Yvonne H. Meadows interview with Myrtle Moore, W.R. Ingram, Susie Mae Ingram, R.E. Edwards, and Callie Gouch

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. Myrtle Moore begins this interview with a short story about an old woman who cleaned her plates by letting her dog lick them. W.R. Ingram tells a story about a haunted house and then one about a man who pranked his friend into believing that a mule could talk. Susie Mae Ingram recalls a joke about a young boy that snuck a pie into church; then W.R. Ingram shares one about a preacher who tried to feed a calf milk, but the calf snuck behind him and knocked him over, and one about a man that stayed in a haunted house overnight and was rewarded with ownership of the house. Next, R.E. Edwards shares a few stories, including one about a boy who starts college, then when he returns home he feels isolated from his friends. Callie Gouch concludes the interview with a series of short stories. She recollects one about a misbehaving boy who spent the night at the ministers house, one about a woman that misheard the word gin instead of sin in church, and one about a monkey that tried to convince a bear that man, not the bear, is the baddest thing in the jungle. Myrtle Moore (1944-?) was from Talladega, Alabama, and worked as a music teacher. W.R. Ingram (1895-?) was from Madison, Georgia. His daughter, Susie Mae Ingram (1937-2007), also lived in Madison. Reverend R.E. Edwards was from Mayfield, Georgia. Callie Gouch (1919-2005) was born in Montgomery, Georgia. She married Eddie James Gouch and later moved to Macon, Georgia. Three Haters I wanna tell you a IiI' story dat my mother told me. She said, "Once there was uh an old lady who "anted to invite duh preacha over fuh dinnah". So, when he got there, the place ,las kinda dirty and he wuz skeptical 'bout earn'. So, he folled aroun' 'n' tried to find out "'hether duh lady wash dishes or not. So, he ast and she said, uh, "Duh dishes are just as clean as three waters can get them~t So, he figgad he would go on an' eat. So, afta dinnah, duh 0' lady sey, ttTHRElS WATERS, THREE WATERS", an' the dog came runnin t in. An' he ate eveythang that vJaS left on the plates an' liked 'em real clean and she put 'em back on the shelf ( 7 rounds ) 2 The Hainted House Urna give yuh dis story den 'bout duh man that uh-- ,.uz duh con- versatn of duh house. Hit wuz a hainted house an' he ~ruz uh-- ef 'e could stay in dere all nite duh house ud become heas. So he gone tuh duh house an t he stayed dere ub certain hour of duh night an' duh man come in bless the light, put his light out an' den he put his light on He cou- he couldn't see duh man but duh man 'e could see him. Well, but he stayed on dere. So, finally he sed morning jus' fo day to, he wuz a blacksmith. So,. he wendmm tuh"the blacksmith shop an' he start to l70rkin tout dere an' dis 01 t haint come out dere where 'e was an t he had long beards on an I he jus I stooped dOt-ffi. behin t duh vice. lnlen 'e gOdO\vTI behin' duh vice when he reached ova to git tuh him Hhy he screH duh vice up right tight. When 'e screw duh vice up right tight, den Ie cOl,lldn't git ai-lay. An 'e ask tim say, "Whata, lAlata,1;'lhata you 'i~ont heah". He said, ulf you stay heah dis time'~said, ttyou kin have duh house ant ever thang in it", said, "1 won It bother you nfma. Som duh next night he come, 'e br.ought 'is wife wit tim. An dat thang CO,He out. Duh haint COOle out dat time, said, tlLool~ heauh, Hho dis you got hcahtt ? He sa~ tits rna vlife'~ But dull haint thought he said tuz 'is vice. He left gain'. (2 rounds) 3 The Preacher We had one on "duh preacha. He i","llZ visitin r the susta. He always go 'roun' tuh see duh sustas when dey out dere fixin' dinna. So, he's settint dere readin' duh Bible ant while hets readin' duh Bible, she go dinna ready. He's sittin' in dull house Hit 'is hat on, 'e never even pull 'is hat off. Says, ttCome on heauh brotha, les, 1es, les have din-naH. An' he says, "Awright, TI1a t am". He jumped up an' pulled tis ha.t off 'n' 'e throwd 'is hat'n the fir'n 'e had a big chew tobacco in 'is mouf, he thowd dat 'n' duh midd1a duh bed ( 13 rounds) 4 The Man and The ~m1e The man, the man u-ud go tuh church evey Saturday an' he had his son 'e he usta, git mad, he had t!Ih hitch up the buggy evey time he'd go tuh duh meetin' an' e got tide, but on dis partcu1a time, he'd gone dOvffi ere catch duh mule, ant 'e says, "Git 'roun' Bill, git 'roun' Bill", an' says Bill looked back at tim an said, "Thas 'toJhut I say. Ever Saturday you say, Git 'roun' Bill, git 'roun' Bill"., He took outa runnin'. Run back to duh house sed, "Daddy", say, "Dat mule t awkintn. Say you knmv -dat mule ain't tawkin 1 , boyn. Say, ttYessuh, he is taVlkin"; say, you go dotm dere. He '\Vent, say, "Git 'roun' dere, Bill:" Say, uHeah you come down hea11 tvit dis same stuff. Git 'roun' Bill". So,he took out tuh runnin'. An' 'e run 'til 'e got so outta breath, he sided- he'd set sedown an rest. He say, "You know, 1 neva heard a mule talk befo in my life. Thas.duh fus time ,1 heard a mule talk". Lil' Fife say, "Me neither". He sold out agin. ( 12 rounds ) , 5 The Little Boy and The Pies V Once this IiI' boy's mother went tuh church, and she had some pies in the ovan cookin' 'em. So, she lef' him home tuh watch duh avan, to watch duh ovan. An'so, she wenton tuh church, an' the preacha he 'VUz up preachin'. So, finally this IiI' boy he got though seein' afta duh pies, an' he decided he wanted to go tuhchurch. An' so, he put soma duh pies in 'is bussom an' he wenton to church. An' duh preacha ,vuz, he wuz up preachin', an' so he wuz preachin', "You oughta search yo bussom. to see what cha got". An' so this I il' boy, he had got up on de fromt seat. An' so while he kep' on sayin', "You oughta search yo bussom to see Hhatcha got", dis IiI' boy say, Ttr don knotv tV'hatchew got in yours, but hO'~oJ' 'bout a feHB dese pies .in mines Tt ( 10 rounds ) 6 . The Preacher and His Calf Dis, dis preacha he'd been preachin' there a. lone time an' duh people thought "e11 of 'im, and' 'e he told 'em tuh buy 'im a ne,., suita clothes. So, dey bought tim a doeskin suit." An him an"is wife started, dey live very far from duh church, they "alked. They walked Hay up duh ro!d a IiI' piece, an' duh caff jus' kep' a hall in " tfBa_a_a, ba,-a-a, ba-a-atf Say, 110 t, lady", say, tryou gidat caff some mille"':? Said, "No u Say, HI blieve I go back 'an' gidat caff some mil"". He "Gnt back 'n' got dat haff a gallon milk in duh haff gallon bucket fUlla.milk, come out dere an' duh caff, he didn', he smelt but 'e didn' know where it'uz at. See, he'd been nsta uh suckin' from de cow. An he's gall gil it some cutta bucket 'cause duh cow's do\m 'n' dub pasture, you know. Went in dere tn' atta while duh caff got 'is monf right on duh bottom a duh bucket, an' 'e give a hunch up. vlhen 'e gi'dat hunch up 'e hit duh ol! preacha from 'is head clean on dm-m. Ha grabbed 'im by duh eahs said, "You know, one thang~' said, "if it "an't fuh duh marne a duh La"d 'n' Jesus Chris' gotdurn ya I'd kill yan. Done nessed up tis doeskin suit ( 12 rounds ) 7 The Fellow Who Won A Home Nos' peoples had gone tuh dis place, dis house an' never stay dere, an t duh man who~o1m duh house said anybody that - 1vho could stay in dere all night could have duh house. An' everbody dat go there, duh ghost'ud run'uffi out sometime fa day, an' sometime right firs' get there. They couldn' stan' duh light'n they couldn't stan' duh noise, they'd run: So, this felloH, he said, "I-I'll go dmm ere'~ ant 'e said, uh, "I'll stay dere". He godmm ere, an' but 'e had tuh sleep upstairs. That bedroom. Hhut he had tuh sleep in mlZ up stairs. He's settin' up dere readin' befo ' 'e wenta bed, 'fi' 'e head somethin' come up duh steps alIa way neah tuh duh top step. IVhen he straight- ened up it, "BOOM, BOm-I, BOON," all duh way back down duh steps. He say, "Well, you kin boom all you l-'1anta~' but say, uItro gan stay heauh. H Say, atta while, it done duh same thang. Atta while, he gone tuh bed. ~ben 'e wenta bed, three or four times he heard that thanf happen. So, 'e got up an' his light an' 'e got right sida duh stairway, right side duh stain-my, an ,,,hen, an when dis thang come up, he shined duh light, an' tuz a great big 01' Hals rat. He had a bone a.nd Ie couldn't git, he got it on duh step, but one stepuz a IiI' higher'n duh other'n when 9it git outta 'is mouf, hit landed all duh way back tuh duh bottom. So, he worn his home by stayin' on all night. ( 6 rounds ) 8 The Man Whose Only Son Died This 01' man, he only had one son, an' he, an they lived togetha fuh many yeahs, there togetha, an' they, he, he, HUZ lius' dear to 'im. He jus' thought the worl' all u'im. But his son s-sicked an' died, an' afta he died he, every evenin' he'd go tuh the cemetery an' e he said, "Son, rise up an' let papa see ya one mo time". He jes f kepa sayin' there he go agin. Says, uRise up, son, let papa see ya one rno time". TIle boys gotta watchin' 'im an' they saw what he's doin' an' hearcd 'i\7hat he said, so, they s-set fu tim next evenin '. Come by duh next even in , the boys already do,m ere. Won't but one at duh grave but he's there an' he's dressed all in white, but he's layin' flat on dull graun '. An 'e say, liS-son, rise up an r let pa.pa see ya one rno time, Hill ya"? He sta.rted up. He say, "Go back, son, tI say, "Papa see ya t,: GO BACK, SOm" He jes' kepa comin'. lie say, "GO BACK SON: Say, "Papa see yatr He stood straight up that time. He said uh, said, "Darn yo soul", say, "You's duh hard headedest devil fo you lef' heah an' you still ,vorsa now". ( 14 rounds) , 9 The College Boy This little story relates uh, a father who had a son. He decided to send this young man to college. Before he \-lent to college he was quite uh sociali e with the fellows in the community. But after he went to college and spent a year, he came back home that summer and he was rather isolated. He would go to church, and, after church was out he'd come out an' stand p under a tree. With 'is arms folded an' the other boys would speak tuh 'im and he hardly spoke to them. ,nlen- ever he, whenever he attended the social affairs of the community, he- sat in a corner to himself. Didn't uh socialize with the community young people in it. So, happened one, on a fourth of July that uh following summer, had a big ba-uh-h-h celebration, a big uh ball game an' barbeque an' after that was over they went to swimmin f This, this young man wouldn't go in the swimmin' pool where the other fellas ,.ent. He ,rent out a little farther from them and ,-,ent in this., this swimmin' pool to him uh - \vent - uh - sw - uh - went - uh - sw - uh swimmin' , . place to himself. \'!hUe he's down there s,,,immin' unfortunately he caught the, he~caught the tramp in one a 'is legs ant he was, he need- ed help, so he said, "A-Assistance please, a-ssistance please': An~. f e wendoWll, an,!. came b2.ck up he 'l;V'as sayin t ItA_ss istance, please". So, he 'l;vendmm again. He came back he said, "a-SSISTANCE,pleasetl Wendown again an' the next time he came, he say, HELP: BOYS: They say, "Why in the H didn't you say that as went in there an' got tim. as of first?tr An' they ( 7 rounds) 10 The Widow Woman and The Minister This uh little story uh, relates toa uh aI' lady, she uas a ,.idow woman and, the minister of that church that Saturday and uh, 'Hell, that Sunday., and he Has to preach for the pastor that night. So, the the pastor asked this 0' suste-I" 'Hould go, 't-oJ'ould she let the the 5inister go home and take dunner with her an' he ~vouldntt have far to walk back to church that-uh-night. So, she agreed to take 'im home with her for dunner. So, \:rhen she got home an' got fer IiI' dunner on the ta~le, she invited tim in to dunner. And he told fer he say, "Suster, 1 thank you, say, but I'm afraid if 1 eat, 1 won't be able to preach tonight. I'll "ait'n 'til after 1 come back from church. 'Cause if I eat, I won't be able to preach tonight~ So, she insisted. But he insisted thet -- he rather not eat then, he rather uait until he came back from church. 'Cause he's afraid that he pr-ate he would interfere with his preaching that night. So, she told ti~ all right then, well she'd save tiq somethin t 'til after service tonight. So, 0 t lady 'tvasn't able to go back to church that night. The little, the little, grandson went. So-uh- the little grandboy got home befo t the -the minister did so, Hhen r Ie ,got home the at lady was anxious to know howtd the minister come out. HO\1- 'Hhat-hm07 \vas tis senTIan. So, she- asked tim say, "HelP.' say, "Did the minister - hm,] was the serrnan tonight, JohnnyTt? An t he say, ltHe coulda ( 20 rounds ) '. 11 The Little Bad Boy Once there ~~z a man, an' 'is wife had tl~O chiren, had one IiI' boy. An' the IiI' boy was bad, they couldn't do nothin' with rim. So, he I'lent to duh minista 'n' ast duh minista could dey, could he hep tim straighten 'is IiI' boy out. An' duh minista tol' tim, ''Yeah,: gimme a dayan' a night with 'im. And so he taken duh IiI' boy, an' caid tim on home.'ivith tim': An' Ie kept tim dere dat night an' fed tim. An' Ie eaten tol' tim duh bless duh table. An f as they's blessin' duh table his lil' boy said duh blessin'. say, "Lawd, bless my mama an' my father, an' my bro , my IiI' susterslr An' he l;'lent to _say his blessin' he said, IILa-v.ld , bless my mama ant my father, ant please bless this stanin" ova me (I Hon't say dat bad Hord)". Ad say uh, he 'ioTent on 'e did an t toJ'enta bed. An I 'e godmm. an t prayed. An' 'e ast duh LaHd tuh bless 'um all. An dey wenta bed, an' dy got up duh nex' mal;nin' dey said duh blessin' tuh the breakfas' table. An' it seid, the IiI' boy s.'3,id, uLa,,;rd rr , IiI' boy say "Je-slis t.rep,n. An!. the otha lil' boy say, "He sho did". And uh, dey wenton dey did an' blest all through duh day of - of duh eatin'. An' that night dey l;'Jenta go tuh bed n I m5.nista taken the lil' boy'n 'Hrapt tim up in a blanket. Afta 'e ~~enta sleep 'e caid 'im out 'n l duh cemetery. Ant laid tim on a tomb stone, an' stood off ova dere whey he could watch the IiI' boy see what aikshun wuz he gon' take. Well, IiI' boy l woke up, 'n t 'e raised up an' looked. He sawall the stars 'n' thangs shinin r. He Y1iped 'is eyes. An' 'e laid there an 'e turnt ova 'e did ant raised up an' looked. He saw duh sun risin ' Looked aroun' an' sawall the cemeteries 'round 'im. He stood up'n stretched. He say, "Well, this is judgment day, an' um duh rus son-of-a-bitch risin':: ( 25 rounds) 12 Histaken Sermon Once they wuz Havin' a meetin', an' duh preacha ~~z preachint tuh duh ministas, tuh duh. preacha wuz preachin' an' he say. 1 'tolants tuh knmoJ who all that love ginn. Naw, he say, "I ~\'l7ants tuh kno,., ,,,ho all that lO'ves sin". Ant so, duh lady m-misunderstood tim. She Thought duh preach say he wanta know who all that love gin. An' she stood up an raised t er han'. An' so dull preacha say, nSusterrt , say, "Did chew understan' me"? Say. "1 said. uho all that love sin tuh raise dey han... "She say. "VIell. urn sorry ah thought cheN say all 'em tha,t love gin raise they han'. ( 7 rounds ) 13 The Little Boy '!ho j'lanted His Daddy To Find Jesus This, there's a I il' boy in duh country. Him an' is daddy uz workin , in duh country ant so eV8Y dayan' his bowels wuz hard tuh move. An' so, he always went unda a big oak tree fuh 'is bowels tuh move. An t when 'e gOdO\ID ere, he to1 t 'is daddy once t say, trDaddy, you Qughta pray". Sey, "1fuere you kin fin t Jesus like I dolt, say, ttl fin' Jesus every daylt. Say 'is daddy. say, "Son, do you fin' you really fin' Jesus"? Say, "Yeah daddy. I finds 'im every day". Say, he say, "Well Hhen you find '1m agin, you be sho an tuh call me 'n' let me kno\'1 cause I Hanta see imtt Say J he say, "All right, daddy". So, duh nex' day about t-ten o'clock duh IiI' boy's bOHels hadta move agin. So he got 'is daddy's bic hat 'n' 'enton dOl-ffi unda dat. big oak 1f'ree. An' afta his bowels moved, taken 'is duh hat'n putfova tis, duh action. An' 'e stood up, an' 'e say"J"O-OH-U DADDY, DADDY, I DONE FOUN' JESUS AGIN". Say 'is daddy throwed 'is pIa dOloJIl, stopped duh mule 'is n t i1:~ turnt loose t is pIa an runned davID dere tuh see whey he could see Jesus. Say, he say, "Whey is 'e son? vfuey is 'e, son"? Say, he say, "Daddy dere te is right unda my hat~ NOH 't'lhen I move 'im you grab' im". His daddy, "hen he picked duh hat up, his daddy,grabbed, his daddy got a han' full. ( 20 rounds ) L 14 The Wagon Load Say, it ,mz a man up ovah him, in duh, in duh allic like up there, say uh he wuz jus' a preachin', preachin' all dat night in duh vival meet in t an evey night he "d git up dere preachin " flAIl these ~-lomens gain' tuh hell by duh Hagan load". So's one man sided, we gon' fix him tonight, say, "We gon git up dere an' aks 'im who gon brang duh wagon back". So, ,,,hen uh he got dere dat night 'n gotta preachin', 'n' preachin', nAIl dese Vlornen's is gain' tuh hell by duh Hagan load". Say, duh man say, ",fuo gon".brang duh wagon back"? Preacha didn' quite heah it good dat time. He preached on 'n' preached on, he hollerd out agin, "All dese women's goin' tuh hell, by duh wagon load". Say, he loud a 10 - aliI' louder. Say, he say, ''1fuo gon' brang duh wagon back"? So, duh preacha l-b-oked up, 'e didn' see nobody. Say, 'e said it agin. An' say, "All dese women's goin' tuh hell by duh .' "'agon load". So duh man said it louda, "Well, ",ho gon' brang duh wagon back"? Say, he taken off. Say, tfDamned if I knOl..;ru: ( Conversation for 123 rounds ) 15 The Honkey and The Bear Duh monkey an' duh bear, had dem a home togetha. An' so, the monkey went in one day an' tol' the bear say, !'Hr. Bear, you thank you duh baddes' thang it is in duh jungle butcha ain't". An' say, tlTIley's something in duh jungle baddern' you isH. Say, Mr. Bear say, '-'Well, whut is it"? He say, "You folIa me 'n' I'll s11m.; it tuh ya". So, Mr. Bear say, rtAwright". So, dey got out 'tmlkin' in duh jungle. So, Mr. Bear \.l-tJ-they wa.lked on dey met a IiI' 0' dog. Say, Mr. Bear say, "Is dat duh, is da,t duh baddes, thang"? Hankey, say, UNo, dat ain't duh baddes' thang, jes'.folla me". Say, dey Halked on dey did, dey met a ca. Sey, duh d-bear say, "Is dat duh baddes' thang"? Sey, 'e say, "Nm;, dat ain't duh baddes' thang jes' folIa me". Kep' on dmm in duh jungle, they met up 'Hit a at fox'n ' - Ie tvanta know, Wets dat~ duh, "is da;t duh baddes t thang"? Say, ;!,e: say;,-, 1JNm-v, l1r. Bear, jest folIa melt. Bey, "Youa s-youa see'lm on dO'tm heah". Say, Ie wenton dotvn dere Ie did 'n' got on down 'ere futha, say a rabbit jumped up. Say, he say,. Ills dat duh baddes t thang"? f1Nal:oJ, dat a.intt duh" baddcs' thang, jus' folIa me". Say, ,;hen duh, duh - duh monkey kno,;ed ,;hey duh man ",uz stanin' at an' he had a double-bael shot gun. An' sey, he sey, ltf.1r. Bear", sey, tt NO'\:-1 I won' go no futha. ButcheH go right straight on dOlm there 'n youa fin' duh baddeS'thang it is in duh jungle". Say de, say duh bear say, "Al:vright". He say now, duh monkey say, I~um gain' back home nO,\:\1, an' you go on dotm an' youa fin' dub. baddes' thang". Say, duh man saw duh beah comin' an t duh man -~ thrmoJed 'is gun 'up an' shot 'iII]. in duh face. Say, he loaded 'im up in duh face. An say and uh.when 'e loaded 'im up in duh face duh (continued ) The Honkey and The Bear (Continued) beah turnt 'roun', an' dat time 'e loaded tim up in t-is b- in 'is reah back dere. Say, duh beah made it back home whey duh monkey wuz at. Say, duh monkey ,vu~ in duh house. Say, duh, duh beah got'dere'n knocked on duh doe. Say, duh monkey sey, 'o;nlO is it"? Sey, duh beah say, !tIt's Mr. Beah". Say duh monkey open duh doe. Sey, t'E_H_W MR. BEAR, LOOK AT CHO FACE!" Say, he sey, "Mah face in good shape. But look at my en t 11 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. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.