| Summary: | Folder contains 28 pages of Alabama short stories compiled by Charles M. Donigan for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.•
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Mr. Robert Trou.dal e - Alabama 4
through it like it wasn't there.
"Then, Brother Lemay Baid,that he lit a raz and left from there at
hh beBt .peed. He ran untll he got out of the bottom. After getting out
he was minuB the ghoBt and alBO • Btring of fiBh. He .aid that he did not
go back to look for hiB fish but went Btraight home.
"I ~elf have .een thi. gho.t Beveral timee. !ach time it looked
different. I remember one moonlight night I was riding a llUle along a
path which bordered thi. bottom for a quarter of a mlle. I had been to
lee my girl and was riding hOlle about 9 0 'clock. I looked "own and caning
toward me from the left wal what leemed to be a big dog. He didn't make
a sound Ill1d the mule paid no attention to it. The gho.t came clole and
looked like he wanted to grab my Itirrup. I pulled my pistol and Bhot two
or three t mea at him. I saved some of my ehots, didn't want toju. them
all up. He "aon't more tau. !1ve feet from the end of my gun, but the
bulletB made no impreBBion. The gholt kept alongBide me aB long aB I waB
near thil bottom and when I got to "the highw~ he Just dhappeared.
"I Ba" him Beveral other timeB. One time he looked like a perBon
of Bmall Btature, without a head. ThiB waB at night, and a friend, Alf
Brown, waB wi th me. The ghoet va. walking bea1de UIt when we Buddenly
Be.w him. I told Alf that I wouldn't run if he didn't, but Just then I
Btumped my toe and Alf thought I had .terted to run, BO he lit out and I
right after him. When we got out of the bottom and Btopped to get our
breath the ghoBt waB no longer with UB. Alf, who was wearIng a derb:rhhat,
found that hi. derby va. all B_.hed up."
12/1/38
S.J.
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Alal>_ 10MI" C. - 7 -
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• 'OWL •
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• "A'eline Grae.," i. another old h:mn then alvar••tarted .erviee. vith at
the old Nt. Pl.a.ant Bapti.t church at ~rick, Ala., in the precinct vhen 1 V&l
born and raio.d and vh.n 70U heard that eone through the woodo 70U could h.ar
the vhipe erackine and the va«On. rattline, peeple hur'7ine to get a reet
in the hoUie. On one occ&lion at thie old churdh tv.nt7-five or thirt7 had
been bapti••d near the church and the7 &leembl.d at the church for the .eraon,
there va. a 70UD« .an who courtine him a ev.etheart. "I remember hi. dre.e
very vell. Cotten pante, .eereueker coat, calico .hirt, paper collar, a red
bow necktie and acotton band.n hankarchi.f .Uckine up in hie coat pocket, a
pair of leud .hri.kine brogan .ho... The hoUi. V&l full. ~. )'0UD« 1II8l1~.
eweetheart V&l th.r. and at .ach I.rvio. h., .itting in the back end of the
hOUle, vould come down the aiele with tho.. lho•• uldne all ~ the pOllibl.
racJcet the)' ceuld. Then va. a halt a dOlln or acre preachera in 'he pulpit.
Dr. Cone, the p<or, VPl on the floor. The)'OUD« man al uoual got up in the
back of the ho""e and .trode down the ail1.. The congregation could hear tho..
cr)'ine lho... Dr. Cone .topped, when he Itarted down the aiele, and 1&11 to the
"oung.-n. "1f 70u'll hurr" back I'll wait till )'OU return. I In a abort
whil. the ),OUD« .-n l1ipped in the back door of the church and nevar afterward
did he di.turb the congregation or preacher vith hil C'7ine Ihoel."
I I remember at Aehland Cit)' Tenn., thare Uled to be a great cit" double
fieted fellow who had 0017 one child, a unghter. She V&l ver)' religioUll"
inclined and after lhe va. grown, he val converted and .. made a preacher and
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I'll never forgat a .one that h••ang at .ver)' '.rYic., and 1 can nov eee hill -
.tandiD& in the pulpit vith the t.area flovine down hil eheeb lineine.
Ve will walk through the valle)' in peac••
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If Je• UI hi••elt will go with nl there
Ve vill walll: through the valle)' in peac••
Another lone 1 Juot re.emb.r the choruo of it. 1 haven't ' ..n it or heard it ,
.inc. 72 but the fir.t v.rl. il:
'Oh haot thou not heard of that beautiful etraUl
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, That flovo throU«h our fathorl lllld
It'l vatorl are bright in the heavenlT light
And rippl.. over golden llIld
Chona
Soek then that beautiful etreea
That flovl tbroU«h our father~1 land
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Itl vaterl are bright in the heeven17 light
Seek then that beautiful Itreaa
In the precinct then vas three churchel. Cumberland PrelbTterian a brick
church. Hillion&r7 Baptilt and H.K.ihnrch South that vorlhiped in a big
arbour and 10 todaT the ShadT Grove H.I. Church South. The firl t SundaT in
Augnlt the Cuaberlandl bagen their revival meetingo. alvaTl had tva lerDOno IIld
dinner on the groundl. The first SundaT all the congregation united in the ,
revival. You couldn t tell at noon vhether TaU vas eating Cuaberland
PrelbTterian, Methodiot. or Baptilt chickens and boiled ham.
The next SundaT theT moved over to the Baptilt church after carr,-ing cn a
meeting there during the veek vith oame reoult, each denomination vas there
vith their basketl. Frcm there theT vent to ~dT Grcve argour and carried
on a aeeting for tva veekl. In them daTI the fieldl vere full of cotton and
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lheep. voodl full of hoge. the barn IIld Imoke honoeo vere filled and the
farmerl took off the acnth of Augult for vorehip and viliting. lver,-bodT Y&e
in a good huacr and ever,-bcdT loved one another. Ver,- little ule for court
honoel. One or tva Juaticeo of the peace and one conotable and no attorneTI
vere needed vith rural diltrictl. WhilkeT could be bcU«ht for 25¢ a quart and
onlT tva aen in the precinct could be counted al drunkardl. •f a 7CUDg ladT
laellld liquor on a TOUDg alll'l breath he couldn't go to church or to a frolic
either vith her.
Direct17 after the Civil War, I've forgotten the neme of the old caap grou4
near Town Creek but it val three ailel fro. ther, at the fcot of the mountain.
All the circuitl of the M.I. church South V&l reprelented there. TheT
bullt hono.. and tenl to houle end feed all the ourrounding countr,-.
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.' EIl.n.ser church had t.nt end ki tch.n to car. for th.ir n.ighborhood. Th. t.d
• wa......o11lb.n..er tent. Sha4T Grove had a tent kitchen, .tc. to .nt.rtain
Shad1 Grov. communitT. Town Cr••k had a t.nt kitch.n .tc.• to .nt.rtain th.ir
cOllllllW1itT. Leighton had a t.nt kitch.n .tc•• to .nt.rtain their commun1tT.
La Iirange had a t.nt kitch.n .tc•• to .nt.rtain th.ir communitT.
Th....tin« ••nt on not 1... then two w••kI and there wae at l.a.t 10,000
p.opl. there on SundaT. end a big crowd there all the tim.. Pr.ach.r. there
from .v.rT citT in the .tat. are from Mi •••• T.nn., end G.orgia.
I r.m.mb.r on. SundaT. ROT. J.ll.n S. J.ndrew. pr.ach.d the 11: 0 I clock ••rvic..
B. weo the h.ad of the Methodi.t .chool at Gr••n.boro, J.la. ~ va. the
fath.r of T•• J.ndrew. of Sh.ffi.ld. I rem.mb.r hi. .ubj.ct weo ·wh.r. the
Lcrd w.nt into the garden and loeb was abunt end the Lord .aid loeb wh.r. art
thou? I rem.mb.r how h. va. dr••••d. h. had on a white pair of pant•• T.llow
linen v••t. black alpaeka coat • .nit••hirt. and black bow ti.. Low quart.r
black kid .ho•••
t re..ember a pr.ach.r of not. was ROT. Dr. Bill from St. Loui.. Rev. :tohn
S. Davie weo th.r.. Be pr.ach.d in the '.nn., ValloT for fiftT T.ar•• married
and buri.d .or. p.opl. than &n7 pr.ach.r in the countrT. t r ....mb.r thr••
broth.r. w.r. th.r.. all pr.ach.r. and theT aarri.d thr•••i.t.r.. Th.
people cam. in ox wagone, hor•• ¥a«on., carr1age., hor•• back, mule back, bar.
back and .verT oth.r W8lf. Th.T would bring wagon load. of hog. end b••v.r and
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dr... .m n.arbT. Th.T brought chick.n. bT the hundr.ds. all kind. of pr.-
••rv••• and picklae. cak•• and hon.T, boil.d ham•• pi••• bi~ pan•• of old
fa.hion.d light br.ad, or .at ridng. TheT brought roeoting .ar. bT the
wagon load, ow••t potato... Iri.h potato•• end all kind. of gard.n v.g.tabl•••
Th.T broll8ht th.ir whole famili•• with the.. and oervante, nigg.r waiting bOT.,
cook. and old black •• i.. to look aft.r the childr.n.
Tho•• that c.me from a di.tanc••l.pt in t.nt. provided for th... Th.r.
Will on. t.nt that va. for nothing but pr.acher.. So•• of the t.nt. would hold
a hundr.d peopl.. TheT d.pt two to a bunk. Th.T had familT tent. end t.nt.
for m.n end for women. J.t the pt.acher'. t.nt th.T had the tow.l. and looking
Alabama Mrs. Mary If. Jones - 2 -
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, "Mr mother spoke of crossing rivers on ferrr boats but I
couldn't SaT for mf life vhether she spoke of the Kississippi River.
"Mr mother said. 'We travsled on that vaT every daT till
we reached the end of the road. The landlord sent his tvo boys on
ehead to make a fire and have everything varm for me. When ve
got there I never have seed such a fire as them boys had. The
next morning I got up and cooked breakfast. I looked around sav
big pilss of turnips and both kinds of potatoes and plenty of meat
and a big crib full of corn. Prom thsn on ve Just vent on the
same as en;ybody vould do; nothing to hinder us, but ve had to strain
all our vater on account of viggletails and ve had to make big log
heaps and set tham afire to keep ths gnats from eating up our stock.
The cattle would come up of an evening to the fire Just a-bavling.'
"Ily mother had me and also tvo little boys and a boy baby
four months old vhen her husband died. He lived for seven years
after he married mf mother then he died of pneumonia. Ily mother
sold out everrthing and came back to Lauderdale County. She kept
out one mare and a carrrall and a featherbed end provisions.
"Ily mother said, 'There vas a family aco",ing back end ve
come vi th them. One of their boys drove for me. We got back all
right. '
Mrs. Jones re"'embere attending a camp meeting in Lauderdale
County, Alabama in the fall of 1965. She SaTS, "We drove a li ttle
mule named Pete and a big artillerr horse named :Bill. hitched to a
vagon. We camped out, but I cen't remember much about it. Oh, yee,
about the artillery horse. The Tankee. came to our house one daT
and vas a-pilfering around a-shooting our chickens and ducke right
in the yard. My IlOther run out and begged tham not to, but they
didn't PaT her no mind. She told them ehe had all them li t tle
children to look out for but they vent right on. Mr mother had a
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Charl.. M. Donnlcan
S .ttl.1d. Ala. B.B. I 1•
In\."l.., wi Ul Mr Marc.Una D. Oar\er. lI~m Ma:r 1858 in preclllC\ I 1 of Oolb.r\
00un\7. Al aa. Pr•••n\ e4dre..... .oino\, S},.ttleld Ale. R.B. 11.
"'f.ll 70U 'bou\ lIlY cr"\ uncl., Dadd Wallac., .. \be tlr.\ aan that wrer
hara...d tbe 'f"""••••• B1T.r tor co rclal u... Be built a alU up h.r., what
11 oall.d tbe Old Wallace Mll1. Be cround com ...d vh.at. 'fh. allla val ae4.
on vhat 11 11 call.d Ul. lacl. 'ar. It vu ... UDder.hot all1 two .torle. hlgh.
Eecl. liar 1. t.n or \welT. up the rlnr fr Wll.on Du. 'fb. &111 .ton•• were
ou\ out ot 11••ton. rock co\ten n.arb7• &111 val tr.-. All the lUllb.r Val
.....d ou\ vi Ul old tuhioned whip .... b7 bend. 'fll- toUlldaUon val aa4a ot 11_
.ton. put toptber vUh 11., aa4a b7 bUJ'lliDC It-Uone, ...d ....d. 'fb. root val
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aa4a at ben" '1'11t oal< .lab boarde nail.d on wi Ul iron naile aa4a in blackuith
.hop b7 hand. All the naile wer. that Idn !h. people would come tram tort7 all••
around with corn and vheet. 'fbq C.M in ox V""'"', 1Il1l.....d hor.. v"",n....d
cn hor•• back. Whan thq CaM ho•••back tbq haT' about a bnabel to a buebel ...d a
halt in a lick and then a ••ttl"" on the .ack. So...U ... th'7 would haT' \0 .tllT
two or thr•• 4q8 vaiU"" tor thelr ti.. to 00 \0 crind. Wh.n tbeT co... froa
a dlltenoe \hq vould COM in COT.rea one ...d ClUIp ou\ ...d tlab ln the rinr.
So.. vould ClUIp ou\ UDder the bluft ohen there Val a ledp onrba..... SAM would
hnn\ whll. tIl val _i\iDC. !ba7 bed. old tuhloned tllnt lock •• So.. would
brine their vln. with th... 1 \h1nl1: the toll val on••ighth tor both ccm ...d
V .at. Oll.t ot vhaat tbeT aa4a nour, ••conde, .horte ...d br...d. !bar. val a ho,...-
ma4e boltiDC Md11ne wiUl lilk bolt1n& cloth. 'fb. all1er wu a ni r .lan.
'fb. &111 val run up to 4m'111C \he 01dl War. but not afterward ...d tlnal17 rott.d
down. !h. old \urbin. val 1&71 about a hImdr.d 7arde from the &111 .it. vh.n
Wll.on D.. wu bullt. !he old &111 .U. 11 nov tlttT \0 .1ght7 t ••t de.p ln Wll.on
Lake.-
"One ot lIlY cr...4tather'. elaT" nM.d Jack vu .tolen, carrled to Pula.Id, 'f""".
M;r ta\her l.arned it T'rT .ar17 th. n.n aomine. lie lOt in hll ho... d bUC&7
...d rode up to Pulaald. Be lOt there b.tor. 1210'clock.
.r u on a block
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tor auction .al. ~ tather t th.r. in tta. to hollow to the auctionllr, "Bold up
thet n1ci;er ie .in•• " Ba t hie niu.r in th. bUCQ' vi \h hi. and br
that ....&Il1nc."
"fh1. niger VAl a ""rr Yaluable .la.... b.e.".. he Val a tanlllr bT trade and ~
tath.r ..d «"andta\her Carter ran a publie tan ;rard and aanutaotured tho•• tor \hlir
.la..... and th. eo-.unitT long b.tor. the Cinl War.
Thi. niaer Val their tann.r, fb. tanning Val done with oalt bark in ruh due
in the ero\ll1d. The•• ruh vere 'bout liz t ..t de.p, .ight t.et long and liz t ••t
vide and were lined vi th tOJlC\W and «"oo....d vood boarde to aeke thea wat.r tieM.
Water Val turni.hed tro. a eprillC on th. lide at the hill and r\IIl in tr""Ch' to .ach
rut. !he•• tl'Onghe Ir. &&de at .eplin. cut halt in two lencthvi•• and hollow.d out.
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~. barb Val eround. bT hor.. power in a h &&de alll. th••Ul part Val cut
iron vi\h upr1cht log in the alddl.. fro. th. top at thie lac estanded a horieontal
baaa to vhich the hor•• Val attached the han. Val dri...en in a oirol., bT a .la.....
!!'hie due" al.o broa up the bark vith a h......r and ted it to the hoppe" out ot
the .ill on the «"ound and Val .ho....led into a pU. and fl'OJl th.re oarri.d in a
vheel barrow to th.....h."
'.&.11 hInd. ot hide. VI"I tannld. 'rca the .urroundillC oountrr the people would
b"ing cow hidel, Iheep hUll, .to. .&.110 the tanJ.rr ...t a lflICOn eontinuall;r o....r
a vide area to eolleot hide.. Thi. vaton _ drlY.n bT a II1g.er .la.... who oould
read and vrih. Ilotot at the hide. ver. tlm.<I. on a toll balh. So we... bOU4lht
tor caah. an the hide. were reoei....d at the tann. on a toll bali•• vhi~ _
halt and halt, the W tial. at the ovn.r VAl cut in one ot the .hank. ot hie
halt. fb. tiret .tep in th. tanning proc••• Val to put the hide. in a ...at, on. on
top ot th. other vi th l1llle oprinkl.d betvean. When the ...at Val full ot hid•• varer
Val turned in. I don't r.,_ob.r how long the;r .t&;red in the ...at. en \beT v.r. r.a4;r
theT V.... tekan out and Valhed vith plain ..ter. than Jadc, the ni
vould teke a hide and plac. it o...ar a plank which VAl naU.d to a other plank at the
lover .nd vhU. the up r and r ••t.d in a .luting pol1tion -.unot hi. bod;r.
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