| Summary: | Folder contains 8 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.01 lore 0 )
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~\)\ ,'uile I vi 51 t1 up in Le ou t .n tc is -< e r , e were
a a ened by n owl screeching J st out side the • I l'ffi S ir.g
in t e r •m ith ny nos t SF • rer-a .t ly she s t up and s e e to be in
soce tro ibl e. I s ie., .. n I 1.1. el.l' ou?" "vh, 00" s e i a, "... 8m
just tryin to t",ro the eel 0 i shoe u , to sto th t CJIIl. " " '11
t •.at sto it?" T u.ed. tI Pes" s e J. d, ' ~ d in a fell cir:.ltes the ~ , -
screechi at >,.e'.•1. ::e t er it s c 'S" d by t e ,4.l,ee:l of t a 5 ... 08
;,Je1 n t ,rne a , s r od f r thought. .oe flex t orning, ba s id to
t tie ro rl In .e kite en, "Viu , our vi i tor ns m ct. e
cec se r t ne t.'" eel of my .oe u., to sto. tu t h ot-o 1".
iol 's dr 1 c DEl--soft n sic l--"Y s , but it s 0 wi 11
.. 0 t. at" yo ,>U t • ir~in do n c.'1imney of a lig ted 111 ,or
tUl' ~v"r 1J. oCil:et I n; ricl.e outerds, it sho ill top 'em."
1l' ~
l..1'••" '~ ler
.9r ",,-1
•
• Mrs. 'argaret Fo~~Jr,
Fruithurst ,Alabama-
"By ~ord of Kouth-"
About the year,I832,two covered wagons came aoross the line between
Georgia 8l1d Alabama-from the Northern part of Georgia,in to Northeastern
Alaba ma ,into that part of Benton county,whioh thirty years later beoame
Clebume-
These two huge wagons,with wide hoops covered with sail cloth,er "ducking",
each drawn by four long-horned oxen,held all the "worldl7 goods"
of the two families,who were looking fpr a"likely plaoe to settle,"8l1d
when this smiling country rolled before them,they deoided to go no fur-ther.
They came here at the opening of the Spring, to find the meadows a tendf11:/
green,and the gently sloping hills covered with trees with the delioate
fragranoe and coloIj of opening bud;or the uBchanging green of the pine
trees,with their deep carpets of brown pine needles-- 8l1d among all thee
were gre,t white drifts of dogwood,with everywhere the glow of pink
honeysuckle;8l1d the fragranoe of sweetshrubs-which are rightly ned-the
sweetness is so penetrating. And underfoot,dotting the brilli8l1t green I
oarpet of moss,were woods violets and marguerites-and flowers large 8l1d
small,colorful and fragrant,too numerous to Dame~.Fems,in great petch-l
eS,waved everywhere in the breeze. •
,
The travelers saw tha t for beauty of surroundings,they need go no further-
and the soil wa deep and fertile 8l1d rich-The hills were covered
with good timber;pines,in plentY,of splendid growth;white oaks-stretch_
ing up,sixty feet tall,and"so large around that a solid board of white
oak could have been cut out,a f t id " 00 w e- Too,there were red oak,and
post oak-there were splendid beecheS;&nd poplars;walnut trees and hiak~
ory-and under these trees-hickory and walnut,were still the shells of
the nuts,showing how plentiful the supply had been-
- • ( 2- () "Word of Youth"-Y.F.
Everywhere was game-and wild fruit,grapes and many kinds of berries,
were in bloom--a living right at hand--
The settlers lived in the wagons through the warm Spring days and nights
Not muoh tilling of the soil was neoessary-and it was years,before fertilizer
was needed- The ground was so soft,_ nd so fertile and rioh,that
this first spring,they took long oanes from the bank of the oreek that
had been named Cane oreek,beoause the oanes grew so tall,to a height
of twelve feet-They used the oanes to penetrate the soil to a suffioient
depth that the seed oould be dro~ped and then oovered- and the orops war
were started.
So the men began outting down trees,peeling the logs,and bUil4ing hOuses/
barns and granaries;and tJ) split rails for the long snake-lik. rail
fenoes ,whioh enolosed their fields-for the oountry was full of wild
animals- Some bears-not many;but the deer oould be seen at their "lioking
logs",numbering from twenty-five to fifty; The hills were full of
wild pigs;wolves hung around like dogs,and were such a pest-carrying off
sheep and the domestioated pigs,that traps were set for them-Panthers
and ~ild-cats infested the hills-and at two or three different times,it
was heard thst a panther had oarried off a little child.Yost of the In~
( ans were gone,but a few were left,and were invariably friendly. After'
the snake-like rail fences were bUilt. they liked to come and"walk the
fenoe"with the white m~ , which must have been qUite a feat,beoause of
the irregulari ty of the fenceS-They liked to bargain for bri "ht things'
that attraoted them. but lways insisted on paying for them-bringing deir
in payment.
"Turkeys were as thiok as ohiokens in a barnyard;squirrels sourried in
dro ves; and quails blaokened the air."
The bUildings were of logs,out and peeled by-hand. The logs were tapered
and notohed at the ends,so they fitted together into the framework_The
openings were sometimes ohinked with 1 f
o aY.but otten were oovered with
Mrs. argaret '\ Jer,
Fruithurst ,Alabama-
3 "Ry Word of Mouth~
() ll. F.
10/22/36
boards I.hioh were "ri ved" outof the solid wood. The loge .ere sawed
aoross , t he requi red length,then were quartered. These quartered pie-oes
were then plaoed in a oro t ah ,made of <"-"'0 pieoes of heavy timber-whioh-
pulled together,form a vise
•
Then a short-handled,broa d,sharp
in whioh the wood was fiI'llll,y held.
implement, oalled a"fro 0., "pulled
(
down the wood by he.nd,otit a plank of whatever width and thiokness was
desired. The ple.nks were fastened on the logs,with hand out nails,or
if iron was soaroe,as it often was,with wooden pegs. Tb cut down,and/
peel,svery log-to rive out every board,e.nd make each. nail or peg,used
in the construotion of a house,was a work of time and patienoe.
The women of the family,were at this time,preserving fruits and vege
tables for the next winter-by drying-by sulpherating fruits-whieh is
done by plaoing the pared and slioed fruit in home-woven baskets,with
wide openings,between the layers of whioh the basket was woven. The
baskets were covered,and hung over a bed of glowing coalS,on whieh W
SUlphur was thrown- The clouds of sulphurated smoke penetrated open~n
ings in the basket,and sterilized the fruit-covering it with a thin /
film,after which it was plaoed in earthen orooks,or jars,and oovered
with a cloth tied around the mouth of the vessel,and the fruit remain
ed sweet and frssh for use in pies and sauoes,until fruit oame again.
Gra pes wers sunk in jars of molasses,and preserved- .
But when Fall 08Jlle,and the cotton was pioked, the real work of the wo..
men began. Since there were no gins here, then, the cotton seeds were
picked out by hand; thsn combed,and made into rolls_and then spun •
•
The spinning-wheel had two whe.ls-the large one,on 'hich the thread
was Spun,and a small one above,whioh threw the thred upon the spindlesl
or spools.On the outside of the spindle was a"broaoh" made of shucks
which slipped off th~ spindle when it was fUll of thread.Both hands
• (
4
(
"By Word of ),lOll th"-ll. F.
were bllSY in spinning-holding the thread on the large wheel with the
left hand,and tllrning the small llpper t~teal wheel,to throw tL~ thread
•
on the spool, wi th the right hand; at the same time, running the treadle
that kept the heels moving,with the foot.One hllndred and twenty times
around the large wheel is a cllt,or spindle fllll,and fOllr cuts make a
hank of thread.
Then the reel was used.The thread one'p~ ro~ broaches as made intol
hanks,to be woven. But before it went ~to the loom,it w s dyed,with
dyes made at home,from the roots and barks of trees-and plants. alnut,
and red oak bark were used,and produced beautiful shades of brown;Copp~
as,and alum were used to set the dyes,which not only gave a permanent 00
lor,but different tints to the dye.They llsed the roots of poison ivy to
get a rich pllrple, the lye from ashes,and copperas made orange;Hiokory
bark and alum made greenish yellow,and sassafras and alum,a pale telbJ
looms_
yellow,
Then after the thread was dyed,the cloth was woven in the loom-Some I
wea vcrs loved to wea ve into their loome,patterns that were fanciful,
and colors that were brillia nt,or vivid. The disposition of the person
could be adjudged by the kind of weaving they did. Then the garments 'J'E/IJ
cut and made by hand-with thread that had been spun,of extreme fineness,
then doubled and twisted,for strength.
The seasons passed ouicklY,more land was cleared;more fences bUilt;stooc
increased;larger barns were bUilt to hold the forage. The houses were
well-stocked with home-woven blankets,sheets and towels;With beautiful
patch-work quilts,and tUfted counter anes.
Strong,hand_made furniture was accumulating;the floors were bare,and I
• scrubbed with white send to a whiteness hard to i magine.But in those d....
house-keepers prided themselves on the whiteness of their floors,as th~
did the whiteness of washed clothes,the intricate design of patoh-work
qUilts,and of the beauty and riety of th 1
e co 0 rs they wo va in to thei r
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