Jack Farris interview with W. “Bill” E. Merritt

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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 recording contains an interview with W. Bill E. Merritt, the son of potter Emmett Merritt, discussing life as a potter in Crawford County, Georgia, during the early 1900s. Merrit starts by describing types of kilns, including groundhog kilns and ones that use sand. He also lists the prices of the jugs that his father sold, and says that his father collected clay on the Echeconnee Creek. At 5:30 Merritt talks about his family background and their becoming potters. His half brother, Jule Merritt, learned the business alongside him after their father passed away. At 8:37 Merritt details the process of retrieving clay from the river using horse and buggy, wagons, and pickaxes, as well as the quantity of clay required to make the pots. Next Merritt describes mills that he uses in his pottery shop, Middle Georgia Pottery, at 13:50. He also explains how to mill clay and the best clay consistency for pottery. The interviewer, Jack Ferris, recalls watching his friend mill clay with a mule. At 17:50 Merritt tells a story about his friends father who always wore white while working to demonstrate that talented potters should stay clean. Then he explains types of kiln lifters, which were unique to different types of pottery. Next, Merritt describes how to dry clay before firing it. At 20:20 he outlines the process of brick making, then recalls the transition potters faced when gas and coal powered kilns replaced wood fired. Then Merritt explains the cooling process pottery undergoes after it is removed from the kiln. To conclude the interview, he recalls how potters knew when to remove their pots from the kiln before temperature gauges. William Bill Emmett Merritt (1930-2016) was born in Lizella, Georgia, to Emmett Merritt (1878-1937) and Molly Merritt (1899-1968). He married Peggy Joy Mosely Merritt (1932-2015) and had several children. Merritt helped his father with his pottery business, Middle Georgia Pottery, which he later owned for over 50 years. He was a member of the Dixon United Methodist Church. Jonathan Jack F. Farris (1943-1995) was born in Carrollton, Georgia, to Clarence Farris (1920-1998) and Elmina Beasley (1922-2007). He married Eva Sullivan (1939-1997) and had one son. Farris graduated from Carroll County High School and later Georgia State University. He lived in Baldwin and Atlanta. COl,LEUTING 1 RlJJEU'r by Jaok IiI. Farris ~jL HING \~UAH'rER 1970 1NJ!'lJnJJiU~'r: j,lr. VI. E. "Bill" Merritt L( z ef(C{ I ,2j~1' , , / 1" I . t{} \. f! ) /\ There was some evidence that n, pottery industry had. been estabUshed in the middle GeorgiB, nroa during -Iho ()al.>ly 1900 IS. This is m()ntioned in nn al~t:i.cle by Arthur Clements in Antiquor, Nlagnzine Flome yenrs ago. The article ste-ted thn,t in tllo Into 19th century eas'l;orn Crawford Coun'&y, Georgia was principally populated by farm()rn, but there seemed to be at 1eas'l; a slJIal1 pottory induf3try in the nroa. Clay obj ootH woro flred wil;h wood in "lllo,I.1 outdoor arched ovonB. 11.11880 small potter'ies made numey~oun utilitnri:.;m objeots such 3,8 crockn, ahUt'nfl, pots and jugs. The glazes uood during t:rlC early peri-od.r; were made of ,,1, mix:tuI'o of lime [mel F.l\vamp Jrlu.d or woodnsh. Clemerd:'A statod that in 1900 th<3re vmre twelve of thefJe .nmall pottod.e" in tho nr'ea IDcmtionod; but, by 1927 thero were only two loft, and 'I;hose had lost maxlY of thnir primitlve cha:cactoriHiiicfJ. He si'iailed -that both pottorien were using a commercial glaze cflllod Albany ;31ip, and one pottery was Hhaping itn flower potn on a m,'),chinc~~ Thl" In,t&o)' pot'be)'y mm,-l;ioned is of inte:res'l; hore for.' it in still ntnndi 11e; in the o:ci.einn.J locrd;ion uHod by r.{r.. ,Ermnit-t JJBrritt, and it is pror;e.nt.ly being run b;y('riro VI. Eo IlBill" ;~,:Y.'riti" hiD nOD" tir. Emmi.tt },lcrritt was opern,ti.ng thin pottery during the early 1900n. The roforence 'l;o 'lihe UBe of a fIlnchine in tllC moldi.Ylg 0:(' POiif> in rareX'ing to the pottery of br. \1 .. G. l'.lerritt. rI'enontJ~y thi,fJ po-ttory in called (rllc hiiddle Georgia \'ottery, ownod an(l run by Mr. 11. l';. li:")l'l'.i-bt. ~llhe pottery is looated off Knoxville nOL~}l [l,1)ou-G five lIliloH fI'om Li7,olln" Georgia which in Ot) I1ighvmy 80 abor.l'C 10 milen wost of Macon. til'. I,"I fi:. LieI'd 1;t was bo:cn ,'l,nd reared in IJize.1,la" Goorgia. Ho was horn in .1930, nnd hi.r; r":ClIo)' r!:Led i.n 1937 'clJJdng with him mor;-{; of the lmowlodgo of the j 2 folk potter;y' of tho ofJJ:'ly 190,:)':\, r:;r. \'''1 Eo j,lorr:i.tt in a mElD of large FrGt-lJjuro nYld :r.ou.ghoned nplJoara,nne 0 Ho in, however t n very friendly man ~ f,l}1d he iu very in-tol'ordiOd in prenerving; whn.:lj he can about the old wayH and crnftfJ. Up until the tilile hi8 mothor dicHl n few yearn ago, he and his wife H.nd ohildren lived iXl 'bhf.l sa.me bouno his mother 2xHl fn,'\Jl:10:r- had liv<xl in o He han in the plJ,8t thr.eo yearn hui.l"b a b.rio.k, homo aC)'.'OfHl lih.e frtroot from id.f--J mother' f3 old houHe 0 lJ~he pottery is junt d01;'111 the stY'(Hd; 0 tie. J;i(~~rritt now operator; the potte:cy an his aoen.Dation a:nd proclu.cog flower. potn of all t,Yl)OS fox' nale thronghou.t 'tho Goutl-l(~[l,Bt. His produetion fJoheclulo has been cui! clown tu almoFJt nothing becH,ufJr-1 of a lrJ.Ok of' 1abo1:' 0 He now firen hi.1i po'tter;y anne overy fnvl weDk.fJ inntoHd of evory few dnyn rw he lHMJ clone in Thill tntorv.iowar vin:i,tnrl tho how:;o of T::r. L:cH'r:i.lit. on two 8op<:lrato OCGIl.niorlfJ and obtn-innd numC):'OlUJ n:e"liicles of pott.er.y prod1.1.cod 1n tho 01(1 rnnnnn.r nlrlny yearn (ludng tho npring of 1970. yenf'G old nn.d. livon d.OI/Tn tho roa.d :\ fow hundrod yclrdul' TlrifJ nw:n~ ,Tule, vlOnld be original pottery before Emltlitt Merritt died. As I unuerstand it, Jule hlerritt ViaS one of the workers in this pottery when he was younger. However, I IVa,9 unable to contaot him uuring eithcr visit with hlr. VI. E. Lierritt. In the following 'transcription all parts not otherwi se marked are spoken by Mr. \'1. E. J.lerritt. I ) 101 'GnnAo we: havcJ 1<108,1 nlp,y an far an 1ihe nur'nOL'ymen 0,1'0 eon 1x;1:rl.C'd l)(;(~;\tJ.;;c thoy liko a pot; tha'h' 11 hI'8v,the ~ 1),n<1 1 t vo ~ri.ecl buyLng alot of potn from out of :1t. 11011.:1.8, I didn't; tell 'b}lU gll;Y thnt; tbere wan D, <llffo:r'e)loc: :i'l th(-~ c:lr.;y, hut he rH rll) It Llko the; j)ot an wnl1 d.uo to the :fact t,hrtJi6' .1,1h, he naid it didn It Vlant 'to eo tio pn.lrrt 0) Hail Y,'oad tunnol ~. ~ there is /J, t'()f.lemhlanno to tJw npokc;n of n, wagon wheol and t.llen thoy hn.d. th(~ ground hoC' type. Now ,Iule natd t.hnt 'hhone, that we nnW with nnnd on tho bottom :hA.~1 no flu:::: and junt were f:irod :in portn. Air w(-mt ovor [mel then 1 of nou:r.80 ~ it vl8nt ont 8 Ou.rs) we \'lOuld try to come .in, ovor nXlll (lown t.ht'ough 'Lheroo ,J I\CK f"M\RJ.,;: ',~'!ould thi.8 bA a ground hog JeLln? n:ieht~ Tn othor \'IOy'd.::l you had the FHln<l, .ronlP.mher the OYlon wi.th the f~n.nd on t.hn hottomf,? \'J01.1) they had to nit on '1:;ho ~;nnd hecaune t.hey Htl..icl when the eJaz8 ran, of 00ur8! it would st:i.ok to anything Illlil that wan l,rohn,hly tho reason fOl' tho r'ojoot8 th8,;; you 8m,; j t I8 t,he fact thnt tho glazo r8.n aJld ntu<:k to aJlother one or. the sRUel VNJ,B. 0 owe11, he nnid it had tooln -t.o H(J'/~HPO the f;fLnd off, 80 metaJ "tooln and wooden 0 l /lei( Ii'Allln~;: Pl'obllhly had somo kind of gl':inding wheel" too that thoy opernted by foot. YCfJ, vie had n.n old grind.ing wheel in the nhop, big old stone that you nit iihere and, uh, peddle the thine;. \h~ toro down in the midst of thin han beon many ye~aJ'n fl,gO" .nut YIO IHld the full Bet up n,t one time 8$ far an -bhe hlae,kBm: i.thn and 'bhe DOflUJl8flf:HJ,ry with tho old pl'ieen and, nh, I gLl.EHH3 for ttlO guyn that worked there l)ecaus(~ I Vl8,fJ nmazed at the prices they lutd the la,rd 25, vou)')(l rl:r'UJHno. oJ "t'eekon or bnrrelFJ nXld, uh, })rineG AlhGl',t and" uh, $,11 the ,J /lU;< fi'AH!l.l:i: Do you sbi U havo -J;heflo prico lists? r ,) I kept thone prioon, yoa, i.f I CBn find them II I,Phone WC':l'C printed on old oardboard that waH nailed to the wall, and they had got'Gon flO old th",j; they, uh, that they, uh, were a,otually, uh, dry and hr':i:Ltle. You know how paper would get \I ~11ey were nlmofJ't faJ) ing out of there, kwe no iden whnt I done \7ith them. Now we got an old, uh, what hnve Vie got over there thnt vre found, an aId, uh, pla~ning tool that VlMJ hand made Well T gllcsn botwoen thepottery I),nd the j \Ih, Jnaybe the fa,X'minr; 8ind bJao.k~ Slid ths Vlent lw,nd-:i_nO-~11and due to tho fant "{that machinery to repair' or, uh, bea.t and bcmd the metal 'GO bond, you know. CIlAIG l,i]';[(RI'rT: YOu wan'Ga go out 'to the jug~pile au:\; hehe;",) tho I!o'we? l}e']:1 go around there in a fe\'! minntcH, there is 8ll.other' p:iJ,(~', iillO:eetH O~1.t-.~ , ',< I ) About this high<;o,,>,:.,\ \..o.,j) / ' Ji,eK J.o'AHlUS: Oka,y, boy, 'Ghat will he good. We have another one. l.Phere it3 one dovm the roa,d. Vlo'11 show YOUe (60 - 63 Diffioult to underst:md.) in Crrwrrord County right here. 69 High"!; novi them, did you "\lme from lAaoon'? tJ.f\Cl< JtARRI8: Yes, sir. Now then., the (}),>(wk then, you remember- the creek down l)(~:ro A.nd t.he In.idgf:; tTli.CK 11'AHRI:,i: Okay, t.hen. And wha,tt n the name of "bhat oreek''? l~~oheconnee JilCK ji'AHH1::i' Eohe how do you. Hpell tha,t? l'~ohoconne, ,Llomething l:i,ko tJ 1,"1."1; ~ We t;ot our clay not, not right on the creek, we go back int;o nihh wa;/he {;I, ,,,i. 1" 11",1 t),C)' turn to a road -to your right that's not out of the creek, it's away from the creek in fact, it's just a delta, flat land way, way over. 82 JACK IcARRIS: \'Ihere the creek had been at one time. At one time right, ri~lt. JACK FARIUS: Is the same place that your father go-t his clay? Right, now this place right dewn the road is alot nearer that they dug clay to and then, this has been before this, now I don't know well, as I understand at one time it was just hard to find. You just couldn't find it (good clay). Now of course we are still picking and digging around the flame spot, uh, I can't say the clay is as plentiful as U used to be. JACK ~'Al(RIS: Do you have to pay for that clay down there? No we own that, Vie ovm -the land. Well, uh, it's the same land he bought, same land he bought. JACK b'ARRIS: IIhat was your' father's full name? Emmitt, just Emmitt. J AUK "'ARlUS: Just EmmU-t Merritt. j don't know if there is anyone ahead of him as far as his folks are concerned. Oh, yea now, his dad, right, Jack. JACK FARlUS: Ja.ck Merrit-t, his father. Right. Did he have anything to do with the pot-tery business? ah yea, now this pot-tery we're looking at or fixing 1;0 look at, I was telling you out behInd the, the new one that Vie found, that vtaS his potter'y. "0 appa_ rently Dad grew up wIth hilll, in U then when he got a little older lIlaybe he went out and started his. Lius -t have, you know. Liaybe he had worked for him then started_ hin, tha-t's the only way .l can figure, unle8~J -thore was I underste_ nd there were at that time that we're speakinG of, that you are right, there were a limited. arnoun"t of litt,le po'tteries right in this area that J never sa1i dovm and tried to figure why. JAUK F'ARRlS, You do you know where your fa"ther's fa"ther came from or, uh, hin people. Do you Imow whother til8Y Camo from over Savanna.}l area or dovm through the IJJountains or ., I) My sister, my half ninter, wan a"t one "time was wha"t do you oall 'bhin when you go baok and dig up your family tree way, way on baok. She had started this 124 thing, but 1 don' 'b know how far she eve)" got with i 'b, but I really d,on' t know. Uke 1 said Dad died ...you know. Iiy f",H,e.<', he Vias married 1'0,1' a relatively nhart time b0f01'8 ho died II I'd Hay about soveD years. JAC" J"AHnIO\, And what in your half brother'n name, Jule JAerritt. Let' B Bee. Jule grew up more of in that end of it more than 1 did bec8.1we 1 vaguely remember the wheel Vlork. Now.1 'm 40 and, of oourse, .1 ACK FAllR ":,, Whon did, uh, whon was this l,ott,e)~y dovm here made or developed? This, now are you talking about them Bamp]efJ you found or the pla.n'b itself? .1ACK ,ICAl1n1:" 'Phe pI a.n'b Hnelf. WeD, now 1 remember .Jule sa.ying that tbose kUnn for ins'banoe, the lit-Gle Oll<-) that we, that you didn'-t take a pioture, uh, he vng1J.oly romembO'tfl. He re~ 1~9 lr'lombern it bo:.Lng h:.dlt, uh, he was r.eal mlla!.l. I J AUK !'AnnIS, :io that would be around 1900. Ri ght. And, uh, due to the f,-"ot that, llb, T know he Vlan 'balJdng ahout lahor T don't know whethor i.'b ",an ponniBs a <}n,y or, Ull, maybe 50 cent" a day or 1"')880 I\nd "lJhey Vlorked from nUl1up to sundow.t1. I.Plw;t t n right. It t B a, very old. ki.ln the top has gotten a li:btlc~ rough on ita ,U'btlo dangerous; it wouldn"b hurt you, I)U't it could pOHn:i,bl.)' hurn t}l<' shop dow:n. No, 1 thi.nk 'bhat, uh, l(~t,tFJ S08 now, my fatl1er Vll10 Vla'l ~:Illlllit'b, his brot,herfJ lrdi I S nee there was Unclo I.ionr.oe, 1 think it \'in;-! i-onroc... I thi.nk Uncle Uonroe 7 was in the pol,t(Jry busin08f:l, my ftJ:Llor "l"lf1.S, 1 dontt remember Illy grandfcl,ther, but 1. understand. he was a180. Idhn I >c::n,id, :i.-t wn,f-3 a pOf:3sibLlity hB Btaeted it and don't know, uh, in thi::.i [),rE~a or maybe ju_st hiHlnelf in iihn immcdin,tc fami ly anyway. JAG" 1"A[([(1',: And all thone itOH'" I havo Boml'lcm of, uh, ap!larerrUy wero I!tVl!c before nay, uh, 1925. Oh yoa, yeB sir, um hem, I would dofini:G,,,ly nay that. 185 JileK FAlirn~,: \'/hon did they Awitch ovor to "I;ho making of PO"ts? V/ell ~ J understa,nel -the mill -that you saw. '.J:h(-;l big mill that he brought from Id.2,ella. ~Phere ufJed -1;0 he a railraod. I understand beside a, uh, muile and wagon, 1'1011 thi" VID.S mountod, woll. of course Dad wan only 59 when ho died. He diod in 1937 80 it had to bo nwny, many years hoforo that hOC8,\J.80 ho ran tho mi11 all of hi" life thD:G he ]mOI'Ifl at 1'lA.8t tho "time it wouL1 havo lwon 80. JACK FAHRJ.~.): rehatts "\;r.lO pug rrdll right? '.1le ll, tha.t Ylould be the big OnE), tho crunher. Now tho puc;mLll VIC hnvG put -in ~ we uned t.o have 8, nm:_J.J. mill all we did wan CO into [), h::i.t"e(';)~ mill, f), ox'unher typo. fP.lJn one 'ivitil the big f!}}rl,l~ x'[wk up Oll top -IJh,D.,t'fJ n. v(-.~ey old if} r;vd,~ trw cOHlpany :in olwolote. ~'lhe c:hrujo Company rndJ,t it they [1,).'0 ol)f301ntc~~ \lhy you can It huy n pH,}'1; we have -1;0 nard; o:r have cant ';l,t \;/ndn i 'fw.hino Compnny. It donn lJACK ViU'mJ~,): And \'10 .ld.H(1. of docidc(l thiJ.t 8.-1.1 CJ:~' !;hi.8, pI'obn,bly tho Hw:Ln purpone of opeY'atiilg t}d8 mill and st;-,.rtiin.g the wi.ll 'i7[lB, vh, for the rr18J~ing of jUg'Flo Hig'rrt, right 0 '1 would think no, jugn Or' c:eockn 01' jars, chu:cnn to flOTnn Qxtent. J AGJ< I.ilJHUn~:i: Thot'f) Roomed to he fJ. lHre{~) ov:i d(-moe of rt tS:eoat, Hlany juc;n ha,ving herm mn,dn liko WCJ st,ated earlier fop. ~ ~Vlell, it. JilUnti have becH). lJI':Lmarily for tile) uh, nJ (Joho 1. Ul< ny, now you fjn,y -they wen-Ii dovm in horne nnd huggy or Warson.':, yon, thny \'Iont in mull) [tnd wagon. Thoy hrvl "1;0 Y'Cl'flOVO the) old. en.rth hanl" vrj till fl, hn.nd. Vi. oJ>;;: f '.'Ph,ny had l:i.ttln BfHU'P pointod nhoveln "hhn;l; thoy th"rO'l1 'it 'GO onf') nido. ',T'hc')y didn't B;ot. i-Ii to tho lloii"l;om in fnot~ T }'C)f!/Olllhnr- \'lItem J wnn n kid they nti11 'pinkod, oj "I; hy hand. <"Ind lO,'l,(l()fl it on liruokD,) 0'1;111 orHIlC bn.ok to t11C ,'-;hop D.nd :;-1;111 unJ.ocvJ(Hl 'it. ,JACY ]i'AHHJ;>: ilo.tl thor'o nn,y, uh, \/hnt L;/IOu1d T nay rHly-l;}d,i1e thn,'l; yOUi'fld to do or HYlY spot llarticulllx> that ;).'ou ho.d tu pick to L::nt tho hOfft nl~_'Jf? ~ihn.t cUd you 1001< for? I think that in, llh, onn y'oru;:Ol) you f;OO no mnny oF' thoflCl npottodl'lolcn 'l;101n"l; t,hf\y dUj~~ ,wId they would rd,nrt Fl. little) holo and it V/ouldn"h he ,:yhrd; t;h(\~r \"/flntod~ rrhey'd. dig another one nnl).rw \'ri th "\I.ho nmnlJ. rlirrb:'i.hntion thoy h:vl tJley could h(3 ohoon,Y and ll:iel-;- "'that t,}t<\y' vm.nted. ~ llh ~ we had ~ yon n2.Y1' t he thn:h ohoonJ bennUflG '/Ie h:'l.111 ll!n.yhn 300 load.1t [I, JroH.r and, Hh~ VTn don't no\'!, thin \'t:l,'J n ()01l1)J.n of ;,/(')::lx'r; nr;()~ Tlut the).)" \'Ionld. \'1,<:)1'11; fl. nlay of (10UI',':() "L}w,t "1011.1d, 1111; r"Le(; to thcd.l> l'i]~i ng, Ilh i nIl} \'.'(H--.k -(;0 thoi I' l:il'.':i.-nc: f\,'~ r'n,!' as the consinta.noy. J AGK FAf(RLi: I'lha'G dj.d it look Eke in the ground'? What was the color of it'? Just a gray, almost the color of this lamp, uh, shade (pointing), Jack, or maybe, nell, it wouldn't be that white; it would be darker. JAG,', ~'ARRlS: Sort of a whitish gray. Right, I7hi'oish gray, and, uh, you'll find sOllle places called "blue clay." It's just a similar looking clay, but it's a real tight bodiell would try to turn it, i'G would crack; you would have 'GO put ", looser material with it. JACK ['AnIU;;: You have to ,'>:Lx something wi'tn it to mDlee i'o more elas'Gic? Right, well, uh, less, less eI8.Rtic, you had to break it down right because 'Ghe hghter 'Ghe body, the more chance of it cracking, and they app~rently had alot of problems which Vie still do. Uh, you can find n. clay, I'm sure they did, and \'Ie occas,ionally oro.,s it, you just dig out of the ground, and that's it. You don't (couldn I t hear) ~)ome clays I think they dug down here waul,! bc very limi ted in the filth over what they used to dig clay. 'Phere' re somc old shallow holes there that we normally just scoop out or, uh, go in deeper with a bull dozer and .. What is it Craig? I'm going to the shop. You go on to the shop. I'll waH for you at the shop. OktW, they would juat pick it up and bring it back, ncw what amoun!;s would have to be very small like I said due to the fact that, uh, uh, oh a pile of clay for instance I don t-t know how many pots you could get out of a ton; wi th one mill of cla.y we could probably get, uh, a thoufJa.nd pots maybe 5 inch po!;s or 8 inch' pots. Au far as \'laHte, I imn.gine, .. J AGK J"/lRRIc): And then they brought H back here and put H in the mill and mixed it to the consi stancy that they wanted . Right, right, nOw they possibly didn't have a mill of this 8i.:oe, noVi my father did for example. Not all potters have that. There are different ways of, they would Uf'" a, of course, llOVl I;he puglni.ll design, you just pug it. Uh, they would hs.ve a pluuger type thine. Tt war, just a barrel with, uh, blades, go round and round ancl you just add yom.' w"tcr, uh, now I don't reaJ.ly know now this guy in Alabama doesn't even do a thing Tllrt just simply use a mU.I and adds wD:ter not the crusher, but tho pUf,will, but cour'ie i:t comOfJ out protty. IJAGI{ JNi.HIHS: Yea, L,Ir. L:eudcrs. How dOGS he prepare his, Jack? .J AGK Ji1AHRLj: \'/e11, he lined to havo a mill -bhat \'leMj right out benicle his potter,y, bOfd.do his kUn thoro i" an old pug-mil I, and "1 i; hlld n, stiek going down in it \7ii,h D. couplo of bladofJ si;:; oJd.ng off (}f it. Uh, it wm, a ntiok liJw thifJ \'lith bla(1on stioki.l1g out like thi.fJ just pienen of wood. Riehi;, fl(}Jt of foux' OOl'nOl'A, right? (O JACK E'ARlU:}: fliGht, 17011, uh, no it war. jllnt a dick vd.i;h other ni;ieks goinG on H like thb. 'HeE did it turn or did it lay down? ,J ACK v'AiULUJ: Yoa, yea the "tick '!;urned and you know it just turned around like thi n and he ha.d a mule that Vias booked on a polo and. the mule ,jlUJt walked around in aireles. Do you remomber the old t uh, the old, uh, syrup, no'ii nyrup I the gr:!.ndorn, not tho grindern, what do you call them? (rho profJn do yon rememhc.l.' the fIlul(Jfl? T,'18 have one dorm ther.e the lHulen uRed to, libey'd tako the cane in there. JiiCt\ J?ARR.lS; Oh yea, um hem. \'le,U., 1 "uenA it worked hr.sie:ally the same way. 1 know tbiA old plun,,<"r type tbIng that uned to be tbere. I'le'vo dan', away vlit). it. He pie:kod. the roelm and, aU tbe bigger pari,Ie: len out of it ttla.t he d:Ldn' '0 want in :Lt. RLght, of course, 110\"1 -liD do it right, tio roally geii 3. nlllooth l)ody, lilaybe "thtl."t; t s v/hat VIC don't want. /.P.hey would nne (.I. hamrller mill or, Ull, to get it dovm to tho cor)~ee:t monb, it would, ho ne:l'oeno,], 'J'he;\, would wet; out all tho bod:i.,L)" they dicln 1 t \'1o'nt, for' instanoe the -brafJh, tlte iron arOH fU1d tho lumpn; "iho"o. i_-l-:i GtUlle OU'~ they hEtc1 a rea] nmooth body. rphE)X'O again, I think ~h[),t D, lump hore and 'l;hOl'() c8.te:h :i:t Liko (phone l':i.ng.1ng) :i.n maybe wha'!; VIC al'O looking fol' D.n far nn the bGn,uty of it as far aH .l 1m conccrned. J {lUf; 11'hiiBJ S: Then whnt would they do nfter they got the olay to tho con~ ni,ntFl,)'lc.y thnt, the.y wRnted~' Well "l'hoy'd. ai-thor pncJ<. i"t in burlap bagn, or you got to ,lu;op the air n.way from i,"\j deporl.d:iJ1.g 011 how mueh -t.hey had at t,hc tirno maybe '~hoy prepared just enough for that day'f-3 work, but thoy rd,ill lad 'to keep it covo:,'!od beCaUfJO it would got crurrty Hfld thif3 hot ail' 0;1, dnmj) Anok or wet fHH}k of any tYllo wou.ld do the joh ~ 'Pho;y, they t d vmdge i~ t OD,U:;O "lih{J cut b;y a wi:eo, do you know \"IhrJ,i.; T monn hy wnt"1ging? 1/ You ure right, and. then thoy'd, rnosb of them I 'el I1,gHUm(~, would wnigh it, I do, nh, wo did at l(:::aHt T 011,:i.cl rn~ don'-I; now, bu.t we, mont pottorn iJhr.d; J know t do VlO i gh :it a,nd try -\ic) rrl,n.;y wi t,hi n the f.'n.ne;n, uh t oJ" oovrno, you.' vo c;o"b [!;Ut\[j8fJ, nh, 110\'1 V/Cl t vo got the old homemade g11agon clown thn:re with thone old whnelf:l jllHt n n'l!inl'\ ran out witil nncrl;h(H' p:i.ccc of nt:iek vrLth .'J, nlot ncrt in :i,t, no nn.Jln jnn'l; janollo(1 in thono B.nd thoy mndo patin hy it ~ And, nil, they could pull, \vhnt it 3JflOl.mi/:.; to i H that you t vo e;ot to ht1,Ve onouGh n.ln,y to pnll to 'lil"d.H [';unu;c a.nd the,y eOll.ld pHI] out to hore :xnd you e;o np to thin 0 Tf yon run out of eln.y, yon t v(:; cut tr.ouhle ~ If yon t va e<t t.oo much, "\\) onough roughly J 8-UPPO:iO ~ n Novl they (j'iJln' t. bnV(; La be tho:\, flCClJr'n;[-~e, honn,LWC 1 nh ~ -C'r-'nF-i--':l? flO 1.'1) (l, ph, a white, uh, shirt, suits and he could turn. He said_ a good potter didn't, shouldn't go rag-ged_ or dirty 'cause a good potter (could no-b understand) And they flaid it ac'tually happened," the guy could turn in D. suit Dl1d coat. J AGK l"ARR1S I That's amazing. And, and don't get it dirty, and they said it was true. Bu-b 1 still. would like to see it. JACK 1!'AHH1S: Yea, 1 'd like to see it too because if you see kr. Meaders, he i', just a pic-bure of clay. He looks like a statue hinwelf. Ha, ha. You, you ge-b it all in your hair; your clothes are full., and it ge-b8 in your eyebrovl8. You wipe the 8weat, and you got a streak along here; and it's rough on your fingers. You'd be surprised what it would do to your fingers. '.l'hose clays are smooth, but i-b t s go-b just enough gri-b to wher'e you are pulling it up it's, uh, with your thumb. It's, uh, going to Wear and it, uh, taltes alot of shoullier streng~h. If you do it regular, you'd be surprised how hard it gets. J !leK b'AJtRlli, Yea, now after a pot had been pulled up to the right size, uh, they'd cut it out wi:bh, uh 'rhey'd cut i-~ loose from the wheel. JACK E'ARR10' Cut it loose with what, a wire; and then picked it up with so;"e clamps'? With lIfters. J !lCi( FAllR10 , With lifters. And put them on a batting boards, we used bats, old bats. :t'hey were about a 12" x 12" squFJre, and were perfectly flat booause your, your piocc that you set on it is going to warp according to your surface if you' vo got a warped board, your pieoo would Vlarp. Oh yea, of course, you WaJlt to dry it pretty slow because you couldn'-G put, too much ail' 01' too much heat, uh, or -Ghe liCht. JACK lrAHI{[;" Now, the lifters you use. Of what are -Glley made? These are just, uh, uh, the ones I've seen were made entirely of wood. \Jh, some of the looked, they are whriped by a li t-tle piece of tin. JilCK FARRlli. You didn't have the blaoksnd.hh m.1ko any around hore? Oh, theso were all han d made. Oh yea, all those woro homemade, and they'l'o ,rUll in thero. \'Ie can show thom to you, okay. Thoy were just whittlod out with ,,_ JmLfe or rasp of nomo sort, and, uh, thoy apparently did the job roal woll. Of courne, they sot om on hats to dry to flomo oxtoll j;. JACK FAHIU", Now thoy driod inside the huilding thoro. RigIf!;, Right, uh, beCauHH if yon put. em out in the air, d.epending on Jour clay--now 'there ne-n:i.n in the differen'li parts of '{ihn eountry, Homo olays will take a "G()J:'rific Eunount of nir. or wind, uh, f::10)ilO \VovJ.d fire fD,f:rl:.or, Domo would. 000.1 fn,~:d:;or, hut our differenii clay is 8,11.1 'lll familiar with; and 1 know~ Now 'tho mnaller the ohjeo1., you're okay. 'Pi,e bigger the object, the 11101'0 trouble you get. Ti", shape of your objeot. Now flomethin('; Uke he j,w'b made would be terrific. 'J'ho:t t fJ the reaflon he's got it covered with plasti,c 'bo try to slo\'l down the drying prOCOHfJe Uh, brick,f-) of cour.'so, were jUf3t !?(rttery, {m.d f:i.t'Hd; you could fire faffGOr, uh, he used the 8D..me claS; Vh got -("he 8'-UrJ.0 cln..y 'caUfJ8 1. dig up much cart; on thelll. But, uh, of ooursH, from there they would go on to the kilns, uh, tlw.t I don't, uh, J Jmow therH used to be a 8Jl18,),10r kiln dorm 'bhero and I know thoy cUd fi ro by \'load. Uh, the ooal, I thin.k the coal caIJIe in, of ,JOurBO, -that l11aybe "l:;he old potteJ:'s were long gone or had quit. Uh 1 of course, I thinl< conl caTtle ini:;o c:xifltance as far HJ'3 we aI'O concerned in this area maybe :in the foP"li:i.os ~ ea.r'ly fortios or maybe, mayhe thore vnU'j Homo kind of coal thc~rc. tJMJ1( [i'AllHJ~j: Not, not that lIluch coal in (ihi.s tlrGf.l,. No, it e{lmo frorl\ up Nox'1:;h. ',1/e'd havo to haul i't;, of COUrf:lO, \7e t d, pink :i.t up in uh~ uh, :r.'rd.lrond carBo d.1A~flP/ ii})(rn there Vlfl,f3 .No. 2 fuel. l.,ont of your pot'\;(')riefj fire wit!l gaR now oven you:c Hlllall po't'lio,rion, but t;ho:,,",o are ntLU. Home goofl, D.h, boau'liiful gln,zof3 that'n fired. with wood,. You really wtJ,n.t to go the f-l).ll l'outo of beine, uh, ijhe old way, and thn,t \'lD$ the 0.h1 way. ,JACK ,~'AlUU:';: What typo of wood cLid 'bhoy uso 'bo 8'bD,rt UlO firo up. Well, you gotta koep your hoad down. ~ehi,cl [1.., uh, fI'iend. of nd.nn, Vlell~ ':'!..lfIO unod. t,o Uno nlrthn vil:d.oh in pin8. Btl'!i, uh, thn:li dOd't r'()lnernhec, nll J kr1ov/ in thn:b you' vn got 1-'0 control your' hoat 'lio nome OX..I;Olyb ox' your F:1ocomln Vlould. aocumulv:to. Thnt.' n what theno pilon arc, your. neconcln. i,;lkn fOl' them to d:e;y? Uh, well dopondinc; on t.hc~ ni7,o nnd., of eOl:n~n(), l'ww muo.h., 011en ;you got; wn hnvc llllllle 'rotH ono day and. put. thCH!1 in tl'l(~ kiln the noxt. clay, hut -!ihn;l; \'I<:\[; theca O:f' fotu' dayn O:l'i m:i.nJmum or mnyhc ,J, woek~ T'm tlrLnlcing that tho In'o~ you Ht:i.1J ~ot :l, oCH:'tn;j,n Cholllicn-l Wft-GOl:'0 l (lont-l; enyc if' it :d.tn out thc)l'o fo)~ n npp l'OXiHln,"I:;o l,y? ml~ depending on you.t' oln.y :\[;a:1n It'n hoY! frurh you C:,':Ui do ,it; now VlO arm '.0 There is a 1'o::sibility you oould., but, ull, a friend of mine a professor at Teoh, , he \1tW chief onginoer out at the Cherokee. He in, I think engineering on his ovm basis now. Even him wi th all thill teohnological toachin/l', he til the kind of guy that said that olay is, you still learn everydD.y that you cannot pinpoint (COUld not uncl.erstand). At any rato we go up 50 degreef) an hour to 2000 d.egroeB, and from there VIe, uh, hold H for about, uh, 18 to 24 hours oallod BoaJdng time. 'i'hat' s to thoroughly Baturato from top to bot'tom. You swi.'toh it off eJld 0001 it roal quiok, uh, just leave the vents wide open jus't as fast as it oools down to about 1500; then, you've got to bo real careful. So then to a thousand real slow and then at a thousand, uh, normally you've still got a dull glow if you look at the conter of the kiln. But, we I(,~ .,j I do at least knock the doors down, i1' I'm in a rush, even if I'm not in a rllsh I I'll cool another hundred. JACK PARIllo: And leave the doors up. Uh, right and leave, ub, put a big fan and go to blowing out. Don't pull it tbrough. You've still got your ports stopped up, and the, uh , dampers stopped. You might leave your ports open to pull out, but when you crack it then when you raise the dampers you're pulling ail' all thE> way up through and dorm through -bhe body and, ub, i.t's just, ub, tVs just too much of a shock. Vie go dOVin to about 600 or maybe 800 and ... (Could not, understand). Uf course, then they had no conception of how hot; i.-t was or JACK JcARHIf;: They just did it by sight,' Iligbt, they just throwed the wood on and, uh, uh, maybe go around once an hour and fill his box; how they knew when it was ready we,ll maybe they didn't. JACK li'AHHI~): \h~ll that t s why -llhey had. so many Lrreguln,r pieoen #I Right, right. All thefJe pilen you see are those piecen. Now if you oould do that it would be nice. ((~ D,SCU00IUN There seem to be several reasons for the development of numerous small potteries in the partioular area of eastern Crawford Coun~y during the early 1900's. One reason was the olay whioh was very good quality ruld also very abun(lan~. J,lost of the po~ters olay was ~al{en from around the Eoheeonne Creek whioh is the dividing lino of Bibb Md Crawford Counties. There was s, large number of moonshine stills in the area ru>d therefore, there was a demand for jugs. Evidence of this was shown in the jugpi.les of discarded pieces. There are numerous jugpilo,g within aU aroa less than a squaro mile surrounding J,lr. ),Ierritt' s pottory. One jugpi Ie was discovered about 300 yards into tho wood.s behincl the pottery. l<~very piece uncovered at this ,)articular site was part /7 of a jug of one siz,e or another with the initials "H. D." stamlJed on the handle of overy piece (soe exrunples). On a roturn visit, J'.lr. ),:erritt ntated ~lmt nobody in the communi~y knew who th" initials Btood for. '.I'his lod to furth"r digging around th" s.r"a of tho jugpHo for any furth"r cluos as to th" i.d",rtity of "H. D." Api)roxima;~"ly 20 yard s away I dhloov"r"d Vlhnt app"nrerl to b" trw renw,irw of an olel leLln bed whioh hnd long nince been covered. up by lea.ves and brush. The beel meafJUrod. approximately 6' x 12', aXlcl nlluJii hn,ve been of tho very 8implo tYl)e mentioned by Clement i.n hiB ar.ticle. Thone were very prind:t:L vo, arched ov(;)nn made of ) adobe hriclw. Thin oan help qualify n n-tatomont me,do hy ,Tule Morri.tt ~hD;~ on a given day one could look around tho coun-trYf3i.do and toll who was firing by tho smoko .risi.ngfJ. There in an extremely large jugpi.lo located aCrOfj8 the road from I;he Merritt 1H pott.cry and d.OYfn behind the house of tIulo Uorr:ltii; 0 Thi.f) pile harl disoardod piooon of all typos -that must he,vo 11e"n fired in -tho Iilorri.. t"1;'}J leLln. Within the liord,tt' s pot'l;ory thoro are 'I,wo kilns of the heehi vo type. One is made ,mtirel;'l of adohe hricks that wore Iniel in place and then tho kiln W8.B fired. to soal and fir(~ the br.ick at tho namo time. Tho socond. ldln is rrwile of hrick that \nUl fired in 'l;\1e first kiln. Hr. Merritt doen not know whC1~o his fV,ther got tho idoa to huild hin kilns thi,s way. (Noto diagram of kiln) 'I'hose ldlns s,re quito largo and will hold n, large quantity of pottery. 'Ehey were originally designod. for wood. firing; thon 'I;here was a swItoh to 0081, then whv;1; t,hoy cal.] od No. 2 fuol and finally gaH. At one time there \'/ero as many 8-H 12 turning whnfl1,n in tho pottery, only two of whieh are HtIll in working order and have heen oonverted to eleotrioi.ty. (See photographH) '.rho l)ottery iG a long' Hhed vd.th neveral Dontionn. ~ehe ;ireD, whore tho kilns are 100 atod is under the shod, but is cloned off from the other area,fl during' firing. Duo to t\w fact 'I;hat the pot'[;ery indu8try praei,ioal..l.y vlJ,ninhod ea,rly in thin c(mtury, there are vQI'y fow people still ali. ve who remember B.ny of '1;\", old ways. Hr. ,Jule l.Ier:r:i.t,j; vlOuld. be ahout 'l;he best pe,rson in that area, to 'balk wi"th, buttld.n 00110c1101' wan neVElX' able to eatch ldm at. hornn" IV. E. Merritt told me of two other potters thB>t he Jmew in thin ntate that, nll3,y he of HOmo :lnte:rClS1;o 1.Phey are i.lro IIo Ao \'1ilHon living in Alto, Georgia, and f.lr. n:H~old Howell Ii ving in Gommeroe, (;eo.r'giao ) ! /1 - .. cz * ~ ~~ /'-'-'"'-"1,:, :t-~l\ ':"'1-'~\l 7' I ~. I \ - ~ II . I t!. 'h. 11 - \ '1.- ~ " \ \\'", -'I "\ J r- \ J \ ~ :l'I L" \ I L~- III 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. 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