Homer Van Meter... could he actually rope flies???

[Aim4 the hed 2 kill zomBs]

I read a lot, and Stephen King is the most prolific author in my personal library. I'm also enthralled by history in general. That all said, when I read something implied to be a reference to a true event, but haven't heard of it and can't find anything about it, I try to investigate it. *A good example of this is the Town of Blessing in Utah that Stephen King mentions in the book Tommy Knockers - and I have a post about it too.

One of my favorite stories from "Everything's Eventual" was the Death of Jack Hamilton. The narrator, Homer Van Meter, supposedly can lasso flies with a bit of string. It's an odd place and story to make something like this up, and King implies it's true with his little blurb at the end of the story. However, when I try to confirm this, I only get references to "Everything's Eventual."

So does anyone know if this is true? Is there any literature about it? Can anyone else do it? If so, is there video of it?

[Moderator]

Steve told me that part was true but I don't know what his reference source was.

[bobledrew]

I exhausted my resources trying to find some reference to this, so I turned to the local public library (which you should all do. Libraries ROCK.) and they spent quite some time chasing this down. They checked a number of references about Dillinger -- no biography of HVM exists that they could find -- and there's no reference to him roping flies. Of course, none of this REALLY affects the story, which I quite like (I like King's occasional diversions into hardboiled gumshoe territory) - but it's fun, innit?

[Cowboy]

I would have to see it to believe it. I'm fairly handy with a rope and that carries over to using a string to rope small objects and although it may have been done at some point, I don't see anyone being able to do it with any consistancy.

[GNTLGNT]

It's on the drawing board for the Summer Olympics as a medal event...

[Bryan James]

I'd have to call bullspit on this one. I don't know what frame of mind King was in when he came up with that (it did kinda strangely fit in the story, so maybe that's all that matters), but if Mr. Miyagi couldn't catch a fly with chopsticks and Daniel LaRusso did on his first go-round, maybe it's true.

I still call COMPLETE AND UTTER bullspit as to "fly-roping" ACTUALLY happening...it's just a fun fable. What is that campfire game where one kid starts a story and whispers it to be passed along around the group?

[GNTLGNT]

[QUOTE=Bryan James; What is that campfire game where one kid starts a story and whispers it to be passed along around the group?[/QUOTE]

"Telephone"?

[TXGypsyGirl]

I ran across this page while doing a bit of family genealogy research. How great is it to find one of my notorious ancestors being discussed in a forum about one of my very favorite authors!!! I have to agree that it's a bit doubtful that Homer could really rope flies with a piece of string. More of a tall tale than anything, is definitely my bet. @ GNTLGNT - ROFL! If it's really going to be a new event at the next Summer Olympics, I definitely want a front row seat! :-)

[bastardmcwhoreson]

Lassoing flies with a piece of thread seems pretty impossible. But the idea reminds me of a childhood pastime of mine. One of my father's long-haired hippy friends taught me to shoot flies with rubberbands; and also, how if you exerted just the right amount of tension in the band, instead of killing the fly you could just stun it. Then he'd pluck out a strand of hair and carefully tie one end around the fly's body, and when it came to a minute or so later. . . voila! a flying fly on a leash. I used this to entertain friends well into my teens. Now my hair's short, and I haven't shot a fly for well over a decade, but reading this story the other day, I think I may start practicing again and bring along some string.