| Summary: | Includes essays on the history of education in Alabama. Folder contains 64 pages of Alabama short stories and essays compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s Some of the stories are set in Shelby County.J. •
't daft_ eo t1WIin'; •
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t I can't recollect tor rtain. I hit 2 •
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•
,
a roe .. a e. be the
..talll1lot
81m 'e tin' the trade.
do•
I t1 teller eell,7.
"1 dGD't lIMN .. I care to _ •.,.' I eai4. I I l1lot We 1IlU'"
..11. ~'t IUit ......,.'
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"Eow c T' he uIl..t. , t'e the _tter with berT'
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e looId:D.' cl.o.,r I eloaar to _ 't l1lot •
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·'1 cU4D't u:r her,' I told 'JJ.J. I
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•
razr:l
•
_ ter l'OllrM .' 1 A1At.
&e"".. Betey' e.,. .
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rublic schools -3- "'ood r ow Ha nd
schools. his law was prim rily for lobile ounty schools, but it
ppeared a"()p~ic9ble to the -tJte 9nd was hailed as a solut~on of all
scrool troubles.
"riefl" .he law st9ted thqt sctool revenues 'ere to be realized
from land grants, certain fines Jnd enalties, small fees in court
suits, t5 of ordinary county tax, and taxes on auction sales lnd
theatres. t seemed 10 ical that if sufficient finances could te rad,
constructive nd orotective 1, s ould co~e n due time. he school
commiss oners, ho~ever, proved to be e-ely a ents ho issued receipts
and disbursed money to nrivste institu+ions th9t should h ve been used
•
in the or 9nization of a state-w de ublic sctool s. stem.
To effect this failure, a l~w was "sssed in 18~9 hereb tte
tate bank "as to pal' 150,000 annuall) to tre schools and in 1840
this was raised to 4200,000. Tn 1843 the bank failed, throwing the
schools entirely upon their own resources.
This blo" to financing seemed to the public school system
doomed to f9ilure. ~lementary schools we~e maint9ined in the communi
ies by orivate subscription. ~he teachers fitted he schools.
The ~eren't settled in their positions nor prepared to hold them.
~hose students advanced be"ond the elementary grades and !!ttended
acaceroies, ich sprang up over the st!!te. ~etween IP19 and 1854,
hich finally sa" the estjblish~ent of a ,t9te public shool s stem,
there ere 166 nrivate academies.
\ climax was reacted in 1£'52 when the 9arton \cademy in 'obile,
the first public school in \labama, erected in 1835-36, was prono~ed
for sale. ~his situation a kened the !tate's leading citizens and
so arousee the nublic to the danper of an education!!l declina as to
bring about in 1852 the appointment, by the r~vernor, of 9 ,tate
• public schools -4- "'nod row !'tlnd
superintendent of education.
'fter tbe orr nizstion of t~e public scbool system ~nd until
tbe outbreak of the ~ivil ~r, \labe~3 hed in operation one of the
ost affective school systems in tbe south. n superintendent
~. ~. Duval's report of 1858, the list before the war, the school
ter~ tIS of ronths itb seversl counties tsvin 9 montbs term.
3chool entollment waS 54.5~ of the school pooulation and he average
ttendance was ~3.4. 7tere were 2579 schools snd t~e total expenditure
was 564,210.46, about ~2g2,e31.49 being raised from tuition
snd other sources. Tn so~e counties the revenue from the sixteenth
sectlon lends ""s sufficient to support their schools. he "tate
superintendent was in tructed to equalize, as far as possible, the
distribution of revenue.
The war, despite its destructive results failed to break the
found tion o~ the school system, nd when then men af the former
r-gime Ctlme into power after the Reconstruction, they ipnored the
chanpes ~ade b. the government and b sn where they had left off.
The constitution of 1875 provided a stlte aporonriation of
100,000 and directed that additlonal funds ere appropriated as
conditions justfied. \ coll-tax, for the benefit of nublic schools
in he counties wbere collected w s uthori2ed, and thus added education
a change resultin in improve~ent of school supervision, was
a requirement that teachers be certified. Tbis utomatically raised
tbe educa tional st·, nda r' s.
" branch exoeril"~nt station 'l'9s est,;l,lished in 18E5 and the
next tan years ssw one in each con ressional district. ~h_s period
also covered a ~r9du91 exosnsion of teacher training.
cObn -. \bercro~bie was sppointed superintendent of education
•
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• Fublic schools -5- ~ooaro P'lnd
,
in 1898 'lnd it was on ris recommentation that several oro re~sive
maasures ere adopted in the constitution of 1901, the most importun
t baing a 'ta te uniformity of taxt books, au thoriza tion of '3t'l e
certific'ltion of teachers, 'lnd a five-montbs te,m of free school.
o ever, tbe peoole found dissooointment in this constitut on.
t n:ade no orovi sions for self aid, tbe ,ts te ren:a ining tbe cbi ef
source of support for the schoola. \ district tax as nermitted in
a few cities, snd a local tax for Reneral municiosl purposes still
could be levied. rovisions W8S rr.ada for" ten-cent county t9x snd
obligator ~tale scbool tax of thirty oents on the bundred col19rs.
t was the ag~regate school funds '·tich showed tbe rea test increase.
ity schools flourised due to municiryal r~venue, but in the rural
sections, 'bich 'lre supported only by ~t~te and county taxation, there
was suffer in!, from lack of funds. 'evertheless, a renaissance of
buil~ing bnd educst on between 1901 and 1910 resulted from he ct of
1907 which ave 1d to tbe rural sctools. This oeriod covered the
development of the hi h school system; ·he I'rading of the elementar
sc ools; imorovements in the quality of teeching, end the systematic
org nization and'articulation of all the scrools.
~his system wae under tte airection of the superintendent of
education until a '3t3te bosra of education "as establ1shed in 1919.
-his and s more co~prehensive school ,s'em .on the attention nd
approval of nstioRsl educators.
\ special ct in 1927 equalized instruction oDDortunities by
lacing all ,aunt school on a seven-~onths b'lsis. 900,000 s aporo-pris
ted :ina in 'he Daxt four' eers fort' counties tec receivea eid
from it or one or more of the four eJrs. ~hirty-two of the forty
counties hec benefited. The Jverage sc 001 term in these ~2 counties
•
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rublic chools -6- -'oodrow Pand
previous to the equaliz~tl0n law, soec fically the o_riod 19~5-26,
had been 119 'h:'s. ~he next four: eara sho"ed en avera e at 143 cays,
n increase of 24 days. cne county increased its school term three
rronths, ,nd three counties incre9sed treirs b; two ~onths. ~re re~
inin- hirt -five counties t,d an aver e increase of P d1 s.
on. tre scrool L....s sdopted In Hl31 is an act permi tt n"
"orrrris3ion cour s, ~ount co issioners, .nd liye .overnin bodies to
use convict lebor and ounty e~uipment to uild, improve, ~nd beauti-fy
shoals. potter act of he s,ree year uthorized aoproprijtions
for the support of the public schools out of county tre sury ·unds.
-te courts of county corr~issioners ere authori7ed in 1932 to
usa GO~ of the fund received frore ha exise tex on gasoline to overcoree
difficulties in lH:'inp- teachers' salariea. ~is Jop11ed anI; to
c -unties, ith population uncer 18,000, rut 1t was not entirely successful
and in 1933 warr3nts ere issued for back sslaries in counties of
not ~ore than 150,000 population ~nd not less than 111,000.
The 2~ sales tax levied in 1937, and the close of that .ear
rked the first full payment of appropriat on to ublic education
since 1932. ~he tax was institutec primeril to equali7e educat anal
ooportunities and rural sctools ure ita chief benefici9r es.
he ~t.te furnished 40~ of r venue a d local un ts 60 in 192930
as corrp.red to 53~ for the -tate snd 47~ for local units in 19~7-~S.
"onstitutional axes ,re lim' ted to 4 m'lls in counties Jnd 3 ~ills
1n districts. • ttendance in ublic schools in 1937-38 increased ::0
OVer the attendance in 1929-30 nd statistics jlso ~how s continued
imorovement in the public sctool s'stem since its creation in 1854.
'umerous progressive luws have been made, nd the laws hich fail to
strengthened the school s stem are usually swiftly repealed.
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-8-
n esrl" da s tteuth of \l~bsm!l seeking education be"ond •
r9de school end acsdemy fscilities found it necessary to 0 e~st.
~he arts end science were the usual curricula for hoys. ~re girls
attended rinlsrin schools and completed their tr·,in!n. for tbe
res"\ons bilities of ll'.aturity "ith a tour of Europe. "'his I'"ethod
was costl and be ond the means of any except the '"eqlthy planter
cIa ss.
re first attemot to tring hi~her education wit~in reach of
the av ra e student was made b the 1esuits, ho ooened SPrin~ pill
("olle e, near "obile, in 1830. 'oon 9fter, the' ethodist -piscopal
~hurch ~outh founded La GrJn e ~ollege. ~hese t~o schools in 0 posite
ends of 'he st te afforded a ~re9ter impetus to educational develop~
ent than had been felt in the previous 125 yesrs.
The ~onstitutional convention, meeting at Funtsville, \lsbsma
Terri tor , had previously adopted an article prov ding for St·, te encourJgement
of schools nd education, also that the neneral \ssembly
make p13ns for im,rovement of lands eiven by the rni ted tates, the
~oney rdised from such l!lnd by rent, lease, or sale to be used for
the support of a 3tste niversity. :n 1819, re ongress of the
nlted ~t9tes donated 72 sections, nd in 1620 tre act was p9ssed
establisting the "niversit. Cn the vote of both houses, ~scaloosa
was selected as the site, and in 1831, the 'ear after ring pill
College was established the Diversity of \labama opened mi th 52
students matriculatin the first day. "'he school pro~ressed, despite
injuries suffered b the 9ank failure of 1843, and derrolit on
of its property, with the exception of tre astronomicel observator ,
by ~edersl forces here. ~rect'on of ney "cildinrs be an in 1867 and
students resumed studies in 1869. Throueh the effo ts of the Fon.
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-9-
.~ohn . "organ, Trnited tates senator from \labama, rOllPress made
a sf.cond donation of 72 sections of Isnd in le84. This land has
oroved rich in mineral ealth, ~nd ith the proceeds t~erefrom. the
nniversit of ;laba~a has stren thened it facilities and won reco ,nition
trrou~h the nation and in foreign lands.
~one'ress. in 1862, a proved an ct oroviding for Land ~rant
olleves ~rich were to aobrace scientific, ~~ricultural, and mechanical
studies ith he re ul'.lr classical studies and m'li ary
tactics. \lab,~a accented her don tions .nd ap~ointed commission
to sell land script received from the rnited :tates and to invest
the proceeds. Three .'ears ')~saed before completion of Ve sale.
"he proceeds were invested in ',labama -t'.lte :Jonds to Ue amount of
250,000. hia constituted the original endowment fund of the
colleges. Tn 1872, the labama ~onference of the ethodist Eniscop
1 hurch ~outh Offered donations for a colle e uilding and necessary
appartus "nd thetste Legislature accepted and located the
\pricul tural and J'echanical rollege t \uburn.
7he first ten )ears of this collage was an experiment. t
aims and purposes involved ne methods. \11 t,nes of annartus and
appliance hed to re 'Jrovided out of the interest on tre bonds. he
school s the object of so~e ')re:udice nd criticism, but it advan
ad steadil under the wise nd conservative ad~ini9tration of
its first resident, Dr. . T. michenor, '.lnd the next en 'ears -ere
'e rs of develop~ent and better underatsndinr by he ublic.
-tote sid came in 1883 by en act opropriating 30,000 for
improvements "nd purchase of e,uipment. n the same ~ear another
act eJve the school one-third or the net proceeds from the tax on
fertilizer, to be used for an e70eriment station, The next year
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saw another aopropriation of 12,"00 to the department of 'echanical
rts, hich imwediately developed into wr~t is now echantcal Engin-eertn
,
n aryoroortation of 10,000 per annum by ~onrress in IPS?
so gre>tl facilitated tnstruc ion "nd investi 9 ion in a riculture
that the college eC8lT.e distinctive as a scrool of allTllied sciences.
ear
7re ten' period folIo tn s outstanoin by its pheromenal develop-
,"ent, 'ectanical art fac'lities increased b the construction of a
sep,n" te rousing ~orge and oundr ':-ork, 'ine new labora tories were
est,blisbed in addition to a biology deDart~ent, ~efore tre end of
the ceriod, "n "ct was ~ ssed b ~ongress another 15,000 per annum
for l,nd rant colleges, 56~ of ~hich oes to ~he school 'n \U urn.
he n,rne was chan, ed'o lab~rra olytechnic Institute in IF99,
Since its inception in 1(?2 IS the \sricultursl nd 'ectanical
~ollege to its oresent day stgtus as the \laba~ Polytechnic Institute,
the school has known a steady ro~th.
7he est'JblLshn:ent of "ole -ernin ry st 'ar'on in 1836 trarked
the beginning of higher eciucet on ror orren. ~he school met ith
such i~e~i9te success that cudson olle e for girls W&S 0 ened st
'ar on t 0 ,'sars later. ~t,ese two schools <nrolled over 400 -tu~ents
~ithin the next ~ive ears. stead'l incre9sin neEd for hirher
,
educlt'onal fscilities for o~en led to he founein of \lab ms
~olle e at ontevsllo in 1896,
he hurch has been tre Gt te's st1unchest suoport in he
eO',cation of her 'outh, from the d,"s of prl~sts in I'obile t rou h
tre present day. Tn addition to contributions, tre churches are
responsible for ring rill -ollege, founded in 1830 b the cesuits,
Poward Ool16"e by the "a tiats, T'irdnghall' .outhern b the 'ethodist,
,
e ro 'ucation -12-
'0 or anized e~ucat on s available for tpe 'e roee before
the 'vil -Or, due to 9 law rassed in le~2 bich msde any such
ttempt illegal, an~ also because of -idesnread ~tite prejudice
against education of the slave. ~espite the abolitionist prop ganda
and fear of i surrection that caused this law, thair educat10n WaS
net entirely neglected. ~vorite servants ~ere simeti~es taught
to read Bnd teo ~nti-slaver enthusiasts gave inetructlon in
primer' e~ucstion, 'ut t~e 'egro's educat on 'or the most part wss
~~nusl, includin such subJects as spoeing a porse, ~akinv clothes,
cloth snd brick. ethers became s~ lled in metal rork and carpentr .
The qeconstruction brought ederal teachers and SChools, but
ignorance of the educational needs of the eouthern slave, made their
efforts superficial and sporatlic.
he -hite people of the SOuth ere reluctlant oward financin
the 'eFro's e~ucstion, with tbe Freedcen's nureau, establ shed
to look sfter is interests, took -he ~ltter in hand and opened the
first 'e~ro school. ~he nureau was asisted b rorthern and estern
or snizations, the mericsn ~ssionar spcity, and certain philanthropic
indivicuals. ~alledegs ollege was founded by the \mericsn
'issionary \ssociation in le5?, but did not onen until 1190. regrees
ere not granted until 1£95.
'obile ae an exception. ~y ~868 four Negro schools ~ere in
ooerat'on ~ith an ag_re~stion attendance of 919. \ fifth school was
sdded the ls-ter part of the year. \ committee had been apnointed
in 1€6? to study the advisab'lit of tescrin the 'epro under the
existing educationsl s stem. -orking hroueh the ~eedrnen's ureau,
• 'e ro :rluca tion -13-
the co~itee acquirerl an appropriation of ~12,OOO for builring to be
used as churches anrl schools. 'Vith the airl of the \merican I'iss onary
ociety, a builrlin" "nown J s penn's ollege 118 s purcha serl for
'egro schools. Ot er comwittees ere apoointerl to rletermine the
amount of taxes to ee userl for egro scnools anrl to see that trese
schools 'ere properly locaterl. "'be committee also placerl the school
term at no less than tnree months. Tnere ~as no mention in the constitution
of 1868 re~errlin seoerate school for 'e roes nrl 00 orovi
sian was marle until tbe constitution of 1875, vilicb sts terl soecifically
tbat separate scbool shoulrl be maintainerl for coileren of
\frican descent.
he sixteenth section lands barl 911 been sold or built uoon,
so the regro school drew tbeir funds entirel from privete donors and
sympathetic organiza tions.
~econdar educa tion was not nel'lected, but it wes ampered by
its cost to a ~r- eakened 3tate. The Purrell school w,s founded at
selma in l87iJ and 1'9S in operation until d stro,'ed by fire in 1~00.
The school was moved to florence in 1907.
The \labama ~olored people's l'niversit , located at "ontgomer,
1I8S founded ut 'stion in 1('83. It was called the 'Iorlll9l
school and l'niversity. ~he act ot 1887 bicb moved the school from
'~rion to 'ontgomery also appropriated 10,000 'or build in sand
7,500 for support of the T1niversity.
T ese schools, due to lack of funrls, sttempterl onl the acgdemic
sub:ects, but vocational education s edrlerl ith the rowth
of tete appropriations anrl private der~nds.
The ten 'ejrs folIo in 18£0 m rked orogress1ve eevancel"ent in
erlucation of the ·'e/7To. ~he ate h,rl bellun 1 beral contributions
,
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Woodrow Hand
"TOM" CAT, WEATII!R PROFHET
..J>
TbiSAstory ot • cat, namely one Tom (light gray with a obite epo~
in hie torehaad, and inquisitive eyea) that developed a ewami comple , ie
going to ba told by me; and not by an outeider. I lived with the cat one
year; and I watched the growth ot hie prophatic abilities over a period ot
eight years. I a1po got his name 1n the pa er when he first became news.
(tA -~ ... ..J-- I 'P CIA '"- "" •
Tberetore, _ jfIf privflelge _ duty to tell of Tom, the !&atbar prophet,
/- "" = :;. A ~ull thud from toward the tront yard ot lohnie Cste e plece proved
one early morning to be • a SPind~, bra".. beaten c~t .... 1D8k1n a three-point
landing. Dust trau down the road that the critter
•
So he picked
lohn"i"e, however, haa no They I re handy
~
catching rat8~ and
was toeaed trom an automobile by aansbody mo Jldn' t like cats.
~,."
-. aversion>\-..t; cate.
0- -c.;.~
besidea, well, he likes them.
~
determined that he'd bear the name
tor
up the cat from ott a peony bueh, promptly
"Tom," carried him into the house and ted him e few scraps or ~lte meat and
biscuits, and then turned him 10088 to make war upon the rodents. Thereafter, .... Tom and Johnie appeared to completly torpet each other.
~
raca went about his duties. They spoke when necessary, but their friand-baen
torced to tight tM rata alone, didn't tail to
eOip eeeced not to develop beyond tho casual stefe.
spate. TOOl went courting and tailed to return tor a
about such grols neglect ot duty tor such
Ot course, they had their
'I'"' week and Johnie, who had
A
let Tom know obat he thought
o
_.triv,(loue things .. tebby
oa ta. Whereupon Tom, the next time Johnie .tepped on hie tail, retali.ted
They began sleep1nv in the lame »com.
Otherwise, ahe
epi teNUy. But, they remsined together.
r('J
Johnie'. wite went ott tor a vieit atter Tom had be.n with them three years.
I\,
:he doeen't ti~ure in thie_~t~ry except that she _ent vieiting.
~ ~~ .........
would e com?tetly i!nored. ;ihe 1s imoortant bec8US8 her absence thre. Tom nv A II
and Jobn1e closer together.
A
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I
l I, "TO " CAT, "'F~,TIlER PROPHET
spot in the
He we s just an
~
venter of his
ordinary cat with a white
the monotony
of his bleak gray coet when Joh r~tes picked him off the
eight
dust of his front yard one morning ~ years ago.
SO John named him "Tom" and gave him a
breakfast of bread crumbs and white meat. "Tom" ate and
commenced browsing around for mice and the incident was
consi dered closed by both Joh);' and "';om." They spoke when
0('1 cJl.they
met, but generally ~ went about his own business
and attended to his own dutias.
This casual atate of friendship continued
for three years, each absorbed with his contribution toward
maintaining a happy and substantial household.
Occasionally, rifts would occur, as in any
home. "Tom's"tail would get under a careless foot aod he'd
raise a howl until his nerves settled, or maybe he'd go unnoticed
after his nose told him that meat was being cooked.
Tf he continued to p'o without his share, pis howls would
continue into the night.
But "Tom" wasn't always the victi",. Re had
his faults, such as the time when John found a mouse scampering
gaily around the kitchen and "Ton" was nowhere to be found, ~
that
and the week .... "Tom" spent with his girl ~x~.. friend.
However, these troubles were always ironed
out to the satisfaction of both parties.
•
• "Tom" Ca t, 'Tea ther prophet
•
.. S said before, they were casual friends for
three years. Then disaster struck; and the casualness
2
tightened into a bond of unbreakable strength.
It was just before daylight and the early morning
was chilly ~th tbe air of departing winter. ~ay had just
taken its XXIX turn in the new year. .. heavy thunderstorm
had held sway most of the night, but had finally settled
into a steady rainfall. "Tom" was asleep in front of the
fireplece, his snores har~onizing ~th those of John, even
thoueh his bed was across the room.
either noticed the steady flicker of light1nine
that danced in the southwest, nor its steadily increasing
intensity. 1hen the rain began slapping the windows, neither
~
.-. zj th31t wind was taking over the night; was fast growing
into a gale.
The house swayed, than settled back to its foundation,
and "Tom" and John slapt on. They slept until tile wind i:IIU
sounded like a freight train roaring over the house, then they
awoke, with what sounded like another train pWII.i comin toward
them. It gave the feeling of missing one train and suddenly
having another reer around the bend.
They opened their eyes to a universe filled with
a redly flickering glow ten times the brightness that bounoes
from the sky when great cauldrons of molten iron are being
poured at the furnaces. They awoke too late. The house hed
gone like a pUff of s~oke before the could assemble heir
senses.
•
• "Tom," cat, 'feather Prophet
unhurt
John picked himself/from the de~ris and called for
Tom. He failed to get an anawer and it was three days
befor e Tom ahowed up.
He crept into John's rude shelter at dus~~ meowing
3
pitifully for food. John feo him and that night, they
shared a cot made from ~~ a door of what had been their
home.
ext morning, they faced a murky day. The sky waa
yellowish, and altbough ~tI~..xx~ .%XRSX his knees
felt weak frol'l fear as be' looked at low, boiling clouds,
John went about the task of salvaging. XIXIKpXxI •••••
There wa s a sudden clap of tbunder and John jumped,
turning as he did in time to see Tom streaking across tbe
garden with his tail waving in the breeze. John ~ondered;
felt sorry for Tom; then as it thtmdered again, he raced
for the sbelter of a large culvert. There, he weatbered a
torrential do~pour tbat tbreatened to float him out of tbe
•
culvert. Rut by spreading bis legs, he managed .0 stay in
until tbe r~1n ~s over.
Time and fair wea tber eventually allowed John to
~ rebuild his borne. Howev r on several occasions,
there bad been light ttlmder showers, and every time, he
well in advance of actual disturbance
had seen Tom/XlIImktIK racing, toil up, across tbe garden.
For his own safety
x.~~xt.., <ohn built a storm cellar. He
mode it large enouzh to ~EWm.j. sleep in, but he was at
a loss as to when to use the oellar. He reasoned that WI
nights olear at bed-time could turn into
fore morning, but he couldn't sleep in the oellar
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Jobai.'. wu t off for. Ti.lt after !Oll bed b..... with thea
tb.. .... n'ar.. Sh. 4o l t fl£'11'O 111 thi••t017, .""ept thot ahe _t
Tio1U,,&. Otherw1o•••he ...,"Old be c..-plotolJ' lporecl. Bo...T.r••ho
10 1aporiallt bocaua. her .b thnw !oa ...d Jo~l. clo•• together.
!hoT bopn d.ep1llc 111 th rc .
n.ep1llc t.lma. thoT, Il&turallJ', re thre.... out tcgoth.r wIl....
0701...e dlpped lip OIl. 1l11b' wi th all tho • tealth of four frelght
tra1no &lid oca".red tho houo. all OTOr the four cora.n of tho 'hroo
acre lot.
!he ..ut d.oil"l1pt, Johll1. chook.d OTOr thi_ &lid fOlllld ...t of
hie ....to, lIIcludiDg !oa. ai.o1llC; al.o • wi4••zpazl.•• of flo.h tba'
had CO' .craped lv, ••C&llUiJIC OIl it 'WY' bo<lk tc tho fore.t.
TOil returaod 111 thr•• ~. lie C&Il. a.owillg lip tc tho blg ditch
back of tho houoeplac. &lid ore••ed woll4.r1llclJ', oTOr tho fooUog. lie
&lid Jobal. nOlltuallJ', got together ...d had lunch. Johll1..... uo1ac
• 4o0r for a table &lid a quilt .tretohed aero.. two p1&lllal for a bod
rooll. but TOil •••84 1I0t to al.nd.
I' .... a ...,...q d.oil" Wholl !oa r.tum.d. lfI>4-colored cloud. aCTed
unuouallJ' f ••' oTOrheod ...d llgh\a1llc flaahod r.peatodlT, f ..... ".1'7,
dirocUollo Johll1..... 0POlllJ' lI.noUO ...d kept OT811lC • big _r pl~
..earbT, uIl4.r the rood. lIholl the 010111I.. f1ll&llJ' CO t together &lid produced
a gIllt CO.t of wiIld. Johll1. va. 1...14. tho ....er 111 1I0th1llg flat.
wondorecl about !0Il &lid th... rl. aberod the cat had .trooked it aero..
tho fooUog wi th hl. tail flT1-llC 10llg b.for. tho clo1lll.. cot f"OllJ', orp1l110d0
!oa'. fiTj.Jl& trip aero.. tho fooUog boo... a II&lIit wlth opprcach1llc
bod weathor.
After JcbIl1. c0"'Phted hi. iloa•• he d'QC ••tc... o.llar ..d r.u.forced
it with alllcret.. lie f.lt .af. frOll futur••tc..... proTidiac
he kIl... wh.1I to CO 111014. tho .to... c.llar. lie had built it larp .1lO"Ch
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\urall,. \h.,.. baI .. lao • 41, • I' ot tOlt' .,
ot \11.... ......, .u. 411'00u4 \110 truolta-
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bo...4 • ualoa41q.
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fte...to.... WiIII lla........ 1\ _4. \hre. OJi \h. 1lOI'I'•• _\
.1 eo 1."dT IlaI to .U O••-llo47.
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_",la1aol tU 110 Iaoo t.ir1, U 41ol1ltol ., ".1'711047.
U. .Il a tore • _lU4 ....1.. 1110 0 ot I' ...
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.prl.4.
1••B.
111'la'i
•
, ,
!
•
"I wuz makin' it fine 'till I heard the roof
of the slope cave n up above me and felt the pipe shake in my
hand. I kept pullin' up to where I heard the fall, and when I
got there, I found the slope bloc.ed up tight. I couldn't find
no way to get through or over it, so jest had to set thsre.
"Nobody ~~:i-Bet through from 'the other side
rJ~
to clean out the fa~o~ ccount tf the smoke and fumes from the
explosion, so I set there for what seemed like a month and I still
couldn't see no way to get out. l cOllll:lenced to get hun!':ry and thsn
~·lt.'1
after awhile I got weak. I couldn' tA hold to the pipe and when I'd
try to keep my nose to the little trickle of water that seeped
through the dirt and rock,
ttl wuz
I'd fall flat on my face.
beginni:J to get sleepy every once in
awhils, but I'd catch myself jest before I'd drop off. If I'd
ever
gone
f\
to sleep, I'd have not waked up.
"1 musta' been dozin' when I heard the dirt
and stuff move a little, but I didn't really get awake 'till I
felt water runnin' allover me and gettini stronger all the time.
I had to ,rab a tight hold on the pipe, but the water kept
so fast, I wuz nearabout washed down the slope. It tugged at me
like.a team'of horsas and finally co me over. If it hadn't
..... I <n.'W
stoppedAf'd have drowned, but when it did stop, there wuz a nice
big hole for me to go through and a clear path to tha surfaca, but
! couldn't leave the slope 'till night.
"Tha fall had busted the water pipe and dammad
up the water. It j8st kept fillin' up till it got to the top of
• the slopa and was runnin' out ovar tha grass.
seeped through the fall ~ 'till it~ opened
Then the we ter finslly
up a hole. Then
• ,
'. " • •
• I ..ow4 ba'I
, out of a coal all.. e:qllo.l a. lnl' I alia" "- _JIl
..
.ql I
• he t ....W1e4 _ 1 1
\at .-
a ta • ooal au.. Lo'ta' U... u ,
""';1' .Up, u4 a lotta' 'laoa lOU loa" •
11:111.4 will. 70U
..... 1 VWI Rll
10404. 1 bo4 a cIIlUlce \0 • bur' d ou'. __4 ou,. or uowao4
" a' 1 • 117 U all 1 ooulla' ona beea .tane4 ",.
"Baro'. how l' "
1 boIlI'4 ,be. 10.10a, 1 ll'UD OIl'ta" 1'00 whor.
1 VWI WO;l' a' U'l tOWl4 \be .lopo Mia' n ....
a Ilo' fir••
•
" oU, 1 ",
ibu 1 '011"" " tho _ •
"So 1 'WI •• \0 \he l1b a
7,.,..u •
oa 1 llJlO tr ,be a' \!II b ,,\oil ot '110 a1l".
h VWI Uaa, a.l , 1 •
·1 ..... • l' flao "111 1 4 root t 110 .... ta PoYI 11I4 t.U , pi laWl 1 •
• 1 , tall. al "" 1 "
t bl 4,. , •• 1 GOalla" tla4 aD \0
0.. .. U. .. 1 J••' II"!\ \0 ", ft.
" bo ooal4 troa \he 0'." 1140 \0 cl... ou.' 0
R.S. Cook
lft.'t'I!'ft!, Ala. ,
•
•
• •
HORSE TRADE
By J.W. Hand
Grandpappy Cook had just finished bragging about
selling a five-dollar calf for eighteen dollars, so to egg him rn
I said:
"Grandpappy, did you ever do any horse trading?"
We were sitting in front of my fire. He rolled
his cud of twist around over his tongue and squshed it a few
times with his seven
mantle to floor with
teeth,
e
amb~.
then sprayed the fireplace from
He studied the freckled effect
while he propped his feet across a vacant rocker, my newest
chair. I knew the signs. They were the forerunners of one of
Grandpappy's long tales. (But don't call them tales to his
face) He etarted the chair to rocking, adjusted it to a comfortable
speed, then he said:
did own I liked mules. a.t hit seems to me that
"Rain't
7-1.4-1<
manylzi.
never done eo much ~. ""e- tradin'; never
I did skin a feller wunst. Rit's so long ago that I can't
recollect fer certain, but I think h£t wuz Betsy that I traded
to a feller fer his mule.
"'Peare to me that I had saddled Betey with a
old wore-out eaddle that musta' been no better'n a board covered
with cowhide and wuz ridin' her over to Bailey's ill - hit wuz
about six mile - to git me some corn ground. I had hit layin ,
across the front of my saddle.
"Betsy looked pretty good. She wuz right fat and
could pace a little. She didn't have no scars or soree or no
limp.
"
•
•
• •
Horse Trade
"Betsy wuz pretty to look at; and easy to ride, but she
had moon-eyes."
Before I could ask what he meant, Grandpappy twisted his
cud some more and I expected to see the tiled hearth take on
another growth of freckles. But nothing happened. Grandpappy
gulped and settled back into his chair. I recalled the time
I swallowed jUice in my only toeaccoschewing attempt ana felt
a little faint; but Grandpappy seemed not to be bothered with
the drink of .... liquid tobacco.
Grandpappy continued:
"Atter I had rode along a mile or two, a feller come out
of a side road ridin' one of the prettiest mules I ever see.
He wuz slick as a fattened hog and stepped along like he wuz
running over with pep. The feller wuz sittin' on a brand new
saddle too.
"11e'n the feller spoke. He rode along with me a little
way, all the time 100kin ' at Betsy. I could see what wuz in
his mind, but I didn't let on. You kin tell a trader as fer
as you kin see' im.
"Just like I expected, the feller said; 'That's a good-lookin
t mare.' II
"'Yep,' I said, 'she's all right.'"
"Vie rode along, talkin' about this and that. The feller
kept twistin' about on his saddle so's I could see hit. I let
him keep hit up fer aWhile, then I said, 'That's a new saddle,
hain't it?'"
"'Yep,' he said. 'Jest bought it last week. Hain't been
set on enOUgh0.o git shiny.'"
, • ,
•
Horse Trade a
"The feller slapped the mule's rump with his hand, and he
pretended he had a hard time keepin' ~ mule from runnin' 0 1'1'
and leavin! me. 'Dern near got that __-flY,' he said......
"-
"I could see the feller had a lively mule, jest the kind
I needed, but I still didn't let on. We rode on then
the feller popped out in the worst kinda' form. 'How'll you
swap' he asked. Jest like that. No ways a'tall like experienced
traders do. They talk about everything under the sun
'ceptin' the trade. So I figgered I could take the feller easy."
"'I don't know as I care to swap,' I said. 'I like this •
mare ell. But she wouldn't suit you.'"
"'How come?' he asked. 'What's the matter with her?'"
•
"'Nothin' .Jlou could lay your hand on,' I said. 'You jest
wouldn't like her. '"
At this point, Grandpappy without warning nearly drowned
out the fire, and amber mist settled in front of us. I hastily
excused myself and returned with a small can which I put in
front of Grandpapp~.
"As I wuz ssyin!,· Gr8.ildpappy picked up his story, "when I
kept tellin' that feller that he wouldn't like Betsy, he conunence d
lookin' closer and closer to see why he wouldn't like her. 'Course
he couldn't see nothin' becu~ there warn't nothin' he could see.
'till
You can't tell nothin , about moon-eyeS~~hefull moon, and hit
wuz a week yet 'till then."
I saw Grandpappy' s jaw and,menta ly patted myself on •
the back for thinking of putting the ~I\in, front
worked up his cud and very carefully avoided the ~~F~.
took on another coat of amber.
The fireplace
•
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Horse Trade 4
<1-
I t>&N ",".e eMl~l not fIIjJ the angle and moved thet{ n
a 11ttle more to tbe front of Grandpappy. I didn't see bow he could
possibly miss it the next time. He continued his story:
"Well sir, the more that feller looked at BetSy,~he less
he could see wrong with her. He let me git in front of bim so's he
•
all of that end. He switcbed sides of the road. I jest waited and
finally be said:
~'In spite of what you say, I don't see nothin' wrong witb
a-.. -• that.--..• "
,
could see her hind part and be in front so's be could see
•
"'I didn't say she had anytbine wrong witb her,' I told
bim. 'All I said wuz that you wouldn't like ber.'"
·'Is she shy,' be asked."
"'Scare her and see fer yourself,' I said."
"He rode up close and jerked his band across Betsy's 8yes.
Sbe dodged jest a little bit. 'Well,' be said, 'that shows she hain~
blind. And sbe ain't shy either. Has she got sores under the saddle~'"
·'Nope,, I said. '&.1t you can look fer yourself.'"
"'I'll take your word fer hit,' be said. 'Anybow, she don't
act like she's sore the way she's carryin , you and the saddle and corn.'"
Once more I saw Grandpappy get set to spray the termites but
tbis time, I had no worries. Tbe can was in good position. Tbe
cloudburst came, but the can re ained perfectl dry. Once more I
"-
took the angle and moved tbe can. Next time 'i\ eve the law of averaglil
would be on ~ side.
"Tbe feller didn't seem to notice how I wuz lookin' at bis
mule. He wuz ,..... tbe best-lookin' mule I ever saw, and I wuz
•
•• • •
•
Horse TEade
gittin' anxious to swap, but I knew hi. wouldn't do to let the
feller know about that."
"All uva ' sudden, the feller said: 'Let's swap even.'"
"Nope, I I said. I I won't swap fer less' n fifteen dollars
boot. '"
"The feller studied a lit.le bit, then he said: 'I'll give
you five dollars boot.'ft
"Nope,' I said. 'You're the one whot wants to swap. Its
fifteen dollars or nothin'."
.11 I can 't trade like that, '" the feller said. We rode on
a piece and I could see that he still wanted to trade mighty bad.
Some people jest can't stand .0 own a mule when they think they can
)-(~
get a • Finally, he said: 'I'll give you my new saddle and
five dollars boot fer your and saddle.'"
"I told him all right. That suited me. In fact, I was
tickled allover. e swapped right there and he even helped me
move the sack of corn offa' Betsy over to the mule."
aBut when we wuz all set again, I said: 'This is a trade.
You won't like Betsy, but I told you before e swapped. "'
"He didn't say nothin'; jest looked at me like be thought
he had skinned a crazy man and rode off. ..
Grandpappy stopped to roll his chew around and I took advantage
of the pause. I said: "ell, Grandpappy, It looks to me
like he did skin you."
" h, no he didn't. Didn't I tell you Betsy .,uz n,oon-eyed?"
•
Under the accusation, Grandpappy spat viciOusly at the fireplace,
clearing the can by t"o feet. I.moved it again. Grandpappy said:
,.• ....,
f
•
The timekeeper "watchman
A thousand hunger-provoking odors s./
stream densly out into the alley.
who sits by"the side-door alley entrance to the Tutwiler kitchen
He has a con-
He
has a perpetual wrinkle around hie nose from sniffing. It is an
0-
inquisitive sort of wrinkle; gives him the appearfnce of
',;;c;'; '\ ( ;/ 1h~
s. ~
is a fattish person, maybe
- won't
fifty, maybe seventy years old. He ........ say.
tented expression. After seeing the tray of food that was his
lunch and after hearing him say that breakfast and dinne 7
were even larger, such contentment is understandable • .s;, ..«l /~ .r<-1"'1O:.
"Why do you want to know about my
work?" he asks. "All I do is sit here in the door and see that
everybody punches the timeclock like they'm supposed to. I can't
give yeu ne hotel kitchen story. Go on in and see Fay Lindsey
at the pantry. She'll give you a stery. She eUghta'. She's
.een in that s~ thirteen years."
So we didn't even bother to ask the
gentleman's name, but stepped into the door and walked down a
little hall to the right until we passed a fresh meat "station."
A big, yellow Negro stood with a knife a yard long poised in the
air, so we didn't bother to ask him any questions either.
Left was a big icebox and a counter
with a fellow in between making sandwiches out of different stuff
and then chopping them asunder with a long knife. The
•
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•
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3
•
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"Don't you ever stop to nibble?" we asked.
"Naw," she flared. "Who wants to eat anything
they have to look at all the time. I'd rather go home
and eat milk and bread. ~only I don't stay at home. A lot of
us live up on the iKat thirteenth floor. Didn•t even know
the Tutwiler had a thirteenth floor, did you? No hotel that
can help it has a thirteenth floor •••to hard to rent the rooms.
"That's funny too ••about the thirteenth
floor here. ~en the NRA••you remember the NRA?.tried to make
salaries go up, the management told that our salary was high,
but it got down to forty-five dollars a month because room r nt
and food was deducted. Can you tie that?
·We have a table set here in the kitchen at
•
ten in the morning - that's breakfast; and at five in the afternooll
I don~ t know what meal that is, but I do know this. A room that
can't be rented nohow and two meals a day ain't going to cut ~
salary from what the NRA asked to what it is now.
"Why don't I take ~ meals and room someplace
else? I tried that, but it didn't rats salary any.
"But I reckon after years, anyplace
would seem like home. That little room of mine is furnished with
a dresser and a bed, with a table in the corner. I have a closet
to hang lI\Y clothes in. COlI1es in mighty nice on cold nights. All
I have to do is catch the elevator and ~ I'm home.
"I go to work at two in the afternoon and am
supposed to get off at twelve, but sometimes there's a party and
I work the night through. Usuually, when we get off, wnwyoall
of us cross the alley to
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