Cheryl Park’s interview with Dollie Whitner, Leola Newton, and Celeta Bowen (part four)

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. This is the fourth part of a four part recording; Celeta Bowen starts by telling a story about a haunted house. Then she recalls superstitions, mostly about New Years. For example at 04:01, she says that it is bad luck for a household if a woman is the first to step into their home on New Year's day. To conclude the recording at 07:48, Bowen sings a ballad from her childhood. Dollie Miller (1904-2004) was born in Cherry Log, Georgia, to Peter (1844-1918) and Hariett Miller (1878-1957). She married Robert Whitner (1896-1994) and they had four children, Edmon (1921-1921), Mamie (1922-1923), Sarah Ruth (1924-1973), and Mary Sue (1942-1962). Emma Leola Worley (1909-1977) was born in Ellijay, Georgia, to William (1888-1972) and Alice Worley (1894-1925). She married Henry Arthur Newton (1903-1984) and they had four children; Eugene Newton (1929-1995), Herbert Newton (1932- ), Willard Newton (1936-2000), and Maybelle Newton (1939-2019). Celeta Bowen was born in 1906 and died in 1998. Additional biographical information has not been determined. 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( \ {) v\ 4 COLLECTING PROJECT FOLKLORE 300 FALL QUARTER 1969 CH ER YL PARKS 2453 CORONET WAY NW A JI2 ATLANTA GA 30318 Contents Narrative of first trip and Introduction to Mrs. Whitener Section by Mrs. Whitener Naomi Wise John Henry Barbry Allen Ballad about returning lover Pictures Narrative of second trip and introduction to Mrs. Newton Section by Mrs. Newton Lovin henry Naomi Wise Ballad of girl going to war to find lover That picture on the wall Roving gambler Riddles Neck riddle Mrs. Newton London Bridge riddle Mrs Whitener London Bridge riddle Mrs. Newton Ghost story Story of Charlie Newton's encounter with the witch Knoxville Girl Bobby Newton Lula Wall Mrs. Newton and Bobby Pictures Explanation of trip to Palmetto Dialogue including supersitions, ghost stories, short songs Pictures The first collecting trip was November 1, 1969. Accompanied by my mother, we drove out 1-75 to Ga.-5. With no definate plan, we drove north heading for the mountains and hoping to find an isolated community. It was overcast and rained on us most of the day, but the trees were in autumn splendor; and as we reached the mountains we were continually pointing out beautiful views to each other. About ten miles north of Ellijay, we made our first stop. At a fruit stand on the side of the highway, we inquired for someone who knew old timey stories or songs. The proprietress was obviously disappointed that we weren't there to buy and gave us no help. We drove on several miles and noticed a tiny building labeled U.S, Post Office, Cherry Log, Ga. There was also a combination general store and gas station. We stopped and 1 went in the post office and inquired of the post mistress. She told me there was an old man who khew a lot of old stories. She said he was a midget named Rob Whinener. I got directions and we drove South to the first dirt road on the left after the general store. We maneuvered the road and finally reached the first brick house on the left which I had been told was Whitener's. No one was home. We waited in the ca~ eating the fried chicken my mother had brought. After eating, we drove on to another house we could see further up the road, and asked there for Whitener. The woman there said he might be at his sister's, Mrs. Allen's, a frame house just before the first creek on the same road we had come. We drove back to Mrs. Allen's and found him there. He invited us in with the same cordiality one would greet old friends. There was a hall e~~ending down the middle of the house and closed off rooms on either side. We went into the front room. There were two beds, an old dresser, and a fire burning in the fire place. Whinener brought out straight back chairs and we, Mr. and Mrs. Whitener, Mrs. Allen, my mother, and I, sat around the fire. Mr Whitener couldn't remember any old stories except some adventures "his daddy bnd told him about the Civi 1 War. We talked about the weather and how good the fire felt. I asked the ladies about old timey songs. Mrs Allen seemed a likely source. She wore a close fitting bonnet and displayed amazing aim in hitting the fire from six feet away every time she expelled snuff from her mouth. She remarked that as a girl she knew a lot of long "'c~ songs, but with marriage, and raising a family, and having troubles, a body forgets those t~ings. She appeared to be in her early seventies. The Whiteners appeared to be in their late sixties. Mr. Whinener was a midget, but Mrs. Whitener was normal height. Mrs. Whitener remembered having sung Barbry Allen when r asked about it. She said as a girl living in Cherry Log, she had known a lot of ballads, but hadn't thought of them in years. They were just songs people used to sing. People didn't sing songs I ike that now. She remembered Namol Wise and sang it. At this time some of the family came in. She was shy about singing in front of everybody and asked if we could go out to my car. In the car she remembered and sang most of Barbry Allen, John Henry, and artother ballad she didn't know the1l1ame of. Since the Whiteners had to go to the store, we got ready to leave; but not before weiwere given a large pumpkin and squash and invited back. Mrs. Whitener promised to get in touch with a lady who used to sing a lot of old songs. Mrs. Robert Whitener General Delivery Cherry Log, Ga. Mrs. W. Mrs. A. Namoi Wise I'll tell you a storee of 1iddle 'ome Wise How she got delated by John Lewis's lies He promised to meet'er down at the Adams Sprangs Some money to bring her and other fine thangs -She wai ted, She wai ted, at last John Lewis came He brought her no money nor neither fine thangs He'd sleep up behind me and away we w,i:ll ' go Deep down In the valley whar the deep water flow '"'Re hugged her, he kissed her, he threw her all around And threw her in the water her body for to drown. -Liddle 'ome's body were missin, no one knew what to do They hunted, gathered a crowd together and hunted the river through They hunted the rivers, they hunted the land But no whar was her body to be found 7\ 1iddle boy was fishin one Thursday (, Part of tape acidentally erased here, humming is informand He saw preddy 'ome come floating down the foam He threw his nets around her and drew her to the shore We don't have to hunt for her body no more. They sent for John Lewis to come to the place They propped her up before him so he could view her face You kin hang me or kill me or do as you please But I murdered I iddle 'ome, my own true love. I missed the beginnin of that I'll tell ya one tbang ..... Mrs. W. I uz just gonna see H I had come Into John Henry John Henry was a I iddle biddy boy when he sit on his mother's knee And he picked up a hammer and a liddle piece of steel Tha hammer be tha death of me This hammer be the death of me John Henry he went to the railroad>and he a Lord I wish I, I messed it , have to start It agln I guess Parks No, that's all right., I can put it back together here. Mrs. W. humming He picked up the hammer and a I iddJe bit of steel The hammer be the death of me The hammer be the death of me hummi ng anyway this was on atter he got grown Is there any way of r Parks ,John Henry says to his chucker a chucker you better pray For If I miss this six foot steel, tomtDrrow be yur buryin day Tomorrow be yur buryin day. .Johll, Henry got sick and he had to go home o s,oo.(lh Humming I missed that un too but he did git sick and he had to go home . blottin that out and puttin it back In? '( Un hu I can put all that back together, Mrs. W. Let's See John Henry he had a lovin I iddle wife and her name wuz Polly Ann John Henry got sick and he had to go home Bu t Po II y bea t the s tee I II ke a man Po II y bea t the s tee I like a man That I s alII know of that un Parks ah that's gQod Barbry Allen Mrs. W. It uz early hummi ng Was early one mornin in the month of May When hickory buds were swellin Sweet will iam on his death bed lay for tha love of Barby Allen He sent hiz servants to the town whar hiz true love wuz dwellin Yur masters sick and sends for you if yur name be Barbry Allen So slowly, slowly she got up and slowly she went to him And when she come a-to tha room, she said young man yur dyin He turned hiz pale face to the wall and mounted out to cryin. hummi ng Do you remember in yonders town whar we were all a'dwell in You give yur love to the ladies around and sl ighted Barbry Allen Yes, I remember in yonders town whar we were all a'dwellin I give my love to the ladies around, my heart to Barbry Allen Sweet Wi 11 iam WU:Z berried in one church yard While Barbry wuz berried in ah'~other From William's grave grew a bright red rose From Barbry's grave uh briar. that ain't ryght that wuz ryght, that wuz ryght? but tha Parks that' 5 wonderfu I Mrs. W. hit wuz old and had that old fashuned tun, Preddy fair miss all in the garding 'joying soldiers a'passin by And in this way one did address her a'sayin kind miss won't you marry me of i 0/1 bl ct. "6 (IlIt!)'i o no kind sur not uh man \I' foner) and tha man (I foner) you may be My true luv is gone a'salin on the ocean Seven long yearhs been gone from me And if he's gone ah seven yearhs longer not ah man on earth kin marry me humming well, I thought I could thank of that un hummi ng I declare it jus leaves a body don't it humming Ca in' t remember tha other tuh save my 1i fe. I thought I knew it. Anyway, she fell whens she found out who it wuz. She fainted or somethin and he picked er up all in hiz arms and he gives her kisses one through three. And if I'd been gone uh seven yearhs longer not a girl on earth would have married me. But you got a liddle of it maybe some day you'll get the rest of it. Top left: Mrs. Whitener at Mrs. Allen's Top right: Mrs. Allen's house Bottom left: The Whiteners' Bottom right: Barns at the Whiteners' On our second trip to Cherry Log, November 22, we drove straight to the Whiteners'. Mr. Whitener was working in the corn field with a grown son. Another son greeted us in the yard and called to his father. Mr. Whitener greeted us with genuine sincerity. Mrs. Whitener came out and asked us in. We sat around the fire and talked about how nice the weather was and how the family all I ived close around the Whiteners. Mr. Whitener brought out his banjo and tried to play for me, but he had cut a finger on a saw earl ier in the week and couldn't play. Mrs. Whitener said she'd go with us to a Mrs. Newton's a lady who knew a lot of old timey songs. Since the Newtons had just moved, we drove to Ell ijay to get directions from Mr. Newton who operated the apple stand at the place in the highway where 5 widens to four lanes just south of Ellijay. We turned right across from the stand, off 5 and continued straight to the stop sig~, turned left, proceeded to a white store advertising apples on the side, and turned off on a dirt road on the right., We drove down it until we decided we were lost, but finally rea~ed the fork, went right, almost shook my car apart, and finally crossed the creek, climed the hill, and saw the small house with the two cedars in front. Mrs. Newton was on the porch with a sister, her adopted little girl, Debbie, her son Bobby, and his wife. She invited us in and started to sing for me. She remembered a lot of old timey songs, but had trouble getting everything in the rigllt place. She had been hearing these songs all her I ife. She said she had always lived around Ellijay, and had never been out of Gilmer county. She seemed to be in her late 501s. Her son, Bobby, who was in his early 20' s, j 0 ined us and he Iped his mother remember words. He knew the songs from hearing his mother and other older people sing them. He was finally persuaded to sing I<noxville Girl and Lula Wall with his mothec. Mrs. Newton told a ghost story for me as I sat on the floor and watched her eyes twinkling with the enjoyment of the born storyteller. Bobby asked her to tell me abo~Jharl ie Newton and the wi tch, but Mrs. Newton though t I wou Idn' tit since it rea 11 y happened. I to Id her I would like It. She remembered a neck riddle. And she and Mrs. Whitener each told a London Bridge riddle. Mrs, Leola Newton Box 265 EI I ijay, Ga, Lovin Henry Gt) I,\1,,I (', .< 'i,i /) ',' ' ( , c Mrs. Newton: Come In, come In, Lovin Henry said she And stay all this nyte with me And all these costlyest robes, rings, that i wear I will give them all to thee. I cain't come In lovin Henry said he And spend all this nyte with you For al I pretty girls in tha Arkansaw land Would thank I uz long comln home. He leaned hlz breast up against tha fence To take ah part i ng kl ss Lady Margaret had ah keen pointed knyfe And she pierced it deep and quick. Now live, oh live lovin Henry said she Jus one hafe 'In hour long And 11 11 sen<li fer tha shifles,s doctor in town: To kour yur bleedin wounds. '\. ';r<.1 IIr \),.\lc ,'i: o how kin I live, Lady Margaret, said he Jus one hafe un hour long When my own heart~ blood Is ah ru~nlM down and ah drippin off at my knees. She called her waitin maids to her side Said keep this secret on me And all these costlyest robes I wear I will give them all to you. [She called her waitin maids to her side Said keep this secret on me . I done it twiced, I ruint it then~ ( Some tuck hold of his lily wyte hands And some)of hiz Illy wyte feet They carried im down to the wide river side And they plunged him in tha deep. Lie thar, lie thar, lovin Henry, said she TillJ~the flesh all rots from yur bones And~tha preddy girls in tha Arkansaw land Wi 11 thank yur a'long comin home. she > !v,-,(/),(1!/\) bin ~?)' go I d Come down, come down, preddy par ret said And keep this secret on me And yur cage shall be made of the finest And it'll han~ In ah willow tree. t: Ah ca in' t come down, Lady Margaret, sa id she I cain't, lets see, stop it jus ah minute.'J CAh ca\in't come down, Lady Margaret, said she And sit all upon yur knee You ki lIed yur own true lover I'm afear you mi ght ki I I me. If I had my bow and arrar My ah bow all in hits band I'd give you ah dart that'd wound yur heart Whar I never would see you again. And if you had yur I.bow and arrar Yur bow all in yur.and I'd spread my w!ings and fly far away to whar you'd never see me again. Namol Wise Mrs. Newton: come~ar me tell the storee of I iddle 'ome Wise How she wuz deluded by John Lewis's lies. He promised to meet 'er all at the Adams Sprangs And brang her some money and other fine thangs. M" She went and she waited,<lliel EI~ last he did come But he neither brought money or other fine thangs He hugged her and he k.ssed her, and he turned her all around And he threw her In the waters that run through the town. The people all gathered and searched all aroun~ ~ But they could not find I iddle "ome beneath the old mi 11 -eIown. ~ Ah liddle boy wuz fishin alone ~ Tuesday mornin He threw, he saw I iddle 'ome's body come floatin along He threw's net around her, he drug her to the bank Her body wet and heavy, Lord, he Iaid her on a plank. They sent for John Lewis to come and view tha place They propped her up before him whar he could see her face My name hit is John Lewis, my name I cain't deny I've drownded my own sweetheart, Lord, I kin not I ive on high They puVher in her casket, they started to tha grave They handcuffed John Lewis and started to jai I Goodby~ liddle 'orne, liddle 'Orne, fare ye well I know yur bound for heaven and I am bound for hell. Mrs. Newton; Get back now"Debble, and set down over thaI' and let me try this. Get me a stu~~ Let's see, which one you want me to sang? Parks: Just sing anything you want to. Mrs. Newton:'S it on? allu,lleer I My dearest, dearest dotner, hits you had better mind "II lock you in my dungeon Yur body I'll confine o Yur body "II confine. You may lock me in yur dungeon My heart you cain't confine Thar's none but Jackie Frazier/will gain this heart uh mine/ o will gain this heart uh mine Yur Jackie he's gone sailin His face you'll see no more Till he lands on yanders island and sandy bl izards~) shore o on sandy blizards shore. She stepped up to tha milinary shop And dressed herse Ifin blue "etA'" And bargued with the captain to ~ her far away o fer to bury her far away. Yur fangers they are 1iddle, fyur ~Jalst~ are neat and small Yur cheeks too red and ros\l Fer to face them cannon balls o fer to face them cannon balls My fangers they are llddle,/my waist_ are neat and small But hit would not change my council/for to See ten thousand fall o for to see ten thousand fall. She raised tha flags of England, and marched all around and around Among the dead and wounded Her darlin boy she found o her darlin boy she found. She picked him up all in her arms . And carried him to the town ~ And ca 11 ed ror a. '1u Ick 1"*'" , ~?) fer to hea 1 and kO\1r his wounds o fer to hea 1 alid kour his wounds. Hits before you gl t on board sh i p I'd 1 ike fer to know YQ~ name She smiled all along her councman~ You may ca 11 me Jack Monroe you may call me Jack Monroe. This couple got married, how well they did agree this couple got married And hits why not you and me O,and fuits why not you and me. Mrs. Newton: That picturCon the wall Thars an old and faded pictureon the wall And hits been a hangin thar for many ah year ~ Tis the pictur of my mother for' know thar(no other That can take tha place of mother on the wall On tha wall, on tha wall How' love that dear old pictur( on tha wall Time is swiftly passin by when I'll bow my head :and cry (I got too high) Cuz , know 1"11 meet my mother after all ""es tha chillen all have gathered and have gone And I'll have a 1iddle family of my own And , know "II love them We 11, more than any tongue ki n te 11 But "II hold that dear old plctur on the wall. On tha wall, on tha wall How I love that dear old pictur on tha wall. (Time is swiftly passin by when , bow my head and cry cuz , know I'll meet my mother after all (Yes tha, did' sing that) As my gu i tar makes its cord, , am pray In to tha Lord Let me hold that dear old pictur on tha wall On tha wall, on tha wall How I love that dear old pictur on tha wall. Time is swifly passin by when I'll bow my head and cry cuz , know I'll meet my mother after all. Mrs, Newton: Ravin Gambler I yam ah rovin gambler I gamble down in town Wharever I meet with ah deck of cards, I lie my money down I've gambled down in Washington I've gambled down in Spain I'm gain down to GeorgiXto gamble my last game, 4 fell in love with a preddie liddle girl She tuck me in her parlor And she cooled me with tha fan She wispered low in her mothers ear I love that gamb lin man o mother a dear mother 1'1 I te I I you if I can If you ever see me a'comin back again I'll be with a gamblin man, o d~~,le\~rh ,e a 'dear dother Why do you treat me so/to leave your dear old mother And with a gambler go, Riddles Mrs. Newton: Why hits a man gonna be hung, and they'.wuz gonna hang him. And so they told him if he could make a riddle that>couldn't'nobody unriddle they wouldn't hang him. And so he made up a riddle. He wen t, got a man named Horn, and got him to c limb .LJP.jn th i s white oak tree and eat a horn, eat a horn. And then';t1ley went to hang him, why he told um that ah horn ate ah horn in ah white oak tree and they couldn'd unriddle it, and they didn't hang him. Mrs. Wh i tener: As I went over London Bridge, And the answer is that um,yit and"yit I"was the dog's name. ~ ~, but ylt I walked. I was, the dog went with me Is that ryteY uh . Mrs. Newton: As I went over LOndon Br idge, thilr I peeped under, I saw nine heads, nine tails, forty feet, and uh hundred nails. Uh, an old dog with ah nine puppies. , t () .i (J /"" () 1,:1"') , Mrs. '/11q. Witches' fv1.eet:iVl.J A SABat stolY Newton: Well this hear boy he's good. He had a wife and ah baby. And his mother'd been a gain out on wednesday nytes, and he didn't know whar she was goin, and he got mIstrusted that she wuz goin to see witches, some whar.Sald he knowed whar thar WIiZ an 0 Id house once whar thar' d, tha,rd been up thar, and had been wi tches hav i n dances !:har... and so th Is he. boy~~ald he wuz gonna go and find out If his mother wudn't ah witch. And"tJent and he clum up in this old house, up in tha loft. Well",j;ye said he laid down up thar and said they went to comin in, th,~ witches did, jus a dancin and a gain on; and they wuzc,havin ah meetin. And said directly in come his old mother./ And .. this helle boy's mother come inthese hefte old witches Wl1Z gettin on to her cause she hadn'd done no meanness. And she told, she told ~m that if they'd let her off without punishin her that nyte, that she'd go and the next day her boy's wif~ wuz gonna wash, and she'd turn herself into an old sow,~old pig see, and she'd turn the cradle over and eat the baby, tear the baby up. And said that he went then and that nyte, he never told his wife ,.~l . nothin about this and so he went and sharpened him a butcher P""'T"I_Ayfte and he laid out of work the next mornin, and never let her know noth in abou tit. Sa i d his wi fe went, oll L to wijlsh: 8Qd she wen t au i:, The a I d" (,>1 d l"~he, was hid and the 0 Id woman she ~golk off up, tha hlll,and he went and hid behind the cradle,with:i,ttcher knife. And said that directly here that old, here his mother come down the hili jus like an old sow or old pig. Said she run in thar and rared up on theY cradle to turn it over and he jumped up with the butcher knife and he come down on her foot and cut one of 'Elm,' off. And said when he cut her foot off, thar wuz his mother standin thar and had her cut her foot off. The following was told as a true story. TAe CJ; 'tell's Af'1'1fl. '/v-ee. Mrs. Newton: Well Chari ie he wuz comin, Chari ie Newton, wuz comin from meHt inane day and thar's an a Id woman lived way up in tha field up thar and everybody said she uz a witch. And he looked up thaI' and he seed her standin up thar on tha porch abou t a hJff mil e up In....1O.ha f i e'l'd. And there's ah big apple tre: a'standin'~ on tha side of tha road. And he said he'd jus stepped over to pick him up ah apple and said when he stepped over thar to pick up that apple, he jus raised up with tha apple and thar she wuz ryght behind him! Said"What';I y8 doin in'wrt!9 my apples?" Said he saidl/Well. I hadr'd got in thar yet, but I jus started to." Said she said 'You climb that tree/she said/and shake them apples off fer mel" Knoxv i 11 e GIr I Bobby Newton: Isit on? I met a liddle girl in Knoxville, ah town we all know well And every Sunday even in au tin her home I'd dwe 11 We went to take an evenin walk about ah mi Ie from town I picked ah stick up off tha ground and I knocked that fair girl down. I, she fell down on her bended knees, for mercy she did cry o Willie, dear don't kill me here, I'm not prepared to die. I spoke not another word, I on 1y beat her more Till the ground all around me in her blood did flow. I took her by her golden curls and I dra~Sed her round and round I threw her in tha river that flowed through Knoxvi lIe town. Go thar, go thar you Knoxville girl with dark and rollin eyes Go thar, go thar you'll never be my bride. carried on home, got thar about midnight woke my an:l(ious mother in ah fright. o son, 0 son what have you done to bloody your clothes so. I ansed my an~ious mother, I was bleedin at the nose. I called for ah can61e to lite myself to bed And I called for ah napkin to bind my ach!in head. I rolled and tumbled the whole nite through My dreams were of 1ivin hell. Lu 1a Wa 11 Mrs. Newton and Bobby: One evein gettin dark When I met her at the park We were sittin by the fountin all alone Then I lifted up my hat and then I began to chat And she said she'd allow me to see her at her home. Such ah star you never seea She's'reddy as a queen She's as perfect as an angel from above If she'd only be my wife, I'd live happy all my life With that aguvatin beauty Lula Wall. One evRin gettin late when I met her at the gate And I a'sked her if she'd wed me in tha fall She only turned away and nothin would she say That aguvatin beauty Lula Wall. Such ah star you never seen she's as preddy as a queen She' s cfSA~\'r :nge I from above If she'd only be my wife, I'd 1ive happy all my life With that aguvatin beauty Lula Wall, Don't start it yet. ~ If she ~nlY be mine, I would bui ld a house so fine A11 around it J!.CJ many fen~ ta I I It would make'~ jealous that no one on earth but me Could gaze on that aguvatin beauty Lul~ Wall, Such ah star you never seen She's as preddy as ah queen She's as perfect as an angel from above If she'd only be my wife, I'd live happy all my life With that aguvatin beauty Lula Wall Top left: Mrs. Newton Top right: Mrs. Newton's house Bottom left: Mrs. Newton and Bobby Newton Bottom right: Bobby Newton Thursday, November 19, my mother, Mrs. Harper, and I drove to my grandmother's, Mrs. Lovinggood, In Palmetto. We picked her up and drove to her friend's Mrs. Bowen. Mrs. Bowen knew a lot of old supersTItions. My grandmother said Mrs. Bowen believed a lot of these. For instance, ~he would never .leave a house by any door but the one she entered. Mrs. Bowen was expecting us and had prepared a list of some she remembered. She told a ghost story with the same motif, animals foot cut off, person transforms from animal also wi th foot cut off, as collected from Mrs. Newton. My grandmother who is 85 was very amused by the who 1e tFli ng. She couldn't imagine why anyone would want old things like that. She and Mrs. Bowen who is in her 60's (the picture is misleading) agreed that the old people knew the best thi,ngs. Young people thought ti,ey did, but the old people really knew. Mrs. Bowen called her friend Mrs. Chapman and she came in from across the street and sang part of two songs. Mrs. Celeta B. Bowen Church street Palmetto, Ga. Parks: Mrs. Bowen: Parks: Hey, we're at mrs. Bowen's house in Palmetto My mother told me this. This man went to tha house to spend the night. Asked the man about spending it, tha night in an empty house, and he told him that it was hainted, he couldn't stay there but he went on and stayed anyway and made him a fiah and lay down in front of the fiah, and atta while a big old cat came in a'meowin and he hit at 'irt/with the butcher knife and cut his paw off. Next mornln he went up there and told-thoe /11(,1" r11.t- (<L'd him that tha big cat came in and he cut his paw off sl'e~~ 'Cl<<: "lgh"f: ~"I "(;o(J In and said well his wife's hand was off. Good, that's real interesting, uh, what about some of the superl~tions Mrs. Bowen: Some of them that I marked down? (She had prepared a list of those she remembered when' she knew I was com/fting.) Parks: What about the one about the one about not coming in, not going out the different doors. Mrs. Bowen: Parks: Well I was going to mark want, well, uh, uh .... over. If you don't want over it. No, that's good. out the one's you didn't Bad luck to see a cat turn that un, I'll just mark Mrs. Bowen: Well, heah's where it says never brang ah, no never go to a house, no that's a hoe, said brang, no don't never brang ah hoe in the house. That wuz bad luck, and then don't go to somebody's house, someone's house, and go in one door and out another. When you get ready to go home, go out the same door you went in. That un I jus told wuz about the house that uz hainted. And this one, once they used to say they put spells on ya, and uh, then they'd say drink water offa silver money to take the spe 11 off of ya. i' ( , Parks: Water off what? Mrs. Bowen: Take tha spell oHa tha person that~rinked the, that tha Th,j'':-pu'l: the spell on ya, just like I say, if tha witch put a spell on me, they say you could drink water oHa silver and it would take the spell off"ya. 1 Parks: Oh, really, who were the uh witches? Were those old women who 11 ved In, around or, did peop 1e know who the witch was? Mrs. Bowen: Well, that's what they called um. NO, no, don't know who the witch wuz. Mrs. Harper: Well they just called um witches didn't they? That was the name. Mrs. Bowen: vie 11 you know you ~ll see the pictur of old thangs they call witches. Parks: I mean did they tl:l i.nk some woman waS the wi tch or did they just not know? Mrs. Harper: A lot of time you start that talkin about somebody and call um a wi tch. I don't know whether . Lovinggood: A spect there been a lot of people, women called old wi tches. Mrs. Harper: You're not recordin what we're sayin here are you? You are. Parks: What about the one about fishing? About the bait. Mrs. Bowen: Well, they said don't never when you're gonin a'fishin don't never bring the bait in the house, when you're goin a'fishin, do tha fish won't bite. Di yalget that? Parks: I hope so. Mrs. Bowen: Well, there, there's one they used to say. Itwas bad Juck fer a woman to go to yur house first on New year's day. Always good luck fer a man to come to yurhouse first on New Year's day. Ah woman comes first afore the man did, you'd have bad luck. I guess that's all of it. Parks: What about the black cat? Mrs. Bowen: Parks: WeI I, its bad luck sign of ah death. hoe in the house? I think so, to see a cat turn over, that's Did I tell you about brlngin the Have I done said that un? Mrs. Bowen: Well, I've said that un about goln to the, uh, don't never go over to home, you know go to see anybody and go ou t tha, yOLI know, go In one door and go ou t the other. And I done told that un, hadn'd I. Well 1 guess that one was all them. Mrs. Harper: What about the ladder? Mrs. Bowen: Yea, they say It's bad ILick to go under a Iadder. Lovlnggood: You gettln it now? Parks: uh huh Mrs. Bowen: If you wash on New Years day It's bad Iuck and you loose some of YLir family that same year. That's tha way 1 said It first time, idn't it. Parks: And about the ashes, Is that from a fire: Mrs. Bowen: Yea. day. know 1t' s bad Iuck to take up ashes on new Years I, they just say you'il have bad luck. I don't what the bal luck Is. Parks: And mama what was that about the . Lov Inggood: I don't know If I ki n th i nk of anythilng or not. Parks: The one about New Years Mrs. Harper: Pu 11 It over where she can ho Id It. Lovlnggood: Well, I'll stand up , I, about what? Parks: The one you just said about New Years. Lovinggood: Yea, when you . laughter Mrs. Harper: Have you got it on? Lovlnggood: Always brang somethang in when you go OLit of tha house on New Years. When you go back In, carry somethang, if it's just a piece of wood. Parks: That's good. Lovinggood: Well, let's see. Mrs. Harper: Why are yOLi laughln? Lovinggood: I'm laughin cause its crazy. Mrs. Bowen: Kin you thank of anythin? Lov i nggood: And what else? Sha 11 I te 11 the one abou t the ghosts in the cemetary? Parks: Um huh. Yeah, that's good Lovinggood: My brother lived in an old house, old home place, and there was a cemetary, they were called graveyards of course, then, close to the house. And he got up before dayl ight one morn into cu t wood for the fire place, and somethin came down tha hill from the grave yard add, big whi te somethln, I guess he got in the ~ol.\,e pretty quick. I don"t rightly .. Parks: That's good. Mrs. Bowen: Always have black eyed peas and hog jowls new Years day to have ah lot of money. All, at Christmas time when you got a Christmas tree, always, uh, let the family be at home to take the Christmas tree out. Always take it out afore New Years day, don't)you'll have bad luck. Parks: Good. Chapman: I went up on the mounting And I give my horn ah blow I thought I heard my true love say o yonder came my bow o yonder come my bow} W I thought I heard the true love say o yonder come my bow. Laughter Parks: Chapman: Good. What about the one about chopping wood? Or what was it? Let me see. I want to get that all together afore I start i t,and I done forgottDII, it. o cut that sto wood, Bill o cut that sto wood, Bill Lay yur axe by yur chop and ah cut that stowood, Bi 11 o cut that stowood, Bill o cut that sto wood, Bill Parks: Marthy is in at the door o cut that sto wood, Bill -0 cut that sto wood, Bill Marthy's at the door She's waitin for you, Johnnie, o cut that sto wood, Bill That's good, Where did you hear this? Chapman: Oh, that wuz old timey, wuz back when I wuz a girl, Parks~ Did you live around here then, or in Palmetto? Chapman: Well, nearly bout in Palmetto and right over at Fayette, Me and Her (Mrs, Bowen) hadn'd never been to far apart, Lovl nggood: I want to see there was one you sa id someth in abou t the mountain, uh, that you knew, Parks: Oh, old smoky Lovinggood: Yea thats preddy, old smoky Chapman: Up on top of old smoky a 11 covered wi th snow I cain' t, I don't remember it, Lovi"lggood: About the true love Chapman: Yeah, I 1os t my true lover by cou rt in too slow That's it, I ~us Parks: That's good, Chapman: Well, I don't know anythang else She's the one that knows um laughter What you gonna do with those thangs anyway? Top left: Mrs. Bowen Top right: Mrs. Bowen's house Bottom left: Mrs. Lovinggood Bottom right: Mrs. Chapman ~~ . .t' 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 in a position to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials accurately. 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 language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete is ongoing. 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