M. L. Moss interview with Harrison Barrett and Brown J. Ross

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 interview, Harrison Barrett, Jr. and J. Ross Brown tell tales from Towns County, Georgia, where they live. The recording starts with Barrett recalling how tough life was during Hoover's presidency; he even used a rubber shoe heel as soap. He then tells the origin story of Bald Mountain, which he says was formed from a groundhog digging and creating a dirt pile. He talks about his grandfather, who was a surveyor, and surveying mountains together. Returning to the topic of the Hoover administration, he recalls how he had very little food, so he would climb trees to forage. President Hoover visited his town and told Barrett that he wished he had his stomach; Barrett responded that the President had taken everything from him but his stomach, but he had nothing to put in it. At minute 5:53, J. Ross Brown starts describing remedies to prevent overeating in the winter, including soured persimmons, alum' water, and green-white acorns. Barrett adds some commentary about President Hoover and then tells a tale about his grandfather advising him to throw a disobeying turkey into a brash pile. Barrett tells a joke about a beautiful woman who had two glass eyes. He also speaks of how his life improved under Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration because of his implementation of farming programs. He then tells a ghost story about a headless woman whom he saw as a child. Barrett and Brown discuss places near Hiawassee, Georgia, like Owl Creek and Soapstone Creek, and the origin of their names. After a pause in the recording, Barrett sings "Day is a-Breakin' in My Soul" and "Gabl's Trumpet Shall Blow." Next, Brown tells a few stories, including one about a woman with a lizard stuck up her dress; one about a man who only donated pennies to the church collection plate and in consequence was pinned under a tree that was struck by lightning; one about a haunted house built on an Indian burial ground and a protective rabbits foot; one about digging up pirates' gold and using a rhinoceros tooth for luck; and one about a man who was so mean, the only nice thing that could be said about him at his funeral was that he was a good whistler. At the conclusion of the interview Brown shares jokes about his family and humorous anecdotes about an immigrant and Republicans, a mule and a farmer, and a bootlegger. Harrison William Berry Arrowood-Barrett (1893-1970) was born in Hiawassee, Georgia, to Thomas Arrowood-Barrett (1866-1954) and Henrietta Dover (1873-1948). During the Great Depression, he worked as a farmer funded under the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act. He married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Chastain (1892-1973) and had four children: Loy Avery Barrett (1920-1978), Marie Barrett (1923-?), Christeen Barrett (1930-?), and Harrison Barrett, Jr. (1932-?). Jay "Ross" Brown (1909-2001) was born in Georgia to Emma Brown (1870-1932) and Lona Cicero Brown (1867-1928. He finished one year of high school, then worked as a laborer on his family's farm throughout his 20s. Ross later worked as a crusher operator. He married Callie Gertrude Cunningham Brown (1913-1990) in 1934 and they had one child, James Elliot Brown (1935-2011). Groundhogs; Rubber soles TRANSCRIPT OF TALE cou;r;:CTInN FROH TOWNS COUN'I'Y by H. L. Moss for Prof. .Tohn Rurrison Georgia State College TrRnscript of Tale Oollection from TOHns County, Georgia. This tape contains approximR to 1 y twmty-one tales, some informal conversation, and tHo "old chvroh meeting" son'p~s collected in 'rovms Covnty, in ~nd around the ci ty of HiRHassee, Georgia. '1'he first informant on thA tane, Mr. Harri.son Baprett , Jr., is a seventy-four year old nativ~ of th~ cOllnty, and has worked mainly as a"timbep camp Horb,p" for various IvrnbAring operations i.n the mountains of North Georgia Rnd Nopth CRrolina fop apppoximately forty years. He noV! lives in retipemcmt on 0lopgia IHghHay 288, outside of Hiawassee. IIUncle Haprisonr,~ i8 knOHn in thls Rl"1ea ,'is t.b8 iibirr[7est il ta.1l talo tellor in ;~he oouni',-" anr' most of his tales are of this type. }'Lr. Barrett informed me that the type of tales he tells 'Here an impoptant part of a timber Horker' s life "in th 1 01' days". He said, "1Nlry, back in them days a f"ller had t' knml what he 'uz about. If he just vlalkea into a timber cRm]!l t' '!Topk. an' at nivht. before goin' t' bed when ever 'body was 'T'olaxin I, if he tol' a story there 'uz sure t' be somebody vTho could I cap' 'im. An' if he couldn't tell another 'n t' sorta hold his ground or one t' 'cap' th' last one, he'd might as l'Te11 a 1 packed his bags an'moved on th' next mornin'"" Mr. Barrett stated that, tbough this activi,tv "as primarily for entertainment and rc'laxation, thn real tale tellers took it very seriously, abd if they were "capped" by anothe,p teJl.1er they HGren 1 t likely to forl".et it. If a tale tell'll' "'RS "capPGd" bRd enough, "Hhy, he'd become tb I 1aughin' stock R' th' camp. an' would rARlJs baf t' IGave". Although Mr, Barrett bas recentlv bad 8. strokA Hbich has 8ffected his voice 8nd memory somAHh8t he HRq moc:t co-operAtive and could tell a.ny ta.le that Mr, Brown, my s8cond informant, could think of a. ti tle for, Mr, Ba.rrett .,ras so co-onArntiYe that I had to cut the re'" cording session short for fear of exciting him, Most of the older inhabitants of this area remember vsrious tales that Hr, Barrett has told on occasion, and they can t811 them; but they re,frain from doing so out of respect for his style, T had two other possible informa. nts say about titles l"hich Mr, BroHn suggeo,ted to them, "t can tell that 'un, but not as good a', 01' Uncle Harrison", The two songs Hhich Mr, Barrett sini's are "01' church meeti.n f songs that 01' Unele John T,ittleton (?) used t,l sing at th' cbupch meetin's, You could bear tbat 01' ma.n shout clean across tbat mounth'1,I.", ~~ second infopmant on this tane, Mr. J, Ross Brown, is a sixtyfive Y8al' old native of TmTl1s County from ,.rhom T have collected tvrice before, Mr, Brown liv,cs in Hi8.','n"""", nnel LS " plumbing contractor by trade, He is best known in bis community a.s "tbe left-banded fiddler"; be plays tbe banjo, "fiddle", autobarp, and guitar, all leftbanded, and is pArtial to "tbo 01 I fiddle tunes" of his area, He has bad some contact with the tall t81.e tradition of his area, but not as much as Mr, Barrett, Hr, Brovm tells eiP'ht tales on tbe latter part of the tape, and belps to prod the memory of Mr, Barrett on tbe first part, Mr, Brown h88 been my contact 1"dtb all of my informants in Towns County, He is very conscious of the several genera of folklore present in his community, and be let mos t co-operative Hi tb anyone interested in tbe nollection of them, Tn the followtng transcript of tales I Nill include the place of the tale on the tape, by count"r, the nAme of the informant, the projected title of the tale, and the tale type and motif numbers where apPlicable. Tales from Tmvns County, (recorded at 3 3/lj ips. April 22, 1.(67). 002-011 (Barrett)--"Hubber shoe-heel fer soap", 1,1Jhen Hoover 'uz President T couldn't p:i t a-hal' of me a bull moose nickel, an' ever'body else ,'as dust like me an' didn't have no hand-soap for four Y8arl1. An' I Hent. an' >'ot me an 01' rubber shoeheel, an' T pulled th' sprigs out, an' laid it on th' wash bainch. An' "Jhen T' d go t' "Jash I'd reach over a.n I gi t that rubber shoe-heel, an' I used that as long as he VIas President,for soap. An' it cleaned pretty good. II could find no motif reference for this tale.) 011-018 (Barrett)--"Origin of RaId Mountain". an' Me an' iii I grandaddy took an 01' cur dog over there, he 'uz fat, 'ud turn groun' hogs. An' th ' 01' fella, he ,~L2 'im a groun' hog up an' he'd made a IiI' an' it Vlent to graVlin', pi Ie a di~'There he c 8ue:ht th I groun' hog r an' that'sAbig mountain nOH---Brasstmvn Bald. Motif--X1520--Lies B.bout MountainR Bnd hills A963--110untains from stoneR (soil, sand) dropped or thnoHn. (General motif.) 018-0311_ (Barrett) __ "M'l, Grandaddy th' Surveyor". An' th' 01' man be 'uz a R11"veyor, he 1.,Jadn't no man t' fool. He 'uz a good surveyor, we bave'man on these roads here, these state men, tbey .ius' kill time, ya' knovJ, peekin' throupb things. An' my grandpa"J an' me surveyed tbat roa.d across Coal Gap Mountain up here. He bad a stove pipe. Hitb a' elbow on tb' end of it. He'd peep through that stove pipe. an' he bad me in front of it an' said, "stick a peg right there," I'd stick e p0g an' he come beck an' he'd look through an' turn th' stove pipe over an' he'd peep through again an' said, "stick 'er rivht tbere", An' Hhen I f".ot 10' tb' foot of the mountain he'd turn the stove pipe right tOvl' d th' gAp, I had 10' po t' tb' gap of tb' mountain and stick. a peg, Be come un there .e.n' turned the! stove pipe daviD, an' I bad 10' (J'O 10' th' foot, He 'uz lob' b8s 10 surveyor I ever seed, That 01' man lmmled his must'd, r10st tbem surveyors nOvl wnnt 1r<Tay around, be v-Tent straivbt un. Motif--X1526--Lies about mountain roads, Reference--Baur:hman, A GompJ?ative stu<'ly of the Folk!_a.1es of El1g1and and Nortb i\merica, 037-0C;2(Barrett)--"Wore lob' bair off m' Chest", T got so hard up apains' itT di.dn' 10 ha ve nothin' J 10' eat, COU:l:0- n't get ah01t a' nothinl, Thad 10' [ZO 10' usin' a penny. bank 10' pay m' tax, an' at tb' end a th' year I T./o\J.ldn' 10 bardly bave onough, An' T didn't have money 10' buy food T/Jitb, An 'I bad 10' climb 'simmon trees, 10' get 'simmons 10' Rat ya' kn014 , An' I'd climb tbem 'simmon trees an' have a fip'ht ),itb 8. nessum, p088um :iump on me up air, T'n laid Hith 'im tbougb, till T got m' food, An' I ,'are every bar off m' chest, I b8.d a big coat of hair on m' cheRt, va' know, I wore it all off climboC; 2-o63 (Berrettl-!!Meetin' rlr, Hoover", II in' :I.simmon tP8A8. j rofA I w4-k I started 10' town 0 walkin I, it teak mA !18f 8 clay t' gAle. orouD' d01rJ'D at -ell' gnp ~:-,t tb f 01' Frav8vnrcl. Its ,'"4ei~tihl therl "; en.tin' corn breed an' 8ugar syrup ya' know, va' cut'clout like soap, T's settin' thar eatin' an' aD aI' model cap ,')ullAd UP tb' bill. HA looks out at me an' like tbat) it's Nr. Hoover. but I didn't kn01'T it tben. He said, "I wisbed I bad your stomacb". I said, "Wbo air you?" Said, "Tbis is tbe Pres'dent, Mr. Hoover". I said. "You've pot my legal ripbts, you've got ever'tbing, 'la' pot me on starvation, ya' got ever'tbing but m' stomacb an' I've got bit an' notbin' t' put in 't". I says, "lIm gain' t' make me up a can of alum' ",wter an' drink it, drm,r it up ". 063-070 (Mr. Brown )-- "Remedy to keep ynur 1-life from estin' so mucb durin' tb' winter". \tie11 , you know vou's ta1kin l 'bout usin' alum' 1-later t' dra1-1 I your stomacb up, n01-1 you take a10np up in tb' fall of tb' year, you can feed your wife on tbese old soured persimmons. you know bow tbey'll drmv your moutb, an' sbe'll po all tbrougb tb' winter an' 101on't bard1y eat anytbing. Or you take p'reen-'tTbite acorns, tbey'll do tbat, tbey'll drmv your stomacb UP t I 1-Tbere ya' csn' t bold very mucb. 082-0')7 (BarrettL-"My Grandsddy nn' tb' Hitcb". He bad a big buncb of turkevs, 880, he fool Ad 1,'Iitb turkeys an' boes ya' knccI, an' 801d tb' honey. An' tll',)ys an' 01' "TOman in tb' Mil- country, tbey ~as sbe's a ',ritch. ,~n' tbem tbeT'o turkeys jump eip'ht, ten feet bigb an' jump back on th' p>;-c'oun' nn' bollAI', "quit, quit". Jump back up and bo11or "qui t If. i'm' anotber l'AlloT' tal' gran' pa1rl, said, "I'll tell yOU wbat do", sRid, "bui,ld ya' a big brasb pilo an' wben tbat turkey goes t' takin' s. fit. "atcb 'im an' tbr0101 'im in tb' brasb pile". He did, be thro1-,Ted that 01' turkey in tbe brasb nile, an' this tbing like a big black buzzard he flied tbroupb tbore--brasb was afire ya' ImoH---an' that aI' Homan Has a Hell nigh burnt.up. Her at home, burnt her up. Motifs--M )1_IL~.n .Ij_--- Rirds cursed. M )+29.3-----Buloning animRl in straw (brush) to release curse. G 211.LI_.S---1JJjtch in the form of a buzzard. G 27S.3.l---1J/itch burned by burning bej,Titched animal. Heferences--G. L. IUtteredge, 1r.fitchcrRft in Old and Nm,T TI:ngl1l:nd (pps. qS 1126 ) .- ~------- T. P. Cross, 1t1r1'i tchcr8ft in Nortll CRrol in8" 1.JJ:di-es inS Ilh)lology (Unbrnrsi tv of Nodoh C"ro' ina) 10 :2172 -21 Baughman, A Cmnvarative ';ltuc]y of +;he and North J!nie-:;:;Ica~.--- 09S-114 (Barrett)--ItPurty lookin' gRl that fooled melt. I 'uz out a loafin'. I'd been out 'bout thirty d8Ys, loafin'. An' I stopped at a little country church. An' there's a girl in ther just I as purty as shOll could be. Oh she had on a silk dress, she 'uz purty. She's absolutely a purty a thing as I ever seed. An' I matie a date with her, me an' her tii'll in love an' got married. Went t' her house ~r;fthat night. She EH:dtl't4~ go t' bed. 'Ater 1,hile I got tard an' I went t' bed, an' 'ater while she decided she'd go t' bed. She reached d01,m an' pulled off an aI' Hooden laig an' stuck 't under th' bed. reaChed over here an' got 8nother 'un an' stuck it under th' bed. an' reached up an' gather eyeball. a glass eyeball, an' laid it on th' table, reached over an' vot another. laid it on th' table. I jumped outa bed an' I didn't stop runnin' til I give out. That 'uz th' aHfulest lookin' thing T ever seed in m' life. An' ever since that time I ain't Devil' took off after nothin' that looks real nurty. she fooled me Sf bad. Tale Type 1379-::- False members--This seems to be a joke that has been turned into a didactic tale by the teller in the last two sentences. Tbere Has no bibliograpby listed for it under tbis numher. llI.J--l)!2 IBarrett)--"M' big 'arsb teters". When I 'uz re Icoverin') ater President Hoover 'uz starvin' me t' death, 01' Franklin D. Roosevelt got 'lected jus' in time t' save m' life. He signed me up on a farm nrogram, furnisbin' me money ya' 1m01-1 to farm, and he~go along Hi tb, he put me on a farm program an' T stayed~en yeaps. lin' I di(1n' bave no bogs op nothin' like tbat, didn' have nothin'. He fupnisbAd rnA m' monA',r t' gclt started ...1,'Then tb' last of Hoover's panic, Roosevelt ,"tarted me nut an' I groHed sequoias s' big, my "life Vlent dmm to th' patch an' got stung an' she com8 bflCk an' tol' me they 'uz yellow jackAts. I uent dmvn there an' they cut a hole in th' side of the tater an' th' bees Has goin' in an' out. An' T took forty nound of th' finest sourHood honey you ever seed out of them p 1t8.ters. An I T staY'tecl bHck to tb f house an t sbe bad an 01' hen, pet" hen, bAen gone blo 01' three days, T look on a tater ridge an' there she sit in the eve of fi,n 'arsh t8 ter. 'inlY. eighteen eggs in th' eye of that 'arsh tater" settin' there. An' wbile Hoover:',s president J never 'aised an 'arsb tater as big as a marble. Tale Type--1960D Motifs--vI l~_Ol.l--r,ie: anima1s live ins ide great v8Q'etab1e. X 1435.1--Lie: large potatoes Reference--l'lauR'bman. ,11. Comparatiye Study of the I"Q:LJi:ta1es of Engli3ctl,9 'i3cnd N.Qr-tb-~A.,meriea. 162-192 IBarrett)--"Tbe beadless 1-lOman". II) Tbe fipst I ever seed of 't~ one nigbt 'tuz a tol1'ble small bouse an' we bad two beds sittin' side b' side in th' back ani of th' room, me an' m' daddy slep 1 t 1 D'etc,fH'. An' T hes.,od like somebodv pick up an aI' silver roll. aI' born, an' orap 't over tb' boartb, ya' know wbat a. raclwt tbat is. T look up air an' we bad a big far' place, T look up air. m" face rivbt towards tb' far'place. T look up air, an' tbere' s a nice a oresRAo ',wman aR vou eVAr looked at. Sbe made tbree steps t0l1'd me, t01,r'd mv bAd an' I vrent nortb. down under tb' covers. Homan "ritb no bead on. oidn't bave tb' sign of a bAad. Motifs--E 422.1.1--Headless revenant. E 1.122.4.!.(.--Revenant in fpmale oress. E ).(.25.1----Revenant as Homan. Referencos--Tbe Frank C. Br_Q}'m CQJ1.eetion (Vol T) pps. 680, 683, 693. 193-2k3 IBarrAttL-"Tbe Headless ',hillan". III) M', daddy didn' bave mucb out bui ldin 's t h en, (bere the tape becomes a little bard to understand because of a break-in mant 's Hife) bad a big box up in th' loft, ,.Ji tb ears a.' by:~orcornAtbat long Ieigbteen incbes). My mqmmy an' me VlR.S ovor ac:~oss tb' branch from that big rock, they's a littlA stable abovo th l road, an' bad a voke a steers tied up t' a log stable OVAl' t1,,0pe. An' ono steAr's . , JUs like out from b'hind th ' stable 001'Tn U,' roao an' stapted t' tb' bOuso, an IiI' hill up 'lip 8n' a 'T8rd gate tbere. An' I wastl' lookin' to"r'd tb' bouse, motber 'uz in front, thAn 8. "roman "Ii' no be8.d on bel' come across th' bill an' come in tb.' Y8ro i".ate 8.n' vJ8nt un tb' steps an' bad bel' band uo air on tbe door frame, 8n' sbe never tal' me. Sbe ,rent in tb' bouse an' lit a IiI' aI' lamp an' lookin' under tb' beds I didn' pay too much attention t' tbat. Sb' said, "You go upstairs 8n' gi t some corn an' go doom yonnel' an' fRoo t118t bO,:::;r". I ,rent uP! afr' 'an", 'got some corn an' vJent an' fod tb' bo!. M' sist8r 'uz 'bout tl'JQ montbs old. had on an aI' long dress. you Imow 11mJ thoy uRod t' run "ray dOHn pass their feet, she's layin' there in her IiI' I jus' reached down an' grabbed her bv th' dress tail, laid her IiI' head on my arm an' boy, I sold nut with that young'un. I ;.rent on down there an' tal' Isaac, an' m' mother, "Come on b'hind me", She said, "She's fainted", said, "yoU knovl they's a chain nailed t' th' vIall t' pull through th' hole an' put a lock on't, padlock", It's about this time a year. an' thAre lira.dn' t no corn much in th' country, an' m' daddy had a right smar~. She offAred h1m a bush ed of corn if he'd go up air an' go aroun' th' house an' lank see if he could see anything. He said, "By .Tesus, I ain't lost noth,n' up air". Said, "He an' Gray an' John Piece started huntin' one Sunoay nite, an' \,le Hent up air an laid om'll on that rock til midnite so Fe 1oI0uldn't hunt on Sunday,-!lAn l said, "'I'hey's 'bout six dogs l"hen 101' Hent t' sleep, \'Jhen He ;laked UP they' s right on top a' us." Said, "This thing "lent aroun' that rock that-a- Hay, 'bout th' size of a goat an' '"rhite as Sn01l1." Motifs--E L!22.1.1--Headless reVAn,gnt. E Ij25.1----Revenant aCj 1010mf1n. E 423.1.9--Ravenant as ~oat. References--'l'he Frank C. I3:r9"ln Collect1 IVaI. I) pps.b80, 683, 693. 2LIJ~_-253 (Ba:~rett)--"~1' good mule an' thai: thinr,". him, "Iell, I rot I's a plm-dn' that mule,~ an' be's a pood mule, I' 8 ]Jlmlin' cA. 1'6 ,Ke. even Hith that rock Hi' h'm: 1~ over this end an' Hent back an' I started back an' he rared UP like this. I decided t' look out that-a-1IIaY t' see Hhat I could see. I\.n' I seed a thing 'bout . b~\l",. T~~,;Al"1 ts,0t.J({}, ~;""".e. tV,oJ) hAt'~ like, oh, not a reel hig dorA black aq midn1te. An' I took my eye off it, an' I don't knOH it but it dus' disa;)pnared/ 'rhat' s th' oldest settIed place ther is, un that creek. Motifs--E ),.23.1.1---Revenant aCl ooP'. E 1,.23,1.1.1-Color of Ghnstlv clop'. Reference--The Rr_""nk -0_. BJ'Qwn C-Olle&_ti oncl liorth (l"ro_Hna J~.9J-klm:,e. - (Vol. I) pps 67C,. 6JrJl. -. 275-347 (Barrett) Thesf"s tHO sonvs John Littleton used t' sin." at t11' aI' church meetin's. It ain't s' fancy. "Day is a-Rpeakin' in Ny:Soul": Bright mornJ_.n , star is risin:=! Bright mornin' stap is risin~ Bright mornfun' staT is risin'! Day is a-bpeaki_n' in my soul o whar is my dear father ( 3 times) Day is a-breakin' in my soul He's gone to heaven 'shouting (j times) Day is a-bpeakin' in my soul o whar is my dear mother (3 times) Day is a-bl~ealcin I in my ,sOlJ,l :She's gone to heaven shout-jng (j ti ,w"") Dav is a-bpeakin' in my scmJ 0 .,hllr is my deap f8ther 0 14b@p is m-:t dllar b~('o-l-,bep (2 times) Day is a-breakin' in my soul He's gone to heaven shouting (3 times) Day is a-breakin' in my soul o whar is my dear sister (3 times) Day is a-bpeaJcin in my soul ~ i~-' Thei'-'-lre gone to heaven shol1tlng (-'3 timeR) Dav ls a-brealdn' ln mY soul. You could hear that 01' man .9hont cloan GCrOSR that mountln'. '01 Uncle John Lltt1eton. "Gabl's Trumpet Shall Bl01.," iii It - . We'll see our fathers rigin:! .;iil!th~j. rlsln;!, vie '11 see our fathers rlain~l An f angels dr8.1~ing nigh. Gabl's trumpet shall blow bye an' bye, bye an' bye. Gabl's trumpet shall blow,l,ye: 0'~ Lye 01.- '1.- We'll see our mothers risin;J. risin1. risin,']' lNe'll see our mothers risin' ,9n' angels dra1crin' nigh. Gabl's trumpet shall blo1oJ bYA an' byA. "'- e.t- vIe'll see oup b.pothers pil'!in:lAY'izin~. riEdnj, We'll see our brotlwrs risin' an' angels dravin' nigh. Gabl's trumpet shall blO1'l b"e an' bye. lNe'll see our sisters Vle'll. see our sistc,l1R risin' sn' angels d118.1o.rin' nigh. (J,,- e(- lde'll see our neii':hbors ri.Sinj. p:igin'!. ri.S-in<'J. 1')0'11 see our neighbops '"i2in~\ an' angels dpaHin' ni.gh. Gabl' s trumpFd~ shall blow bye an' hVA. (I could fi.nd no refer8nces for thoRe songs.' 352- 376 (Brown) -- "HollnesR preachAr an' th' 101i. dder-1,roman". I'm gonna hafts. tell you a funny ta18 thAt hapn,enAd over on th' head of 3hooti.n' crAek, NOloth Ca'lina) b8Ck ,98va'1 ve8rs apo. ',)0 had a holin8ss pl1~ach8r that lived ovnp th811e, had 8 long beard, hair Hay down th' back of his neck. Preacher went up t ' visit th ' widder-woman one af'tArnoon, she I s out 8.t th' Hoodni1e a ~'ettin I up some Hood t l cook supper. And, '(olhile they'R ot8ndin' there a t81kin', they's one of these big rusty lizapds, thnt' R got those 01' rusty long c1alols, run up this \viddep-woman I s dpeRA t8i1, 8.n' I mean he run high. So, th' woman's just a jumpiU' as high aR nhe c0111d jump, ya' know, an' a screamin' an' a hol1erin', an' she said, "Lord, God-a-Nercy, ppeacher," said, "get that lizard outa' there." He looked all around, they's ~'~-, in a remote rAgion,knot many peon1e livin I there, he reached up an I pulJJed that long bAard an' looked all around. An I be said, "r1y God-a- Mighty, Sister Sally", said, "That neve.p would do." Sh' said. "\'Iell, run yaup hand up aip an' Dull tbat 1i78Pd outa' thepe." He said, "No sip-pea." An' pight down th I POad be ,vent, an' he left that poop Hiddap- woman in distpeES up aip. pen just undep cipcumstantial So tb8t goes t' show you wbat Hou1d hap- 1,1\ o~ Lv-o"'liA) . evidence. ~ if somebody'd seen this, tbey nevep could've convinced anvone that they's tryin t to get this 1izapd out of th' poor woman's dpeRs. 378-tj.25 (Bpown )--"Hidder Tupnipseed". \Hdder Turnipseed, sbe lived waY down in th' valley. down in 101'1'" ep land, and. ~'coupse. I lived un dn bir,-hep land wbepe it nevep did come a flood. One Sunday I went oVer t' tb' little country church. had t I go thpough th' Hoods a neaper .,aY over t' th' church. Thev' s taldn' up th ' collection for Sistep TupninReed. it '(olashed evep'thing Bl'ray that sh~fhad, she didn't havR anytbinv left. An' I just said t ' myself. He 11, noel, T live un air on bipher 1 and Bn' it lolOn It hBV n nny eff'ec t on me. An' I peBched m' greBt big h8nd dOl,m in mI Docked Bn' fumbled apoun I an I I finBllv got a-hold of' tl,TO or tbree pennies. ReBched ovep rigbt easy an' slipped it down in tb' bat. I didn't Hant anybody t' t;?ljt.J ~",. see tbese pennies ya' see. T didn't tbink th' storm ,rauld"bother me or any flood, me a-livin' up on hi rzber gram'll. P,"eaober preaohed an aHful good sermon, seem 1 ike evp,r' bocly en ,ioyed it. A.fter servioes I ~ s tartp,d ~ home, baok 1chrollgh th' 1,loods Qnenr",", trai 1. On th I Hay home it oome up a terrible 'lp,otrio storm--',Iind a-bloltJin' eVAI" vray, ligbtn'in' a-poppin I an' a-oraokin I. There's a big 01' baIlor tree s tandin' tberi!, just big enougb fer me t I crmll up in, t' wait till tb I storm got over. An' 10 an' bAbo1d, lightnin I struok tbis damn tree"'wel1J there I Has, T's fouled in tbis tree, oouldn't move no way in tb' Horld, a long Hays from anYbody, an' I got t' tbinkin ' Hbat in th' 1erarld I's gonna do. TheeI' I HAS foulod, an' T f2~ot t I tbinld.n I about all tb' bad things I'd done an' Hbnt foltl good tbings I'd ever done in m' life. An', so. tb I worst tbing T oould see 1,las mv big ban' a-droppin I tbose tVIO or tbroe pennies in fer tb I collection of Sister Turnip,", seed, d01eIn at tb' churob, An' ya l knoH, T p'ot t ' fo,elin' so doggone little, I sml a knot hole rigbt on UP in thRt laD:. an' I just craHled up t l that knot bole, an' crmr1ed out an' vlont straigbt on home. Notif--X l785--1,ies about stretohing or sbrinking. Referenoe- - Baugbman, A CC)1)JPJClrgtive Study of the F'011cJ;,il:J."s of ErJ13JalJd and Nortb A~B~ica. 427-L~95 (Brown) "Haunted Gold". Thirty odd years ago, Unole Hs-"'rison first oome t I mA an I wanted me t' go vrith 'im to a oertal.n DIRoe, T 1,ron't desoribe tb' place, under oertain oonditillons. Tbere' s a feller thst hid eigbteen thousand dollars in gold coin, an' a' oourse th I od, an' I wouldn't advise anybody t ' go plaoA is supnosed t ' be bauntJ; h ViA c ~" ,,v, of (j~" (!, \(\(t":' i,",.\ ) there, unlAss they bad,somethin' -or- 'nutber to belp ward off these ovil spirits. T first Hould advise takin' a rabbit's foot. an' iust any rabbit's foot. Now, a rabbit has four feet you un'erstan' that, unless he's had one caught in a trap an' had it cut off an' then, of COluose. he just has three; of course if he had two caught 'n B trap h8'd ,iU8t have t"ro left, that all works out math8maticallv. Rut any",,,y, 811"'pose you 1.Jant8d a rabbit's foot, yOU'll go out here an' vou'll buy va' one, ,,'ell you don't know ,.rhether it's a lucky rabbi t 's foot er not. Nmr a genuine rabbi t 's foot 'at is lucky, he 'uz cmlght in a cemetery, at th' hour of midnite, an' ya' catch their right hind foot. An' iF he'S a cross-eyed rabbit, th' us'al thang he's a-runnin' cross Hays in a cemetery, you got t' rememb8r this, hits another main point. Well, anYvrays, lets go ahead Hi th th' t81e about th' gold. This aI' feller that buried this gOl~ he's an awful stingy man, an' ever' time he got a-hold of any goldAhe'd go out an' he'd drop it in a crevase in a rook. 'at jus' had a small openin'. An' ever I time 'at he sold a sheep, er a 00,,1, hog, er anything, he'd slip out at night. after supper, an Iud drop these coins, gold coins, in this rock crevase., Nobody ever kneH exactly Hhere he ~ went to. He 'uz so stingy an ,*'-"" close, he squeaked, you know he never would oil his joints an' they'ud squeak vlhen be Halked. An' tbat's bow he accumulated all tbis money. An' his house,,'ter hI died. at a certain time a' tb' nite. they said that tb' boards on tb' bouse 'ud begin t' squeak an I rattle. an' th' doors Iud squeak, cause be's s' stingy he never would oil th l doors, ever' time you'd bear tbem 01' squeakin' doors just go back an' to, squeak. groan, take on. Another tbing, th' reason tb' house was a-haunted s' bad. it 'uz built rigbt on a~ Indian grave. Novl tbis India.n grave 'uz an aI' chief, tbey called 'im 01' Chief Battlebones. An I at th' bour a' midni te, tbey claim ya' cud ahf8.ys bear him at tb' hour a midni te, you Id bear tbem bones rattle, be'd come up outa his prave, b'cause tbis bouse 'uz built on it. An' be'd rattle tbese bones, they said ya' could just hear lem like a buncb of tin cans in a tow sack; an' tben, long up in tb l nite, wby be'd go back in his grave. But tb' point I'm tryin' t' get at, is I jest albin afraid,sll tbesn yesrs, t' go an' dig tbis, me a-Imowin' practic'ly tb' exact spot, but T be.ven't been able t' get a-bold of tb 1 rigbt rabbit's foot. Nm'f, Ya' kin take tbis rabbit's foot, an' rub it under your cbin, an' say tbree magic words, an' tbese gbosts will leave ya' alone. Hotifs--N 523----Treasure bidden in e stone. E 291----Ghosts protect birJden t:~easure. D l029.3-Hagic animel feet. D 1385--Hagic object protects from evil spirits. E 338----Non-malevolent gllost baunts building. Hef'erence--BaugbmanrA'l CLQl)1parativA stlldy gf tbe FQlktal.eso.f Jillp;lgnd ?:.\}fl Nort b _~~~~,,~_19 a 1.~9.5-523 (Brmm'--"Pirates Gold". Anotber tbat I know of Hbere tbere's a barrel of gold tbat' s buried, tbe pirate--. Course, yOU kn01,1 if 1self that Hben a pira te ahl8.Ys buried gold be ahrays left somebo(h t' guapd tbis ~old. Nm-r tb' one tbat dug tb' bole an' buried th' gold, he would alwavs kill tbis feller, an' tbpow him in on top of tb 1 gold. Now this gbost, Hben you ,-rent t I diggin' on this gold he 'ud ahrays come t' life, an' ever time y6u go t' diggin' anI ("it near1v to tb' gold, an' .iust about tb' time YOU'd~n~)Tou "Jere 8,'bolt of it, Nby be'd begin t' beat ya an' scream an'Atake on, an' all YOU could do just t' get m-ray from tbere. So it's a good idea tbat any time va' gO t' eliggin' aftnr buried, lost treasure, t' alNays bave someth1n'-or-'nuther, now if yOU bad a rineos- er-os-er-os tooth, tbey claim is migbty good. Motifs---E 291-----Gbosts protect t'"8aSure. N 556----Treasure finders always frightened away. N 576)----Gbosts prevent men from raising treasure. R 595----HSlper in hiding treasure killed in order that nobody may ever fInd it. B 291.1--Person burying treasure kills person to supply guardi an gbos t. Referenoes--The Fl'ank O. Brgvm Colleotion of NorthO.EtY'oJ.iDa F9J,1rloE><3' 7VoL~I ) pns. 692,693, 524-570 (Brown )--"Sister Sa.11y". I want t' tell you 'bout wbat hannened over here in Tellioo Plains, Tennessee, ba.ok, oli1., fiftv, b I tr,leen f'I fty an I sixty years ago. That 'uz baok then when, it 'uz a v~ry r,omotA sAotion,d1.dn't anyone have very muoh "book larnin'" as th' 01' s8vin' is. lady in th' community that coulrJ rp,sa. th' Bihle an' They bad one 011 :J 00 rllsay a 1'ew,.,words of graoe, all along. An' ,)hen somenne died in th' oommunity, why, all th' neighbors gathered in an' m8de th' oasket nuta' pine. one poor 01' feller he told 'em, y011 lm01, ohes 'nut lumber as it burns it does a lot a poppin' an oraokin'; well this 01' feller he'd been 8'I1'ul wioked an' he told 'em when he died, told'em said, "Now you gonna make my casket out e:;:t' ohes tnut". An' they saTh,d, "Now, why in th I ],Torld do ya' want an' aI' ohes 'nut oasket"? He said, "Hell". he say. "I wanna go through Hell a-poppin' an' a-oraokin"! 1,lell. they had a feller up there in that oommunity that died, an' he 'uz one a these fellers that nobody oould say a good word about. Nobody liked ,.1.m., he 'uz 8\'1ful mean. 'ell they all went t' th' funeral .iust t' see vJhat Sister SallY oould say good "bout lim. B'oause sh I alvTayS 'uz sayin' a fer,T Hords at th' servioe. funeral servioe; she ahTays manaved t' sav a few good words about somebody, didn't matter ]'Tbo it Has. Hell. theY knew tbev bad poor 01' Sister Sally across th' bUC!~ time, b'oause sb l knej,T they oouldn't say a good Hard about this fnller. So, she Hent ahead, read a few Hords a soripture. anI after ]'Tb1.1e ab' says. "1,'!ell" , S8VS. "bere lays poor aI' Uncle Bill," says, "he .pone t' th' ppeat beyond,an," s.ays, "T do kn01,1 that Uncle Bill here vms th' bAst r,rhistler that I ever heard in my life." So tbey laid Door aI' Uncle Rtll t' rest. l,'lJe11. that proves that she could still sav someth1n' good 'bout anybody in th' vlopld, 'Cause he was, he's a good whistlAr. Motif---,T 1251---Baff1ing malice ',lith ready anm,/ers. ~ ~'U'l4Uk o~--~ ~ ~~_~~ 61+1-668 (Brmm)--"Pat an' Mike an' th' goat." Ya' kn01~, most of our funny tales ape always on Arshmen, an' as a usu'l thing they"pe ah.rays on Pat an' Mike. Nm'l, we had blo Arshmen come over here ih tlli s country 8,n' neithAr one of 'em kne,., VAry much about our way of livin' over hAPe 'in this region. , But 0neiof ~em, Mike, he'el heard of th' two cliPfer'nt p8'C'ties ovnr bern, th' Democrats an' th' Republicans. Thov's a-p'oin' 011t throllph th' f';-"lel, an' a f81- lop ha.d a big 01' go,o t th 0'ic ,ius' bnicicee) evcop' thing that ever came along; he's tryin' t' break th' goat from butt in , an' he hung a big aI' U matI up on a tpee limb vlith a chain. Tn' goat 'uz a-bacldn' off, just a way back an' just come along, an' Pat a-buttin' it as hard a.,s h', could. Mike an' Pat asked Mike,/''said, "Faith-an-by-Christ, "hat is that th ing out there?" lUke hunkerecl dOvl11 , an' got t' vlatchin' th' goat, an' h' says, "Vlell," he says, "I'm gonna tell ya'," he says, "I b<:lieve that's what ya' call a Renublic'n." He says, "If you'll notice, ever time he backs off t' hit that thing out thepe," he says, "he shows his poap end'" Tale Type--1865 ,Tokes about ForeignArs. Motif--J 1760---Anima'/J thought to be somethIng else. 668-732 (Brown 1-- "01' Hule Dynamite". You's askin' 'bout that 01' mule He use t' have, they called her 01' Dynamite. That 'uz th' meanes t. doggone mule evep I saw in my life. She'd kick a chew of tobaccep outa your mouth an' you standin' twenty feet off a'Hay fpom 'er, and if th' sun Has sl1inin' even th' sl1adow, by th' Hay it'd hit ya' l{nock )fa's somerset. 1"Te sta:oted back thpough th' mountains, me an' one a' m' fT'iends, an' 'Ie stopped up th' poad a IJt li ttle Hays an' 'Je got a oaf-gallon of tl1at a, Hell actually tl1' right name fop 't, they call it Hhite 1iFl1tnin' up l1ere,er blue senoka, mountain dew, it's got five hunclrpd names, but I call it block an' tackle. Tbe reason I call 't block An' tackle, 1,rhy, you'll stagger a block Hhen ya' git a-bold of 't, an' you'll tackle anytbing in tb' Horld tbat comes on -va'. \vell anyt,my, this aI' \,i.1d mule, 01' Dynamite, she got loose fpom me, an' T knew foptv devils couldn't pun 'er d01,m in tHO bours. That's Hben I run in to a bunch of boYS,twel1 they waddn't boys,they's grOVJTI men) an', I told 'em, I says, "Fe11eps," I said, "You see ths t mule gain' down thpough yonder, don't cba". Tbey said, "Yeah." ",'Tell," T said, "There's a baf-a-ga110n of pupe corn Whiskey tied on that ovepcoat on th 1 horn of that saddle." T says, "Now you boys catch tbat mule, an'''. I savs, "I'll T'ea11v set ye uP." Well, th' pace was on, as th' song goes, an' here they "lent after tbat aI' mule. They pun 'ep up one hill an' dm-Tn anotbep, 'cross meaders, evep'whepe; finally, tbey caught hep, brought that old mule. They's bringin' her on up. Sure enough she hadn't even cracked that haf-gallon a likker, it 'uz still hanp~in' on 'er. ltTe SAt eloHn, began t' drink, talk; He caught some a th' biggest fish 'at eveT' T sAed 131' beard of tbar, killed some a tb' biggest bears, an' it Hsdeln' t long till that 'uz tb' happiest outfit that ever you seen in all your life. An' 01' feller come up air, he llad a mOl,rin' b1adA in his hanel, a.n' he's a braggin , about Hhat a pich fapm he had dOHn ail', said it'd I":pOH anything in th' Hopld. He got a-hold of a feH shots of it, went dOHn ail' an' Hent t' maHin' off, an I afblp R vThi Ie T looked off dOl-m ail' an' he luz dO~1D a-crmrlin'. An I T holleped 8n' ask him, I says, "Hey, fellep, "rhat ape ya' doin I c10vm air a-opm'11 in l ?" He says, "You lmm,r Hhat?" says, "This land's Sl damn thin," Ray, "you got t' get dm-m an' cpaHl on It. 1I Mot1fs-- X 1242---1.1es about mules. X 800----Humop based on drunl,enes s. 733-768 (Bpmm)--"Bootler-;gcp Vlho buIlt bIs bouse on th' line." lple had an aI' fellep UP hepe in these mountains years ago, an' T won't call any names fer sentimental peasons, Icause he could be some of my kinfolk. ya' lmm,r "re'pe all ,"upnosed t' be akin accordin' t' Adam an' Eve. But anyway, this all fellep ioTaS a bootlegger, an' a blockadeJ? too, an' he builth is house pir:ht on trle North Ca'lina an' Geopgia line up here in these mountains. An' he paid tax in North Ca'- lina an' paid tax in Georp;ia too. An I if b I D:ot in trouble in Nortb Callina all he had t l do 'uz step over in th' Geopgia side of bis bouse; if b l got in tpouble in tb' Georgia side all hA bad t' do 'uz step ovep on th' Noptb Ca'lina side. S' they caught 'im a-makin' likker over hepe in tb' Georgia side one time an' went up air an' tpied to arrest 'im an', 10 anI behold, be 'uz on tb ' otber side a th l bouse. You 've heapd a bein' ovep on th' othep side a th' fence, vJell, he 'uz ovep on tb' othep side a th' house. An' theY couldn't do a thing in th' wopld about it. So it pocked on sn' on, Rn' they nevep could catch lim, get a-hold of lim on th' Geopgia s'de. So finally went t l Nopth Ca'- lina an got some :~eckla' zition nap,eps an I they "lent up air then an' managed t I get a-hold a th I poor 01' fella'. So that's th' way he had a dodgin' around th' bush, all he had t' do 'uz cross th I line an' it IU~ allover then. Motif-- J 648---Ca,!I'e against future imprisonment. Blbliograpby Aarne, Antti, and stith Tbompson. Tbe Types pf :the ""QU{tale. Helsinki: SuomaUlinen TredeakR"Femia--Academia Scientiarum Fennica: Second Revisioh, 1061,. Tbompson, Stitb. }~Qtif'-J:tLQJ";X:Qf'_Folk-Lit.exs,ture. (six volumes) Bloomington Indiana: TndianaT'rniversityPress. 1956. Bibliograpby of Works Cited Baughman, E. 1i1.A (J0TIlparativeSt;1J,dy Qf the Fo]J~tales of England s,ndNQ:r'th America. Ann Arbor, Hicbigan: Indiana Universit;r ppess, 1953. Cross,T.P. ",vitchcraf't in Nopth C,groHna". stgcJi",s i tl PJ1i:L()10gy (University of Nortb Carolina' 16: 217-218. Tbompson, Sti tb, ed. The_ Fl"!'Jlk c. J3rDJolU Coll,ection of liQ1?th Qarolina Folklore, ( vol. If Thirbam: ThA-nnlv8rsH~T-of Nortb--Carolina Press, 1952, 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. 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