Title: Catherine Cash interview with Willard W. Cash Sr. and Edgar Tillman (part one)

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This is the first of a two part recording. This part begins with Edgar Tillman recalling when he and his wife, Bertie Mae Peacock Tillman, bought a camper to travel to South Carolina when he was sick. He remembers an instance when he felt very feverish, so he stripped down to his underwear and fell asleep in the back. Later a crash woke him up and he ran out of the van, Bertie Mae drove away, and then police found him and thought he was drunk. From 6:44 until the end of the recording, Tillman tells a story about a World War I soldier who falls in love with a French nurse. The nurse gave him a letter written in French that he could not read and caused his commanding officer to discharge him when he found it. Willard Wadsworth Cash was born in Ben Hill County, Georgia, to John Hamilton Cash (1837-1923) and Mary Catherine Eidson (1856-1933). In 1915, he married Nancy Lou Stipe (1888-1966) and had one child, Elizabeth Catherine (1921-1993). He graduated from Young Harris College in 1913 and received a theology degree from Emory University in 1921. Afterwards, he worked as a Methodist minister. Edgar Tillman (1906-1971) was born in Pierce, Georgia, to Walter Percy Tillman (1870-1942) and Nicy Lee Johnson (1886-1981). He married Bertie Mae Peacock (1912-1989) and had three children: Josephine (1932- ), Edgar (1934-2005), and Earl (1934- ). He was a farmer and Merchant Marine. Tales from Q Wil W. Cash Folktale Collecting rroject cc> L o Catherine Cash Altves at 3919 Tell E:2 gra.duated frorr You.n3 Hartwell, Gao i.n 1913, frorr, Emory Univers:Lt:y in 1021c then sto:ries" He sizs aidi-2:nce" Fappy is a Gi.ff,erent storyteller f:rorr, the araund-ths-iresi.de kind@ The bigger the crowd, the co~e be is antag2, I ~.,73,s reccrding stories ~.,1itb out tbe arpy x:eeLs tbat CJLS Jtorj~es are irr,portant because a good crowd gives an inspiration~ speal~, and two or tl1ree good stories or jokes warrns up the audience0 He feels that the jokes and stories 2re isportant to establish a rapport with the J?a.f'J?Y sa:td th::1t at one time he lz:nev1 hundreds of preacher joY:es, and tb01J.3:ht a1:,ont recordine; tber::, but 11.ever got around ":o it.. He b,sard his stories frorn cs1rnp rr1eeti.rJgs, or f:ron; 2aching or from meeti sat the North Georgia t1et!.--iodist Conference .. I founG the the haint runninq- witb tl1e man .. C, (p 0 6) Papp,yi)s g::rar:.dfather told bim this one and pres-urrably it to bis personal experienceo Tb:i.s talc 3hould date around the judgins from the family tr,ee., I found a tale sitJ1.lar to the preacher spending the I co-uld not find any u1otifs about nreacbers rea;Jing th3 serrcor:. nor coulG I find Ll7otifs about pr-eachers byrnns,.) It tJould seem that tl.12 proud f;:1:rrcer , story and ttie nev1ly dug grave sto:cy would be fairly corr.1rnon motifs, bu.t I could not find any rr,otifs for these., I v~as out h,2re Oklahama a ferJIJ years ago~ I heard a j olce out there I hadn't heard before, and uh, It said that the senior pastor out there had a,a, junior pastor a'heping him. And so, he put the junior pastor to preach one Sunday morning. And uh, the young man, he went ahead and studied hard and all like that, and did the best he could and he wanted to make as good a impression to the congregation as well as to the, to the preacher. And so, he went ahead and worked hard on it all week, And it came on Sunday morning, he went ahead and started off ,,ith his sermon, and did pretty well. And uh, when he got through, he asked his senior pastor what he thought of it. "There's two things wrong, said, "one place," he said, "In the first e, you didn't know how to read;' said, I! the next place, you didn't have anything to read. 10 I've told that to three or four district superindents who read their sermons there a few years age. Boy- talk about a crowd, they just died laughing., So, er Kelley told this story one time. Said that, t?,, they used to have a11-day singings on Sunday, you know .. And the preacJiffS, they 't like it at tal. Cause, tbe people ,-JOuld go there from miles You don't remember that. miles around, you know. And so, Brother Kelley got up and told the story that an old fellow want to announce a 1 day singing was gonna be :i.n tbe church. And so, the old fellor said, ''rhat next Sunday there's gonna be a,a, all day-singing here and uh, I want ley sa:i.d "Yes, It will be all day singing here and then all o-r,,?er the grou.nd, and hell 1 around." Used to be a school teacher in a, in a rriountains~ She, uh, .,. 'n er narne vvas M:'1sls Bd o g ette, , F,:..n,c a spinster, an old rnai'i .es acve g.sr-ierally say~ And uh, she v.1as one of those old long-eared kind religiou.s type, don't belle-qe in anybody saying anything funny or writing anytl--:1:Lng funny* And she wouldn't let that~ All the students had slat,2s. /,.Ti'.t} sbe wou.ldn' t let then1 i;,,Jrite anything bumorous or anything like tbat on those s le.t,ss ~ And so, she v1as tipping around tbere to f:Lnd 01-rt iiJJhat tbey wrote there on those slates~ And she found one little boy with tv10 lines of poetry on a,on a slate. Two lines was this: Little mouse ran upstairs prayers$ l .. nd rrade h2r furious cause he had 1vvritten. abo11t her that '\;Jay,. And she boun.ced him up and down or:1 a. b,encb and made out that she's gonna v,1h.ip bi.en~ I'm gonna give you three minutes to write two more lines like that .. n Of cours2, tbe.t sca!:-ed him nearly to death,. She pulled O"Ut her v12.tch ;:rnd was --, V o '-;; pronounce (bioJ-1t) your guess :i..::: 38 cood 9.G n-:;1.ne t:o tbe spc:llj_ngc t ~-d ,-,~ to rh~nl- " -'.;,_~!!.!.6 ' _,,,.1,.. ,,., it's over .. n And of course, he hadn 1 t thought of anything., tbird miunte is nearly u.p and you hc,rven' t (!one a thing., n And just as the third rninute t".Jas up, why 1 he commenced to writing on a slate. Sbe said,nNow stand up before the class and read tbe wbole thing, for 'em*n And he stood up and said, Little ~ouse ran upstairs 11.ear Mi.ss :1.odgette say her prayers., hit and I'm gonna dodge it .. 5 I:-Ie n.ad, not long ago, Farn:er had prize -Plymouth f<ock chickens. And he thought: a lot of tben-.1 ~ E.e wE~nt to ~)l1en be 1):1ent to bed, he put on his night And ub, he had an old bird dog in the yard. And way long in a night, why, he heard those hens a cackling out there, like there's some body efter 'em,. And so, he got his shotgun up, and he pulled both hammers backs:, he's gonna kill something, ur a bear or son:etbing out there. Now he forgot about that, that dog, being out there. Anyhow, be went out tb1:;re st:epp,in8 lightly, you know, and stooped over to see, you know, and with that nightshirt on coming half to his knees" He stooped over to J.ook in there, to look into the chicl'\en pen, he (the dog) stu.ck his nose up his behind. And he jumped and hollerec.~ and pulled tbe trigger and shot and killed 12 or 1 5 of hie nriz0 ,ly~outh hens - ,. '" - - c l ' . . . Now, thatgs a old My grandpa, your great-grandfatber, ub, told tb::Ls one, _;\nd l"Je said out in a-= he's born and raised out j n a Alabama-- said that there 1 s an old house out tbere was said~o be) hainted .. And a fellow went there and bantered hj_m and said 1!You can 1 t go over tbere and sp-end. the nigbt /1 tbe hain.t t,.,ould run him off~ ge said, He co1..1ld do it .. fle ~,Jent there c.1.nc1 stayed and vJent to bed end spent the night in the house~ ~<'ay long ir:i tbe night, a 'aaint came. He jurnped up and got to running., And he ran, and ran a.nd ran anC ran e.nd ' , ' r.s.n, until ;set 0 1,Jt of br.e,;;;1tb and sat down on ,::;t log., And tbe baint came up and sat a.long beside of bitr~ And uh, ..TJJ+9 5,, 1 Man runs from actual or supposed gbost .. Tbe gbGD;:~ :cr1rs: L-es:i.dE' h~_p:;~ t1~2.n stops to rest; the g~ost stops, 0 l l j 1 n says,'Toat was a gooo run we aa~o l,,Ian s.a:_/B, nyes, and soon as I get i:ny breeth, r1-1e 1r? t~cdug to ror1 sorne r:.iore,,. 11 7 H2ints connected. 1"/Jith tbat too, you knOTJ1J~ Anyhow, here's a tale I used to tell that ta, that ta, a fellow had been below the cen-.etary to see so1::iebody and was goln.g back at nigbt.. A,nd uh, be, nobody told hirn about a grave being dug i.n there to bury somebody tbe next o' ..ay. They used to bury deep in a grou.nd, six, eight, feet: in a ground. He was going through there and be fell in, he fell in that grave. And he was down there, scrambling around trying to jumping out. Finally he got so tired that he sat down in a end of gra\1e, and said, light cornes and sorr:ebody corrie get rne ou.t ~ n and t!h, he fell in there ,and (the Eirst fello~) says, 11Fel~~ow, you can;t jump out now, I already 11Jerrt .. 1 ; 8 Brother Hancock used to tell this one~ Brother. Hancock 'went horce ivith some. old folks to snend tbe night, one night~ And .knd he a.te and ate~ And before he went to bed, the old man said to his wife, says, nThat fellor.-1 ate too much ton:L2;ht .. He 1 1J. be sicl 1:-,efore tbe morn.ins;. after bir1 for he 1 s gets sick,. 1 1 And ba.d steal-'. for supper. left in .a ;Jle.te ,wbi3u. tbey got through.. And WB}' long in a night, (t:be old TI",an) W',.1.v' b_.,f'.:;~1._ c} tl ,qj_-_ f ,0 .1_._ 1_.o,.,,. '[('' ~-.c,-+_-, ,_,_ J .. ,-10-. c~_,.-0~_,_r,_0_ ,_,_~,_-_, tl-1 r-irc~ .r,1 d r.-"'.,Th r11rsc'- Pol .., - .. -- ~ ... ,._,_ ~ .,_ .,. .. Ll .... - '-' .. _._,~.:- '-' ~ '~, -- ,,. o.--- .c' 1! ~- up, Get Got to .Y_, .:et o.n and her.i l.1irr: .. n ~ _,p Get,~ 1u9_11r. He cae:,e sturrbling dov,Jn, sturnbling in tber, said, thj_nking about tbat piece of ham being left., Could.n ij t go to sleep thinkf.ng aboi..:1t it being left,. H He say-s, '"I had to cowt:~ down and eat it,.' Stith Thompson in:1ex: Xli.31-- ?Et:r.sor1 and the }?orri.dg-e Pot Cvern:tgbt i.n peasa.nt' s house, bungry parson bunts the porridge pot wbi.le everyone's s :t~eping Type. Fh III li'7e Storyteller: Story: Edgrrr A. Tillman Blacksbea:r, Ga,. iving the Camper I bad recorded this tale as a favor for lv:tr~_. ers, a woman v,jho \,vorks for the Sl.:ffirne firm I do, before I had tal<en the folktale course~ At the time, I thought this tale was an original of Mr. Tillman, but actually it is a good example of an urban folktale. This tale was one of his favorites, he delight in telling this to innocent family members or friends, to see who would believe that it really happened, He is telling the story to his grand~.daughter, Tammy, Bertie, in the story, is his wife. Mr. Tillman was a farmer and a Merchant Marine seaman may be \-Obere he picked is Mr. Tillman vias a good storyteller, but unfortunately he has died. I have made a copy of the tape of his story. For verac , check with Mrs. Jo Winters 31'.:-75 Warbler Dr. decatur, Ga. 30034 Zl:.1-l'.:.042 home 523-8063 office Tamara, you been ~Janting to know about the truck. You know, there's a truck and camper to this thing, And your grandma sure were set to have one. And Je bought one. And r,Je decided to go on a vacation. Well, she wanted to go up to South Carolina. And of course at that time, I was in pretty bad health but I decided I would go along with her. Well, when she went out in the truck, she wanted to do the driving. You know how your grandmaw is, wants to be a big shot, ya know. And uh, I says I' 11 do the drivin~ny own self. She says, (bigh voice) "You can do your own driving i.f you 1,,1ant. to." says, "Your sick now." I says, "vfoll, it don't matter if I am sick, I'll do tbe driving." Well, we got in there, we had our groceries in and our bed made up and plenty of water, And up the road we went. Well, we went round Savannah, we were gonna cross the river and go on over to South Carolina to sollle good camping ground up there in Soutb Carolina, you see. And well, to you one tbing, I had an old gal up there I sorta wanting to see. Didn't have much need for her, just to smile at her, you see. But I didn't want yo11r grandma to know it. Well, I seem, well, we went up once before in a car, seen some deer and I wanted to see them deer too. That~s four legged deer. She 't know nothing about that two But any-v1ay, I got on up there, just before Savannah and I got to felling really, really, feeling bad. I mean I was feeling bad. I says, "Bertie, old gal. Do you think that you can "uh., e say-s, 11 T.t' .~ nore can. I can d. riv e t h1. -s rig ." I says, "--"v' , V____ ,, I gonna get b aclc u-' oiftm t_!--,ere in a back and lay down and you just go on across the toll bridge now. Don't go around the other old way, I say, just go across the tbe toll bridge. I says,"It won't take you long to go over there in South Carolina." I got back there, you know, and she got up there. She looked like a Philadelphia lawyer, a setting up there under that steering wheel, ya know. And I got back there and little bit warm, I hadn't got the windows open, Well, I pulled my shirt I say, well, I think I' 11 just really strip off here get into my undervJear. And I pulled my britches, shoes and shirt off. And I rolled them glasses (window) out and that cool breeze, the air, that cool air blmdng in the windows, ya see. And was a few minutes before I was fast asleep .. And I a---Wharr,mmrnrnm--- and I say, "Old lord, she 3 done h:i.t sornetbinc and tore it up .. And I 1 umned out the bacl-.: ~ ' end :im:d of that, and the back end of my underwear was busted open. , I unlocked that door and sbe shot me used to it. And out, I mean out in the middle of the road I landed. I went on around the driver's side and went to hollering and waving "Stop that truckJ Stop that camper! Stop that truck!" And she tore up the coals up. I mean she went on down the road. Now, you talk about, they couldn't (be) nothing but women and young 'uns comdmg by and me'. ::1:an1i1ag right down that road in my underwear and barefooted. No hat on. That was before I dyed my ha'x 4, you know. And hit was grey and I /eol<.eJ-. W1J ... eQ like an old grey possum. thatzn And about that time I heard something a ---(siren sound) ya "Get out ta here drunk. Whatftare doing out here like "Doing out here like that?" I says, "If I could get to wbere I could get me a quart, I believe I'd get it." Say, "See that camper tbat turned that curve down yonder?" "What camper'?" Well, Bertie done turned the curve and beaded out across that bridge, ya know, out to South Carolina. And I sorta convinced tbem guys that it was,that it happened, ya know, And they called ahead. ' And do you know where she was at? (where) She was all the way over in South Carolina. And do you imow where I was at? (where) I was bacl( there in that patrol ca.r in my underwear and barefoot And they got her s!:opped, They said, 1'VJbe:re you going lady'?n (tougb voice) 11We're going on a comping trip .. n (soft voice) nBy you.rs elf? n ''Ho ' v,1ell, my husband I s back there in tbe "You better take a look." She got out, ya know, went back and opened up and she didn't have no husband. 5 I came up just a few minutes later and I was going for the camper for to get my britcbes on. reo was passing me~ They would snigger, ya knoiv .. Them ol women, ya know, would look at me. Me a'bolding tbe seat of my underwear ..... just to keep 'erri from gaping open. Them ol women Iook at me and tu.rn off and turn the:tr noses up. It tJas a And to wind up, we did rriake up, rne and her, after \Je had a big quarrel. And we went on up in South Carolina. And we did have a pretty good time. Yrn1 know what I've done from tben on? (what) I've dome tbe drivi.ng. I don't take no chances Ain 1 t yon gonna laugb? A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. 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