thriving set of viewing attractions - and a new one was then being built. It was sited in Branson, Missouri: also famous as the "new Nashville". Branson is lined with country and Western establishments, plus a version of the Grand Ole Opry.
Says Edward Meyer, Vice President of Ripley's Exhibits, "We moved Payne's ball to Branson in November. It was lowered into place by a crane and the museum was basically built around it." He gives different statistics for Ripley's purchase: 41' 5" in circumference; 13' 5" in diameter ("at its widest point") and 10' 5" tall. It weighs "over six tons". And it's made from "28 kinds of multi-coloured nylon string."
The controversy continues, with Darwinians proudly asserting their rights. "Most folks round here," says Mrs. Willing staunchly, "still claim - no, we know - our ball is biggest!"
And it looks like Payne himself is worried. Why else would he (with the help of his wife and tractor!) now be working on The World's Biggest Ball of Barbed Wire?
[Pictures: Paul Goracke]
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