Nancy Anderson interview with John Hunnicutt, J.W. Edmnds, and Mary Hunnicutt (part two)

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This is the second of a two part interview. In this part, Missionary Baptist Preacher J.W. Edmunds sings hymns from his church services about repentance and the meaning of life. Edmunds and John Hunnicutt discuss remedies, such as threading a bullet around one's neck to stop a nosebleed. They also discuss their lack of education and when they think the end of the world might happen. Hunnicutt tells jokes about revival goers and about his church. At the end of the interview, Edmunds explains that he sings unaccompanied by any instruments at his church.
John Hunnicutt (1891-1975) was born in Clayton, Georgia. He worked as a laborer at 18 and later became a Missionary Baptist preacher. He married Mary Addie Hunnicutt (1893-1979) and they had one daughter, Pearl Hunnicutt (1913-1920). J.W. Edmunds (1888-1969) was born in Georgia. He married Fannie Edmunds (1892-1978) and they had three children: Clarence (1911-1998), Raymond (1914-1986), and Mary Lou Edmunds (1917-?). He worked as a farmer into his 30s and later became a Missionary Baptist preacher. Biographical information about the other interviewees has not been determined.
Missionary Baptists; Rural Georgia; Remedies
3 TRANSCRIPTION Mrs. Anderson: This is tape No.1, made November 12, at Mountain City, Georgia, for folklore class. Mrs. Anderson: Ready? Dr. Anderson: Have him start over. Tell who he is. Mrs. Anderson: Your're Preacher Edmunds? Mr. Edmunds: Yes-m. Mrs. A.: Of Mountain City and Clayton? Mr. E.: Yes-m. Mrs. A.: All right. Fine. And this is an old song that you have used through the years with your church services? Mr. E.: No-m. Not this 'un too many. This is a new 'un I got. This's the reason I got it wrote down. Mrs. A.: All right. Well, sing me that one, and then sing me one you don't have written down. Mr. E. sings: If I have mistreated someone on the way And caused his life to grow dim, I'd like to kneel down on my knees and pray And talk it all over with them. For every wrong that I have done, That would my soul condemn, I'd like to kneel down at the feet of my Lord And talk it allover with them. For if (new start) For ever' poor soul that is gone astray By Satiny monster so grim, I wish I could carry him the word of my Lord And talk it allover with them. 4 (Transcription continued, page 2) For every wrong that I have done, That would my soul condemn, I'd like to kneel down on my knees and pray And talk it allover with them. 1Yhen life here has passed and we've anchored at last At home on that beautiful shore, We'll gather aroillld at the feet of the Cross And talk it allover with them. For every wrong that. I have done, That would my soul condemn, I'd like to kneel down at the feet of my Lord And talk it all over 'with them. Mrs. A.: Thank you, Mr. Edmunds. Where did you learn this? Nr. E.: I uh, just the Lord give 'em to me. Mrs. A.: You made this up yourself? lolr. E.: No, it was in the book. Mrs. A. : In an old book? }k. E.: My brother got. it, and he sung it. And I told him to give me .. the writing of it, and 1 got the writing. Want me to sing another one? ~ks. A.: Yes. Have you got another one? (To Mr. Hunnicutt) And are you going to have me one too? Mr. Hunnicutt: I'm going to let him sing, and 1'1 Mrs. A.: All right. Mrs. Hunnicutt: ~k. Edmunds, you used to sing some old, old songs over at North Clayton at the Idles. Can you think of any of them? (Trroiscription continued, pagp 3) ~.r. H.: Let's get a good one there, and you lell.d it, and I'll sing the tenor on it. Ib~t'll be good. : ...". II.: If you knoe it. If you kno" the song". ~'r. tl.: lfell, I !mow all tha.t brother Jiu k.nov~. : 01'8. H.: I don I t kno" whether you know sOllie of 'em or not. ,tr. L' '"ell, I'll sing "And Am I Born to Die?" ~lr. H.: ,ell, I don't know that on". ilr. G. sings.: .And U'j I born to die? To lay this body down? And ~ould ny trewblin' fare t' fly Int,o A \Oorld, oh no. ilw "loom of deepest shade I",p",ired by h=.an thought, The dreary gain of the dead, 'here all things aire turgot. Soon an from earth I ,,!,o Vtt"t will becoe:e of me? ~ternal happiness or woe ;lust then my portion be. ~aken by the trumpet ~ound I trom my gTPve shall rise, And spe the Judge with glory crown And see the flaming d<;y God my Redeelller live" And ever from the sky Look down and watch all my dust And too he shall bid it rise. 5 6 (Transcription continued, page 4) Mrs. A.: No wonder it is so hard on him to preach and sing. I mean, that takes a lot. Hrs. Edmunds (in background): Sing that one you sing in church on Sunday. ~IT. E.: I'll sing you another one. Mrs. E.: Sing that one that you sing at church up here. Mr. E. sings: My . (starts over) My Saviour will soon call me home. My Saviour will soon call me home. Oh, so happy the day when my soul shall flyaway,. There to live with my Saviour at home. I will, walk through the valley in peace. I will walk through the valley in peace. If Jesus Himself will go with me there, I will wall, through the valley in peace. I don't want you to grieve after me. I don't want you to grieve after me. When my body shall sleep down beneath the silent tomb, I don't want you to grieve after me. I will walk through the valley in peace. I will walk through the valley in peace. If Jesus Himself will go with me there, I will walk through the valley in peace. I'll sing Glory Hallelujah to the Lamb. I'll sing Glory Hallelujah to the Lamb. With my harp in my hand in that happy holy land Singing Glory to the dying Lamb. 7 .- (Transcription continued, page 5) Yes, I'll walk through the valley in peace. I will walk through the valley in peace. If Jesus Himself will go ,with me there, I will walk through the valley in peace. I'll sing (start over) I will sing with the angels above. I will sing with the angels above. Oh, so glad will we sing 'til we make the heavens ring Singing glory to the dying Lamb. Mrs. A.: Now while you rest a minute, goodness, that take's a lot Mr. E' You sing one now, Brother Johnny. Mr. H.: Mr. E.: Mr. H.: I can't sing. "Bless be the Tie that Binds," sing it for them. I can't. Nrs. H.: }lrs. A.: You should a-brought the book. Did you find your old hymn book? (Mr. H. had mentioned one earlier). Mr. E.: No, we ain't got no books. No. Mr. H.: Never did find that thing. ~lrs. A.: Well, you were going to tell me how your mother stopped nosebleed. That was one thing I was interested in, you 1000W, }Ir. H.: Well, that was actually where they cooked on the hearth, you know. an uh skillet and lid for it and the hooks that lifted off. And a-when a-one of the children's nose would go to bleedin', she'd get them hooks and hook it around their neck. .fasten it right down here and let it stay there a few minutes, and the blood would stop. And. Mrs. A.: Well, that's a real simple way to do it. ~Ir. E.: I'll' sing you another un. 8 (Transcription continued, page 6) Mrs. A.: All right, while you're thinking of that a minute, I wanted to ask him (Mr. Hunnicutt), Did you think of any other remedies or anything like this? You know, we were talking about, I guess we call them superstitions, but they were things that worked before we knew any better anyway, di~'t they? Hr. E.: My brother had a he'd always have his nose a-bleed, and he'd take a bullet, an old-timey bullet that'd run and shot out of an old-time muzzle-loading gun. .and put a thread in that bullet and tie. it around his. neck and let it lay a-right there. Mrs. A.: And this would stop the nose-bleed too? Hr. E.: Yeah.. Mrs. A.: Now isn't that something? ~~. E.: I'll sing that good old hymn fo~ you. ~~s. E.: Sing that un I want you to sing. ~~. E.: This here's what I've been all my life. I've walked and talked and preached. .use ta walk twenty miles to preach. .and went over this here Blue Ridge Hountainbut the Lord's always with. I was always felt happy. And I'll be eighty-one years old the seventh of December. Thank the Lord, He is still with me. And this is what L've always been. Mr. E. sings: I am a poor waYfarin' pilgrim While traveling through this world below. There is no sickness, toil or danger . In that bright world to which I go. (Transcription continued, page 7) Am a-going there to see ~ father, Am going there no more to roam, Am just going over Jordan, And just a-going over home. I know dark clouds will be there oe'r me, I know my pathway's rough and steep, But beauteous fields lie yet before me Where weary I no more shall weep. Am going there to see my mother, She said she'd meet me when I come, Am just going over Jordan, Am just a-going over home. I want to sing salvation's story In concert with the blood-washed band, I want to wear a crown of glory When I get home to that good land. Am going there to see my class-mates Who passed before me one by one, I'm just going over Jordan, And just a-going over home. (Two stanzas lost on end of tape). (Tape No.2) 9 Mrs. A.: Mr. H.: No, Mr. Hunnicutt, you s!l-id awhile ago you were what, seventy-three'? I'm a-going on seventy-six. 10 . , , (Transcription continued, page 8} Nrs. A.: Seventy-six. Nr. H.: I was seventy-five the eighth of last August. Mr. E.: Brother Hunnicutt said he didn't like to git on the radio said wa'n't nobody setting in there but himdidn't have , nobody to preach to. Mr. H.: I'll tell you a story. Mrs. A.: All right. Mr. H.: 'Cause I'm use. all by heart. Mr. E' Yeah .I've got. to see the music. I don't git 'em Nr. H.: Anduh. Mr. E.: That's only way I ever had of gittin' 'em ~tt. H.: I'm used to a instrument. ~tt. E.: Never went to school three months in my life. otts. H.: If he had his glasses and his book. ~tt. E.: I've studied and read the Bible fifty years. Mrs. A.: All right Mr. E.: One thing though I never have learned. .ain' t nobody I don't guesswhen the world's goin' to, wind up. Mrs. A.: No Mr. E.: But it looks like we're gittin' pretty close. We can see the fig trees a-puttin , out it seems like the way the world's a-goin'. ott. H.: I know when it's a-goin' wind up. Mr. E.: Yeah. ~tt. H.: You haven't asked me. , Nr. E.: No? 11 (Transcription continued, page 9) Hr. H.: I know when it's gain' .wind up. Hr. E.: No, you don't. Hr. H.: Yes, I do. Hr. E.: When? Mr. H.: When the end comes .Hr. E' 'Well, I don't know when it's a-goin' come. That's what I'm talkin' about. (Laughter) Hr. E.: When will it be here? ~tr. II.: Comin' sooner 'an we might want it to. Hr. E.: No, I don't care when it comes. I'm a-ready to go when He calls. ~tr. H.: We had a man in our churchnow this is a true story. We had (a1gln. in our church that would come to every revival meetin' and shout. Boy, he'd shet his fisties up and look wild-lookin'. But he, he's happywalkin' the benches. And we had a fellar there that didn't know him too well, and he would fight a circle 'sawboth of 'em would. And this lin that shouted so went around over there and said, 'I'm a-gain' to heaven. I'm a-gain' to heaven. 'I And he went over a-pretty close to where this fellar was a-sittin', and a-shakin' his fisties, you know, and said, "I'm a-gain' to heaven, Jim Shuler." That's what he called 'im. And Jim sorta scootched over toward the wall a leetle bit, and he says, "You'd better watch them fists there. You might go a little sooner than you think." (Laughter) 12 (Transcription continued, page 10) Mr. H.: That 'us in the church. Hrs. A.: In your church? You never can tell what's going to happen, I've found, in church. All right now. What else did you. I'll tell you all, and I reckon this is absolutely a true story. Back in the T-model daysthat's going back pretty far, isn't it? That'll do to go in your history. That'll go back. Hr. H.: (Laughter) Mrs. A.: UhDr. J. C. Dover was always my doctor, and he's dead now. He lived to be ninety-odd years old. And uh, he'd tell me a lot 'a jokes and talk to me and tell me things. And-uh,hewas at my house one night. And he was the first man in Rabu(r)n County that ever owned a car. And it was a T-model, and it didn't have no, no starter on it. That was back when you had to crank it. with a crank. And back in that day and time, you know, womenit was an awful thing for a woman to ride in a car with a man. She'd be talked about. And uJ:1, Dr. Dover told me this. .And he said that he was out in the country road with his T-model one day, and he's a-comin' back to Clayton, and he overtook an 01' lady, and ub, stopped and says, "Would you like a ride?" And she looked at him. She says, "Well uh, I am awful tard." "Well," he says, "git right in." And he got out and opened the door, and as he got out he let his car go dead. It 'us .hot, and that 01' T-model He put her in, and he went and got his crank, and he got out there, and he just wound, and he wound, and he wound, and he 13 (Transcription continued, page 11) wound. And 00, finally it started. And he got in. And they drove off, and in a little piece that 01' lady says 00, , "Now, Dr. Dover, just how'far will that car run on one windin'?" (Laughter) He says, '''Til it comes unwound again." (Laughter) ~~s. A.: That's a good answer Mr. H.: And they come on to Clayton, and he parked there when it was the sidewalks waswas plank side walkshe parked there and stopped. She got out and looked around and says, "Now, Dr. Dover, how much do lowe you?" He says, "Don't mention it. Don't mention it. u ltLaw me, she says, flI won't if you won't. 1I (Laughter) Mrs. A.: She was going to protect herself. Oh yes, I read in this book on the history of Rabun County about a mound over by Dillard that they think maybe the Indians. .was an Indian burial ground.. Have you ever heard anything about that, or do you know any stories about it? Mr. H.: No, I don't. Mr. E.: There is one over there, but I don't know. Mrs. A.: This book said nobody seemed to knowthat it had been there. .out in a flatland about a mile east of Dillard, and whether it was an Indian Mr. E.: That's out from the Greenwood place, Brother Johnny, little mountain out in the bottom. Mr. H.: I've heard of it. Mr. E.: said the Indians built that. (Transcription continued, page 12) Mrs. A.: Okay. (Asked about instrumental. music, Mr. Edmunds replied that in the old days no instruments were allowed in the home, but that some people did play fiddles at church). But they'd have it at the church? Mr. E.: If it 'us too bad to come in the house, too bad to go in the church. That's what I tell peoplethat's where your church strarts from, in hour house, in your home. Raise your children up right in hour home, they'll be good church membersgood church workers. Mrs. A.: Well, I expect, John, we'd (Hr. Edmunds said he would like to sing one more for us) ~tr. E. sings: What a meetin', that a meetin' that will be, Yes, what a meetin' that will be '~en we all meet around God's bright throne. Our fathers, our fathers, they'll be there, Yes, our fathers they'll be there, When we all meet around God's bright throne. '~at a meetin', what a meetin' that will be, Yes, what a meetin' that will be When we all meet around God's bright throne. Our mothers, our mothers, they'll be there, Yes, our mothers they'll be there, "~en we all meet around God's bright throne 14 15 (Transcription continued, page 13) What a meetin', what a meetin' that will be, Yes, what a meetin' that will be When we all meet around God's bright throne. ~~. E.: A whole lot of verses to that, but I'll not sing no more. Let him play that now and see how it sounds. (We played a portion to satisfy him, but he would have liked to have heard it all). Mrs. A.: I wanted to ask you when you were talking that your mother and father had sung this, .....,d you remembered in the old camp meetings and all }k. E.: Yes-rn, yes-m Mrs. A.: maybe twelve or fifteen singing, would it just be all over the congregation, people would just. ~k. E.: Everybody would sing. ~ks. A.: .spontaneously join in? Everybody. }k. E.: They didn't have too much education. They'd learn 'em all by heart. I-ks. A.: They would learn them by heart and when one would remind them of another one, and they would. Mr. E.: They could learn 'em too. God give 'em to 'em. Mrs. A.: . That's right. }Ir. E.: Yes. }ks. A. (at husband's suggestion): Oh yes, did you have any kind of musical instrument with that, or were these all as Hr. E.: No. }ks. A.: You sung unaccompanied. Mr. E.: No, no music a-tall. 17 (Transcription continued, page 14) (Tape No.3) Mrs. A.: JoIr. Hunnicutt, one of the ladies down at the store told me that you would remember some of the old songs and the old stories and the old customs from this part of Rabun County, and so I wondered if you would tell me a little bit about yourself and about how long you have lived here and what you have been doing through these years, uh (It's catching!), for a living; and then we will go up and hear Hr. Ednnmds sing later. (I had intended to edit the ;tapes and put Hr. Ednnmds last. This was not done, according to the instructions of Hr. Burrison). Hr. H.: Well, uh, I've lived here all my life, and I was seventy-five years old the eighth, of last June. (On tape No.2, August). And, uh, been all over the county and uh ~!rs. A.: You have been a Missionary Baptist preacher now. ~!r. H.: was ordained a Missionary Baptist preacher in 19 and 22. ~!rs. A.: And you and ~!rs. Hunnicutt both grew up in this part of the county? ~!r.H.: Yesmam. Mrs. A.: All right. '!r. H.: Both of us. Mrs. A.: Well, now then this song is one from your regular hymnal, isn't it? ~!r. H.: Uh-huh. Mrs. A.: All right. Mr. H.: But it's an old, old song been put in thisput in this. 18 (Transcription continued, page 15) ~trs. A.: I seeall right. Mr. H.: And the name of the little song1'11 try to sing two verses"Bless Be the Tie That Binds." (Clears throat) Bless be the tie that bind(s) ., Our hearts in Christian love .The fellowshjP of kindred minds Is like to that above. "~en we asunder part It gives us inward pain But we shall still be joined in heart . And hope to meet again . Mrs. A.: Thank you. Now one thing we were talking about on the way up up to Mr. Edmunds was Needy Creek. Is that where you said he lived, on Needy Creek or near Needy Creek? ~tr. H.: Yeah, Brother Edmunds lives up on Needy Creek, and, uh, some of the people up there way backmen there wasn't as many as there as there is now, uh, nicknamed that, because we did live hard here in this county back in them days, and they just called it Needy Creek. Hrs. A.: Just an apt name for the way the people had to live. Mr. H.: Yeah, and, uh, we've got one here in Mountain City that was named by a person, uh, right close to our church. And, uh, somebody called it Hell-cat Branch, because they'd fight so much up and down there Mrs. A.: John, uh, we wanted to ask Mrs. Hunnicutt to tell the story about the doctor too, didn't we? Can you tell it? Do you Mrs. A.: 19 (Transcription continued, page 16) remember the one you were telling on the way home? }Irs. H.: I reckon partly. Nrs. A.: fixed. All right. Mr. H.: Now why couldn't you have got over here? Mrs. H.: Well, I could have. Mrs. A.: This is finethis is fine. I think it would pick up from over there. All right, you just go ahead. ~~s. H.: Well, a family that had a sick child sent for a doctor to go to doctor it. It was way back in the mountains. And this doctor was a-going along, and he come across a lady that was a-out working. And she says, "Hey, Doc, are you going to see this certain child that's sick?" "Yes, mam, that's where I'm a-started." "Well," she says, "I tell you if you don't give that child some file dust, it'll die." "Oh, well," he says, "I thank you very much for the invitation, for the information, but where do I get the file dust?" "Well," she says, "you just take two files and rub 'em together until you get so much file dust and giye it, and that cuts all that flem loose. And if you don't do it, it'll die." Well, this doctor said he decided that if the child wasn't seriously ill, he'd have some fun. So he had the father a-lookin' in every crack, it seemed to be a log house, and he just never could find but one file. And then he told them the joke. I've never heard of fil~ dust. Now let's see, we got the other joke about thenot the joke, but the cure for 20 (Transcription continued, page 17) nosebleedtwo of those, didn't we? Mr. H.: ..few jokes. Nrs. A.: Good. Mr. H.: uh, that we have had a lot of fun over. And, uh, I Imow back when I was a boy we went to school over here at the Blue Ridge inw1 old l~g schoolhouse, just one room. And,'uh, I was the. .1 guess that's the reason I never did learn no more in books that I did, I learned how to play and how to fight. Ever' day the bigger boys would have me to fight with the ones about my size. And, uh, so, uh, we, we'd just have a big time. And, uh, I remember one time a boy was a-goin' give me a good whuppin', and he had on a great big straw hat. And so when we got at it, he pulled that straw hat down over his head and all to where I couldn't hit him with my fists good. And I like to have never in the world got him whupped. Mrs. A.: .had to hit him through the hat. Mr. H.: I told this little story one time, and it was a-told to me by a boy about ten or twelve years old. He said one time there was a man a-haulin' stable fertilizer down here at Milledgeville, Georgie, uh, with a two-horse wagon and a pair of mules. And he had to dXive right by where they kept all them men in the asylum inside of that big fence. And, uh, he said, uh, one day the man broke his wagon wheel down, and he got out and 'us a-lookin' around, a-lookin' around, and, uh, one of them men inside there looked out at him, and he says, "What you got there?" And he said, "I've got stable 21 (Transcription continued, page 18) fertilizer." He says, "What are you a-goin , to do with it?" And the man says, "I'm a-goin, put it on my strawberries." "Pshaw," he says, "you ought to come in here and stay with us. We put cream and sugar on ours." (Laughter) Mrs. A.: I wanted to ask you too, I was thinking about it, was there any particular way that you used to. Did you have family reunions at Christmas like we do now, or any particular holidays when families got together? Mr. H.: Yes-<Il, corn shuckin' s and log rollin' s and all things like that. Mrs. A.: Yes~ tell me about corn shucking now, did. ~k. H.: Well, they'd gather their corn, and there'd be so much of it that they'd just invite all their neighbors around to come in and. Mrs. A.: You'd go to different people's ~k. H.: Yeah, Mrs. A.: farms? Nr. H.: go to where they had their corn and help them shuck all their corn and get it all shucked, and then they'd have a little party of some kind,. Mrs. A.: You'd have. Mr. H.: Some'd dance a little bit; some would drink a little bit and just. . . Mrs. A.: Well, now what would you have likea fiddler to play for the dances? Mr. H.: Yeah, the fiddle and the banjo was about all we had back in that day. They wasn't even no getars back when I'se a growin' up. 22 (Transcription continued, page 19) Mrs. A.: Well, I didn't realize the banjo was ahead of the guitar. Mr. H.: It is, or was here. They'd make 'em. Mrs. A.: Mr. H.: Mrs. A.: Mr. H.: Dr. A.: Mrs. A.: Hr. H.: Well, now .nat was. .oh, you made your own, they made them? Yeah, just make a hoop around and cover it with cat skin and put a neck to it and put strings on it, and there was your banjo. That, I can. .1 ,can remember that. Well, now what was the log rolling? Was this just "hen you cleared the land, or what? Yeah, they'd have logs that they couldn' roll by theirselves, and they'd just invite their neighbors in, and they'd all go and just .1'011 the logs out of the field. ' And then a man could plant it and work it Christmas as a boy? Yes, Chris.tmas, what do you remember about Christmas as a child? Well, I remember, about Christmas, I thought it would never tn the world come when I'se a little boy. And, uh, we'd hang our stockin's up. And Whl!t we'd git would be maybe a little candy. And, ufl, back when I wuz a small boy and a-growin' up, we wuz a-raised awfully poor. And, uh, we appreciated anything, uh, that we could git. And, uh, when people 'ud give you a stick of candy, you'd, you just thoughtyou'se happy. And I can remember when in our family, uh, and this is facts, and not just a tale about it, uh,when we would have cornbread three times a day all the week. And when they got a-hold of a sack of flour, we got biscuits for Sunday morning, was a treat. 23 (Transcription continued, page 20) Hrs. A.: This was a. ~tr. fl.: I can remember that. And I've eat that too, eat the cornbread 'til Sunday and then git a biscuit for breakfast. And it wuz a great treat to us. ms. A.: Biscuits with syrup. Dr. A.: Corn meal in the back yard. ~trs. A.: Dh, yes, I was interested to see the corn meal today. We went back by the little water fall up at Mt. Sylvan, but it was not working. Now where did you get your corn meal ground near here yesterday, did you say? Hr. fl.: Yeah, it was up on what they call Betty's Creek. ~trs. A.: Betty's Creek, and there is still a mill there that grinds Hr. fl.: Yeah, there's a little mill up there that runs. And that's where we carry ours. It grinds slow, but it grinds awfully good. ~trs. A.: You take your own? Hr. H.: Yeah, we take our own. I raised it. I've got corn in the field not gathered. I had to sort of dry this in here by the heat. Mrs. A.: Anything else, John? (Mrs. Hunnicutt began to talk about home remedies). Mrs. H.: It was supposed to be for bad colds. Mrs. A.: This was a tea? Hrs. H.: A tea, and that was the bitter kind. And it was called boneset. Mrs. A.: Bone's head? Mrs. H.: Bonesetwas a weed that growed out on branch banks. And old people would make tea out of it. And then this catnip tea was for babies mostly. They'd make it for babies, and the ground 24 (Transcription continued, page 21) ivy, they said that would break the hives out for the babies, you know. And then some people would git yeller 'oot. They'd git it on the creek bank, and I forgot what they doctored with that, but they said it was good for you, different kinds and pen royal. They'd make tea out of that, but I don't know what all of that was good for. Hrs. A.: But just all kinds of plants. ~~s. H.: Yes, urn-who, and people today now give their 'erbs, a lot of people does. There was a man passed here the other, last summer I think, was been out in the mountains a-gittin', I believe he called it, rattle root. He give }\r. Hunnicutt a piece of it and told him what it was good for. He never did use it, but Hr. H.: I still got it. ~~s. H.: 1 forgot what he said it was good for. (Hr. Hunnicutt laughs) And he said he read in the paper where you could git, oh, I, over a dollar a pound for that. I think he had an idea he would sell that. Hrs. A.: And it was just a. wild weed? Hrs. H.: Yeah, it grew out in the mountains. So, I don't know whether he ever got a pound of it or not. , . ~~. H.: Sold over fifty-dollars worth, he told me. Hrs. H.: Oh, he did! I think he called that rattle root. I don't know what that was good for.- Hrs. A. You know we were talking this morning about the Jack tales. Did you remember anything like that, the stories you heard, 25 (Transcription con~inued, page 22) had ever heard? Mr. H.: I don't believe I know just.one about that. Mrs. A.: Well. Mr. H.: Uh, I was a-tryin' to think ' 'scuse as a-tellin' that about. Said one time there was, uh, old ,colored preacher went to a place . to preach, and, uh, he thought, uh, he Imew the Bible all through. And he told 'em just to give him a text, and he'd preach from that. " .whatever they'd give 'imwhen they come to church. So he went on and thought he was that smart. And, uh, one feller one night says, "I want you to preach from one word." And, uh, "All right," he says, "what is that?" And he says, "I want you to preach from the word 'pill. "' And, uh, he says, '''Pill?~'' "Yeah, I want you to preach from that." And he just confined it down there to that, thought he could. And he started on off. He says, "Well, uh, brothern and sisters, my text tonight is 'pill, '" he says. "That's pretty hard to preach from.' But," he says, "they's all kinds of pills. They's flu pills, fever pills, cold pills." Says, "They's red pills, white pills, blue, pink pills, blue pills. Oh, brothern and sisters,"'he says, "they's all kinds of pills. But," he says, "I can't think of but one pill that's good for the soul, and that's the good old Gas-pill." (Laughter) (Hr. Hunnicutt explains that he gets jokes from a magazine that not many of his neighbors subscribe to) Agricultural paper, and they's some pretty good ,'uns in that. They said one time there was a boy a-gain' to college in Chicago, 26 (Transcription continued, page 23) and he had a rich, well-to-do, uncle out West. And he didn't !mow what, "hat a cow was only from readin' it in a book. And he said when he finished college, he 'uz a-goin' go out West and see his uncle. And he did. And, ub, he had them cattle out in the, in the pasture there. And the boy and his uncle went towards the barn. And there was a great big old long-horn cow a-standin' down there, and he says, "Uncle, what is tha-t?" ltYlhy, II he says, Itson, that's a cow. If "Well, 11 he said, "what is them big old thing on her head there?" "Why," he say, tfson , that's her horns." "Her horns?" "Yeah." Well, about that time the old cow stuch her nose up, you !mow, and says, "Maw-v-v. 11 "Now, It he says, "uncle, which one of them horns did she blow?" (Laughter). (Mrs. Hunnicutt begins to talk as rememberances come to mind). Mrs. H.: I was just a little thing. He was small too. But that was when this railroad, I think they had just finished this railroad throuw, here. And it was a commissary down the road at his father's old place. And my brother was a-haulin' fertilizer from there, for somebody. And so, I a-told my mother, , I. says, "I'm a-goin' with Luthet to, to haul a load of fertilizer. And so I went. And so he was a-loadin' the fertilizer on. -And so he come down, it was his father's place, he come down. And ever' time I'd look at him, he'd wink at 'me. (Laughter) So ever' once in a while I'd look at him, and he'd wink at me. So I didn't !mow what to think about it, I was just small, you !mow. And when I got back home, I 27 (Transcription continued, page 24) told my mother, I says, "I'm not a-goin , with Luther no more." Mama says, "Why?" I says, "Ever' time lid look at little old Hunnicutt boy, he'd a-wink at me." (Laughter) He was just a little feller with overalls on, you know. Mrs. A.: You didn't go 'til the next time I guess. Mrs. H.: I don't think I did. (Laughter) Mr. H.: But that wink cost me a marriage. (Laughter) Mrs. H.: We finally got together, didn't we? Nrs. A.: Go ahead, what were you going to say? (Dr. Anderson had asked about courting customs). ~tts. H.: Mostly buggies, if we rode that datin' time, 'cause we didn't have any cars then. Some times we'd go out in the buggy Mrs. A.: Where would you go? To somebody's house to a party, or what did you do? ~tts. H.: Well, they didn't have too many parties in them days. We'd just go to church or go, walk about, just court. Mr. H.: Go to see somebody in the buggy. Mrs. H.: But one time, me and my sister went to a Negro meetin' back up here in the valley. And it wasn't with him. It was another boyfriend at that time. And I forgot who it was, and we went in the buggy. Each one of the boys had a buggy, and so we ~tts. A.: Went in separate buggies, but went together. Mrs. H.: ., .went in separate buggies. Heard .the nigger preacher preach Mr. H.: That-a school house over there, that ' ould be good to put in that. The school house that I went to over here was the, for the 28 (Transcription continued, page 25) connnunity school, and it was used by the l1ethodist and the Baptist both for preachin ' Sundays. And one -,' ould preach one Sunday, and the other 'un 'ould preach the next Sunday. And it was all combined. A lot of times we've had, uh, they'd have a revival meeting, and the Methodist preacher would preach one night, and the Baptist preacher would preach the next night. And, ub, we'd have the best meetings and the best fellowship. And, uh, they heard from the top of this mountain up there when they'd be a-cornin' to meetin', the meetin' a-done be started, ~ld they've heard shoutin' from that little old log church there to the top of that mountain by the Methodist and the Baptist. Now that's true, there's no Dr. A.: How long would they preach in those days? ~~. fl.: Oh, they'd preach an hour or an hour and a half, be, ub, sort of like Brother Jim, they didn't care when they quit. (Laughter) And they didn't never, they didn't never set "Now, we are a-goin , have preachin' at. " Well, they'd generally say, "We're goin' have Sunday Schoo! at ten and Wllship service at eleven." It's all Wllship service, if we'd look at it, it's all the church, ub, but they didn't set no time. When you'd have a revival meeting, they wouldn't say, "Now we are a-goin' 'to start at eight 0' clock." The preacher' d say, "All right now, everybody remember, we want to start at early candlelight." That's just as it began to git a little bit dark, "that's when we want a-start," and they'd sometimes go 'til midnight. Dr. A.: Where is the old cemetery around here? 29 (Transcription continu~d, ~ge 26) l:r. H.: "ell, the old,,~t one is down here at our Baptist church, right, ril'ht by it. l'hen there's a f"",ily graveyard, that a lot of peo!?le are buried in, back of the llethodbt church up here at that place. Dr. ,\.: SOLle co",,,unities, they have a cemetery d..y \/here everybody once a year Jather~ to clean up the cemetery, )~. d.: Well, they do. Ur. A..: do you all do that in R&bun County? ;.r. d.: Vell, they used to. But nov you can't he.rdly hire it done. They don't get f,eo"le together to cl"an it off. Dr\.: ,hat about" funeral in the early days when you were a little boy? -.ihat was .. f\l!Jeral li1<I''1 :lr. H.: '.;ell, it W8. just about like, ub, well, it "...sn't like it i.> now. It wasn't ..s ruo'!ern as it is now. But they'd just takE' the 1'''0,,1.. and ,it up all ni::ht long, ub, in the' ho..,e over th", corl-se. ,\nd, ub, I heard a little story "n~ tine-thtll th~re WI," a ;.;an died, and, ub, he had rhewm.,tism, snd it drawed 'i , just drawed 'im together. And, ub, they had to straight.m 'im out and tie 'im down, uh, to ~~it 'im in the coffin. And they said they was a-settin' up with I im one night, and, uh, so, long away tOward8 midnight or a.ft~r, uh, the.-1. cords bro!<e, ..ud he ju"t co'"e right on back, you know, up come the lid of the coffin . .And t~lt'ret$ 50;..Je 11li.:schievout) boys there, a-8ettin' there, says, "Now, you just lay right back down t::\,-re," .ays, "we'll attend to that." (Lauphter) 30 (Transcription contihued, page. 27) (Tape No.4) }trs. n.: .across the fence from us. }tr. H.: Now, don't call -no n8lIles. }trs. H.: One aay he wnz a-plantin' potatoes. I says, "}tr. Maymey, you plantin' them potatoes on the wrong time of the moon. They won't make anything." }tr. H.: And him the county agent. }trs. A.: The county agent. }trs. H.: The county agent. And so, when he dug his potatoes, he told somebody, he says, "Well, I believe }trs. Hunnicutt was about right." (Laughter) }trs. A.: You were going to tell us about the Watts you knew that wasn't a Baptist though. }trs. II.: Oh, yes, uh, my husband's mother, she was always a-teasin' me about being a Baptist. And one day she says, "Oh, I 'ever did see a Watts but what was a Baptist." "Oh," I says, "I knew one that wasn't a Baptist." And I says, "That was old man George Watts, and his nose was so long they couldn't get him in under the water, and they made a Hethodist out of him." (Laughter) Mrs. A.: And you were going to tell us one about }tr. Garland now, weren't you? Squirrel hunting? Hr. II.: No,}tr. Earls told me this -'un. }tr. Frank Earls told me this. Said there was a boy a-huntin' on the side of the road one day, and, uh, squirrel huntin', and they was lots of 'em. And he had his gun pointed up at the squirrel in the woods, and said, uh, somebody passed and said, "Son, where's your, where's your 31 (Transcription continued, page 28) paw at?" .:;aya, "Riaht up there in that tree." Aild he &ay~, "T .seid, '~ere wa.s your pa.wat?,n "Right up there." He says, "Boy, you I re the bi;lr,gest fool ever I ~aw in my life." .de .:l~Y1S, "The woods is full of 'el,I." (Laughter) de never cOJ.lld git his ..ind to leJ.,ve them squirrels. (L, ughter) Old llan '"".<1s told "Ie that one. Dr. .l.: l-!r. Gordon. :.rs. A.: About the garden? Dr. A.: ~lr. Gordon. ~ir8. A.: Mr. Gordonl '..'ai:;l. th,;;!re one you were ;:Ioing tell lre about ~I,r. Gordon? 1 thinkon" about the := who wasn't rich, but he ~asn't poor either. Ilr. H.: Oh, that was a friend that we had that lived over here in, in this county, and, ub, he got a little too ollch booze one day and went in home. And hi.. little old by-word was "1 dang." And his wife was n&t.ed Cindy, and he got in there, and, of course, he was feeHn' good and rich, and he says, "1 dang, Cindy, we rich, ain't we?" ~'he says, "Lav me, no, John, ve're not rich." ""ell," he says, "1 dang, we free fro,,, want." (Laughter)
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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.
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