Lynn... these are brogans.... a type of shoe that people wore back then..
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There's no such thing as a "professional tree climber".... that's just part of the humor..
I heard Jerry Clower say one time that he was a humorist, not a comedian.... and that the difference was that a comedian tells a funny story, and a humorist tells a normal story in a funny way. Jerry Clower told stories about normal, every-day happenings, but with really funny side notes... he saw the humor in every day life.
The story about the Chauffeur and the Professor is just classic....
[video=youtube;Frurwt75GBU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frurwt75GBU[/video]