David Turner interview with Ruby Ellis, Mike Smith, Vivian Turner, and William Turner

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, David Turner interviews his aunt, Ruby Ellis. Ellis tells a story about a White girl who Native Americans captured and raised, renaming her Morning Star. Ellis then tells a version of Bluebeard, who stored the bodies of his wives in a little red house. At minute 5:34, Turners nephew, Mike Smith, tells three ghost stories about a black casket haunting a widow, a ghost called white eyes, and a woman who stole a mans toe. At minute 8:22, Vivian Turner, David Turners mother, tells several stories: a gypsy cursing a womans cow, her father encountering a ghost on a log bridge, and a girl caught feeding a snake. She then recounts spooky experiences her family had when they lived in a haunted house, including seeing a ball of fire, the appearance of a ghost woman, and finding a grave under their house. She finishes at minute 15:40 listing superstitions she learned from her family, especially her mother. At minute 17:24, William Turner, David Turners father, recalls encountering a light when returning home in the middle of the night. He then, at minute 19:55, tells two Pat and Mike jokes, one involving a train and the other a cemetery. The recording ends with William Turner telling the story of Three Billy Goats Gruff. Ruby May Roberts (1889-1977) lived in College Park, Georgia. She married Sterling Russell Ellis (1891-1973) in 1913 and they had one adopted son, William (approximately 1920- ) Mike Smith (approximately 1959- ), nephew of David Turner, lived in Jonesboro, Georgia. No additional biographical information has been determined. Vivian Roberts (1906-1988) lived near Jonesboro, Georgia, all her life. She married William Turner (1902-1980) who was born in Fayette County, Georgia, and worked in trucking. Their children include David and William Carlton (?-1940). AHC Oral History Cataloging Worksheet File Information nCuamtabloegrue "-"'S') 100:S. \\. lq Source Field* (ContentDM) !r-- Release form ( Ye~jDr No . Transcript Yes or No scanned: From Yes or No Default text: Contributed by an OR: Donated by individual: individual through <your org. name> Georgia Folkiore Collection through <your org. name> . I b' Object Information Enter'Information about the physlca o )Ject here: Title 1<,vh i Btk'::> (interviewee "'"\\c., SH,'\\\ , name and date of interview) Vi\j\ "f'. ""ICJI (\J t \f.,'\L" H Flt,){Y'f r Description (bio on 1'u\:'\., [iiI,,,, : '61 \r!.(N,~) \?l() interviewee) \J.'\"" sl.,;tl(\ , 10 '(,(fl...1 ~l ol(~ \}I"" (} '" "(tN'(\n ( bot (\ \~'\ \'10(;, "'f'T () 0. \ \ ~"J Id. ''''erel J",'\c,h'}fI) \r-..J,'\\if..--I."..... "-\tl'J;{',~:1 , c..l;~ 'If', ,",. (')\,) , ..... . ..., . Creator '(Enter either an individual's name or an organization) Collection Name (within the organization) .-J .; ., .... BurrisonFolklore Class Georgia Folklore Archives ': . Creation Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) (use only one) r.ycoe-a-r-(-if-o-nl-y-th-e-ye-a-r-is-k-nO-W-n-)-+--\-q-~-c-1----------------1 Circa (4 diQit year) Object Type Media Format (VHS, reel to reel, etc Recording extent Derivatives Year Span Image_ Text Text and image _ Video and sound Sound onlYJ Reel-reel Hours: Minutes: d1" ~Gz Access copy: Yes or No From To Access copy format: Recording clip Clip extent: Time code for clip (h:m:s) Notes (interview summary) Beginning: no End:_+1"":5""("'----__ V\"f-\f.....('. "'Yl.. UV~( <:\"'(C~("r.. "::;, ':;\'l ,\.q "~l s\;c.,~ \('("-",( (\,i.;) .(;-J ~" \'~t- J~-\--\ :\"( , ~ (Aho t.\";~fl.c:~ t/-.J~) .... {~~\l,A.ll),f\ <::',:) , Recording I'\o~ \ \ . issues lAC d<j'(,) I\(\ ,\." ~' f','" (r: 'f ~ I'::, , \1"(\ \; " ~., "\(_., ~\. ,\ iclllY''C\ o[ 1 I, . (background 1Y\~\ ~'H' \ ", f~ i,h (. . \ ~ ",\ ,-\-ll. ("f--'_ '~_" {' noise, echo, (1'''1 .. \r<.r,,\ _fA ,,,', ' c static, etc,) \k. r((,:)1 ,J )'.":"- () . f h b' h Subject Information Enrer I'nformati.o'n a-bout the content 0 teo Jlect ere: Subject Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) (use only one) Year (if only the year Is known) Circa (4 digit year) 14(0(1 Year Span From To SUbject Who Last Name First Name MI Blk:> 'If. ",. ,\ I ~JI.\ ;\ \,,_ Hi~'..' 1{)'1 (\t -f Vi~il! '\ ~t))( {\'---I' \'v,'I1,,\ t\ Subject Country State County Town Local Name Location u.::,. GcA ('oIle~, 'jf" \~ jo('c. ,)()n) Subject What AHC Cataloger will complete this for you. (LOC subject headinas only) Keywords Burrison, John Personal names See subject who for additional names . ': .... Corporate , names Geographic locations Topics 5u'Vt..,~)\,A-~IJ'(-x,.) ~~,<Yu\,.\",:~:{l,;t[)../\(c:- . S\v,,\ Ie\\, "~''S ( kJ.h ,if:'., J {"} ~ ~l \~:l.,z .\ OJ, A GLIMPSE OF OLD by: David Turner Folklore 301 May 26, 1969 A GLIMPSE OF OLD In my lifetime I have taken on some of the most difficult tasks. Many 6f them I failed miserably; with a few I had great /!. sucess. The collecting process of folktales '~ould have to fall somew'here in between. In the beginning I was Itgung_holt and felt like I could collect every version of every story ever told. That I found to be a very erronious assumption. My first attempt at collecting the traditions of this country started in the North Georgia Mountains. Morganton, Georgia is a rather remote Village near lake Blue Ridge. By asking around and having my desires khown to the local merchants, I was to find that I wal'l, reproofed rather than overjoyed. Most people played ignorant. They were more ,~illing to get rid of me than they \~ere to help. I did contact this old man \'1ho \~as willing to talk but not willing to be abused by the recorder. Anyway he really didn't have a lot to tell. So I came home with the most brilliant prospect. His name was Uncle Dave, a Negro that had lived his youthful days in Detroit, Michigan. He was now living in Bumble Hook, Georgia. I had heard much praise about his ability to play the violin and guitar in his younger days. He is now about eighty and a very poor dirt farmer. We sat down one day and he began very 2 quickly to tell me that in his day he had know lots of stories but that in time he had forgot ton them all. He was very anxious to help but he just didn't have what I wanted. His Georgia Red Wing sounded more like !lOld Dan Tucket!l and "Yankee Doodle!l played at the same time. There was then only one last alternative--my own kinfolk. The material I collected could not be considered a product of field research for most of it was collected in my oml home. Nonetheless it was pretty good. My first victim was my aun11..-Ruby Ellis. She is eightyone years old and put forth two stories she learned when she was a little girl and had passed on to us many times. Her home is in College Park, 1593 Mercen Ave., just four blocks off of Virginia Ave. f 2 quickly to tell me that in his day he had know lots of stories but that in time he had forgotton them all. Re was very anxious to help but he just didn1t have what I wanted. His Georgia Red Wing sounded more like "Old Dan Tucket" and "Yankee Doodle" played at the same time. There was then only one last alternative--my own kinfolk. The mate~ial I collected could not be considered a product of field research for most of it was collected in my own home. Nonetheless it was pretty good. My first victim was my aunt~Ruby Ellis. She is eightyone years old and put forth two stories she learned when she was a little girl and had passed on to .usmany times. Her home is in College Park, 1593 Merc~Ave just four blocks off of Virginia Ave. , .... 3 ~I ! J I The stories she told, I had heard many times from her before. They were, to say the least, her favoritE'! and about all she could remember. The story of "Morning Star" did not have a tale-type. Under general terms it would probably be a Novella. Indians are quite common in American folktales but the only motif that I CQuld find concerning Indians was the one where an Indian rescues an abandoned child. The story, just as she told it, is here reproduced without excluding her coughs and choking moments. She was a little befuddled by the recorder. , 3 The stories she told, I had heard many times from her before. They were, to say the least, her favorite and about all she could remember. The story of "Morning Star" did not have a tale-type. Under general terms it would probably be a Novella. Indians are quite common in American folktales but the only motif that I could find concerning Indians 1'laS the one where an Indian rescues an abandoned child. The story, just as she told it, is here reproduced without excluding her coughs and choking moments. She was a little befuddled by the recorder. "Gnst upon a time there lived a family in the country had a daughter named Little Mae. And she had a little white kitten and she loved flowers and butterflies. And in those days there were a lot of Indians around and her mother told her not to never wander away be~ cause an Indian might ge1i.raher. So when she'd get her meal ready why she had aAdinner bell, she'd ring it and they uh Little Mae and her father would come for dinner. So that day she rang the bell and her father came but Little Mae didn't come and they looked and looked for her and they couldn't find her. So finally they found her hat and the little white kitten under the tree and the mother \'las sure that a Indian had got her. And so her mother, she grieved so much till they had to move away (clearing throat) They mo moved inta another country and there was a man that lived near 'em; had three sons and one of 'em was a real bad boy. So he wandered away from home and he went to the lndian Territory. And so uh one day he was down by the uh. ' brook and he saw a little girl come a riding in a boat. And he stopped 'er and talked to her and he asked her what her name was. And she said her name was' Morning Star. He says, 'You don't look like an Indian to me.' She says, 'Well I seems like a long tj.me ago that I can remember that I had another i mother and father but the Indians said it wadn't true' And so (clearing throat) she says 'They call me Morning Star'. And so she uh eh eh he.~.eh he she told him 'You'd better go now,' she said, 'The Indians see you talkin' to me, they'll kill you.' So he went on away and the next day he met her down there again. And so when he~ eh eh wanted eh her get married she told him no she cl)uldn't do that because the Indians would kill'em both. Says, 'You jest go on away.' Ane he says, tWill you meet me dovm here again tomorrow?' And she said she said she would, so she did and he persuaded her to get married and \ so they got married and he went back home and when he got back home this Little Mae's mother and father lived near his father. And so uh she had uh she ta~told this Little Mae t-talkin' about the Indians a gettin' her little daughter--one time-- and she said that when she was a ironin' said one day she dropped the iron on her foot--it made a b&d scar. And she said, 'Well I have a scar on my foot.' And so she pulled off her shoe and shovled her the scar on her foot and hit was the same Little Mae that the Indians had stole that her m-mother and she had --this boy had married and brought back home and her mother was real happy." . i 4 5 This next story she told concerns the old pirate, Blue Beard. It has a fev, comm0l'\ motif but not a tale~type all to itself. The clever girl and the nlxmber three are its most noticed stylings. 'I'm a peeping atcha' could be a different version of many common motifs. This story, too, is vel' batim and is not professionally told. "Onst upon a time there was an old man named Old Blue Beard. (Ooughing) ...and he ... uh he lived near a family that had three daughters. And he married the oldest, dalightei' and carried her home. And so had a little uh little red house that a he had a key to this little red house and he didn't want anyone to go in it. So he kissed his wife goodbye and put a red rose in her hair. And sa-said 'I just wonder what's in that little house and I'm goinopen it and see.' So she opened it and it was so hot in there it withered her rose. And so when he came back he says, 'You been in that little red house.' She says, 'No I haven't.' He says, 'Oh yes you have. I'm goin' put you in there.' So he carried her in there and hung her up by the hair of the head. And he went and told her mother, he said, 'Well your daughter died,' and said, 'I just buried her,' and said, 'I've come back to marry amjther one.' So he married the second daughter and so he uh a uh w-went to leave and he kissed her good bye and put a rose in her hair and said, 'Whatever you do, don't you go in that little red house.' (Olearing throat) So she said, 'Well I'm ( ? ) ~.)W0 open it and see what's in there.' So she opened it hnd her sister was in there hangin' up the hair of her head. And it withered~her rose. And so when he came home he says, 'You been/\there, little red house.' She said, 'Oh I haven't.' He said, 'Oh yes you have. Oome on, I'm goin to put you in there.' So he went back to this same \Gllilaring throat) uh uh parentsand told 'em, says, 'I'm wanta marry your other daughter.oAnd th-they didn't want her to marry and they says, ' uh sometnin' funny's happened to these other two. And I she says, 'IOh -but I wanta marry him. '+ I'll find out what's wrong.' So they went on and married and so then henext morning he kissed her goodbye and he gave her the rose. 'OPJ i.ts so pretty,' says 'I'm goin take it out and put\tfn some water,' So sh~ takened it out and put tin some water. And so she opened the door to the little red house. So when she opened the door the red house why her sisters uz hangin' up in there by the hair of the head. So she went on back ( ? ) picked up the rose and put it back inner hair. When he came home he says, 'Oh you hadn't been in there.' And rna-she says, 'Well I wanta send a box to my mother' and says, 'now if you, open this box, I'll be a peepin' atcha!' He and uh she put her oldest sister in the box, thatad been in there the longest and sent her. And so he-he put it down and he said, 'Hit's awfUlly heavy, I'd like to know what's in it.' , So when he put it down she said, 'I'm a peeping atcha!' He said, '\'Iell bless her heart. She can see me and I won't open it,' So the next day, said, 'I wanta send her another box to my mother.' He told her, 'Alright.' And so she put the other sister in <l,nd sent her and he said, 'I just got to look in this.' And so he put er down to look in it but she says, 'I'm a peeping atcha!' So he said, 'Well I won t t look in it.' And so he carried that uh, , he carried that sister home and while", uh she's gone she got ready and went home herself and the father and mother had all three of their daughters back again. From the old to the young I went out pursuing my favorite little nephew-Mike Smith. The stories he told me were all ghost stories that he learned at cub scout meetings. One of them is a ghost joke and the other two are the "Boo! I gotchal" type& 6 ] tin some water. And so she opened the door to the little red house. So when she opened the door the red house why her sisters uz hangin' up in there by the hair of the head. So she went on back ( ? ) picked up the rose and put it back inner hair. When he came home he says, 'Oh you hadn't been in there.' And rna-she says, 'Well r~wanta send a box to my mother' and says, 'now if you, open this box, I'll be a peepin' atcha!' He and uh she put her oldest sister in the box, thatad been in there the longest and sent her. And so he-he put it down and he said, 'Hit's awfully heavy. r'd like to know what,ls in it.' , So when he put it down she said, 'I'm a peeping atcha!' He said, 'Well ble,ss her heart. She can see me and I won't open it.' So the next day, said, 'I wanta send her another box to my mother.' He told her, 'Alright.' And so she put the other sister in Il,nd sent, rfer and he said, 'I just got to look in this.' And so he put er dm,m to look in it but she says, 'I'm a peeping atcha!' So he said, 'Well I won't look in it.' And so he carried that uh .. he carried that sister home and while uh she's gone she got ready and ,.,ent home herself and the father and mother had all three of their daughters back again. From the Old to the young I went out pursuing my favorite little nephew~Mike Smith. The stories he told me were all ghost stories that he learned at cub scout meetings. One of them is a ghost joke and the other two are the "Boo! I gotcha!" type: 6 Mike is ten years old and turned out to bE! a pretty good story teller for his age. He lives in a~nodern brick home in Sherwood Forest subdivision. His address is 1891 Huntingdon Dr., Jonesboro, Georgia. Sherwood Forest is about sixteen miles south of Atlanta via the south expressway .'~ f~, '.', The stories he told: "One day there was this man and when he was real old and when he d he told his wife when he died that he wanted to be buried in in the cemetery, five miles away. Well, one day he died an'h wife buried him where he wanted to be puried. And that night she went to bed and some um said,' Black casket fj.ve miles away!' She looked out the window and she didn't see nothin'. She went back to bed and then she looked and some um said, ! Black casket at cher door!' And she 7 Mike is ten yeRrs 01(1 and turned out to bS a pretty good story teller for his age. lie lives in a~nodern brick home in Sherwood Forest subdivision. IUs addreslo is 1891 Huntingdon Dr., Jonesboro, Georgia. Sher"Tood Forest is about sixt,een miles south of Atlanta vifthe sout,h expressway. 7 The stories he told: "One day there was this man and when he was real old and when he d he told his wife when he died that he wanted to be buried in in the cemetery, five miles away. Well, one day he died an1h wife buried him where he wanted to be puried. And that night she went to bed and some urn said, 1Black casket five miles mTay! 1 She looked out the window and she didn't see nothin l She went back to bed and then she looked and some urn said, 1Black casket at char door! I. And she looked out the window and didn't see nothin'. \'le1]. she went back to bed. And then some urn said, 'Black casket at your steps!' She looked out her door and didn't see nothin'. And then she said some urn said, 'Black casket at you~l~.toP of your stepst' She looked out there andJi's"ee nothin'. And it said, 'Black casket at your door!' And she looked out there and didn't see nothin'. And she said, 'Black casket at your bed, BOO! gotchal! Well one day there was this lady wh6 left her pocketbook do,"m in the basement and they were a fiXing to go to a movie show. Well, she went down there to git it and some urn said, 'I'm the ghost of White Eyesl' Then she come back up and told her husband to go down there and git it. And he went down there and some urn said, 'I'm the ghost of White Eyes!' And he told the boy to go down there and git it. And he went down there and some urn said, 'I'm the ghost of Vlhite Eyes!' And then he she told the baby to go down there and some urn said 'I'm the ghost of Whi.te Eyes!' He said, 'If you don't shut up, you gonna be the ghost of black eyes!' Well one day there was this lady and she was out picking nuts. I\nd thl.s man walked along and he cut his toe off. And it fell where she'u2i picking up nuts. So she picked it up and thought it was a nut; put it on in her basket and she took it on hornet that night and wuz chopin' up nu chopin' up the nuts to make a salad. Well, she some urn knocked at the door, and she looked out there; there wadn't nobody but, some WIl s8.id, 'I want my toe!' And then, went back in and some urn knocked on the door again sa and said, 'I want my toe!' She looked out there and didn't see noth1n'. Well she 'vent to bed that night and some urn knocked on the door aglilin. And she looked out the window see who it was and there wadn't nobody standin' do~m there. And she went back to bed and she heard some urn at her bedroom door. And then she, she looked out the door and some urn said, 'BOO r I gotcha!' This last story is definitely a corruption of the already famous, ItBig Black Toelt Strangely enough, the black casket story uses the black and the last story uses the toe. I think both stories came from the same origin--Big Black Toe. Back once to the older folks I rushed, and immediately accosted my mother, Vivian Turner. She was born in 1906 and has lived all her life near Jonesboro. The stories she tells are the ones she picked up from her mother and older sisters. When I tried to get her to let me record her conversation about the stories and their origin, she absolutely refused. Only by telling her that it meant by grade would she consent to be recorded at all. The picture I took of her, she tried to destroy, but my quick thinking saved it: 9 s story uses the black and the last story uses the toe. I think both stories came from the same origin--Big Black roe. Back once to the older folks I rushed, and immediately accosted my mother, Vivian rurner. She was born in 1906 and has lived all her life near Jonesboro. rhe stories she tells are the ones she picked up from her mother and older sisters. When I tried to get her to let me record her conversation '" >'nlt the' stories and their origin, she absolutely T'Afused. Only by telling her that it meant by grade would she consent to be recorded at all. The picture I took of her, she tried to destroy, but my quick thinking sa~ed it: 9 She lives on Main street in Jonesboro, Georgia. The house is sort of indicative of the hard life we have had and the stories and superstitions were sometimes the only recreation affordable. 10 The first tale has the obvious motif of a witch (gypsy) causing a COV{ to go dry. She learned this story from her mother, ".,rho always swore that it was a true story and not just a folktale: She lives on Nain street in Jonesboro, Georgia. The house is sort of indicative of the hard life we have had and the stories and superstitions were sometimes the only recreation affordable. The first tale has the obvious motif of a witch (gypsy) causing a cow to go dry. She learned this story from her mother, who always swore that it was a true story and not just a folktale; 10 '\.1.. /1 Once there wuz some gypsies lived uh near uh people's house and uh this gyps~ woman went to the house and asked the lady if she would sell her some milk. And the lady was a-afraid of the gypsies and she d:l.dn't wanna have anything to the uh and she told her to get out of her yard; she didn't have any milk. The gypsy knew better and she told th:l.s uh lady, said, 'Well I'll tell you. Unless you sell me some milk' says, 'your cow will never give another drop.' And she didn't believe it; pay any attention to it. So sure enough that night She went to milk the cow and she couldn't get a drop of milk. She didn't think too much about it until the next morning. She went mil and the same thing happened again and then she got to thinking of what this old gypsy'd told her. So she decided she'd go dOl'ffi and and talk to her. And she went down there and told that gypsy said, 'You know what you told me last night?' says, ' uh l k:l.nda believe it now.' says uh 'sure enough I didn't get any milk.' ind the gypsy said, 'Well I told you wouldn't.' ( ? ) she'd sell me some milk and she said, 'Well, I tell you what. If you'd, If this is a spell Y0\.1've cast on thifj cow' said, 'I'll give you all the milk' said, 'I won't charge you anything for it. I'll give all you can use if you'll take this spell off.' And uh she said, 'Well, alright. Just go home' and said, 'nat when the time comes to milk your oow, you'll get some milk.' And sure enough that night why she went to milk and uh she got plenty of milk and uh she went back and told that gypsy said, 'Well now what you said must be true.' says, 'Cause I milked and I got plenty of milk.' And she said, 'From nO\" on as long as you live here, I'll give you all the milk that uh you can use.' And she did." (D 20$3.1) This next one I believe could be called a memorate, at least from my grandfather's point of view. I never believed this story and neither does Mrs. Turner. It goes like this: "Well awah onst my daddy I've heard my daddy tell this story bout. a he and his brother having to go a pretty good ways to bring the CoW' in for his mother to milk. So the way they went th-thea a la-large ditch . Oh, I don't know; just it was real deep. Anyway it had a log across it and they being kids they liked to walk the log. So ~uh theY'd go that way and 11 uh i so they'd COille a different way with the cows and so uh One day they were gain' across it and uh my daddy about when he got about half way across this ditch, said something just rose up out of the ditch just like it flew out. And i it was too deep for it to be a human. He said, 'It couldn'ta possibly been anybody.' Said, 'It just a real long arms and just threw 'em around him and says, ~I've gotcha nm-, , .' And he he got alf,ay and ran a-across. And na they brou they wouldn't ( ? ) but they brought the cows around the other way. And na when he got home he told his moth--er bout it and she didn't believe it of course, but uh he said he never would again go across that log and he never did anymore. So uh he said he didn't know what it could have possibly been cause it couldn'ta coille up out of that ditoh like that. " The next story, to me, is the most interesting. It is all about a little girl who fe~d a snake part of her daily meal. According to Aarne and Thompson it has the tale-type number 285-The child and the snake. Once again she had the audacity 12 to tell me this story is , s~- mpI y a vaIra.t~on af an ~ true. My way of thinking, it is old folktale. "O-one time there's uh some people had a a little girl and most every day she'd come in and want something to eat. Ituza usually a glass of milk and bread. And she'd a:].ways want to take it out. She ""ouldn't ever eat it in the house and uh so she kept dQin' this and uhthey got su they suspected somethin' uh strange gain' on so they watched her one day and she went do",m in the cpimney corner and she sat down. ( ? ) time she sat down ehuh a snake comina crawled out from under the house-areal large snake. And this little girl ud take a bite of uh this milk and bread and feed the snake a bite. And uh they just didn't know how long that'd been gain' on but anyway.~.uhthey decided why they wouldn't do anything about that day; they'd wait and and try it again and sure enough the next day bout the same time she came in there asked for some more milk and bread and they gave it to her. And they watched her. This snake came out again and she did the same thing She'd feed the snake and then she'd take a bite. And so theyuh they killed this snake and so the next day the little girl died." Next she told me one of her own memorates and it was full of folktale motifs. Some of it was true, no doubt, but the major portion is just exaggeration., (in the folk sty~). "Well, once we lived, several years ago, when I was just a young girl we lived in a house supposed to be haunted. So uh I-I stayed there one night by-by myself and the \'lind wadn't a blowing or anything and every window in thtshouse rattled. It just all scared me to death but and uh I told my mother and nem about it and aw they didn't think anything about itt they thought I's just afraid. And so ... uh my daddy was out on the front porch a-one night and he saw a big ball of fire. Oh t it was a huge thing! come rolling across towards the house; just before it got to the house it just dissappeared. And we-we never did know what that was and so my brother and uh his wife lived in the house with us. And one morning he waked up. !-fe said it wuza just before day and he knew he was awake he wadn't asleep because he some people across the street cutting wood. And he looked down at the foot of the bed and there a woman standing down there. She had on a black dress with a white shawl. And she's looking down directly at him. And he covered up his head 'n told his wife said t 'Well t look up there and see if you see anything.' She looked up there and she told him she didn't see anything and he looked a-and he didn't see anything then. And uhwe-we just all thought he was asleep but he-he just vowed he wadn't asleep cause he heard em cuttin' wood. So a little while after that uh we had uh we had chickens and they uh ( ? ) his wife heard some chickens cackling under the house and she thought they might build chick uh nest under there. So she went under there and she had a stick she's kinda walking with a stick cause she couldn't raise up under the house; it wadn't high enough for her to raise up. And this stick uh went down in the ground and so ituza real soft place she kept sticking the stick around and ( ? ) there was a pretty soft place and we dug under there-this place and uh 13 directly under where he saw this woman standing there was a grave. There were planks fixed in there like someone had been buried but we didn't find any bones or anything. So uh we don just don't know what happened. But the house was underpended except one place just about, I guess two three feet square, right directly beside of this grave. And uh after that uh my sister-in-law dreamed that she was under an old house and that she found a grave and there were lot a jewels in there. So we didn't think anything about and so we never did dig in there no more. So I don't know where there's anything in there or not but we didn't find anything 'cept the planks; like someone had been buried there and been taken up cause there wadn't any bones there. 1t Coming up next is a bunch of superstitions that my informant strictly believes. I have to admit that straws in the kitchen door will keep odors from leaving the room. I have tried it personally. It really works. "I've been told that if you go to an uh well with an open top at the first day of May and shine a mirrol:' down there you can see the one that you're gonna marry " This superstition goes back to the fairies and the belief that the earth opens up twice a year--Halloween and May 1. The fairies could install themselves into a mortal's body and you could marry them and not even notice the difference until it was too late. AlSO, since the fairies were to have lived in the water, this superstition about the well must have fairytale origins. "I I my sister told me that uh if I wOllld uh somethin' like the scissors under my head I would have uh would not have Ilny bad dreams. And so 1 1 tried this and it worked for me. 1t 14 15 "These are some superstitions I learned when I was uh just a small girl; my m-mother told me most of 'em Never uh say thank you when someone gave you flower plants to set out or they would all die. She also asked us to never wash on New Year's Day if you did you'd be washin' for someone sick for an whole year. Never start uh sewing on anything on Friday unless you could finish that same day. If you did it would never be finished. And never spin a chair on one leg in the house. It was considered bad luck. Never walk with one shoe on. If you did you would have as many years of bad luck as that as the steps you made. And if you cross uh two, cross two straws in in each door that leads from the kitchen uh when cooking cabbage or collards, the odor will never get out of the kitchen. Anduh .... never sweep under a sick person's bed. ft My last informant was my father--William Turner. He is sixty-eight years old and in his time he was a great story teller and liar. He use t~'tell me stories about Rawhide and Battybl;mes. I think he meant Rawhead and B),00dybones. He couldn't remember any of them, but the stories he did convey are significant. Of course, he lives at the same place as my mother. The first story is one of his own experiences flavored with a little folk talk. He has a language all his own 16 .". 7 "When I was a young fella, I walked off one night see some friends or somewhere; went somewhere and a comin' on back, late; twelve o'clock, at night or a little past. Comin' down a long, dark hill all at onst I discovered a i light, looked like a red-hot bed of coals o'er in the road ditch. I stopped. There was a bank on each side of the road. I thought about takin' aroundance, gain' across the field. I'a afraid to try to do that afraid I'd fall off the bank or :t'un into some barb wire fences. So I eased dOl'm on my hands and knees and scrambled around in the dirt road 'til I found a couple of rocks. I ,rent easin' on by this bed of coals. Icolllda almost reached over The first story is one of his own experiences flavored with a little folk talk. He has a language all his own. "~fuen I was a young fella, I walked off one night see some friends or somewhere; went somewhere and a comin' on back, late; twelve o'clock, at night or a little past. Comin' down a long, dark hill all at onst I discovered a i light, looked like a red-hot bed of coals o'er in the road ditch. I stopped. There was a bank on each side of the road. I thought about takin' aroundance, goin' across the field. I'a afraid to try to do that afraid I'd falloff the bank or run into some barb wire fenyes. So I eased dovm on my hands and knees and scrambled around in the dirt road 'til I found a couple of rocks. I went easin' on by this bed of coals. Icoulda almost reached over 16 and touched 'em with a walkin' stick. Soon as I got apast 'em, I struck a trot. Trotted til I got home was about out of breath and I wouldn't knock on the door to get nobody up ta that time of night for fear they'd catch me breathin' hard and think there's somethin' the matter and I'd have a big round with them. So I went to a litt~e sli,de windm" and eased into my room; i'lent to bed and lay there for the uh for two or three hours thinkin' who-who that coulda been or what it was. I knew most everybody in that community around. I couldn't figure out anything. And the first thing about daylight, I got 6(.1 up the next morning. Vladn't but a littlellfrom out:../" pI house and I went b~ck up there and looked. There was no sign of a track in the sand and ter there wasn't even a ash there; where I saw it atall. And they it was about m-middle ways of a small Negre cemetery. So I've never been able to figure that out form that day til this." The following two jokes are a couple of the famous Pat and Mike variety. Sev8raJ t.jmes Mr. Turner refers to them as Mike and Pat but the origin is apparant. He was the only informant I had that reacted to the stories he told. "Gnst there was a couple a old Irisbmans first come to tbis country, name'was r,1ike and Pat. And uh they wjl-s scramblin' around one and anothern and they found tern a place to bed do,~ in the leaves and swamps-- make 'em some kind of a pallet. And they uh wadn't to fur from the railroad and a big ole freight train come along makin' a lot of noise. Then Mike said to Pat, he kinda punched him, woke him up, says, 'Pat, Pat, wake up!' sayah, 'They must be movin' Hell' says, 'I believe they goin' with the first load now~f (Laughing) "Another time there was a Mike and Pat wuz a watchin' the cemetery--sorta of a curosity to them over in this country. Also watchin' a couple of little boys; had tum a. pile of hlcker nuts piled up in the right do~ in the middle of the cemetery. They had also laid two at the gate. Mike and Pat walked up to the gate, not discoverin' the hicker nuts. Standln' there watchin' tbe boys and one of the hoys was a countln' 'em out. He says, 'You take that un, I'll take this un,' you take that un, I'll take this un.' When they finished 17 UP, each one puttin' their hicker nuts in a sack to themselves, one says to the other, 'That's all but them two at the gate.' Old Mike and Pat looked at each other (Laughing) takened of:fit (Laughing louder) David l3. Turner P. o. Box 116 Jonesboro, Georgia 478-4461 18 .:, f.ELEASE ~, By letting us collect your traditions--stories, songs, music, sayings, riddles, or beliefs of earlier days--you have made a valuable contribution to preserving and understanding Southern history, and especially the history and way of life of your co~nunity. Because you have given unselfishly of your time to do this, the Georgi~ Folklore Archives, whose representatives are dedicated to preserving theee : l.~,ditions, wants to protect your rights to this material by guaranteein3 th",t :ILl: \lill. not be used for unscrupulous commercial profits. By signing this sheet, you are giving us permission to use this material for educational purpo~.,r, so that people who are intorested can.understand how life was in the old-timey days. Your material will probably not be printed or issued on a record, but if it is, and you don't want your name to be used, say so-owe respect your right to privacy. Thank you for the time you have sn important part of American life. that you want to send along to us so given to help us record a heritage that ~ If you remember any more old-timey things that it will always be preserved, write to: Signed Georgia Folklore Archives c/o Prof. John Burrison Department of English 33 Gilmer St., S.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Address /.l.....v./.l.<.u.u:-.l""""{ll...-+-JG~"",,litJb hJ !/(.! .); (rrb JiJ"J/ a13 (" r?a'UQ,!n, cl~Ji)t ../:lll rJ 1,./').'.)./"", _.:,,/ 7' 7"' '::///:'/)"/(/)) t.2,{j, U' (,;",),/; '~'/'."'..)' ,c?.~//. __/-",'/.I..(4J.~/-'):..J..''''';.'''''!..I..!.:-,_"":....;l:..J..(;...,"-/'f.);.../.J.. 1 ..I..i';.../-l.}~.;...I /_/_'>1_'_'._/_/_'Co_.__.,,_.__"_'_',_j_'_'_r_;/_ ".{~, -------_._._...._... () '. For Ga. Fl. Archives:._ J?~'cRl~ .:, r.ELEASE * By letting us collect your traditions--stories, songs, music, sayings, riddles, or beliefs of earlier days--you have made a valuable contribution to preserving and understanding Southern history, and especially the history and way of life of your community. Becauae you have given unselfishly of your time to do this, the Georgia Folklore Archives, whose representatives are dedicated to preserving these traditions, wants to protect your rights to this material by guaranteeing that it I~ill not be used for unscrupulous commercial profits. By signing this sheet, you are giVing us permission to use this material for educational purposes so that people who are interested can understand how life was in the old-timey days. Your material will probably not be printed or issued on a record, but if it is, and you don't want your name to be used, say so--we respect your right to privacy. Thank you for the time you have an important part of American life. that you want to send along to us so given to help us record a heritage that w If you remember any more old-timey things that it will always be preserved, write to: Signed Georgia Folklore Archives <,,0 Prof. John Burrison f; '1 .,-<,tment of English 3~ Gilmer St.) S.E. At).anta, Georgia 30303 Address For Ga. Flo Archives: . -::-_~;;;_--------- y~~ 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.