Jay (James Richard) Hunter Jr. interview with Dick Hunter

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. In this recording James Richard Hunter, Jr. (Jay) interviews his father, James Richard Hunter, Sr. (Dick), who relays family stories he heard growing up in Marietta, Georgia, with eight siblings. Dick Hunter begins by sharing his grandmothers story about household chores before telling a tale about stone soup. Hunter then shares stories from his own childhood; one about healing common warts by hiding a rusty nail, and another about searching for roots in the yard for his father to soak in moonshine to make bitter herbs during Prohibition. He tells a couple tales about fishing catfish (mudcats). Next, Hunter launches into a series of family stories and lore, both from his own life as well as from when his parents lived in Texas before he was born. In one story, Hunter recalls hearing that his uncle, while recovering from an illness at his parents home in Texas, would lay on the porch and shoot the tails off of wild pigs and burrows for entertainment. Dick Hunter also shares family memories from the Civil War. Hunters great-grandfather moved from North Carolina to Georgia in land vacated during the Trail of Tears and, according to family lore, fought in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Dick Hunter recalls that after the war, his great-grandfather attempted to find the exact spot where he killed a Northern soldier who fired at him. After sharing more family memories about the Civil War and its aftermath, Hunter discusses various snakes such as rattlesnakes, legendary hoop snakes, and non-venomous kingsnakes, which his grandmother used to catch mice. Other topics that Dick Hunter shares include inclement weather, buried gold, and his childhood church. Richard James Dick Hunter Sr. (1923-1982) was born in Marietta, Georgia, to Frank Paris Hunter (1879-1950) and Minnie Victoria Tyson (1879-1948). He graduated from Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia, and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He is buried in Kennesaw Memorial Park in Marietta, Georgia. Hunter married and had five children, including Richard James Jay Hunter Jr. (1946- ), who was born in Massachusetts. James Jr. graduated from Sandy Springs High School and Georgia State University; he married and moved to Decatur, Georgia, where he passed away. AHC Oral History Cataloging Worksheet File Information Catalogue number ~r:;~ liO()'.;;', oq 0(Q I'd l , if -,.,,,,} "l "j . Source Field* (ContentDM) Release form YesoeV Transcript Yes or No scanned: From Yeso~) Default text: Contributed by an OR: Donated by individual: individual through <your org. name> Georgia Folklore Collection through <your org. name> Object Information E . f . b h h ' I nter In ormation a outt e phYSlca ob')Ject here: Title Yi t.'t) \\\) (interviewee name and date .\ . \(\' \(' \; \! \ of interview) Iq(o~ Description (bio on interviewee) 1 Creator '3,<:xMe ~;> "'h \\U(\\C'I 3, C~>tv)'I' Iii (Enter either j , an individual's Burrison Folklore Class name or an organization) Collection Name (within the Georgia Folklore Archives organization) Creation Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) (use only one) Year (if oniy the year is known) ICf Gt't5 Circa (4 digit year) Year Span From To Object Type Image_ Text - Text and image _ Video and S~d _ Sound only__ Media Format Reel-reel (VHS, reel to reel, etc) Recording Hours: 00 extent . a:t:'"";//) Minutes: 'I ,,,[/>/,)1 2)I"I\(O Derivatives Access copy: Yes or No Access copy format: Recording clip Yes or No Clip extent:It) : \'/ Time code for Beginning: I"S.'; "'A('-1"- ~l End: :'11',1/< clip (h:m:s) , Notes " , , , t.1 \ r::~ V\ \ \ I , (interview ',I, ' , summary) , :')(\"1 I h\)t\t i \\C" , "-- ..... , i ) ,-) 0 { C', \{':' \ 0('0,\ I\" \ O() (;I) (T\}'\'C I' '-..- . '" I <:te" 1\ !,. j\'3I',Q\ C \ l ,", c,) c. '.-'f/ 2 Recording issues (background noise, echo, static, etc.) Subject Information E t n er 'fIn ormat'Ion ab t ou the cont t f en 0 theob' llect here: Subject Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) (use only one) Year (if only the year Is known) Circa (4 digit year) Year Span From To Subject Who Last Name First Name MI t\UV*f:\ '\)t C\,\ Subject Country State County Town Local Name Location t.X],f'\ (b 1"\ Ht\ltfkCl Subject What AHC Cataloger will complete this for you. (LOC subject headinns onIv) Keywords Burrison, John Personal names See subject who for additional names I-\v (\,\;~,,/ ''PIeh 3 Corporate names Geographic locations Topics 0- c;\ i,cb'Cc'A I CJ\er 0 1"\ 'eE' GbCO'l (~b G 4 FIELD COLLECTION in the FOLK TAKE as submitted by James H. Hunter, Jr. as a requirement for ~nglish 405. Collector: Informant: James R. Hunter, Jr. 921 Myrtle otr.et Apt. #B-211 Atlanta)ueorgia Dick Bunter 559 Nancy Street Marietta, tieorgia , r 7 S IDE ONE 7/\ Jay: Uh, Dad give us a little background on about the family and where you heard these tales and so on. uick: Well, uh, the Hunters an~when the vherokee Indians were moved out of Nerth Georgia on the uh, uh, into uklahoma,w"ll the Hunters came down and the i;,ysons came down out of North '::a1'ol in a ~;p. and settled in North ueorgfa here and after the vivil War urandpa Hunter went to, to Texas/and 1 ived in l'exas out there where my daddy waS born and bein I'm the youngest of eight boys and one girl and, uh,so I listened to a lot of these old tales and there wasn't much to do back in.in the 20's and 30's but to to tell old t~les and listen to old things. It's like when uh ....randma, uh, "yson was tellin Bout when the Yankees came through and the Civil War well, they had uh,uh the uh, looting and burning and rape of the cnnntry was was uh, like where they lived and she's a little 8i~1 they used to raise these big gourds-big, tremendous gourds for storing grain or molasses or anything like this for, you know, for the winter use they used and the Yankees came through and went upstairs and took all the leather beds .hich 'm everybody had feather beds then and they ripped the bedding> the ticks open and shook the uh feathers out the window poured molasses down the, down the uh (phone rings) go ahead'-- and poured molasses down the steps and uh, uh, the stiirways and all and then after they would totally destroy and steal eVerythin&~i~ey had in the houses they'd take the uh tkke and set house to the fire uh, set fire to the house then, uh, uh, they'd steal all the stock and everything but my Grandf~ther had taken uh a couple of cows and ~~~[OUple 01 little calves, little hull calves that he was uh~made into uh steers lor lor uh to raise there lor beef and so uh h~d uh k\d he was about 12 ye"rs old and he'd l11,,,d' 'em back in the woodS so they couldn't find em so he's raisin these up and in the Spring he used em for uh for plowin ,nd all the neighbors laughed at him because he was attemptin to raise the crop with uh with uh two little steers, hall grown steers Bnd then shortly after he got his crops in and everything well he's uh he r"ee ived word that his, that uh) which would be my great grandfather was was uh wounded at the Battle of Kennesaw h(l,l, Mountain and~gone on down to, they'd taken him to one of the field hospitals in Marietta so he'd loaded u~he'd made a little cart, two wheeled cart and hooked up thes~ li~tle half grown calves to this uh little cart and and took him two days to come ,Jown to Marietta with thRt little ole cart loaded with straw and to uh get his daddy and take him back home~his daddy lived about about uh about uh two months after they got him home. He's buried there in uh the old hompplace up there in Cherokee County. 80, ~his is some of it and one of the things 1 remember iSfh Grandpa Hunter when uh he'd fought on the at tile Battle of Kennasaw Mountain and I went up toJevery Sunday we used to go up to Kennesaw Mt. to to uh take Grandpa up there so that uh he could look for (L~ certain spring because when he was was uh in the Civil War there he wa~he~ been filli~ his canteen up at uh .t one of the springs there on V~e si6~of the mountain and he's ~lways looking for th~$spring be~ause ub be said that he'd just filled dp his canteen and was about to take a drink out of it when this Yankee shot the canteen out of his h,fd and someone over to his left and a .little higher up on the mountain started shooting at this Yankee and and uh and finally the Yankee was gettin around the trees so th~t be aas in full view of Grandpa Hunter so Grandpa throwed up his rifle and took dead aim on him and closed his eyes and pulled the trigger and walked off and hJs always goin back tryin ~o find that spring to where h~d ki~~ed that Yankee (laughter) but he never could find itp it was lost it was just one of thoe wet weather springs and he never could find that spot again. Jay: Didn't you used to tell me, 1, I, seem to remember st<l'ies about some rattlesnakes. Dick: Well, they was one about one of the snake tales they used to tell 'i/iJ,s nbout this uh _-{'elIoT!) 'h1;:lS out hunt:ln ;~.ll1d he \\f{lS :in this J reul desulat() arefl nnd uh he I d been huntin 811 day Tnd he sq \1 [,bis riJtt1(lsn:l.k(, 1uyin there and he thoue:ht he's eOl1JY' h:i11 him and then he decided nW heck I won'1: shoot ya I'll just let you live and, ? ~e and lJlOn Ul1 so ho (TalliEd' on for f) '!',ys ')J1(l"comes to l:bj.B c:li1road croEs:l.ng ~lnd he though:t \\1811 he'd ,just [d.t dO',;qn :'--ll1d I'(::;Ht ':1 little \\rhll e but h.e V) D S PI' etty l-, 11' I':~d. n0 (J;j-{,}--,~~jl~18'~~-'~"sj'5a-'-d'o-7i1')~'--;'\-Y:td-re'f5-t" -n ]:4,t't,e-~hi+e-~!+l~'-]LCL,c!~l'''-PF@'ttY''*'irBd'''fi'0 he just 1u1d baclc uver put his he~d'on '~he on the steel 'font to sleep after 8 while thoI'OIS a fcllod \1"lc1.11 l1im up l:hore, Bhalcin him \lnd'mldn him up "'nd he says fello>l ho-'.' about". gett:in off U1C off the r:'1ils beCiJJ1Se I -Hanta bril1l?,: the tr,,, ln on through here 6 Sit he G;:lY:.i ub tlo come you stouped the iirain.He says ell tb.ere'r3 abou[; a, bout 'J h,,1f, bout ',"i th yoUI' red b,)nd.',na had oome uh ''lOS fhlggLa Ufo do ,'n fiO he saved your Life. (laughter) 'rhcm they wcced to tell :1 lot of fHwke tales about the old hoop snokofi, and these old hoop snakes ,ou1d] they would put their toil in their mouth and and roll with it, they 'iTouldn't ero,d on Lhe ground ,like regulnr snakes "!Quld, they I d roll nd whatever they had, they "d this uh oh it wos fJUppOf;ed !,o hrrve been f30 poisonous fitinger in their tail If .Llrl~L 1o .. .. tjJ~II .t~Je,!fd . .-, ,.)oticlr ,"_ .\.. their t81e into a tree sometimes thqt 8tinge]~ into th,t tree ~lnd it'd kill the tree, the tree I'Jould Btart WiLherin nd [,he le",VefJ'd falloff in a eouple of dOyfJ time or if there las anything that lived til" t this stinger cnt int 0, it ,,)Ould lei-I1. ',,-nd t.1:wre I S ".Hoi:hel' oHe about all these old eOach ',"hips tl1'lti:he eoach \lh1p's a big old long blacle snn]ce D,n,1 they ~iou1d uh they beati:hll.i.r prey !;u death t"k::'~J~ f<d iith their tail :Jl1d they'd Idll hum"n beinf)'lK~ ',Thip em and i' " 10 of peO}Jle U:Lld that tbey'dere "hipped by by i',heue oooeh whips bu!; they'd heard of em and everythine but but I I never heard of em or I've nC1ver soen one of thlJF,e uh,these un ub. [WOP snakes uh so . One they used to of -bhe old tales was,another one of tho old stories there tell n.round the hOUfJO ;hen I U,S D. kid '<'OT) tell, tellin about this old man "out uh 'cIent off doom the creek to fish nd he got cJO\rtl there h::::lpponed to realize hE-; didn't b.Dve [lny b&t.it {~/D" so he got 100ki11 ;,round for flomothinf": he eould tWO for butt and ho B:>\! thiB sWJke l:)yin thoro ~'lith6,C~ith a frog in hie1 mouth [;0 he loolc 'V\' 'to :', took D forkbd Dtick"roaohed dowYl, put it aJ:'ound the :m.:,]{() I s neck and got the frog out out 0 f t he fm.a~e I D mouth uh put uh u:wd [;hat ''';~ he.. <:: uh to use that for bai:ll looked do .n )t th::;..F, 'Door old :JYwlw :,nd he . l' ... - ~". lookG so elad-blaimed pitiful, ho took his pint bottlo out ifeJ give - felt something up, ent :)bout his f:1 shin tile""" :Ihilo /\Fell he him 8 little, a little shot of uhiskoy and uh so the old snake 'i/I' 'Ji.ggled off ~thO old fell 0,,, cut the frog !lnd after he'd belm flshin for [1. little tappi.n him on the leg and tl~ore \JDfj') th;1t old :make b:wk ':e;:3.1n ,fith [') bfuggor frog in his mouth (l:mghter). l?ut uh ono of tho things Brauelmds and she hael uh one of these uh oh sho had ;1 king snake there I;h",t uh th8t rrI;D.,7,.d: in the house ,,11 I.he t:i.mo. She oulcl.n't havo Boat beoause this king snDke oould get get the mice out -t:'I>","il: ~\til5 better than uh the Ont could Dnd she had a halo in the borod in the If\, floor behind the stove! 8nc1 that old snnke'll eome in' I;Jljere in tho ',r:i.ntertimo CJnd l:i.ve bohind the stovo in the ',:intertimo and catch 'ty/~t" tho mie e 'md l;hings. I\no ther bi g tall t8lo .,they used to toll ',as l<.~1fJ about ba.ck in the old days this old man ',Tas out hun U.nj\ho S:,HI this deex' 'iud :::lbout t.he S1Y!lO tlme he r;'l'::I the dcc;}:', ;,:'811 hO.re -as 1~hi8 ul1,!:w heard these tU:clWY:3 gobbling in I;he treo up ovor his he:)(l [md sili, he l1e oouldn't make up his mind "hothor he lV"'li1tccl tho deer or whethor ho wanted tho turkeys so he docided he'd just drop an Bxtr, old minj!, ball dOlm I;he muzzle and he fired at the) fired at the deer and thro'ded his gun up at the smne ti.me :Jnd the first bulle-t 'dent through tl1e deer and the second on8 split ;trhc limb that the turkeys v-rere sittin on and the limb flew :lpart ,md <ilIl'r clamped back on the legs of the *urkeys and there he had half a Vi:> dozen turlceyrJ up in '" tree -'nd this dead deer so fue', gain ovor to h, 1001t 8t the deor 11.0 noticed that nis mini!/. ball had par3rJed on through the cloer und hit a SHeet gum troe 'md it lms an old ho110r tree [:lnd it W;JS loaded '_-lith honey :md tho honey vms seepin out of this hole so he reoched do':m to grab up :3 hsndful of leaves to plug up the hule in the En:oe t gum tree so he Houldn't lose his ke. honeY,he grabbed a rabbit by the oar and/,uh i3t8Tted tm hit"he vms hitting tho 17 bbit ovor uh head over 8, stump ,md :hon he hit th4 s~ump 'Titrl the r8bb:i.t the T8bbit flo'! out of h1s hand and landed :tnr:l oovey of quail and killed half a dozen qu il so he -, ended up -ith the door,~turkeys, ;-md a sVJOet gum uh beehive :-,nd a rabbit CJJld a dozen quail, so (laughter) Jew: ':Iell,-Iann' t thero ono 8boUt uh'vhero Unole Ed 11.0 ufled to jlell me about cut, outting his initials in rock. Diok: Yeah, a long years ago brother Ed \V-as up in the country visitin) he i3tayed up there in thc s1JIllmortimo ':lith Grandma nd ':,hile 11.0 llJti!?Jf \"'IS thero "do:::l1 in they dOlm in tho pnsture W/1S this uh bmg old fLIt roole dO':-!ll thoro and moss had grolm over it sO:-lhen he uh he, carved his initials on the uh 1n the U11 in this uh mOSG snd it "vas ET, his 1nit181s ,'TO.. 'doll hiG l!lame 1s Bel 'mrel 'I'yson Hunter nnd his init:talE 8.re .1~rrH,~? D, couple of yen..x's go C:llong ;~lncl uh the moss has grcnm baclc on the rock again and so here eome:] the local preacher ,,,,, through therc" "Ind he happened to see these 1nitiols m the rock there and they 'irere E'I'H so the next Sunday tho sermon ';iUS about -th,,;t- . b\iL"t .,. [,he rnessagothe'd receJ.ved -P-R-d' he couldn'-c f1.gure out l!hetrlOr it meant eternal heaven or eternal hell (laughter) but he was sure that it meant one OJ ~he oGher (l~ughter') Jay: dW, that1s great. Diolu l\noeher one of tho talle)s is thn t this pre',oher, 10081 preaoher '188 in thero and he started ono Sunciay 8nd he told his oongreg~Jtion> he says J10\"1 :1.n in :--~ fe\'T w(~ekG t1me I'm ganna shovr you Gomethlng in the Horlel aga:in. So, and ~,!t),) Cl 4 4 his eengregation you've nevor seen bofore and you'll never see Iff' ,~ every Sunday he' el tell t.hhl'jJ he J;ays ;i,;t"y011' flO 1-, [:d~Elr'(,ed bu:tlding up they ~)11 \o.fere corning t,o see \,!hrd~ he "ms gonna sho'.T ,,'em that they'ci never seen before and I'lould never seB {}gaiu(!j ~o 'tb.l::: goes on .for severnl 'i,reeks :-ll1d fl11811y he gets the oongreg.'J.tion ('.h8t the "Ihole churoh i:3 jUCit jammEld paolced in the y8xd i:3 full'1nd they'd oomo from mil,JG around to Gee '.That 1n the ','!Orlel it ,,,ras. So, he got up thero "nd ho st8rteel off poanut out of 8holl ancl he hold it up to the orowd. ,md any of you ever seen this 1I!J1th~. 8fter he's beon pro"ohin for a "Ih110 he. rGJwhed In his pooket 'Q1.d pUlled out a poanut one 1i ttlo ol~lone purtiou18.:r peanIlt bofore~UTid all of them 88YS no :WC] he put it in hiG mou lei, "nd [lte it Dnd Gays you'll never Gee it ag,Jin( l',ughter). and that roally happened '''1hen I'Tes n kid. I remember that very , eoll. Th~t this preaohor did really do thR~ ~no~her ono about; IS that uh one tj.m(~ they ere having a revival lr~] little ohuroh cmd I was just a 1itt10 tiny fellow and. my father always chewed. and smoked there waB]h~he always had a chew of tobaooo in his mouth when he got up in the mornin~ gnd he'd spit li~ au(; jus-t before gain to bocl CJt ni:?:ht 'hier) my mo \;hor oouldn' t f3t'md. Bu t they 'iTC:U.t elOl'm to ch1s Ii i. U,e ohuroh do'.,'n be1c)i..! UfJ flO uh the preacher got up :J.nd [jtartcd tallcing about umoking ,mel. ohurJ.lj;in, checl1n. So ':hen pOpp,' sili mn.d he got up in the mlcldle of tho ohurch and grD.bbod. t" momma ",nel me by the hnnel OUt:re go "md we ut'rt Vie he 1 f-) :mrJd 'l F:: :'In ole] \-wt hOrt'lncl "DD.YS I k:rloi>r 0.8.cl U}) the ~::rtr80t (;lJ.ld bl~llmed "'''' weI]. I -there s 1:> nothIn tn the Bl.ble "bout Ohe\11.n "nd r;moldn ,]nd thEJ,\; I t, th~ lar;t time he ever -ent t.o cl'lurch (l:),Ughter) Ho refused to let em get hl.$ tobaooo end hl.s smokln he h"d to have tha t (laughter). WJen I ,(,J4' Ii ,',1 flQ, Iq IfCd, ';1,,13 ;jUflt a 11. tle boy',It>.- tho uh cot,ton And gin eOlH'p,lny lHovod to .,It. B~.YrJ1ingham flO pappa held to e:o OV(:::1" th8re D:nd 11h h(-j left hls old sl.x .,hootor there "t tho house ~ii.th momma 'mel [10) ",hile ho 'mr; uh, ,;hlle he Wl[j gone, ~o uh ono partIoular fi!onclny monuna had dono all of hor!vlashl.n nd evorythlng f30 uh but sl:18 forgo" about j d\V~ lt',so durlng, dur1ng the nlght fJha he,"Td sometbing out in tho oaak ya.rd rl.ud she'd 1>T8lce up re~ll 8SlSy ;lud so ;:;he 'i'!cnt out Dud got t(18 old r;;ix gun out .'!.nct run out on the bD,ck porch ':lnd f.jfJ,yS uh s:-n,'T thln ob,jcicl; out on tt,Ojout ln tho ba,ek yard inc) sho saYEI \/ho'u thero. IIJJll~ ,'J,l1d ,'ouldn 1 t nn;ybody ':1Ylf)1;"'tOr :),nd ;:,ho s,qys \'rho I f3 there 0 No ;,nSHer " she f1.n:Jlly uhe fJays no,) 1.f you don't an,'er I'III :YlnWJ, I'm gonn", shoot. ,rtf shoo-Ler'tshe ijh.oots flve tim.CJB at t 1:::1 objoct-L:;be ::,00 it ,jurnp every i:<Lme, so sho ;:. " ",',',]'11 , . _ 11C,)(ln""'101'1"!'!" . ,~_. I, I) J.. .-I.e 1-, c'lny'h",n'" .. " \) J.1..., . l:::, ,..I, 'bJu' ( \, until tho ne~t morning she en~ out there and -thero my cl;J..ddy's long hrJudled under'iToa:c -;-l%\-.C:;:'e hunglng on t th five great b1.g olc holes in the thing (laughtor). cloth.esline SIDE '[1"IO Jay: Tell tho one about uh you just told ab,Jut the uh about your brother. Dick: You :Cf18;111, my gra,ndmother l:'ID ,'J tell1n l118 about the dueler). Jay: YOAh, toll i'~. IJlck: All right uh shelf) sayinc: tl.1.ai', ",rhen f)he's ;3" llttle gi:cl they l:l:-J..d this ponn full of duoks and thoy lWGc! these duclm uh for Ull. t',TO 0,1' three tlm(~'E; a YC;lT in ::,h0' f,unrmer tim tb.cyi':ould IgO long gud up g:~)ther all " 11.1.(388 due and 8trip all the fC8tllors off their off of tb,e:tr belly undern(~,'ltl:1 ,''1ud all its d.o"ln like; Cor t'c;,qi:,l1er beds "Ind for pillows \nd ~hj_ngs like thnt ~nd ull so long in 'ehe '(,'iin'Lc;:r 'l~imc~ ti1by no ced th"'it Uil 11 I;L!o:i.r c1uclcs VTc1fJ leavln they cFJuldn I t figure uut li.rhf1t In tl:lG \.,/urld 'i'Ta::; hctppening to t,hc'3se to ~hes8 ducks :lU uh ~Ill of em was just disappearing. So this one Uncle it ';T::1,8 his job, one, her'.;one brother :catb.er\-Tas, T,.\Jas, uh to go ClO'lDJ. Etnd feed i~/r'te dueleD every day ::lnd so one, t.hey's gettin dOTfn i-,o just fe ducks in the pon~ so they dcoided they'd follow 11im :"no, sec chat in I',he ':.)Orld 'dan happenin to [-,[12 ducks. So Lhoy got dOirJTl there and they hO','T---,f-j oatchinfs e,3e ducks Dnel "'hen he' n foedln he I d. c;:ltch em "<nd l1.e hnd some li~\,lJlc ~:~t:cip[) of cloth th,-,t he I d torn up ,;:tnd he 1 d tie make D bDnd around thelr head no thZlt they coulcln'-t see and thro~f t se ducks up in the air nd of course f!!Jeri?::. tb.EJy1d :fly' off ,_;tue! theylcJ fly until exh8,;ustecl :Jnd th.J,t~\J:)Y he got :c:t.d of ':11 the d.ucks (l:::_ughte,r) He ;fnf3 elimlnatin his chore (laughter) '\nd then nno [;her one I don't remember but I (,hinI\: it iir;:),s G:ca,ndma l~h::.lt "~,raf:5 tel.l:tn me a,bout thif-) ho\,t thoY' made uh :~hiG old CW1l1 m!3,c1e [30Up. And uh, he travoled ;:-lTound, the country ~~)nd v,n),~~ she JUG'!; Ul1 an, old lUi-ser typo perr!on ,q]ld sho uh s~lO ',muldn 't g1-&)O anyone , ({ tA ".nything so he'cl"l:',llwd on off clo"'in i;he road a little A ways 8nd he found this,heis crossing -~hiB li-btle stream ;~nd he picked up a little smooth pebble there ,Iud he had this idea s& (,1 '1' he Hent b:wir up tL18ro ho says uh '1/111 you uh let me borr.ihr, I, ,'), pot of \."J";-}ter 'GO GO Ul1 malee some; ~r'ock soup \,Iith :Jnd sb.c S~3YS roclI soup says 'Ihat 1n the :Tocld 1s code soup he i.Jays Hell I'll lM.lee some foX' Uf3 .'J,:nc1 !;lIen you 0--'11. decide hether YlDU like i l~ or not. he flo h" E.<aid uh so she, got h1m a pot full of H:Jtec and "put it on t.t1O firo he dropped 1n tb.1s 11 etle roek;;';nd he IS st:l:crin it and he Days uh s:'.y uh l'.l8.ve you i';ot any; old meat layin around here, any beef lClyin around and uh 1 L 'ould add a lot of flavor to lit, so Dhe saYG ye~).h. I got. a little pince of mC~J,t GO r:he got SOllie meat out ancl he chopped th:lt up and dropped 1t lnto the bo:D.in mIter :,nel '"nfS Etirr:tn it~)l1d he SLtyS uh have you got [-)n;,/ potatoes he s:::'lys nol.-Y ub potatoes add aU owful lot 1: to, v ~l,.I.lR I'ocl_ r \.. Q011D L.. ~. qo u 0h(' Qr,y0 c.' ,:.> ,resll1 tl '.". ,,-C) ~()t+qVe, coupla f04 potatoes here so she got out some po'Lo'toes and he peeled \ (\ ii' em ou--c (')m IIp (-;l,11Cl c1rop.pc:cJ. II onJ ;Jl'OUHU t1e says f18,Y rlf),Ve Y'0u L~;OT a,n ollion t18 sa.ys non cln onion :::l.. llds a,n U.L()dU lllp u[j.G Oll.l.Ol! aile' <i.coppeCl lG in there !lel ,ras cookln it -net everyth1ng "lnd he i38.yB now do you happen to tFJve anycoHwtoeG 11e says nO"."1 tom"toi11s really add an rnrful lot of flavor to Lh:i.s soup and uh roo }3he gal, a couplc of tom'atoE)S arret he eut them up and dropped them intke soup and emoked "nd ho sayB can I borrow a CUll 11 Ltle }3'llt and pepper BO he got some salt and pepper4 Pourod :i.t :tV1 there, put 1t 1n there and he coolecd thi-fJ soup up and boy after they got through she sa,ld :h::lt V1D"g the best soup she ha.d. ever had in her life and she :Jays may I keop rehts rock. He EJays vmll you can keep that rock but ho Bays that's the way you mak~ rock soup and thi.H 1s nOH I (Ion' i' rcmember'hcre I heard :i.t (LtUghter) but I believo lt was my grandmother telling me i0 long ye,)rs ago. Jay: Db, you used to tell us that one '~en you,hon you, uh made I;ho uh coole eoup. Dlc1c: \r!hCl1 I m'~_~de the rock soup and t:hnt (}C1.S th,e g:eeqtcst thlng '>re i'l h,:J.d "1;{[.'1.8 roote soup. Uh, d.lcn I f[ras juut ,'1 11 tIe .fei,loj'T; maybtl B A or 9 y'o,,rs old I h"d \'hrts if you've evoTssen kid lith vnrts I had 'VlJrts on both hands snd/:i.f :i.f I got inca" figltlt my knuokles vwuld bloed from ,rhore I '>rould t 8D.r those I~Ta.rt :3 off and evoryi1<hing So one day I 'Tas up to my Unolo Ed's up thore and uh this old man oomo by and ho was ono of tho bisgoet men I havo over sooh in my lifo. EiH h,,,nde wore as wide as my j-,'.ro ha.nels cd>.mbined no') ,mel ho had feet I'm tellin you t\1ey \-Iere t he biggest foot I evor seen im my life. ~o, he 100kCJd at mo, he saw mYW\TtB on my hands anel he said would you like to have thc!J.se warts removed and I says I sure \'IOule!.. Ho foays [rell I'll tell yeu\-,hat fle sa.ys you go find mCJ a rusty nnll GO Ii,l2nt out and ".round thc :iD.ehpot bacle then :horo they llsed co you Imow burn tho 1'TOod for bollin tho tho 010 thos for elCJ[1.nlng, 'lllel I found an old rusty nai.l out there roun I the vwshpot cmd he took this ole J:usty nail ::mcl he rUbbod it on thQse great big ole seed lvn,rts I had'-ion both h,']uds gnd he says nOl;v go hide this nail eo Han I t, anybody ever fInd It and it ',mn' train on it so I went ou~ in the into Uncle Ed's born and I eroHled up in the top of the barn lookin for a place to hIde the nall and I put this nai.l up on 'I. beam up In the barn and I loolwd. up right above tho nail was a hole in ctle roof and. I reached up to get the nail ana when I reaohed up there for it I knoeked this nail off into U18 stralq ~J.nd I dug in that, strl-),Ii'[ fo.r' t'\'10 hours try'Lng to find i. '0 and I never oould. 'eli. thin tvro Hooks every '!'!"Jrt v!as gone off' my hand (laughter) and that's the tru~h. Jay: NOH \,h,t explanation diel lle gIve for thIs. Diel,; He ,iUfJt conjured. them off he flai.d. Yeah, .-fllen,':lhen Ull, ':hen I vms ,jLWt :1. little fel10\j\"J()11, uh, sOlileone had reeormnended that He go out i.n I:.he 'looctc!l'my daddy go out i.n i;he 'ifood:] and get some some bitter root and nOH to make this bitter root tea you had to get this bioi/cor root Dncl you 1:1"Jd "&0 put it In liquor' and ,'lnd ::hislcey ;,1nd uh soak it in 'fhiskey for 11 long t.ime to get the the he extremely good for for rheumatism or you leno'il srthrltifl and stuff 1:Uce thfus, so \le \'Tent up to GranclmD',J and vre'ilent out In the T'roods f:),nd liTe dug up [), "\rhole bii2f ole bunch of the:;:;o :coots D.ne). pappa ';lho loved hl:3 cJTink, I don'" guess there's anybody ever loved it any more than he cnd Dnd uh he ,jaml' t an aleohihiliiclJ:c anythlng bUG he just loved to drink and he'd heJOuld never get drunk, I've never, I never :c:n1'J him uh re;,l drunk I've :c:een him ,hen he Hould he feelin good and r'll tell you hOH he felt good later but anyway in ',-,hen uh lire \vent up there iJnd \iTG go t these :coo trJ ,~Jnd pappa got r1 gallon G,t' moon.fihine D,nd of COUT'se tIn:'Ls :ilas baole durirlg: pro be.tion days and U[l b..,ck 1n I:he ]:,te'()'snd and I remc)lllber 'chat \'T8 ,put thof~C thing;:) in h:)lf g,:?llon fruit j!:lI'S D,nd poured this earn uh thL:; moonshinc) over em and thoy turned rod) 11ad, this :::tlCOhol turned reel In there from thoGe old roots.. 'U:lODG old l'OOGG you'vo ever taBted.~nd be~ore they \'Tere over had set long enough i-o 1.'.'.'(', n,',Ll "1",lI.'l.',.; l).'J, ,,'jC'... ,Cl..1.C)',-;c,.' (,1\,1~' o,f"!~nl ,'.lD..d. l t. 11 ,v . ' / \ U v '_ " 'J.D.C J.n 'GO:,O:U3 ' inOO , n s1l:L. 'ne my daddy helll drank up tho ',Thole ga.llon of moonshJ.no I;bo bLotere th,ll: he ,auld W3ver never uh get re,,,.lly uh drunk vnl B \ihen 'Ihen b.euas nh h<J 1,)ould got (ligh and you euuld toll he' G etart"in to got h"igh there , .. B of us boys and one giT1 and he d hoen bornC4 in 'rexas and "hi1e they vlere livin 'l.l1 Texas bnok tn tho uh late 1800 I sll1d enr1;r 1900 1 S hCe hnd gone to uh out in [TO Aric7,ona nnd New Mexioo "nd befere they opened this up to settlers out there before, thc" big lanel rush '_md "II ,gnel ',rhen uh m;v mother irwisteel on eeming baek to Georgia that she'd had enough of the old bodark (Tood to burn 'mel trw gumbo mud out there bu t, poppa, vwuld ,~ll;re;vl'! give her the deVil about not goin on out to Ari~ona or New Mexieo wherever it ~'irns out '[~lJere settling .!Clnd g:cttln n :e;:lllcrl ',lith n.ll UG big ole boyel.8 boyr') and uh I don't /tueDs thore/ls but one~there's 7 of U[1 havc~ vwigheel over 200 poundl'! a pJ.r,ee :mc1 uh HO he' eI o,lwe.ys I!b glv;M'!' her the devU.!l about havln hi8 mm rnnch rWndH 'cnd everythJ,ng out there on thls r'mchgnd that's the only H:'y you ceuld ever tell ho'd hed a drink. (leughtor) Anot,her one of t,ho old tales thnt 'e,;?';), - 't:-18y' eli;ellj,;j"e" 1111I'8y8 talIdn about big BtiUlI1lllel ,'Jnel everything and I, L,orn::1does nd everything and t!jClY 1;rOB tellin aboui, thlEl li....h th:i.s """. big storm C:lme up ~lnd l't blew a ten pound roos-ter in-to a into a Coca-Cola bo*tle (l,'lughter) But, uh, back then you know everybody h- d storm oclllers-i;hoy UfiOU to h'lvo a plt "Thoro t,h,t thoy'd dug out ... Oh (,lIls is one Un t I 1'1 l!-rl ye) thoU@;rU ,mfJ 1'0::\1 funny. \:fllon I'l:ls ;jl1fJt D, little bitty follo,-, "doll, Hfmt up to Unclo IGd'lo one d::J.y ~:;,nd \'iC got tl]J 'there} Vla.s up ;3.t Gri:Jndma f S :J.ncl this is before Uncle Ed was m3.]~ried and uh she says uh don~t ::(11yone go around the flower pit cause Uncle Ed mado sarno home broH and he put lt in thc flo Her p1.t out theremd tho cnHl, uhlnlng through thc, plmou you c"uld hear em gol11g 0 ff out [;here B1J()OM! BLOOM! (l'lughter) bot tlc fi 'flere po PPln cvory'"I,here, therc '/TD cmJ,t '1 pi eo e 0 f glD S s loft ";:,. in thDt li/holo pllwe trw.l; greon beer blor,; up the ';'hole flov,mr pltD.ll the gl')ss 1n :1 t 1irns bloVHl out nnd everythlng (lnughter)p ~lhGn uh one one o;f!' :Jr,he fil3horm')n lios I :t'emolJlber mw HaB uh thlel fello'rT said he caught D. fi.Gh up on Lhe ]Ddo'\Ofa so big tJ:l"1t Hhon he pUlled tho flsh ln 'FLver up there thrdj 'Ii'/as I"l" LtlC ]~iver won't dry!~ten 1 uh mil08 dOT,vll the strc;JfJ1) he srlld it \'It;l.S a monEJ'tor (In,ughtel') olde[':t brother,1hcm helws just" little boy ;jU[)t Cl 2 or j year old and they 'de.ce 1:i-vini'jout in 'l'exDS and he had tlhis dog trwt uh out in t. e country you lO1oH OU t [;here :i.n I;he old doys they didn't have any uh iimdoor plumbing or nnything "ncl they useel the outhouses out there in Texas I don It e;uess they hD,d an outhouse they ;junt \fen I; out in the HoodCi D.nel he had thi" ole dog out lhere anel h,: eolled hlm Hus a.nd my 1110tlwr used :0 )lrell me ,',bout ole Hus "mel everytime Uuele I-Ierl)ert} illy bro:t!her Herbert :,'!Quld go out in t:ho aut to, 'to use the bathroom well held always, when he'd.before he'el pUll his pont:, up he'd holler O'm:JI'e Rus, e'mere telUJ :Jnel lick me elean!,'Jnd that's (l:-J.Ughter) and and that(s true (laughter). They'Ci telling "bout one eloythey were out digging fenceposts Rnd they were digging those these posts along out there B,nd oll't t~ere in Texas uh they get the~:e flashfloods and everything and so they'd uh)they'~they'd could actuolly go in out after a rain !tud uh 8ud get tt18 cai;oh f1s11 in 'these old in these post holes and everything and ~I,nd so one day after one of these flash floods and they'd dug some some post holes oul~ there they misCied Herbcrt looked allover they'd put up nd they COUldn't fences so they had this uh f:lnd h1m anY\''iherc;-:1ncJ they 'C \>1(1, cr..u:;t place':Jud they go t. 811 nolgi',lboring r,"J11.ChCf3 out 1\ .. therc and they were liv~ng adjacent to the big Blannon ranch out there,this is~ 8 irline[J no ','1, the Branniff Alrlines-thcy']'8 Che, th,ey!.re H1G descendants ha.vethis L\:irllno# so t\'ley sent ove:c Hl1 their lJJ:Juds 1.0 hunt for my brother Herbert" S)f courHet.l1iH ',",.H 60 rcwmothing y,')ars ago Dnd uh so vihen uh uh. I:hey fin"lly found him Dnd 11e vms ourled up on d'lo b8.01c poroh under a vra:3h tub "nd they heJd fJo"rchod all day for thd.t~<l.l ovor the counier,)' tr,)'ing to f1.nd him and felt SU'CG th~)t he \rJ8.S in one oJ' those pust, holes. Jay: Well., did he float j.n thgt wash pan? :OlcIc: No, He'd ;just been h1.d1ng, he'd gone and or'nrlod under it Jnd had 'dont to fJleep D.nd they had searched o:c h1m b];lt they couldn't find h1.m.so nnd 8nd ~hile they were 11.v1.ng out thero 1n Texas ell uh ;~ my Uncle Bud 'Tho -',filB) \vho dled ,':<iong in I-Iorlcl ',THT Onc'P u11. li'Tr-JS nh, b.a,d gotten siele 0.ud so ub. he 'iJOnt out to Iroxas :Jnc1 v)a.s out there .iith mmllma ;'mel pappa nnd of cour:ae there 'JafJ t\VQ eh1.1drol'l Lhen~my II only s1.stor nel brother$ Herbert-a,nd uh my mothei'~ me that thi" ~\rD.s some of the lirildest country Dhe'd ever Goen in her life;f::Jr:lld th,~)t th~~t \"Tas \\)l'Gb.ou'l~ ,:1 doubt the most \ililclest plrlce in the ';,:rorld ... 'nd [ihe "hid tll.'" t for Dmu"ement my Unole Bud h.ad a little ,')2, <s 'Tould lay on the fron L porch in the sun sud shoot l~ild pigs in -the tail shoot their tails off '1nd burboG; 11 i;tle ',11111. burros -;roulc1 come -'I'ound ,il.nd he'd "hoot the1r tails off ;;!lld tl11e ;mG the amusement he had. I'Ih11e he vmG rect1.per.:1,ting from lliG siclcness. (lrlughter) You liTD,S al1ilcin me a,bout 80me bur1.ed gold or 80meth1ng 11ko that I'd henrd of 'lell, my great grnndfnther of cour~)e this ::I,::U~; right iJ_-fter~ '-rhen thoy moved dCHH1 1nto; great grandf'ltho:c llunLernld t,he,)"d moved don here out 0 f North (Ja:colina n,f'tor tbel :::tfter 'l~Jh_o Oherolcee India,ns hEl,d bec"11 t:de II out of Nor [;h Georg1.r; and the story \'IDS thClt I remember ',hen I 'iIDS a kid \w.e th'lt he had kep' his gold 1.n a i.n a pot in a in Lhc hearthBtone- he 11;;:v1 (). B:y;one th::),t Vias removf~,blc ~Jnd. rie It:ept [;his gold in there 'Hld :30 he ',T;Hi ge t'Un on up 1.nto yeare and he wae rather feeble m1nded Rnd he uh the,)"d been off, they went off one day to visit l-th some relatives and ~nd when the~ lef-t him i,hcH'e a10ne\Jnd. i!hen they oome baok /,1811 Lhey come b-wl\: ,!m] be ; , didd within very short period after they got back from this uh trip and uh so !hen he died i,he hC:lrthstonc nd tr:Led to :f1nd the golcl'JurJ. therE:: \if[~).s no gold i:here :~~.nd there w8s)they started searchin for it and they'dthe'd always tailiked ':bout puttin it in a, 0.01101'1 tree a.nd so some of em 'dern Gpnculatiu3 Dr, th:lt hn had cut a pinoe of bark off il?reo !Hld out a hole in A [',he trne :md set his gold b:lC]< into the~ into l;hi:3 uh cavj,ty that Ill; dun,,' (. 'l' '.n tl1.e tre"ti:.J) Dud uh but theJ"'o " v,.,) I" ':'_ "l,"'~Yc. ,''co.' 1::.0) there .1._ J rumors bac k t ~~en about gold up there} [,1I-TOyS talldn bou l; UrLs gold th~t he had left 'InJ back in the 30'a my brother HerberG twd go l; some fello'\'! A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.