Folklore, DeKalb County.
Folder contains 20 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s., , , •Alabama - 2 - BAck in them days it was a good ten-mile to the nearest folks, lessen you count Injuns, whioh pappy said nobodY did back then, 'oept when they got to drinkin&...
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Alabama Department of Archives and History
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Electronic |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project Collection |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project Folklore, DeKalb County. |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project African Americans--Alabama; Folklore--Alabama; Alabama Writers' Project; DeKalb County (Ala.); United States. Works Progress Administration |
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Folder contains 20 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s., ,
, •Alabama - 2 -
BAck in them days it was a good ten-mile to the nearest folks, lessen
you count Injuns, whioh pappy said nobodY did back then, 'oept when
they got to drinkin'.
'Pappy says times like that was when dead Injuns was surely the
only good Injuns. But gran'papy didn't wait for 'em to git good. He
~
used to take gran ' maw and papny and the other kids downAa cave a short
pieoe from here and h1de out till them Injuns sobered up. Other
timee, pappy says they didn't have to trouble with the In~uns. They
didn't get no hope (help) from 'em nei her, and that was a time when
gran'pappy sure needed hope.
"He brang a load of truok in the kivvered wagon they rode from
South Ca'liny here and he had young steere on the front end fitten to
work when piled high with a plow and hoes and axes and adzes and
suoh like tools, along with ootton and oorn and wheat seed. What
little room wae left, pappy said they shoved in some household thinge'
but not muoh. Paopy said he was real sorry that they hadn't put in
more kivvers until the time oome when they ootehed the b'ar.
"Leastways they didn't heve no trouble finding logs to build
'em a oabin. Pappy says the trees was so th10k you had to soueeze
between 'em and they just took their piok of big fine logs to out and
peel and notoh to build the oabin. Whilst it was bUilding theY slept
in the kivvered wagon and tried to get the Injuns to hope out. A few
friendly ones would work now and then but they warn't worth a liok,
pAppy says. He olaims he and gran'pappy did most of the building and
soratohing up a little patoh of dirt to get some seeds in.
"They oome along here in the Winter time and pappy says the
• Alabama - 3 -
frosties in them d~ys was like a light snow it lay so thick on the
trees and the rocks. Took two or three hours atter good sunup to
~elt it off, so he says you Just naturally humped yourself aworking
to keep from freezing to death. They got a good patch cleared up by
the time frost broke and got in planting of all them seeds they brang
and some millet seed the InJuns give 'em.
"TheY made fine crops and things rocked along thataway for two
ysar and pappy says they fin'lly got along to building another room
to the cabin. About that time some neighbors moved in, not more'n
five mile awa~ and he says gran'pappy was afeared for a while things
~ould get crowded. But they hope the neighbors r'ar 'em up a cabin
and got to visiting around freouent, much as oncet a month or so.
"The second Summer gran'peppy laid out to make him some sorghum
cane and got in a right good crop. That thsre sorghum Just about saved
'em from freezing to death pappy say, 'caze even with some blanksts
gran'pappy had traded offen ths InJuns and gran'mammy b1led in lye
for going on a week, it was pretty cold that second winter.
"We knowed there was b'ars up in the hills. They come down in
the corn, but gran'pap~y didn't mess a~ound with 'em ~e. He was
right handy with his rifle bu he didn t put faith inA against b'ars.
Anyhow this Summer he really turns out some fine sorghum cane and
when the steers git t~ough grinding he had a sight of syrup.
"Pappy says the kids had all the long sweetening thsy could
hold and gran'mammy filled up all the big gourds, what
,
she had done
scraped and washed during the Su~mer, to lay by a store for the winter.
Even then there ~as plenty left over, so gran'pappy traded off with the
InJuns for a keg that they'd had whiskey in on one of their big runks.
Gran , mammy talked with him a long time about the evils of drink Bnd
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Alabama
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putting sweetening innocent chillun would eat into a barrel where rum
had been, but gran'pappy convinced her that sorghum was strong enough
to lick any M1ID. SO they filled up the bar'l and set it out in the
store shed where they was hams and bacon and the chickens roosted when
it was cold•
•One night a er 'simmon time'and when the wild tur eys was a
calling down in the holler, they all come wideawake, pappy says, with
the biggest racket out in the storeshed anybody ever heard. Gran 'mammy
yelled 'InJuns' and started packing up to get down to the cave, but
gran'pappy said 'Twarn't InJuns 'caze nobody yelled. So he gits his
rifle, pappy gits the axe and a~erwerds, 'caze they didn't notice
then, they found out gran'mammy come traipsing a{ter 'em with her
sedge broom. She made that broom herself, too; cut a straight h1cklry
sapling, scythed her down some ripe sedge and tied it on with cotton'
thread she spun herself.
"Anyways the three of them git on out to the storeshed where
the chickens is a snuswking end there's a beating and a thumping and
a sorta groaning going somep'n awful. The door bust open and out come
a big black thing with somepln' on its head. Gran'pappy fired and
missed.
"'Hit's a b'ar,' he yelled, and pappy says he went in aswinging
with his axe.
"'Don't you tech that b'ar,' grartmammy yelled at him. 'We
needs that hide.' With that she Just naturally laid into that b'ar
with her broom, pappy hopping round tr~ing to git in a lick with his
axe without cutting the hide, and gran'pappy hopping fust on one foot
snd then t'other, to keep his toes from freezing in the deep frost,
wbile he tried to load his gun.
. klabama
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"What with gran ,mammy a whooping him with that broom, pappy
ayelling and gran'pappy oussing a streak every time he hopped, that
b'ar was just plumb skeered to death, I reckon. Anyhow, pappy says
he r'ared up on his hind legs and started slapping at that bar'l
trying to git it offen his head. By and by he slaps fee~e like and
in about three-four minutes he just rol'ed over on his side, dead.
That long sweetening had just choked him to death.
"By the time gran'mammy got through scraplng and curlng hls
hide they sure slept warm that wlnter and all his slnews made good
strlngs for flxlng up the ~low drags for the steers next 'Summer so
c- gran'pappy was able to glt ln a flne CDOp. 60 did the nelghbors and
there was cornshuc~lng frollcs all that Fall. Everybody went ln together
and after the corn was shucked, there was eatlng as was eating."
The old settler paused long enough to cast another contemptuous
look towsrd the greanlng table beyond the wlndow. He spat across the
poroh agaln snd puffed once or twice ln meditatlve happlness on hls
•c
plpe before he took up hls tale.
"Yessuh, that was eating," he smacked his llps. "Pappy says
they all got together and barbecued a whole cattle. They was two o.:r Plgs, too, not just one llttle old sho~. Wlld turkeys, stuffed)~
wYld plgeons, venlson, chlckens, roasten y'ars, pres~rves, ples, cakes--"
The clang of a bell lnterrupted the narrator and desplte hls
years he was up and out of the chalr and off the porch wlth a speed that
almost defled vislon. My host laughed at my elbow•
•
"The 'b'ar been in the syrup bar'l' again?" he asked.
"Yes," I replled, "bul: where did the old m n go?"
•
My host waved a hand toward the wlndow, and as I st red at the
• vlslon of the oldster wlth a turkey leg in one hand and half a ple in
the other from which he was alternating bltes, my lnformant laughed and
Alab··.
• •
Margaret rowler
Pettersen Marzon1
rne:r 0 lebrat Than~ T1ng up 1n the mountalns of D alb
Count:r. Ther wl11 eTen b a danoe ln euoh ·oo.es,· d~ep and narrow
valle1s, where. the Prl ltl.e Baptlete or the Shoutlng ethod1ste are
not too strong.
Hone of theee round danoee! Thoee are stl11 a de.loe of the
devl1. Good old-fashioned eouare dancee .b T ar , wlth the flddler
oalllng the Dumbere as hls h vilT reslned bow draws out:
• labamB glrl, won't 10U come out tonl~~t, won't :rou co e out
tcnlght. won't TCU cc e out tonl ht.
Ala glrl, won't lOU co e out tonlght and dance ln the
llght of the moon.·
At onoe uoh danae, the anclent of the oove eat outsld. lD the
or1Bp ovelllbpr ocnl1ght, drawlng on h1e charred corncob plpe and
100 1 throu h the wlndow now .nd then wlth a glance or , orn at the
groanlng table loaded wlth fOOd. Turke1. chicken. a barbeoued ,hate•
..eet and lrl,h potato • apd heap. at cabbage .tood at one end. while
ple. loaded down the other.
"Th,:r oall the. vittl••• • th oldlt.r .pat oont.. *uoull7 aero••
the porc ·That wouldn't be.n a good .naolt to., "'P7 back ln the
days when th1. wa. !In ground and ;you had to cotoh a blar ef 10U
want.d to k.ep wara.
·X•••uh• ., pap,. knew thl. country wh.n sh. wa' ,oroepln'. He
come over the mountaln, tro. 80uth O'lln1 ~lth h1' P ppy• ., gran'pappy,
an gran'_w wh n he wa. Jus' a bo,. When th.,. declded to
'l1ght here a ,.e11. thl.
10U canI t go two whoop.
wa.n't ov rrun wlth follt. ll1t. now wh n.
d a holl.r wlthout runnln' lnto a cabln.
Alaba"A
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Baok in th. daT. it waa a good tel\-la11e to the neAr""t tolka, le"" n
;rou oount InJune, h~ch papp;r aaid nobod1 41d baok then, 'oept .hen
the;r got to dr1 in'.
"Pappy aay, t1mee like that waa when dead InJuna wae eurel1 the
onl7 good InJune. But gran'papy didn't wait tor 'em to g1t good. He
uaed to take gran'... and pappT and the other k1da down \l oa"e a ahort
p1eoe trom here and hide out till thea InJu.a aobered up. Ot~er
tim a, papoy aaya tbeT 41dn't ba"e to trouble with the InOuna. TheT
41dn't get 110 hope (help) troll ' II nei he.., and tbat oa a tille whell
gran' pap T eure needed bope.
IHe br&nW • load ot truok in the k1""ered wagon tbeT rode troll
South Ca'liI\)' here and he bad young ateera on the tront end titten to
won when piled high with a plow and he.. and axea and adz,a d
euoh like toola, along with cotton and oorn an" wheat ..ed. What
little roo. ,aa lett, p PPT aa1d the;r sho"e in 80me hou8ehold thinga
but not ob. Pa 7 aaid he w.. real aorr:r that theT hadn' ~ put in
mer k1vvera until the t1.e 00.. when the7 oot4hed the b' r.
"Leaa~waya theT 41dn't ha"e 110 trouble t1n41ng 10ia to build
I ell a oab1n. Pappy a87' th tr ea w.a so thick TOU he to a usne
between '. d tbeT Juat took thr1.. p10k ot big tine loga to out and
p el and notch to build the cabin. Whilat it waa building th,T alep'
in the kinered wagon nd tried to get the InJuna to hope out. A tew
tr1encUT 0lle. would work now and then but theT wam't worth a lick,
pappy aaya. He ola1..e he and an'paPPT cUd lICat ot the j)ull41ng all4
.or tching up a little patoh ot 41rt to get ao e a~ed. in.
"TheT oome along here in the Winter t1. and papP7 &a7' the
•
tro.tle. ln tb.. 4&7' wa. 11ke a 11 bt .now lt 1&7 10 thiok on tbe
tr e. d the roo.. Took two or tbree hour. atter good .unu to
e1t 1t ott, '0 be 'lly' 70U Ju.t natura1l7 bUMPed yourll1t awor 1118
to keep troll tr edng to death. They got a good patch olear d up b7
the time tro.t broke and got ln p1ant1n .ot all th ..edl tbe, brang
and .ome ml11et .eed tbe InJun. gl.e 'em.
'They _de tine orop. and tblng. rook.d along tbatalla.Y tor two
year and py ea7' tb y tln'117 got &1ons to buUdlns another roo
to the oabln. About that tim .0 e n 19hbor. mond ln, not IDOre'n
tl.e .Ue aW&7 Ii hI '&7' an' ppy wa. ateared tor a whU. thins'
would ge\ orowded. Iklt thlY hope th nelghbora r' ar 'ea up a callin
d got to ~11ti around tr uent, wob a. onclt a IlOnth or so.
0The 8Ioond SUl1lller sran'pappy 1ald out to malte hi••oml aor bua
cane and got ln a rlgbt lOod orop. 'I'bat tbere 80r hua Juat about aa.ed
'em trom treezlng to d ath pappy eay, 'oazl e.en wlth aom. blank.t.
gran'pappy bad traded otten the InJuna and gran'malllDl1' 1::1\111\ ln 11"
tor goln on a w ek, it wa. prIttl' oold that .@09nd wlnt r •
• • knolled there wa. b'ar. up ln the hill.. Th.y co•• down in
the oorn, but gran' pappy dl 't II around wltb ' .. none. He aa.
rlght han with h1. rlnl but hI didn't put talth ln aplnlt b' a ••
An7how thil au er he reallY turnl out eoml tin••or can"
wben the .teere glt tblrllUgh grlndlng h had a .1ght of ')'rIlp.
0Papro,)' .ay. tbe kid. had all the long ,1Ieetenl they could
hold and gran'C1l1ll1D7 tllled up all tbe big gourd', what Ihe had done .
lorape nil walhe durlns tbe Bu ,er, to la, by a Itore for the winter.
EYen then ther wa. pl nt;r lItt ov@r, 80 rran'paPP1 tra ed ott wlth tb,
InJun. for a Iteg that tbe;r'd had 11M ey in on one ot thelr b1r trunk••
Gran' t k d with h1. a lon t1 about the ~l. of drl and
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"1fhat wUh gran'. a wbooplng hi. wUh that broo., pappr
&Tell1nc and sran'pappr ouaelng a atreak "'r7 t~me he hopped, that
b'ar w a Just plumbed skeered to death, I r ekon. Anrhow, pap r ea7s
hs r' ared up on his hind le all started slappln at thllt ber'l
tryln(\' to g1tit otten hh had. Br nd b7 h slaps t elle 11k fJld
ln about thr e-four m1nute. he Juat rol ed over oil hlB dde, dead.
lon 8W88tenlng had J st ohoked hilll to de tho
IBy th time gran' got thro h sorapl d ourln his
hid hsr aure slept thAt winter end all his slnews de od
strlngs for flxln up the ~low d gs tor ~he et~ers next S ~r so
sran'paPP7 w • able to t in a tine dDO. !So did the nelchOOre ani
the was oornahuc:';lng tro11os all thAt ,. 11. l:Ye'r7bod7 went ln together
d after the oorn was .huoked, there was eatlng aa was eatlng."
The old settler p uspd lon enou h to cast. another oont8lllptuou.
look toward th gra ning table b yond the wln w. H. ap t aoross the
poroh a ln nd putted onoe or ~wloe ln Maditatlvs happineas on hi.
plpe b~tor. he took u hia tal ••
"Yessub, that aa ~atlnc," he s ok d hi. llns. "PapP7 sa1a
thay 1 t togpther and .ou a wb91. oattle. They waa two
plg., too, not Ju tone llttle old ahot.. .11d turkeys, atuft d with
wlld 19eens, "en18On, hioken., roa t n 7'ar , preaprves, ple., 0 .••--"
The 0 of a bell lnterrupted the narrator d de.pite hi.
7e rs he w • up 9ut ot th ohalr • ott th P9roh wlth a sed that
al st dpthd vielon. 117 ho t!au M at 117 elOO • .
"The 'b'ar be.n ln th .rrup 1"1' In'" h a ked.
"Y a," I repll d, "but here did th old n ,"
7 host wa"ed a nd toward the wlndow, nd ae I .t r at the
"hlon of the olda' l' with a turke7 leg ln one hand and lt a 1 ln
the other trolll whioh ha wa. alternatln bltes, 117 lntormaat laughed and
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___pe.p til. y. h••01114& 't ....II th" IIP"1a&. to .....p. tho I.,. II. d out d ia .l....ia'. u til. II. hod lit op••ial to.. tho
II.... ud aJIIIl" 100ft t ... tIIo .riU..... aJIlI a ...U, te.. til••ora aIId h ba
hilt.
'fhat tnt .iata.. 18 til••o..tal... ftl purly .01el-.r1tll ho&"7 f ..o.to
thot lo.t.. lito 1l t _. ud f ... t ••-thr•• hour. 1A tho cornia' h.....
•a t • pia. t ...... &ad laid. h a"7. oa tho ....to. aad "" a tho .us oII.a••
it in out all tho t 11.... a" tho ra1Ab... .t:a' y... b.. til ould tr....
oa tho air.
aat _ bar. ftI ia til. hUl.. .. l1y po&Jldaut t... .. .... 'all ••
ad h. .- ead • .... • • had d. f ..o tho rild .1'" Jl"&lldpa had till..
h tho Iadlaa. f.... • .d..y blaJltoto-but th.y • or. hod ta 11. _oil...
I ..d. afo... ar~ 'll ... ,_ lilt Jl"&lldpap ot a ,ar••Ua la a
huy fty-Th.y !lad ...10.. a crap"" ,0"1b-. •• aad tho lead ....0
••it.d to it. that th.y hael pl.aty to d. tho y.... t calb, .atll th.y ..dB
alia aad ,..ll-oa. Cold al atta.. al. -alpt. tho hard.at tiM t. lit
up 1A tho .old &ad .. oat do.r.. aMpap h.....0.th1A' 1A tho not..
h..... ell h. ot th .... a hdt1A' MI liar had hla aoa. " .... 1A til.
1fI'up_ 'I. T. taow bar. l.n aw"- •• u' rill r10t a at 1AI1A'
..y tiM tar lit 1JIt I' a •• t .....
1 pap .11".. ., ""U. tho 11.......1 ...lcy1.a' llla••lf .. II.
d1da't n.a, t ' ..ollll4, u' lot hla, W. had the t1A, ....11 ...
•acup b _t to lad a lOBI tiM. &ad til too••h1oh 1.
flao t ... lIa1l'-11.. 1I0a• ." th... hair hal 1.,••• that .oat 1004
..a.y. 10 ..y batto it a' I"".
AoroBl tho tho Ialll ,iT...... 1011I'4 ......AU... til. 110_
.... pat lIP. aM the laJIlI .1 a liUle aro_ it. IftIl4aul pleat"
tho ...... &ad til. 11'0" c ..1011. that tho nu........ 11.."7,
aJIlI lluac tIll.t th 10."'" aJIlI IftIl4aul .1d ..... th1q _ ...... h.lp.
s
"tt tll.y .... e1.ne4. aAd .. ll1ed. aDd ..raped ia.14•••ut 114. til. bll ....
w 11 to h.ld 1&.... butt.mll. er ..U. aad .-.tlae...... drled trllli.
'I'h. blaU. ilk. p.ved iaier th.. blt! I.urd•• aAd pn II... at
ill••prial h .. IU ••1d. aAd IIl'1Ulk .n lUU. g.urd. ft. til. b."
IIrlDk U til. w.rld. nat.. ud ....... e.uld b...d••ut U'r til••••raped
....til y••••uld .11M III ••• il1l'••111 tb... 'I'h.y W1lI .. purly •• yeu ••0111
waJIi. s••• t I. eaDdl. lIold _d••n u.. .... 'I'h.... _'1Ii 110 1&IIp.
in ill••• doy.. • _d U •• 0 alle" aIld h. .. ..illM
• in II • lIOold.. I ••• p1&e••• ""1'1 op.elol It1 ... aAd1........
f". tb. b I'I'"f .r • i..... oal1ed til. oaIldl.b rry t ....- n oo_lI1y eallM
tho y-1I.1'1'"f t,,".
'I'h. fun 1&IIp that., PP1 n .. 1104. ft. t by ., PQ .n
1& Il.... ao...gy, It..... iall..l lamp. u.ell a lI&1"..e" wiek n
WI e.ll II #l wi.t-but tl1eught tb.. tho b..ighton 11ght Il .
J.r.' that. tboy allu. wo"ked i .. iIlo IIOnin' by t • 11l11t trOll til. 1.g•• ud
pi.....k.... ill til. b1g rir.-p1&o.. It ook t -tl1l'o. y..... to lit ••••0"
"0011 in til. h...... tl10y .....llu. • ...uell • 0, 1uid. &1111 out. "U...
awhll. ill. Ia,jllJl. left. oth ...nU........ed ia. Oll tho 1'1 Ill. aIld 'Ib..
a ......U ....e... &JI1*. Oll til. ..n.iII. tho .....11'. Y ill.... 1I1rld_
wUI1 11111. &JI had .."kin'. to e ... til t" • &Jl t. clear tho • aM
11.1p build tho 1101 ••
TIl. fun ....kia' IIY poppy .........t to. ".. a 10 ...llin &ad
o.ra oIIuokin' an 1&. 04 all d.y. &II paM 0" tho Illpt. TIl.... 17 1& tile
h qullh. qullto .alled tho Rail"'" ..bbl. TIl. Tr•••r Paradlo•• n .....
C1ard &Ad IIRY purly iIl.y n ••
•"" .1Ii11••• tho _a pll.d th. 1.1. in bil pll•• to 11. b_ed. aIld i •
•ottl... 'lhat owaed til. p1&lI. 41'ow ia .... , ..... to b. oII.,ted
•• pil04 U 1& bil pil........ lIy til••ora ...ill ••y fna til. pil.... 1.g••
• .r9.]i. r r-t towler,
Ccllins~lle,Alab~a-
.t.Jl old negro II .who gllAri at the J'lIrt Pallle'loal anel Iron 00 '.
llank.ln the lIlost prospOrOu.1I o~ the booll "ls.relates t :l.s experi••• o~
th 11. r-robbery o~ tho B8nk-
·Yass ,laUs.! were
t:!.ae'n th lata sommer.'r ~, early ~atl-ob 1889-
It was on n e'nsdn3,rl t soon nttcr dinner-tim., oollot111ltl ear1l1ll.
t~B tternoon.I z a settin in the bank.at that salle plL~e,tao1n e
cash "inder,whA.b I alluD _et--::.n I 60• .; l'O ;lndllr,a lun lie nd1ll.'
do\tl1 Galt a oa. the linin thoro re.n lIan on a \:&7 hor•••He stoppd••'
. ~allt_od the hllrse to the hitohia '-post ~ tront o~ the bl!.llk. the "8JIlr: ~.
WU.II ao old,anll 10ose-bD.11t.10U. cou.lcla throwed a g 'throtlgh th' hole..
1 t6acplo.nl:s.
'!hen ho OWl on 111 the bank.an I noticed h1a pert1c1tler.Ke WIlZ dreB _
lied all in red- red eD.1 t: red IIhoell; red band8l:lJler healtOh1e:t.ro1llld his
nBuq he had on rlding-gloTeIJ that WIlZ redlan broa4 red ha',ln:. CO"
bOle wear.bu.t 1t was re a bl'1 t redo
••ll,he 1mt u.p to the Oallh1ere wind.r.an aue hi ~er ohant;e tor II.
ha.ndr.d-dollah bUl. J.tter gittin It,he wlIIlt on ont.JIIlt I had 1I0tio 4,
lIJlder that red sta.bble on U. taoo,l1'.e he ft 'nt
halr on hle ~aoB as clollt as he coll1d.leart.n II. stnb 0' growth. that h.
a aoar 011 hill ohau.lt 111 t ha' balm a blr'th..ilB-1'tl WUII on the C1heekbOlle.
ud run ~roll IIp lUlder tn. e,r..... to....r4a the 11011"
III leBS theA a hOllr,another lIu,uess.d all 111 blaelt.r1d111. a b1&*
horsa.OUle d01fJ1 CJalt aVEna,hltahed »111 horee to the hlto!l1Jl' -llOst,llIl
OlUl 1I1-an this Ulle &%lid oh8llB. tel' a tltt,r -dollar b111.I[. wuz all 111
bleelt-ololl•• llhoes.hat.gloYllII.eYllII e soart roMd M.e neck-hls hall'.
belU"d and lIVllIl his e,relashes WIlli blaek-bnt I Il1 t1 gn10k 1I0tiof'cl thrt
in the blaClk, sta.b growth 011 his aheK,wuz that _8 S(\!L1" 1\11' I mowed
1 t WIlZ the seman 111 dl:tr1Ul t ololla.
,
2 J:.m): nea%'-robb.17_
De ][alb Oounty-•• ~.
Athr he le:tt.l axed thll oaah1.r,Kr.He:Jl hill,et he'd Ilotioed t' a1l
arm.J[e 1d,"Why lIo-he Jllst ted cha!l&e tel' a bill." "Yes." 1 8a1~
"It was a titty dollah bill.an a IU1 co•• in here,leBlJ than an hour ....
and ted ohsnse tel' a htllldred-dollah bill_It than 1 1<1 hLa tdaa1l
1 had notioed abollt the BO&r.at that,he got pretty excited, d be.-a ~
t 1ld.!l· allld.!l' Iles iona-an in tho time UT 1 t.another a rode u)-
t'l WIlli on 8 dappled grey horae;he a dreased 1 in 11 t-gre1 010.
ahoall.1l10YllB en' hat-an his hnlr b.en _. grey, toD.
Wh_ h. &Zed to oh8.n&
er,he :t"tlcod it,toe,tl:t:" ha had It,asao as thlllll other two-e£aotly••
ell.atter h. ot his oh ge.he aond eround in tha roo.,lookia at
• tnllls.and winde:n,an then e nz.d the oallh1ar-" a capalitJ
t'l \'Il1l10Jls"- an the II.
8a1d~ a protty ohabby bNlk to house lIO II110h moner."2he oaDh1er II d,
lIyu.b~t we eat ood satee"- "What k1nd" the 111m allke4_nOlfl" te."-
r Hemphl11 llIl8'fered- "Dley (ll'e good sates" the ll\an 14, 4 wst
out d got on his horse-llIl rode off.
¥ tha 'l; tille the ca hier was ehakin 11 he had. an age;r-and 11t *
tel' the dirootors, llIl they had IU1 e:r;ol tin' ti•• tel' U wb11e-
In the tire llV 1t,thre. men O&lae rUin' rlght do Gelt Ii
II d_ a It 1<11 1 1'..11, • bay 1:0 e-one Wfl. dr.sse<l. 11 11'1 lack,_
a 11aok horse.md on. all in grey.on a gre horss. III all had hc1st.~
1/1 ~t. big plstol .&I1o"ln '. el/ 1'3de "'lgbt hra l'h tOlm t 8 II lI.pin'
e.l.lop -lfhen 1 t WIlE llP.ln t • law to rlde thro h town l.'as 3r'n e1 11
•
ml1a tn hour-on socoant at a aen.Md Ii n. 4 hl llllls-was
1nore••ed
0' new daputies;1llI th(' pOU.
~o robbol7-
De J: 1b COM"'. M.r.
reat.J tor ,_ but llutUn '11'1& 11.
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ro dI.ot I ha 't'a otiod
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"..Do kill d OIle 1'01Ib"r. 'hl 0 e: del WI) ded ne roll)el',
to
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, \i n l'Ilnnin' t wid ... a1'1 r 4 to uae
It- --
• , 4thtrob4 •
!II jcJ. t, b t 481 broil t e bller Clk-.,ut 401
_.au 4 • 1 IS 1 e in the l'cl t1llJ'7-
B kilt,at opallA.aD 1t
h
an IUs horee.no hOrllo
110bor could.
Lao olle ont ..tit " dat, be
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• |
| title |
Folklore, DeKalb County. |
| titleStr |
Folklore, DeKalb County. |
| url |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/882 |
| id |
ADAHwpa882 |
| thumbnail |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/wpa/id/882 |
| _version_ |
1743797183804604416 |
| spelling |
GSU# SG022775_00609-00629SG022775_00609_00629Folklore, DeKalb County.Folder contains 20 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.1937circa1930-1939African Americans--Alabama; Folklore--Alabama; Alabama Writers' Project; DeKalb County (Ala.); United States. Works Progress AdministrationTextDocumentsAlabama. Dept. of Archives and HistoryWorks Progress Administration filesSG022775WPA Alabama Writers' Project, Folklore, DeKalb County, #2Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, 624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130EnglishThis material may be protected under U. S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research. Though ADAH has physical ownership of the material in its collections, in some cases we may not own the copyright to the material. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in our collections.96 dpi tiff, ,
, •Alabama - 2 -
BAck in them days it was a good ten-mile to the nearest folks, lessen
you count Injuns, whioh pappy said nobodY did back then, 'oept when
they got to drinkin'.
'Pappy says times like that was when dead Injuns was surely the
only good Injuns. But gran'papy didn't wait for 'em to git good. He
~
used to take gran ' maw and papny and the other kids downAa cave a short
pieoe from here and h1de out till them Injuns sobered up. Other
timee, pappy says they didn't have to trouble with the In~uns. They
didn't get no hope (help) from 'em nei her, and that was a time when
gran'pappy sure needed hope.
"He brang a load of truok in the kivvered wagon they rode from
South Ca'liny here and he had young steere on the front end fitten to
work when piled high with a plow and hoes and axes and adzes and
suoh like tools, along with ootton and oorn and wheat seed. What
little room wae left, pappy said they shoved in some household thinge'
but not muoh. Paopy said he was real sorry that they hadn't put in
more kivvers until the time oome when they ootehed the b'ar.
"Leastways they didn't heve no trouble finding logs to build
'em a oabin. Pappy says the trees was so th10k you had to soueeze
between 'em and they just took their piok of big fine logs to out and
peel and notoh to build the oabin. Whilst it was bUilding theY slept
in the kivvered wagon and tried to get the Injuns to hope out. A few
friendly ones would work now and then but they warn't worth a liok,
pAppy says. He olaims he and gran'pappy did most of the building and
soratohing up a little patoh of dirt to get some seeds in.
"They oome along here in the Winter time and pappy says the
• Alabama - 3 -
frosties in them d~ys was like a light snow it lay so thick on the
trees and the rocks. Took two or three hours atter good sunup to
~elt it off, so he says you Just naturally humped yourself aworking
to keep from freezing to death. They got a good patch cleared up by
the time frost broke and got in planting of all them seeds they brang
and some millet seed the InJuns give 'em.
"TheY made fine crops and things rocked along thataway for two
ysar and pappy says they fin'lly got along to building another room
to the cabin. About that time some neighbors moved in, not more'n
five mile awa~ and he says gran'pappy was afeared for a while things
~ould get crowded. But they hope the neighbors r'ar 'em up a cabin
and got to visiting around freouent, much as oncet a month or so.
"The second Summer gran'peppy laid out to make him some sorghum
cane and got in a right good crop. That thsre sorghum Just about saved
'em from freezing to death pappy say, 'caze even with some blanksts
gran'pappy had traded offen ths InJuns and gran'mammy b1led in lye
for going on a week, it was pretty cold that second winter.
"We knowed there was b'ars up in the hills. They come down in
the corn, but gran'pap~y didn't mess a~ound with 'em ~e. He was
right handy with his rifle bu he didn t put faith inA against b'ars.
Anyhow this Summer he really turns out some fine sorghum cane and
when the steers git t~ough grinding he had a sight of syrup.
"Pappy says the kids had all the long sweetening thsy could
hold and gran'mammy filled up all the big gourds, what
,
she had done
scraped and washed during the Su~mer, to lay by a store for the winter.
Even then there ~as plenty left over, so gran'pappy traded off with the
InJuns for a keg that they'd had whiskey in on one of their big runks.
Gran , mammy talked with him a long time about the evils of drink Bnd
•
•
•
,
Alabama
I
- 4 -
,
-
•
putting sweetening innocent chillun would eat into a barrel where rum
had been, but gran'pappy convinced her that sorghum was strong enough
to lick any M1ID. SO they filled up the bar'l and set it out in the
store shed where they was hams and bacon and the chickens roosted when
it was cold•
•One night a er 'simmon time'and when the wild tur eys was a
calling down in the holler, they all come wideawake, pappy says, with
the biggest racket out in the storeshed anybody ever heard. Gran 'mammy
yelled 'InJuns' and started packing up to get down to the cave, but
gran'pappy said 'Twarn't InJuns 'caze nobody yelled. So he gits his
rifle, pappy gits the axe and a~erwerds, 'caze they didn't notice
then, they found out gran'mammy come traipsing a{ter 'em with her
sedge broom. She made that broom herself, too; cut a straight h1cklry
sapling, scythed her down some ripe sedge and tied it on with cotton'
thread she spun herself.
"Anyways the three of them git on out to the storeshed where
the chickens is a snuswking end there's a beating and a thumping and
a sorta groaning going somep'n awful. The door bust open and out come
a big black thing with somepln' on its head. Gran'pappy fired and
missed.
"'Hit's a b'ar,' he yelled, and pappy says he went in aswinging
with his axe.
"'Don't you tech that b'ar,' grartmammy yelled at him. 'We
needs that hide.' With that she Just naturally laid into that b'ar
with her broom, pappy hopping round tr~ing to git in a lick with his
axe without cutting the hide, and gran'pappy hopping fust on one foot
snd then t'other, to keep his toes from freezing in the deep frost,
wbile he tried to load his gun.
. klabama
•
- 5 -
"What with gran ,mammy a whooping him with that broom, pappy
ayelling and gran'pappy oussing a streak every time he hopped, that
b'ar was just plumb skeered to death, I reckon. Anyhow, pappy says
he r'ared up on his hind legs and started slapping at that bar'l
trying to git it offen his head. By and by he slaps fee~e like and
in about three-four minutes he just rol'ed over on his side, dead.
That long sweetening had just choked him to death.
"By the time gran'mammy got through scraplng and curlng hls
hide they sure slept warm that wlnter and all his slnews made good
strlngs for flxlng up the ~low drags for the steers next 'Summer so
c- gran'pappy was able to glt ln a flne CDOp. 60 did the nelghbors and
there was cornshuc~lng frollcs all that Fall. Everybody went ln together
and after the corn was shucked, there was eatlng as was eating."
The old settler paused long enough to cast another contemptuous
look towsrd the greanlng table beyond the wlndow. He spat across the
poroh agaln snd puffed once or twice ln meditatlve happlness on hls
•c
plpe before he took up hls tale.
"Yessuh, that was eating," he smacked his llps. "Pappy says
they all got together and barbecued a whole cattle. They was two o.:r Plgs, too, not just one llttle old sho~. Wlld turkeys, stuffed)~
wYld plgeons, venlson, chlckens, roasten y'ars, pres~rves, ples, cakes--"
The clang of a bell lnterrupted the narrator and desplte hls
years he was up and out of the chalr and off the porch wlth a speed that
almost defled vislon. My host laughed at my elbow•
•
"The 'b'ar been in the syrup bar'l' again?" he asked.
"Yes," I replled, "bul: where did the old m n go?"
•
My host waved a hand toward the wlndow, and as I st red at the
• vlslon of the oldster wlth a turkey leg in one hand and half a ple in
the other from which he was alternating bltes, my lnformant laughed and
Alab··.
• •
Margaret rowler
Pettersen Marzon1
rne:r 0 lebrat Than~ T1ng up 1n the mountalns of D alb
Count:r. Ther wl11 eTen b a danoe ln euoh ·oo.es,· d~ep and narrow
valle1s, where. the Prl ltl.e Baptlete or the Shoutlng ethod1ste are
not too strong.
Hone of theee round danoee! Thoee are stl11 a de.loe of the
devl1. Good old-fashioned eouare dancee .b T ar , wlth the flddler
oalllng the Dumbere as hls h vilT reslned bow draws out:
• labamB glrl, won't 10U come out tonl~~t, won't :rou co e out
tcnlght. won't TCU cc e out tonl ht.
Ala glrl, won't lOU co e out tonlght and dance ln the
llght of the moon.·
At onoe uoh danae, the anclent of the oove eat outsld. lD the
or1Bp ovelllbpr ocnl1ght, drawlng on h1e charred corncob plpe and
100 1 throu h the wlndow now .nd then wlth a glance or , orn at the
groanlng table loaded wlth fOOd. Turke1. chicken. a barbeoued ,hate•
..eet and lrl,h potato • apd heap. at cabbage .tood at one end. while
ple. loaded down the other.
"Th,:r oall the. vittl••• • th oldlt.r .pat oont.. *uoull7 aero••
the porc ·That wouldn't be.n a good .naolt to., "'P7 back ln the
days when th1. wa. !In ground and ;you had to cotoh a blar ef 10U
want.d to k.ep wara.
·X•••uh• ., pap,. knew thl. country wh.n sh. wa' ,oroepln'. He
come over the mountaln, tro. 80uth O'lln1 ~lth h1' P ppy• ., gran'pappy,
an gran'_w wh n he wa. Jus' a bo,. When th.,. declded to
'l1ght here a ,.e11. thl.
10U canI t go two whoop.
wa.n't ov rrun wlth follt. ll1t. now wh n.
d a holl.r wlthout runnln' lnto a cabln.
Alaba"A
• •
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Baok in th. daT. it waa a good tel\-la11e to the neAr""t tolka, le"" n
;rou oount InJune, h~ch papp;r aaid nobod1 41d baok then, 'oept .hen
the;r got to dr1 in'.
"Pappy aay, t1mee like that waa when dead InJuna wae eurel1 the
onl7 good InJune. But gran'papy didn't wait tor 'em to g1t good. He
uaed to take gran'... and pappT and the other k1da down \l oa"e a ahort
p1eoe trom here and hide out till thea InJu.a aobered up. Ot~er
tim a, papoy aaya tbeT 41dn't ba"e to trouble with the InOuna. TheT
41dn't get 110 hope (help) troll ' II nei he.., and tbat oa a tille whell
gran' pap T eure needed bope.
IHe br&nW • load ot truok in the k1""ered wagon tbeT rode troll
South Ca'liI\)' here and he bad young ateera on the tront end titten to
won when piled high with a plow and he.. and axea and adz,a d
euoh like toola, along with cotton and oorn an" wheat ..ed. What
little roo. ,aa lett, p PPT aa1d the;r sho"e in 80me hou8ehold thinga
but not ob. Pa 7 aaid he w.. real aorr:r that theT hadn' ~ put in
mer k1vvera until the t1.e 00.. when the7 oot4hed the b' r.
"Leaa~waya theT 41dn't ha"e 110 trouble t1n41ng 10ia to build
I ell a oab1n. Pappy a87' th tr ea w.a so thick TOU he to a usne
between '. d tbeT Juat took thr1.. p10k ot big tine loga to out and
p el and notch to build the cabin. Whilat it waa building th,T alep'
in the kinered wagon nd tried to get the InJuna to hope out. A tew
tr1encUT 0lle. would work now and then but theT wam't worth a lick,
pappy aaya. He ola1..e he and an'paPPT cUd lICat ot the j)ull41ng all4
.or tching up a little patoh ot 41rt to get ao e a~ed. in.
"TheT oome along here in the Winter t1. and papP7 &a7' the
•
tro.tle. ln tb.. 4&7' wa. 11ke a 11 bt .now lt 1&7 10 thiok on tbe
tr e. d the roo.. Took two or tbree hour. atter good .unu to
e1t 1t ott, '0 be 'lly' 70U Ju.t natura1l7 bUMPed yourll1t awor 1118
to keep troll tr edng to death. They got a good patch olear d up b7
the time tro.t broke and got ln p1ant1n .ot all th ..edl tbe, brang
and .ome ml11et .eed tbe InJun. gl.e 'em.
'They _de tine orop. and tblng. rook.d along tbatalla.Y tor two
year and py ea7' tb y tln'117 got &1ons to buUdlns another roo
to the oabln. About that tim .0 e n 19hbor. mond ln, not IDOre'n
tl.e .Ue aW&7 Ii hI '&7' an' ppy wa. ateared tor a whU. thins'
would ge\ orowded. Iklt thlY hope th nelghbora r' ar 'ea up a callin
d got to ~11ti around tr uent, wob a. onclt a IlOnth or so.
0The 8Ioond SUl1lller sran'pappy 1ald out to malte hi••oml aor bua
cane and got ln a rlgbt lOod orop. 'I'bat tbere 80r hua Juat about aa.ed
'em trom treezlng to d ath pappy eay, 'oazl e.en wlth aom. blank.t.
gran'pappy bad traded otten the InJuna and gran'malllDl1' 1::1\111\ ln 11"
tor goln on a w ek, it wa. prIttl' oold that .@09nd wlnt r •
• • knolled there wa. b'ar. up ln the hill.. Th.y co•• down in
the oorn, but gran' pappy dl 't II around wltb ' .. none. He aa.
rlght han with h1. rlnl but hI didn't put talth ln aplnlt b' a ••
An7how thil au er he reallY turnl out eoml tin••or can"
wben the .teere glt tblrllUgh grlndlng h had a .1ght of ')'rIlp.
0Papro,)' .ay. tbe kid. had all the long ,1Ieetenl they could
hold and gran'C1l1ll1D7 tllled up all tbe big gourd', what Ihe had done .
lorape nil walhe durlns tbe Bu ,er, to la, by a Itore for the winter.
EYen then ther wa. pl nt;r lItt ov@r, 80 rran'paPP1 tra ed ott wlth tb,
InJun. for a Iteg that tbe;r'd had 11M ey in on one ot thelr b1r trunk••
Gran' t k d with h1. a lon t1 about the ~l. of drl and
• •
- & -
"1fhat wUh gran'. a wbooplng hi. wUh that broo., pappr
&Tell1nc and sran'pappr ouaelng a atreak "'r7 t~me he hopped, that
b'ar w a Just plumbed skeered to death, I r ekon. Anrhow, pap r ea7s
hs r' ared up on his hind le all started slappln at thllt ber'l
tryln(\' to g1tit otten hh had. Br nd b7 h slaps t elle 11k fJld
ln about thr e-four m1nute. he Juat rol ed over oil hlB dde, dead.
lon 8W88tenlng had J st ohoked hilll to de tho
IBy th time gran' got thro h sorapl d ourln his
hid hsr aure slept thAt winter end all his slnews de od
strlngs for flxln up the ~low d gs tor ~he et~ers next S ~r so
sran'paPP7 w • able to t in a tine dDO. !So did the nelchOOre ani
the was oornahuc:';lng tro11os all thAt ,. 11. l:Ye'r7bod7 went ln together
d after the oorn was .huoked, there was eatlng aa was eatlng."
The old settler p uspd lon enou h to cast. another oont8lllptuou.
look toward th gra ning table b yond the wln w. H. ap t aoross the
poroh a ln nd putted onoe or ~wloe ln Maditatlvs happineas on hi.
plpe b~tor. he took u hia tal ••
"Yessub, that aa ~atlnc," he s ok d hi. llns. "PapP7 sa1a
thay 1 t togpther and .ou a wb91. oattle. They waa two
plg., too, not Ju tone llttle old ahot.. .11d turkeys, atuft d with
wlld 19eens, "en18On, hioken., roa t n 7'ar , preaprves, ple., 0 .••--"
The 0 of a bell lnterrupted the narrator d de.pite hi.
7e rs he w • up 9ut ot th ohalr • ott th P9roh wlth a sed that
al st dpthd vielon. 117 ho t!au M at 117 elOO • .
"The 'b'ar be.n ln th .rrup 1"1' In'" h a ked.
"Y a," I repll d, "but here did th old n ,"
7 host wa"ed a nd toward the wlndow, nd ae I .t r at the
"hlon of the olda' l' with a turke7 leg ln one hand and lt a 1 ln
the other trolll whioh ha wa. alternatln bltes, 117 lntormaat laughed and
(
• I
___pe.p til. y. h••01114& 't ....II th" IIP"1a&. to .....p. tho I.,. II. d out d ia .l....ia'. u til. II. hod lit op••ial to.. tho
II.... ud aJIIIl" 100ft t ... tIIo .riU..... aJIlI a ...U, te.. til••ora aIId h ba
hilt.
'fhat tnt .iata.. 18 til••o..tal... ftl purly .01el-.r1tll ho&"7 f ..o.to
thot lo.t.. lito 1l t _. ud f ... t ••-thr•• hour. 1A tho cornia' h.....
•a t • pia. t ...... &ad laid. h a"7. oa tho ....to. aad "" a tho .us oII.a••
it in out all tho t 11.... a" tho ra1Ab... .t:a' y... b.. til ould tr....
oa tho air.
aat _ bar. ftI ia til. hUl.. .. l1y po&Jldaut t... .. .... 'all ••
ad h. .- ead • .... • • had d. f ..o tho rild .1'" Jl"&lldpa had till..
h tho Iadlaa. f.... • .d..y blaJltoto-but th.y • or. hod ta 11. _oil...
I ..d. afo... ar~ 'll ... ,_ lilt Jl"&lldpap ot a ,ar••Ua la a
huy fty-Th.y !lad ...10.. a crap"" ,0"1b-. •• aad tho lead ....0
••it.d to it. that th.y hael pl.aty to d. tho y.... t calb, .atll th.y ..dB
alia aad ,..ll-oa. Cold al atta.. al. -alpt. tho hard.at tiM t. lit
up 1A tho .old &ad .. oat do.r.. aMpap h.....0.th1A' 1A tho not..
h..... ell h. ot th .... a hdt1A' MI liar had hla aoa. " .... 1A til.
1fI'up_ 'I. T. taow bar. l.n aw"- •• u' rill r10t a at 1AI1A'
..y tiM tar lit 1JIt I' a •• t .....
1 pap .11".. ., ""U. tho 11.......1 ...lcy1.a' llla••lf .. II.
d1da't n.a, t ' ..ollll4, u' lot hla, W. had the t1A, ....11 ...
•acup b _t to lad a lOBI tiM. &ad til too••h1oh 1.
flao t ... lIa1l'-11.. 1I0a• ." th... hair hal 1.,••• that .oat 1004
..a.y. 10 ..y batto it a' I"".
AoroBl tho tho Ialll ,iT...... 1011I'4 ......AU... til. 110_
.... pat lIP. aM the laJIlI .1 a liUle aro_ it. IftIl4aul pleat"
tho ...... &ad til. 11'0" c ..1011. that tho nu........ 11.."7,
aJIlI lluac tIll.t th 10."'" aJIlI IftIl4aul .1d ..... th1q _ ...... h.lp.
s
"tt tll.y .... e1.ne4. aAd .. ll1ed. aDd ..raped ia.14•••ut 114. til. bll ....
w 11 to h.ld 1&.... butt.mll. er ..U. aad .-.tlae...... drled trllli.
'I'h. blaU. ilk. p.ved iaier th.. blt! I.urd•• aAd pn II... at
ill••prial h .. IU ••1d. aAd IIl'1Ulk .n lUU. g.urd. ft. til. b."
IIrlDk U til. w.rld. nat.. ud ....... e.uld b...d••ut U'r til••••raped
....til y••••uld .11M III ••• il1l'••111 tb... 'I'h.y W1lI .. purly •• yeu ••0111
waJIi. s••• t I. eaDdl. lIold _d••n u.. .... 'I'h.... _'1Ii 110 1&IIp.
in ill••• doy.. • _d U •• 0 alle" aIld h. .. ..illM
• in II • lIOold.. I ••• p1&e••• ""1'1 op.elol It1 ... aAd1........
f". tb. b I'I'"f .r • i..... oal1ed til. oaIldl.b rry t ....- n oo_lI1y eallM
tho y-1I.1'1'"f t,,".
'I'h. fun 1&IIp that., PP1 n .. 1104. ft. t by ., PQ .n
1& Il.... ao...gy, It..... iall..l lamp. u.ell a lI&1"..e" wiek n
WI e.ll II #l wi.t-but tl1eught tb.. tho b..ighton 11ght Il .
J.r.' that. tboy allu. wo"ked i .. iIlo IIOnin' by t • 11l11t trOll til. 1.g•• ud
pi.....k.... ill til. b1g rir.-p1&o.. It ook t -tl1l'o. y..... to lit ••••0"
"0011 in til. h...... tl10y .....llu. • ...uell • 0, 1uid. &1111 out. "U...
awhll. ill. Ia,jllJl. left. oth ...nU........ed ia. Oll tho 1'1 Ill. aIld 'Ib..
a ......U ....e... &JI1*. Oll til. ..n.iII. tho .....11'. Y ill.... 1I1rld_
wUI1 11111. &JI had .."kin'. to e ... til t" • &Jl t. clear tho • aM
11.1p build tho 1101 ••
TIl. fun ....kia' IIY poppy .........t to. ".. a 10 ...llin &ad
o.ra oIIuokin' an 1&. 04 all d.y. &II paM 0" tho Illpt. TIl.... 17 1& tile
h qullh. qullto .alled tho Rail"'" ..bbl. TIl. Tr•••r Paradlo•• n .....
C1ard &Ad IIRY purly iIl.y n ••
•"" .1Ii11••• tho _a pll.d th. 1.1. in bil pll•• to 11. b_ed. aIld i •
•ottl... 'lhat owaed til. p1&lI. 41'ow ia .... , ..... to b. oII.,ted
•• pil04 U 1& bil pil........ lIy til••ora ...ill ••y fna til. pil.... 1.g••
• .r9.]i. r r-t towler,
Ccllins~lle,Alab~a-
.t.Jl old negro II .who gllAri at the J'lIrt Pallle'loal anel Iron 00 '.
llank.ln the lIlost prospOrOu.1I o~ the booll "ls.relates t :l.s experi••• o~
th 11. r-robbery o~ tho B8nk-
·Yass ,laUs.! were
t:!.ae'n th lata sommer.'r ~, early ~atl-ob 1889-
It was on n e'nsdn3,rl t soon nttcr dinner-tim., oollot111ltl ear1l1ll.
t~B tternoon.I z a settin in the bank.at that salle plL~e,tao1n e
cash "inder,whA.b I alluD _et--::.n I 60• .; l'O ;lndllr,a lun lie nd1ll.'
do\tl1 Galt a oa. the linin thoro re.n lIan on a \:&7 hor•••He stoppd••'
. ~allt_od the hllrse to the hitohia '-post ~ tront o~ the bl!.llk. the "8JIlr: ~.
WU.II ao old,anll 10ose-bD.11t.10U. cou.lcla throwed a g 'throtlgh th' hole..
1 t6acplo.nl:s.
'!hen ho OWl on 111 the bank.an I noticed h1a pert1c1tler.Ke WIlZ dreB _
lied all in red- red eD.1 t: red IIhoell; red band8l:lJler healtOh1e:t.ro1llld his
nBuq he had on rlding-gloTeIJ that WIlZ redlan broa4 red ha',ln:. CO"
bOle wear.bu.t 1t was re a bl'1 t redo
••ll,he 1mt u.p to the Oallh1ere wind.r.an aue hi ~er ohant;e tor II.
ha.ndr.d-dollah bUl. J.tter gittin It,he wlIIlt on ont.JIIlt I had 1I0tio 4,
lIJlder that red sta.bble on U. taoo,l1'.e he ft 'nt
halr on hle ~aoB as clollt as he coll1d.leart.n II. stnb 0' growth. that h.
a aoar 011 hill ohau.lt 111 t ha' balm a blr'th..ilB-1'tl WUII on the C1heekbOlle.
ud run ~roll IIp lUlder tn. e,r..... to....r4a the 11011"
III leBS theA a hOllr,another lIu,uess.d all 111 blaelt.r1d111. a b1&*
horsa.OUle d01fJ1 CJalt aVEna,hltahed »111 horee to the hlto!l1Jl' -llOst,llIl
OlUl 1I1-an this Ulle &%lid oh8llB. tel' a tltt,r -dollar b111.I[. wuz all 111
bleelt-ololl•• llhoes.hat.gloYllII.eYllII e soart roMd M.e neck-hls hall'.
belU"d and lIVllIl his e,relashes WIlli blaek-bnt I Il1 t1 gn10k 1I0tiof'cl thrt
in the blaClk, sta.b growth 011 his aheK,wuz that _8 S(\!L1" 1\11' I mowed
1 t WIlZ the seman 111 dl:tr1Ul t ololla.
,
2 J:.m): nea%'-robb.17_
De ][alb Oounty-•• ~.
Athr he le:tt.l axed thll oaah1.r,Kr.He:Jl hill,et he'd Ilotioed t' a1l
arm.J[e 1d,"Why lIo-he Jllst ted cha!l&e tel' a bill." "Yes." 1 8a1~
"It was a titty dollah bill.an a IU1 co•• in here,leBlJ than an hour ....
and ted ohsnse tel' a htllldred-dollah bill_It than 1 1<1 hLa tdaa1l
1 had notioed abollt the BO&r.at that,he got pretty excited, d be.-a ~
t 1ld.!l· allld.!l' Iles iona-an in tho time UT 1 t.another a rode u)-
t'l WIlli on 8 dappled grey horae;he a dreased 1 in 11 t-gre1 010.
ahoall.1l10YllB en' hat-an his hnlr b.en _. grey, toD.
Wh_ h. &Zed to oh8.n&
er,he :t"tlcod it,toe,tl:t:" ha had It,asao as thlllll other two-e£aotly••
ell.atter h. ot his oh ge.he aond eround in tha roo.,lookia at
• tnllls.and winde:n,an then e nz.d the oallh1ar-" a capalitJ
t'l \'Il1l10Jls"- an the II.
8a1d~ a protty ohabby bNlk to house lIO II110h moner."2he oaDh1er II d,
lIyu.b~t we eat ood satee"- "What k1nd" the 111m allke4_nOlfl" te."-
r Hemphl11 llIl8'fered- "Dley (ll'e good sates" the ll\an 14, 4 wst
out d got on his horse-llIl rode off.
¥ tha 'l; tille the ca hier was ehakin 11 he had. an age;r-and 11t *
tel' the dirootors, llIl they had IU1 e:r;ol tin' ti•• tel' U wb11e-
In the tire llV 1t,thre. men O&lae rUin' rlght do Gelt Ii
II d_ a It 1<11 1 1'..11, • bay 1:0 e-one Wfl. dr.sse<l. 11 11'1 lack,_
a 11aok horse.md on. all in grey.on a gre horss. III all had hc1st.~
1/1 ~t. big plstol .&I1o"ln '. el/ 1'3de "'lgbt hra l'h tOlm t 8 II lI.pin'
e.l.lop -lfhen 1 t WIlE llP.ln t • law to rlde thro h town l.'as 3r'n e1 11
•
ml1a tn hour-on socoant at a aen.Md Ii n. 4 hl llllls-was
1nore••ed
0' new daputies;1llI th(' pOU.
~o robbol7-
De J: 1b COM"'. M.r.
reat.J tor ,_ but llutUn '11'1& 11.
t 4at "
t ._*
at._ UUIl
e.
, t " •
I' D t. '. l' 00.
• IS 1'4, "or oa
li ,tt it eo
OIhat I 1ll4'a
,
I i 11 ~au, lail_,410 a
ro dI.ot I ha 't'a otiod
thr • ui I flUJ I -,
Oil h" 0 th.ta r r~ ot +
f4t y 1 t ,lt
s11,o
. .,
Oe. t1t .\
h e
011,
1. ahWlh.
v ~'Il1,O:lt 0
tl1 re-
M y in' •
'~n~b 0 60,~
11 ~9Cl1!l '.
rin
lJ.J., •
e.
"..Do kill d OIle 1'01Ib"r. 'hl 0 e: del WI) ded ne roll)el',
to
Db
, \i n l'Ilnnin' t wid ... a1'1 r 4 to uae
It- --
• , 4thtrob4 •
!II jcJ. t, b t 481 broil t e bller Clk-.,ut 401
_.au 4 • 1 IS 1 e in the l'cl t1llJ'7-
B kilt,at opallA.aD 1t
h
an IUs horee.no hOrllo
110bor could.
Lao olle ont ..tit " dat, be
neb 1 0 Uwu hi. , at
.~"e-
A.ttar h • "~1 .'". t .. t
1't1n- 111'8- 1 ,1t ~ 1. 0
( in 8#' hoD - 1 d a I
•http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/882 |