Pasco Men Hunt Up ‘Old Friend’ Billy Carter

By RUBY CARLEY

NEW PORT RICHEY—Can you imagine three avid hunters not rehashing their hunting experiences when they return home?

Tom Chittum, Ken Hope and Bob Davis of West Pasco had a story to tell all right—not about their deer hunt, but about a new friendship they formed with a popular and colorful Georgia Cracker named Billy Carter,

The three businessmen spent two or more hours with Billy Carter, who is President Carter's well-publicized brother. They rode with him in his Subaru—with Chittum doing the driving—and enjoyed some long chats with him about many subjects, including life in Plains, Ga., his peanut and pecan crops, his race for mayor and life in general.

Carter pointed out “Billy's Playhouse,” a building in downtown Plains that is being used as a meeting place and recreational area for youth of the community. The center is named for Billy and for the Plains police chief whose name is Billy too.

Chittum said, "When we finished our hunt in Talbot County, Ga., we decided to swing through Plains to see the President's hometown, and we drove by Billy's service station, which sits on the edge of town, underneath huge pecan trees.

“Billy wasn't there, but his son who was operating the station said he was in town and probably would be back soon.”

"We waited along with the other tourists, who were milling around the station," Davis said. "Soon I saw a Subaru drive up, with the words 'Red Neck Power' emblazoned on the side and the slogan 'Ain't Apologizin' across the tailgate."

"A man got out holding a can of Billy's Beer in his hand. I went out to meet him and said, "Whatcha got there, boy?" He laughed and handed the beer to me and said it was warm anyway."

"He came right over to visit with us, stopping occasionally to pose for pictures for the tourists. Tom obliged the tourists by operating their cameras for pictures of them with Billy."

The three men said Carter made them feel as if they were old buddies of his. When they inquired about a place to get a sandwich, Billy said, "Come on. Hop in my pickup. Then he told Tom, 'You drive it.'"

They asked him if he wasn't afraid to permit strangers to ride with him and especially to let a stranger do the driving.

They said Carter replied, "Not you three. I think you are pretty nice people." And, when they went into the restaurant, Billy, in introducing them to the manager, said, "Margaret, meet three of my longtime friends who I just met for the first time 10 minutes ago."

Chittum described Carter as "friendly, good company,"

"We had a great time with him," he said, "He gave us his telephone number. He doesn't hunt but does love to fish, so we invited him to come down here and fish with us. He said he would be here, maybe tomorrow, maybe a month from now, that he would be here for sure."

"We found Billy to be a 'good old boy,' a person that you'd like to know generally," Davis said. "And you couldn't help but enjoy his company."

"His CB handle is 'Cast Iron,'" he added.