Nan Gilmer Long interview with E. M. Jordon, Joel Crane, Thelma Crane, Charles “Chuck” Fitzgerald, Woodrow Wilson Turner, and Ruby Goodman Long

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 interview. In the first part of the tape, titled Tales of Long Ago, Nan Gilmer Long interviews E. M. Jordon of DeKalb County, Georgia. He reads a story he submitted to the Clayton County News and Farmer published in Jonesboro, Georgia, under the pseudonym "Hill Billy." In the humorous article, he wrote about the difference between modern women and women during the ancient time of King Solomon. He also recalls an unlucky and messy incident at a picnic with his wife. 4:10: Next, Jordon tells stories about his time as a student at Mt. Zion School in Clayton County, Georgia, in 1913. He recalls several practical jokes he played on his teachers, one involving a bucket of coal and another using a cord and a wooden peg that created a knocking sound under the desk. 7:57: In the second section of the tape, titled "Obscene Tall Tales," Joel Crane, Thelma Crane, Chuck Fitzgerald, and Woodrow Wilson Turner tell 18 humorous short stories. These jokes involve the subjects of drunkards, bad luck, farming, hunting, and the Great Depression. Long notes that the Cranes are friends of her husband, Mac (also present), and they direct many of the jokes toward him. 23:01: Long interviews her mother-in-law, Ruby Goodman Long, in the final section of the tape, titled "Superstitions." Ruby Long starts by recounting a time her mother saw the devil. Next, she recalls superstitions about sneezing, including that if the oldest person at a table sneezes, you will hear of a death. She also claims that sweeping the trash out after sundown means you are sweeping a member of your family out, saying she does not do it. Next she talks about superstitions involving rain and sunsets. She ends with superstition involving dreams about dying, as well as a superstition about doors. Changing topics, Ruby Long tells a story in which she dreamed she received a slip for her birthday; the next day, her sister gifted her a slip. She then talks about superstitions involving itching, including how to get money and how it can mean you will receive a letter. At the end of the interview, Ruby Long's tells a story about her father deciding to plant his garden on Good Friday. Joel Vester Crane (1905-1986) was born in Butts County, Georgia, to Rebecca E. Crane (approximately 1872-1950) and Pearl C. Crane (approximately 1872-1926). He joined the United States Armed Forces in 1940 and ran for Butts County Commissioner in 1952. He married Thelma Crane (1906-1993), daughter of Luther Octavius Turner (1883-1968) and Genevieve Turner (1884-1961), and they had two children, Nellary Jane Crane (1925-1927) and Marion Long (1930-2017). Thelmas father registered with the United States Armed Forces during World War I and married Genevieve in 1902. Chuck Fitzgerald (1934-2000), born Charles Fitzgerald, was the son of David D. Fitzgerald and Lucy Averys. Joel Crane is his father-in-law. Woodrow Wilson Turner (1923-1993), brother of Thelma Crane, registered with the United States Armed Forces at 18 and married Charlotte McDuffie Turner (1925-1995). Nan Gilmer Long (1946- ) was born to Jane Heist Gilmer (1925-2020) and James Everett Gilmer (1924-2003). In 1967, she married Jesse MacArthur Mac Long (1944- ), who was born to Ruby Goodman Long (1910-1994) and Albert Jesse Long. Macs parents married in 1930. Ruby Long was born in Monticello, Georgia, and later moved to Jackson, Georgia. FOLKLORE PROJECT FALL 1967 NAN GILMER LONG TALES Of LONG AGO E. M. JORDON DeKALB COUNTY Mr. E. M. "Birdhouse" Jordon was born in Clayton County seventy years ago and has lived in DeKalb County on the outsl{irts of Dunwoody for the past thirty-four years. He arbitrarily changed the spelling of his last name from Jordan to Jordon because of another E.M. Jordan in Clayton County and discovered the legal problems involved when he tried to collect Social Security. Another problem he now faces is the new Perimeter Highway crossing Mt. Vernon Hoad parallel to Peachtree-Dunwoody Road -- his house is four feet over the line. A new ranch-style brick home has been built for him next to his present home, but, like most oldtimers, he knows it just won't be the same. He and his wife are quite religious. They attended Mt. Vernon Methodist Church until "they didn't recognIze us poor folks". They now listen to an Atlanta service on the radio and send a small monthly contribution for the broadcast. Mr. Jordon does not resent his poverty. His philosophy can be summed up in the following topic of a sermon he especially liked: "Money will buy... A bed but not sleep. Books but not brains. Food but not an appetite. Finery but not beauty. A house but not a home. Medicine but not health. Luxuries but not eulture. Amusements but not happiness. A Crucifix but not a Savior. A church but not Heaven." "Birdhouse" was given his nickname because of his carpentry ability. His entire life has been devoted to the building of wooden flowerboxes, mousetraps, and birdhouses. (The third story collected from "Birdhouse" shows his interest in wooden contraptions developing at an early age). While "previewing" Birdhouse he told me several tricks he had played on people. One was concerned with replacing the gray lye soap with a stone the same size and shape. Another told of ridding his home of a parasitic friend. The friend had a habit of taking a spoonful of soda after every meal. Birdhouse has never told anyone what he put in the soda, but after one meal the friend gasped, choked, left the house, and never returned. His last two stories are concerned with tricks he played on his teachers. Although Birdhouse only completed six years of education he wrote for the Clayton County News and Farmer in Jonesboro under the pseudonym of Hill Billy". The following is one of his articles concerning the annual picnic of the newspaper staff: History tells us that Solomon had a thousand wives. I am wondering if he could stand a thousand of the type that we are seeing today. He would have to be wise-to provide for them. Just think -- a thousand lipsticks and all or them a different shade. If he served ham for breakfast I guess you could smell it cooking from here to Mirror Lake. Another thing Solomon didn't have to worry about, the women of his time wore long dresses. Today -- goodness knows what is n;onna happen next! Women can surely, cause a man a lot of trouble..intentional and otherwise. They have upset all my plans for the picnic. I thought that we were all set for a grand trip to the picnic but it is sad to hear the wreckage that has been wrought all on account of the women and the setting of eggs. I had one of the most elaborate oxcarts and trailer combined that ever hit the pike. There was some real problems to be worked out. My wife hadan old goose setting under a brushpile and she was not willing to go off and leave the old critter up there for we would have to be gone about two weeks to the picnic. It takes a week to drive down there and a week to come back. I had to fix a place in the trailer and put that old goose, nest, brushpile and all, in there. My wife would not help me for she said a lizard ran in the nest. Hell we finally got the old cookstove moved in and the bed made for the cat and ten kittens and the tie-rail on the back to tie the hound-dogs to. Then we decided to tryout the outfit to see that everything was in ship shape order. We got Ole Buck turned around into the trail and we're a happy bunch. The dogs were barking and we were to start to the picnic the next day. But there's a calm before every storm and those joys were short-lived. We heard an awful noise coming through the woods and before we could get to a turning point we saw an automobile coming up the trail. Ole Buck, the oxen, had never seen such a sight before and he soon completed our arrangements for turning around. In cominp; around he ran over a beehive and yanked one wheel off of the trailer and got the beehive hung underneath and then the fun began. My wife tried to save her old goose and got the critter's head hung in the trailer door. There were plenty of goose feathers, hound-dogs, and bees filling the air. My wife had gotten her long hair waved ($11.63 thrown away) and she got some honey mixed in her hair and a few goose eggs were broken and they were not very fresh and there was a sweet-smelling time. We haven't found all the parts of the trailer yet. There was not much to my part of the outfit-- just a forked pole fastened to the cart axle. It was not a total loss feathers off. The whole trouble started when Uncle Ulm's wife came to swap a setting of eggs so her chicken would make yaller gravy when the preacher went home with them for dinner. I don't know how she ever got her car turned around but she left before we could get the honey and eggs out of our eyes. I have rigged up a double saddle for Ole Buck and I know it won't fall off for he's got too much honey on his back. We're on our way and if we're a bit late at the picnic, save us a chicken bone. -- Hill Billy The next two stories told by Birdhouse concern his school days at Mt. Zion School and the tricks he played on his teachers: School children of these days we think are pretty smart, but they're not smart at all. I was a student at Mt. Zion School in Clayton County in 1913. On top -- it was a one-room schoolhouse -- on top of the school house was a square bell-tower about three feet square, open. Another boy and I used a maypole on the roof to, climb up, up and down the "parks on" (sic). Every time we went up we'd carry our pockets full of coal and rocks. This student, one of the head ones of the school, placed a "scoalouttle" -- scuttle -- on top of the platform. We filled it full of coal. As usual, I had a cord in my pocket. I tied the oord to the bucket, down over the roof of the house, and in a hole at the window where I set. About 9:00 one morning after recess everything was very quiet in the schoolroom. Our teacher, Mrs. Lends, an old retired lady, was teachin'. Everything got quiet; I began to pull on the cord and all of a sudden a whole bucket of rooks turned over on the roof of the house, come rollin' down -- seemed like it took a half an hour for 'em to get off. Well Mrs. Lands cast her eyes on me and never sear sickel -- never seen such a looks in a woman's eyes in my life. She looked straight at me. Boy I was going down and getting the history. Finally she asks me, says "Could any of you all tell us what that was?" I said "I think there's some -- uh -- loose shingles -- brick on the stove floor I noticed the other day and I guess the wind blew 'em up." Not a breath of air was in --er-- wind was in the air. But finally it all happened and that's how that I got my education at Mt. Zion School was turning rooks over on the schoolhouse. Another incident that happened at this wonderful school of learning, Mt. Zion School in Clayton County, was a large schoolhouse, Square, only one teacher for all the pupils. 'l'he building was built on a hillside and under the rostrum where the teacher's desk was, was very close to the ground. The backside of the school where the older boys set was about four feet off the ground. As this outstanding student made a little wooden apparatus to go right under the teacher's desk fastened to a floor joist. Then a cord was run from that to the back end of the schoolhouse up through a knothole With a little peg trimmed to fit it so the girls swept over It every morning but couldn't see it. When everything would get quiet this young student would pull on the cord and knock about three or four times. A stick would hit the floor right under the teacher's desk. Of course everybody was wondering. Well he'd send some of the children out to run the dogs out from under the schoolhouse 'cause there was always a "ang of dogs hanging around. They'd come back, say "Cousin Homer, they ain't a dog on the hill nowhere." Well when everything'd get quiet about a half a dozen more knocks would happen right under the teacher's desk under the floor. This went on for about two weeks. One day in in the spring the girls decided that they would sweep out from under the schoolhouse and boy what a time me and the teacher's brother had getting that apparatus out from under there and pulling, the cord. Up until this day no one ever knows what made that stick beat on the floor under the teacher's desk! OBSCENE TALL TALES JOEL CRANE THELMA CRANE CHUCK FITZGERALD WOODROW WILSON TURNER INDIAN SPRINGS Indian Springs, Georgia, is five miles from Jaokson, Georgia, and about 50 miles from Atlanta. Mr. Joel Crane is the Assistant Superintendent of Indian Springs State Park, the oldest state park in the United States. Joel and Thelma Crane have lived in Butts County all their lives. Mr. Joel only completed five years of formal education -- His father caught him skipping school and threatened to make him plow the fields if he didnt return. Mr.. Joel decided to plow the fields. Mr. Joel and Miss Thelma are long-time friends of my husband, Mac, and felt more at ease telling the jokes to him -- this is the reason for his name on the tape. Another explanation that must be made is the reference to "Pep" or "Pep'ton". What is now known as East Jackson was once known as Pepperton because of the location of Pepperton Textile Mills. (Avondale Mills replaced Pepperton Mills in 1962). The day we had agreed to an interview was the first day of deer season and Mr. Joel's home was soon filled with men! They were fascinated with my task, however, and eager to help (they said). Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner stole the show --- he is Miss Thelma's brother and about 45 years old. He was also raised in Butts County but is now a construction foreman in Macon. He only finished the 7th grade. He and Miss Thelma each tell a story of their great fear of their father (Numbers 11 and 14). Chuck Fitzgerald, about 30, is Mr. Joel's son-in-law and a truck driver. He contributed the tall tale about the "tarnado" (Number 2). Mr. Joel and Woodrow told most of the jokes and let the other thirteen listen -- and laugh! Most of the following are obscene. Some are tall tales and some are simply jokes. It is interesting to notice the progressive use of "dirty words" and the sudden suggestion of them at the end. This was an indication to me that the story-tellers were tiring. 1. Mr. Joel Crane Mac, did I ever tell you about findin' the ole monkey UP in the holla tree? (I don't think so.) I started out huntin' one mornin' out there below Pep'ton cemetery n that ole holla willa tree down there? I caught a lotta pu -- possums, squirrels out of it. It uz a foggy mornin' -- the sun peepin' through o'er the harizin over there a little bit. I climbed up in there n looked down in the holla. There uz the pruttiest little hairy-faced monkey down air I ever saw. I eased back down the tree n got my shotgun, tied it across my back, go back up in the tree, n got everthing ready, n I uz gonna shoot that little ole monkey. I looked in at im again n I says "Naw he's too pruty to shoot." I cut me a forked stick n I uz gonna catch this little monkey -- n capture im alive. I judged (sic) down in this tree n y'know what I saw in the tree? (What?) Saw mself down air in some water. Hadn had a shave in bout a week, the ater sloshed all up in mface. I jes come on down say You monkey you--go on home. 2. Mr. Chuck Fitzgerald Bunch of us uz settin' around one night talkin' 'bout tarnados n dis ole man said the worsen he ever seen said out in Bloomfield, south a Macon, said he uz settin' there watchin' one night n the wind got up n the tarnado started t'gettin' worse -- rougher n rougher-- n said he looked out across there n said damn tub flyin' in the air out across there n said "You know that tub was movin s'fast that lightnin' struc], at it three times n never did hit it!" 3. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner 'Is ole fella he wuz goln' bird-huntin'. He got out in the graveyard n had a open grave dug An' - uh - covey of quail flew up n he shot n he kicked him over in the grave n knocked him cold. This night though, a drunk man was com in' through there -- he was really loaded --he heard somebody hollerin' "It's cold down here. It's cold down here." That ole drunk man he got on his knees n looked over in air n he says "Hell (we)ll no wonder -- you done kicked all the dirt off of you." 4. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner This ole drunk he was standin' on the oorner n had his arms a-wrapped around the lightpost -- he was jes hangin' up they yknow jes drunk as a cock-robin. Ole officer come by -- he says "Hey officer" he says "is my goober hangin' out?" He looked at him n he says "Naw your goober ain't hangin' out". He says "Well by God it oughta be 'cause I'm a-pee in'!" 5. Mr. Joel Crane Y'all talk about bein in hard luck -- y'all don't know what hard luck is. Back durin' the 'pression me n my wife we got stranded out in the desert -- got outta food n water ~- had jes a little bit of meal left. n I tole her "We jes got to have some bread." Said "Well we ain't got no water to make it up with." I said "Honey" I said "sit down n pee in that bread n make it up n cook that bread anyhow" said. You know, we such hard luck that she got down n she went to pee in that bread n she farted n she blowed all our meal away! 6. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner Well you talkin' bout hard luok -- Hell that ain't no hard luck atall.. 'ell me n my wife n I had two kids-- drought done got my oorn, boll weevils done got my ootton -- ey we didn't have jest a few cold biscuits in the house -- n I had me a beehive out there. I said "Well" I tole my wife I said "Well I'll go out there n rob tha.t beehive n we ken have some honey n bread for breakfast". Kids were about to starve to death -- I went out there to rob that beehive n ole honeybee done took up with a "tummelturd" and honey tasted like shit. 7. Mr. Joel crane You know bout the best luck I ever had fishin -- one---early one foggy mornin I got up n went down to the lake -- got down air n I set down on a log n I fished n I fished n I fished n just had a whole string of nice catfish. After while the for-; moved on northward a little n I was 300 yards from the lake. (The fog was so thick he was catching the fish that were swimming in the fog!) 8. Mr. Joel Crane Way back younder abour 1912-1913 Is goin to school down here at Cedar Rock. Had this old maid fer a teacher--Miss Lois Biles--I wanted to be excused on day n I kept poppin mfingers and holding my hand--she wouldnt let me go n d'rectly she come back there and got me n take me up all' to the blackboard n drawed a circle, put a dot in the middle of it n told me to put my nose on it n stand there til she tole me t'move. Well, I-I stood there all right enuff -- I even stood there til my kidneys moved. I jest laid that little two inches over in that little chalk trough n it jes run out n down at the other end of the chalk trough! She called me o'er there n tole me to go on home -- go on back n sit down n behave myself. 9. Mr. Woodrow Wllson Turner Uh-- back in about 1939-uh-I was goin to school n this little ole freckle-face boy in the schoolroom wid us at he jes bet all a-time n--uh--they couldnt stop him from bettin. So the ole man he called the teacher up--see if she could help him stop him, n she couldnt fix him up that night--I mean that evenin, n he bet the teacher, he told her said-uh-Teacher said Ill jest bet you $5 that youve got red hairs around your tail. So she showed him n little ole boy he lost his bet n paid his $5, started on home. Teacher she got on the telephone n called the ole man n said Well said I think we got your son broke up from bettin said He just lost his first bet said I dont believe hell bet no more. Said What dya bet? Sid Well he bet me $5 I had red hairs around my tail n said I showed him I didnt. Said Why that little son-of-a-bitch said He bet me $25 hes gonna see the teachers tail fo dark! 10. Mr. Joel Crane These two little ole niggers goin' down the road here got talkin' bout which one's the blackest. One of 'em tole th'other one says "You ain't black, nigger''' says --says "I so black that I cain't even make a shadow at night when I walk." Say "Aw nigger''' say "You ain't black a' tall". Say "I so black 'at I went to the hospital last week have my hemorrhoids cut out said "You know" said "They couldn't find my hemorrhoids". Said "'They had to get some flour and sprinkle all over my ass, make me fart t'find my hemorrhoids". 11. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner I'z a little ole boy I-I get a little ole red wagon for Christmas every Christmas. Every Christmas I get same damn little ole red wagon. I'd always try to hold it about six months n use my old one to haul slop in -- have to go up to Pep n get slop n Hell if I stopped up there -- gone a few minutes, Daddy'd be up there whuppin' my tail. I went n got up slop y'know one evenin' n didn't have no fishhooks; nothin n I got me some sewin' thread n these here little ole Carter Little Liver Pill corks -- got me one o'them n got me some straight pins n made me some fishhooks went over there to the creek n caught me some grasshoppers n we had n ole 'tato patch aut there Daddy jest had plowed up. I went oer there n he' I caught a string o'little ole fish y'know bout -ey- bout three foot long n I was jes as proud o' my damn fish y'know says "I'm goin' home n get Mama t'cook these fish". I walked out across that 'tato patch n 'fore I I got tthe damn car-barn Daddy took them damn fish n slung 'em out across the 'tato patch n jes whupped my ass good. N I done got up th'slop n everthing! N I'll never ferget that. I-I won't never treat my kid like that. (Well why'd he whup y'fer?) F'slippin' off n goin' fishin' -- well Hell, I'd done done my homework! 12. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner These here two ole farmers y'know they lived out dere in the country n this ole travelin' salesman he come through there one day n had a pumpkin patch out there. N his bowels had to move n he hadn't never been used to goin' out in the wood. He jes went out dere t'one o'these ole fine pumpkins y'know n he cut the top out of it n he set down on it n had his bowel movement n he put the top back on it. N - uh - 'bout two weeks later he's comin' through there n he say "You know" he says "It's a damn shame to rurn that man's fine pumpkin like that" says "I'm gonna stop there n pay 'im fer it." N -uh- he went -- went up air n he rung th' doorbell n he says "That yo' pumpkin patch down air?" He say "Yeah". He sald "Well I wanna pay you for a pumpkin said "I'z comin' through here two weeks ago" said "my bowels had to move" n said "I-I rurnt that pumpkin" said "I had to use it". 'At ole farmer he didn' say a damn word. He went o'er dere to that ole timey-type telephone n he rung it n said "Hello, Zeke?" he said "This is Zip" said "That was shit in that pumpkin, too! 13. Mr. Joel Crane This ole deer hunter out of Atlanta come out here in the country the other day n asked this farmer if he could go out there n hunt a little while. He tole 'im "Yeah, go ahead". So he went on down there n drectly the ole farmer shot down there n come back un t'the house n -- the townman shot down there -- n come back up there n farmer says "Well, d'ya get 'i'm?" Says "Yeah" says "I got sumpin"i says "Dunno What it is.". Says "Well, what it look like?" Say "Well it got a" said "hairy n got the hardest head n th'stinkinest ass o'anything I ever saw n smelt in my life". Said "Lawd o'mercy" said the man, says "You done shot my wife!" 14. Mrs. Thelma Crane A long time ago the older people had an old sayin' when one come in grouchy they'd say "Well, who peed in your path today?" So one day Papa he came in from work n he was real grouchy n Mama said "Well, who peed in your path today?" So we were all jest as scared of Papa as we could be so one of the younger girls she started cryin' n said -- Mama said "Well what in the world are you cryin' about?" She said "Well, I peed in the path this morning, going on to school!" 15. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner Way back yonder when -uh- had these ole timey slop jars y'know set under your bed, side o'your bed -- this ole Lipton Tea, they had a sale on that week. This ole Lipton Tea salesman he was kinda harelipped. He goin around tryin to sell em, hed say Lady, would you like to buy a pack of Lipton Tea? With every pack of Lipton Tea you get, you get absolutely one slop jar free without any extree cost or charge." She said "Well yeah" says "I sure would" said What if I was to buy two packs of Lipton Tea?" "Lady, if you was to buy two packs of Lipton Tea you would absolutely get without no extra charge, two slop jars." Said "What if I was to buy three packs of Lipton Tea?" "Lady, if you was to buy three packs of Lipton Tea you would, without no extra charge or cost get three slop jars." She said "Well, that sounds too good to be true" said "What if I was to buy a couple o'cases of Lipton Tea?" He said "Lady, I don't know Mr. Lipton personally, but I do believe if you bought three cases without no extra cost or charge he would absolutely build you one shithouse." 16. Mr. Woodrow Wilson Turner Way back yonder when I was farmin' n -uh had that hard year yknow, I had a cotton n corn n peaches n -- drought done got my corn, boll weevils done eat up all my cotton, I had a pretty good peach crop n I was goin' 'round sellin' my peaches n I knocked at this woman's door n she come to the door n cracked the door n I said "Lady, would you like to buy some peaches?" She opened the door a little further n opened her bathrobe n stuck them pretty legs out there n she said "Well fella, I hadn't got any money" said "I sure would like to have some o'them peaches, though." Said "Tell you What Ill do. I'll trade you a little doo-lolly for 'em." I started jes cryin' -- I jes busted out cryin' all over. She said "Well whatcha cryin' about?" I said Goddamn I said Droughts done got my corn, boll weevils done got my cotton, n here I am fixin to get frigged outta my peaches. 17. Mr. Joel Crane Mac, you remember Ole Man Hilley used to drive that gray horse, peddle milk n butter up air at Pep? (No, I don't think so.) Anyway, he's my uncle n he peddled milk n butter all a-time n he had fresh peanuts come in. He stopped there at this lady's house, she got her milk n butter n he sald "Wouldn't you like to have some peanuts today?" "Yessir, I would, but I ain't got no money" n at that time they issued a coupon book up there at Pep'ton ~- you spent it at Pep'ton store n nowhere else. We called lt "boogaloo", She tole him said "I hadn't got any more money, Mr. Hilley" said '''I'd "give you some boogaloo for some peanuts." He said (click-click-click Come up here mule, (click-click) too old man fer that kinda foolishness. (click) Too old man fer that kinda foolishness! 18. Mr. Joel Crane We used to have a game down here we called it "Snatch it n Grab it", n we'd all get together n pool sumpin' n put it under a hat. One fellad go out behind the barn n hide the hat n get everythin ready n this fella Hershel McClelland, he come along. Yeah he was interested in it. Got him in are n he went around air n je'ked th'hat off of it n he dived in with both hands n come out with both hands full o'compost n Goon Moss he got -- 'bout died laughin' at 'im-- standin' there laughin' at 'im -- McClelland jest wiped both hands right up in his face with that stuff n he took off n run. (The point of the game is to involve someone who doesn't know that the goodies have been replaced with manure). SUPERSTITIONS MRS. RUBY G. LONG JACKSON Mrs. Ruby Goodman Long is my mother-in-law. She is 57 years old and is of Scotch-Irish descent. She learned most of the following superstitions from her mother in Monticello, Georgia (Jasper County). Ruby Long now lives in Jackson in Butts County. I would classify her attitude toward these superstitions as one of total belief. She cannot think of specific examples but "knows" the superstitions are true. The following are two superstitions that she sent in a letter -- they demonstrate her lack of specific examples: "If you dream of seeing muddy water, you will hear some bad news. If the water is clear you will hear good news. I have dreamed. of seeing muddy water and I would hear something bad." "If you dream of seeing some one naked you will hear something bad. That is true for I have dreamed of seeing some one naked and I would hear bad news." Now what was that story about your mother seeing the devil? "Mama was sitting on the front porch one night and the moon was shining real bright and we lived off the highway a little piece -- It wasn't very far, and she saw something coming down the road and it got closer and it was red and it had horns and she said it was the devil and she said she looked around to see if the door was open and when she looked back it was gone! Said she don't know which way it went. And the next morning one of those colored people was dead. And she said it was the devil come after them." What's the superstition about someone who sneezes at the table? "If the oldest person sneezes at the table there'll -- you will hear of a death." Have you ever known this to happen'? "Yes!" What about sweeping? "If you sweep trash out after sundown they say you're sweeping a member of your family out -- and I don't do it." And finishing something before Friday -- before Saturday? "If you can't finish something on Friday I don't -- I don't start it unless I can finish it on Friday." And what were you saying about your mother? "If Mama couldn't finish a dress or a skirt on Friday she didn't start it." (She'd cut it out on Thursday and wait until Saturday to start sewing). What about the rain? "If it rains on Monday it'll rain two more days that week." And about the sun going down? "If the sun goes down behind a bank on Sunday af-evening it'll rain before Wednesday. If it goes down behind a bank on Wednesday evening it'll rain before Sunday." What about dreams? "You can be warned in dreams. If I dream about a colored person I'll be made mad as the dickens." And about dying? Dreaming about dying'? (She couldn't remember. She had told me previously that a dream of death would mean a wedding). What about going in and out of doors? "If you go to a -- when you go to a house if you haven't been there before, the door you go in you'd better go out or else you'll have bad luck." (The first time she visited my home in Atlanta she went out a different door and had a flat tire on the way home!) "The night before my birthday I dreamed I got the prettiest slip I had ever seen. And the next day was my birthday and I got the slip from my sister, Bernice." "If the palm of your right hand itches, spit in it and rub it on wood and you will get money because I have done that and got money." "Sometimes when my nose itches somebody will come in or else I will get a letter for I have d- people have come in and then I will get a letter." Does it work most of the time? "Most of the time it does!" "My daddy tried to plant his garden on Good Friday before Easter Sunday." Any particular reason for thi.s? "He said that was the time to plant it!" And. that seems to sum up superstitions-- no one knows exactly why they believe in them -- they just do. 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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