Interviewer: all boys or 472: No, it wasn't but one boy and two girls. Interviewer: I see. 472: All I ever had. Interviewer: Do they come to see you every now and then? 472: Every now and then yeah they come by. I had the little house full l- last night {NS} for a while. My grandchildren. My sister. And my granddaughter and her four children from Mississippi. We had a ball. Interviewer: {NW} {C: passing traffic} How many grandchildren do you have? 472: Well I suppose I know now about ten. Yeah ten grandchildren. Interviewer: Did they ever do y'all get together at the same time? No. 472: #1 {D: I haven't} # Interviewer: #2 {NW} # 472: {X} Interviewer: You would have 472: #1 At least I # Interviewer: #2 {X} # 472: could though and get 'em {D: all in one there} My grandchildren. Interviewer: What did uh what kind of furniture did people have in their bedrooms years ago? 472: Well I thought you was gonna ask me the question how many great-grandchildren. Interviewer: Well well you can tell me that. {NW} 472: {NW} Interviewer: #1 You have # 472: #2 {NW} # Interviewer: great-grandchildren? 472: Yeah I have around ten of them. Interviewer: Goodness. 472: Really do. I've saw s- six generations. Interviewer: {NW} {NS} 472: And I'm hoping that I live to see the seventh. {NS} And I really believe I will. {NS} {NW} {X} how I live six seven generations of course I may be dead. {D: I suppose} but what I know between now and tomorrow. But I thank God I'm here. That I use myself {D: to get on my clothes} Uh yeah they I have about ten great-grandchildren. And I'll mention something else to you I found out about that. The further away from you they keep generation the harder you look. I really love my great-grandchildren. {NS} So much seems like we just know or why {NS} I just have a feeling see my {X} they're my grandchildren you see And what makes it I reckon is the all I can see in the picture as they grow up you see my grandchildren they get away from me more. They growing out of my {X} but and then these others are tender and sweet and lovely and seem like I just love 'em. Not a greater love but I just wanna see 'em more because they're little and tender and sweet. And that's the reason why it is all I can figure out. My grandchildren I still love 'em with all my heart {X} but they growed away from my {D: members like} as my father when he died he growed away from my membrance in the grave in the grave and uh so that's the way it's going. From generation to generation. But I found out and I I love the second generation from my gra- of my grandchildren great-grandchildren. Uh well as much as I do or more than I do uh my great- uh my grandchildren. I love my great-grandchildren more see my {D: before} something I I don't know why. and this is cuz they're little and tender and sweet. Interviewer: Yes sir. Well what about um the furniture that people had in their bedrooms? 472: well I know for myself I had two bed sticks and a cooking stove in the kitchen. Dining table. And I had uh chairs to sit in. And that's about it. Interviewer: Did people ever have something with drawers in it they could put clothes in it? {NS} 472: Yeah furniture yeah there's a bunch of that. {NS} Yeah we had a wardrobe what they call a wardrobe. Dresser. {NW} that we put our clothes in and then a trunk some trunks we had two trunks I think. and uh to put our clothes in. And she put it in two more and I had an old wooden toolbox. {D: Collect tools} Interviewer: Was a wardrobe the same thing as a dresser? 472: Built on the bases but it's it's got a different name. Not a different kind it's a little it'll like but the same thing. But uh there ain't much difference. between a wardrobe and a dresser. Interviewer: Did you ever hear of anything called a chest of drawers? 472: Oh yeah they have but we didn't have that. Didn't have no chest of drawers. I got a chest of drawers now. Interviewer: Got a what? 472: I got a chest of drawers at my little house now but we didn't when we was together. Married. Interviewer: What did people use over the windows to keep out the sunlight? 472: What they call shades. They had to use shade will have 'em up and down. Open the shades. If they didn't have them they made little curtains that you could pull together and open up. Go together {X} Now there were homes that we lived in that had window shutters on hangers You opened the shutter that way the whole window was open you see. And uh we used them and doors most things they opened the door that was the the mosquitoes come in of course through them cracks and things we had to smoke 'em out with rags and uh and we had another {X} that we could use to smoke 'em out. It's pretty strong. Interviewer: What was that? 472: Cow manure. Interviewer: Oh really? {NW} 472: We'd go get it and uh put it in a iron pot or something like that. Started up a fire in it with a burner and uh and just keep a s- uh smoking. It smelled worse than a rat I mean stronger than a rat it smelled like 'em but they's stronger Make a terrible odor. That's where they got the little mosquitoes. {NW} Uh and then we eventually got to where we could buy some spray. Some rub-on stuff. and they didn't come to the spray but {X} Interviewer: #1 {X} # 472: #2 But a man- # 472: many a night I've woke up and they they come in certain times of the night a mosquito don't swarm all night. He has certain times he comes to the bed to bite you. Interviewer: Right! 472: Yes sir. And uh uh when he comes in I get up and I get me a old dress or rag some kind I beat 'em outta the house. I beat 'em down you know to keep 'em from eating up my little children I've lost a lotta sleep keeping 'em off my wife and little children to let them sleep. I loved 'em. And uh worked hard too every day. So uh that's the way we had and we had to tote water from a spring and to do our have to drank and cook with. Dish wash and then we carry our s- clothes to the spring wash 'em at the spring you know unless we wanted to tote the water up the hill to Interviewer: {NW} 472: washpot at the house. Interviewer: Do you have any insects around here that are bad to sting you besides mosquitoes? {NS} 472: Yeah we have what they call uh {NS} a gnat. {NS} Uh sandflies. When they come of course they are ain't here they like go around the Gulf. They mostly stay down the lower parts of the Gulf. Call 'em sandflies and they just come through the screen. You have got a problem when you get them sandfly. But, nevertheless uh {C: background speaker} {C: addressing background speaker} Huh? {C: background speaker} Is anybody over there? {NS} {C: background speaker} I don't know. I better go see I bet- then I'll come back. Interviewer: Sure. {NS} 472: #1 It might be # Interviewer: #2 {X} # 472: a lot in there that I leave out and a lot that I don't that that {NS} um {C: background speaker} uh no it's uh the little boy that them people borrowed the ladder that time you know to paint with down there that used to live down {C: background speaker} {X} No. Uh-uh. The other one. A little brown-eyed boy. And he he used to come here a lot. And his he wanted him some wrenches to fix his bicycle with and uh I let him have 'em he's gonna bring 'em over when he gets through with 'em. Bring 'em over to me. Yeah. Uh I can't call his last name. I think it's his daddy w- grade this road. I think it's his daddy the only Grader {X} {X} Interviewer: Say you'd like to write all this down? 472: {NW} If I could write you know and had the education and uh uh I j- I just love to get a good record about that. As long as my father lived I had a record. Interviewer: Oh really? 472: Darling I had a record. Yes sir. Matt he's brought things up to me and people asked him questions and he could just go back there and just he could really remember things. He had the best memory around that I ever knowed of a fella to have a right to. His size and his education and all of that. How he come through toils and struggles and trials and man he was real he was number one. Tell you what the doctor said about my daddy before he died. He he took a capsule there on his jaw {X} {X} Uh he fell off a bed I think when it was started and hurt his jaw. Okay. And his doctor s- said said you are the soundest man we know of. Say you the soundest man in Bay Minette. There's sounder {X} in Bay Minette. Says you perfect. Excepting me. Says you are perfect. Your body's just as healthy and says you perfect {X} and he was. That's right. He was really healthy. He was skinny like I am he was skinny but he was really healthy. And his members his mind and just his brain is incomparable He could really remember things. {NW} {NW} He was really sweet. Interviewer: Sure is nice to be in good health. 472: Yes it is. Interviewer: Right. 472: Yeah. A person really in health I see enough health to be a going don't realize what it means to be in bed and crippled or disable to go. We are blessed with it Interviewer: A a lot of 472: Yeah Interviewer: people when they get older they have trouble with that pain you know in the joints and all? 472: Yeah. Uh-huh. But I'm pretty limber now I sit here a good while I have little stiff knots. Started to move 'em just now. But I'm just as limber according to my age as I can be Interviewer: You don't have trouble with that uh 472: Uh Interviewer: what's that uh 472: Arthri- Yeah {X} I can sit there on that floor and and you sit down there with me and I'll get up before you do to save your life Interviewer: {NW} 472: {X} Interviewer: You probably could. {NW} {NS} You're that much stronger than 472: {NS} throw my legs back under me. Yeah I c- I'm pretty limber. Do that all well I still move all the time and I ride the bike that's a lotta help to me because I I get a lotta exercise off a that. I did hear somebody say one time there might probably come a day they cut out all the bikes and if they do I just have to cry it out. Interviewer: Hmm. I don't ma- 472: I don't think they'll do that. I hope not no way. Interviewer: I don't see why. 472: I don't either. But they're coming up with a lotta things I sure would hate for that to happen. Interviewer: {X} 472: #1 That's # Interviewer: #2 {X} # 472: the only way I got to go. Interviewer: They do some places they uh mark off special places in towns you know where the bikes can go. 472: Uh yeah. Uh I had a uh I had two talk to me up there in town about my bike. I had a great way of putting it up on the street to keep it out of the way of the car. Whatever store I stopped at you see. I just rode it up on there. And uh I stopped it up on there one day and there was a lady handling the law up there at that time. Police. And she she hollered at me when I was coming down the street but I just thought somebody peeking at me I couldn't see through the glass to tell what it was and I suppressed nothing I just thought and so uh I says uh to her I says and throw up my hands spoke to her and went kept going I stopped the wheel up on the cement and uh and turned around started back to the drugstore and she met me. {NW} Police. Says did you hear me what I told you? I says well I can hear you but I thought I didn't know who you were I said and I thought you were just a somebody picking at me about the wheel No she says. Says you ain't supposed to ride the wheel up on the street or I said well I wasn't riding it I was just pushing it. And uh said well it ain't supposed to be up there. It's supposed to be down there where the cars are I said well I was just putting it up out of the way of the cars and uh it's on this up there now and I said I'll ask you this. And promise you this. I said if y- how about me leaving a tail light and go in this drugstore and get some medicine and go back? And I said you won't catch it up there no more. She said that's good. Go ahead. Well I {NS} think there's one {X} and then I had a fella to tell me where to park 'em. And now I know how and where to park 'em. If I don't want to park 'em in front of the drugstore or something I go to the corner where there are no cars parked. He said that is really the best place if I can make it there. Or either get behind a big post up on the cement. And put 'em behind there where they won't nothing hit 'em you know? Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: Says you can't do that. But that's what he told me but anyhow I always try to park in there where where there ain't no cars parked so they won't I don't wanna knock it down hurt it break it no how. Interviewer: Right. 472: I wanna take care of my wheel! Interviewer: Right. 472: That's the way I got to travel. Interviewer: Sure is 472: And if they're cooperating me I sure will them. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: Far as I can. Interviewer: Right. 472: According to the Bible. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: {X} That's right I really enjoy bicycle. Interviewer: I could uh send you a copy of this tape if you'd like one. 472: Well what would I do with, could play it {X} somebody's got a {X} Interviewer: Get one of these things. 472: {NW} I don't know what that {NW} Interviewer: {NW} 472: I'm so dumb in speaking and uh don't Interviewer: might be an interesting thing to have. 472: Y- yeah. I'd I'd like to have it. Interviewer: What's your address? 472: Uh {B} Interviewer: We were talking about things around the house uh whereabouts did people hang their clothes? Do you have a place where you could hang 'em? 472: Yeah we used uh nails. Sometime we'd be fortunate enough to have a have a c- what they call a cloak room? And we could uh have different nails or pegs to hang each one's clothes on so we know where it was if we didn't have a place to stack 'em. Where we could stack 'em you know. We could hang 'em on nails such as coats and spreaders and things and we could we'd know where our things was when we wanted to run and get it you know? That way. And w- mother our mother's always tried to keep our clothes separate as much as they could cuz it's really an advantage you know to keep your clothes separated where you can divide 'em! I've learned a lot since I've been living by myself. How to handle these. When you come to my house and about one of the sweetest things you can do for me when you start in is to clean your feet. {NS} {NW} {NS} {NS} Interviewer: {NW} 472: {NW} {NW} keep that sand out so I'm lazy and I don't wanna sweep too much. Interviewer: Right. 472: And and that's what it is. Perfect you Interviewer: Right. 472: but then the I I like to clean things at my house {X} I love cleaning things. If I had me a little lady that could really you know take care of everything and keep it this place I'd appreciate that. According to the Bible when the wife separated and there's no way for me to have another one as long as she lives. Now that's right now I have me a I tell 'em I have me a door roller Interviewer: A what? 472: A door roller over there. Interviewer: {NW} 472: {D: Cook my dishes} Okay. Yeah. Alright if you need 'em again come back. {C: background speaker} {NS} {X} Interviewer: I think the company's come. 472: I told you about that. Interviewer: {NW} 472: That's right. Interviewer: {NS} So y'all didn't have closets or anything like that? 472: Yeah that's called the cloak room is closets Closets in the house. {X} Right. Howdy! Interviewer: Good morning. 472: This is my friend that I Interviewer: Hi. 472: got acquainted Interviewer: #1 How you doing? # 472: #2 with. # Aux: How do you do? Interviewer: Nice to meet you. 472: And uh that's Aux: {X} 472: that's ms {B} {X} Aux: Come on up. Interviewer: We just had a little conversation. Aux: you just had to {X} 472: Yeah Interviewer: {D: About old times} Aux: {X} 472: had 'em making us a record Aux: {NW} 472: Howdy. Aux: Hey. 472: Uh {NS} Aux: when do they {X} 472: Yeah yeah I'd I'd be interested in having it later. I got one brother living we could get together and talk it over. Interviewer: Do you ever have a pet? 472: One sister. Yeah! I've had pets. I do- I don't uh uh never fool with no pets though unless it's something s- like squirrels outside you know? Where I can let 'em go where they ain't have nothing to to bother me in no way to keep my mind on to have to take care of you see I like pets but I don't wanna fool with 'em not by myself. {NS} And so {NS} I'd rather not uh {C: overlapping auxiliary speech} have a pet I like 'em you know? I'd rather not own one myself cuz it's a lot of trouble and uh they oughta be taken care of like like they should be. Yeah. {NS} Interviewer: You never had a dog? 472: Yeah I've owned dogs my life yeah. And uh with the wife. But not too many we never did use very many dogs. And not {NS} me and her was too busy we something else that they Interviewer: What did you call this type of dog you know it's not a pure breed but it's all different types mixed together? 472: German police? Interviewer: Well you know it's just a a an ordinary dog who's it's not a pure breed like a German police but it's several different types? You'd just say that's just an old 472: Oh! A feist or a feisty bull mix I've known things like that feisty bull you know that that that makes a pretty {X} little dog! Interviewer: Right {NW} 472: Feisty bull. And then we have uh {NW} what we call these bulldog catch dogs. Of course we call that. A lotta catch dogs but a bulldog catching holes you know. You can depend on a bulldog. Of course he ca- whatever he catches he hold it for you you get that. Interviewer: {NW} 472: Like a hog or a cow Interviewer: Right. 472: {NW} It's {NW} see a bulldog I hate to say that but they really make a cow holler whenever they get a hold to 'em and they hold on too! Just don't turn her lose. Interviewer: Oh me. 472: So we uh if I had stock I'd have me a catch dog. To catch 'em and make 'em go. And they'll learn a dog too. They'll obey a dog to where they obey dog cuz that dog'll make 'em stay put. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: Yeah. Interviewer: Did you ever hear people call a dog something like a cur dog or a mongrel or 472: Uh yeah. Cur dogs and um let's see uh uh Great Danes there's all kinds of dogs. And uh feists, there's several kind of feists. One they call a spit feist. Spit feist. He small too. But these cur dogs are pretty good yard dogs but you get a pu- pair of buddy cur dogs you got a good yard dog. They keep out everything they they'll bite you if you go in the yard. Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: But just a common dog a mixed dog I call 'em you can get by them pretty good. Now German police I I I'll admire them in other words I paid more attention to a German police than any other kind I have a right to. Because I worked at the creeks down here Below at the creeks uh Melvis's Plantation between here and {X} crossway you know? Melvis's Plantation? And uh I worked at uh night watch down there for those people. Big farm and sawmill. And they had a big German police black one and I walked up to get some milk up at the dairy one evening and that dog was loose and he came running to me and rared up on me with his feet. And laid his head upside of mine and you talking about growling and snapping his teeth. {NW} That was something and I was so nervous I was getting so weak. I reckon I'd've fell under him more while he's heavy And he's a daring me not to go to that gara- not to go to that dairy. He didn't want me to go in you see. Well his master found out and he and that he was after he heared it. He come to the door and hollered and told me he got out and went on by. And I was so lifted I was so happy. Interviewer: {NW} I imagine so. {NW} 472: Why he could a tore me all to pieces Interviewer: {NW} 472: Just eat me up. They dangerous! That's the reason why I'm armed and pay more attention just to see if they don't get a hold to {NW} Interviewer: {NW} 472: {X} Interviewer: gets out a dog 472: Yeah. Interviewer: or a Great Dane on you or a police dog. 472: Yeah. That's right. Interviewer: Now you were telling me about you were talking about stinging insects. Do y'all have these things that make nests that look like they're made outta paper on the side of your house? 472: Hor- uh wasps' nest. Wasps yeah! Them wasps they are terrible. Uh if they if they find you out before you find them out mostly. It's when that happens. You get into it before you know it. They'll let you know who you like And they just sting you and it hurts so long and so bad 'til it you're about throw you into fever if there's many of 'em sting you at the time. Interviewer: Yeah I remember I went throwing a ball around in the front yard with my brother and it went in the bushes and I went in there face first. Bam bam bam three of 'em got me right 472: Oh you know what I'm talking about. Interviewer: {NW} It really hurt. 472: Yeah it hurts. Really hurts. And we have another one me- builds a nest a paper nest we might call it like that. But it's called a hornet! He works he build in swamps mostly. Hardly ever seen one out here nowhere. He builds nests as big as flour barrels. Big as tubs or longer than tubs. They build {X} big nests and and they are terrible bee. They terrible. And if you go to bother their they're nests they come to you like a a bullet out of a rifle. And they they say I've never had one to do it but they say if they you stir 'em up one'll hit you right there between the forehead. Interviewer: {NW} 472: And when he hit you he pop the sting in. And does his work. When he hits you. If you bother with 'em. Interviewer: Guess that'll knock you down I imagine. 472: Yeah! Yeah I I've had 'em s- t- and tell me they could almost knock you down it hit you so hard when they come just like a bullet. And when they hit you they sting you. Hurt you. And they are bad and they dangerous. You don't see many of them around. You see 'em come catch houseflies they'll come to your house to catch houseflies. Carry 'em back to the little ones. Feed the little ones I guess. Interviewer: I see. 472: Uh-huh. Interviewer: Yeah this insect that makes a nest looks like it's made outta mud? Sometimes you see them on the side of your house? 472: Oh dirt daubers yeah. Yeah we have dirt daubers. Now my I was talking to my daughter over the phone this week and she says Daddy they ha- they hadn't got a screen yet for the front door it's just been built. And she said Daddy they're coming in and\ building nests on my curtains! Oh thank you mail carrier. Hello. Wow thank you do much for bringing me this Aux: {NW} Interviewer: It's a bill? 472: #1 {NW} # Aux: #2 {X} # wondered if you wanted to say thank you {X} 472: Oh yeah well I had to I reckon I had my girlfriend in mind. Aux: Yeah? 472: {X} Aux: {NW} 472: {NW} Interviewer: {NW} 472: Yeah. Don't like the bills. But we have to pay 'em. Interviewer: Especially from the power company. 472: Yeah that's true. And you know we've got a light out here and we call 'em and I've talked to 'em and they still haven't come and fixed our uh streetlight. Interviewer: Oh. 472: It just feels light all about. Course and it helps us so much {C: car starting} {X} {NS} And they just can't come {X} I'll never put a pitiful mouth up to 'em when I go to pay this bill. Interviewer: {NW} {NS} Maybe it'll help 472: Yeah. It will have. I put in there said {D: your man} {X} No if I I tell you what. {NS} If I can get this in to 'em and let 'em know that I mean business and I really do love 'em with God's love. You know that'll do things where nothing else won't Yeah If I bring to 'em God's love and tell 'em how much we appreciate it we'd appreciate it. Tell 'em how much we did appreciate it while it was up to me. I believe they'll come on and do something about it. But they they was over a hundred lights out here in town two weeks ago. Interviewer: Huh. 472: And then any God I heard i- they didn't have but two men to do this so would do this. Uh and that may be the trouble see I won't I won't force 'em. I I I won't force 'em. But we could really use this light to- today. Interviewer: Well maybe they come take care of it before too long. 472: Yeah I trust that they will. Interviewer: That dirt dauber that you were telling me about does he sting? 472: Yeah they will sting you if you mess with 'em {X} too much. They got a terrible sting there too. {X} long tail sticking out their behind. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: Yeah. Interviewer: Do you have any insects around here that build a nest in the ground and will swarm on you? 472: Such as yellow jackets? Interviewer: Yes sir. {C: train whistle} 472: Yeah and bumblebees. Yeah I've been hit to both of 'em I know about them things. {NS} Yes sir I can tell you a story about them bumblebees um yellow jacket. Long years ago we used to I used to be great to when I was just a boy coming up run around playing my shirttail out in the yard. And get a hatchet or something and go chopping on trees {NS} and I got into a nest of them yellow jacket one time and they liked to eat me up So they are terrible the yellow jacket are. So many and they don't come off of you 'til you pull 'em off. {X} You run 'em off You'll get him off mighty quickly Interviewer: {NW} 472: {X} And a bumblebee he just about as bad. {NS} I've had them sting me too. Yeah the yellow jacket. Interviewer: You have one a little insect that's bad about uh getting up under your skin and making it itch? Kinda burrowing into your skin? 472: No I uh I we have what they call redbugs. Yeah. And the red bug'll get on yo- on you- body and he'll make a bump. And if you don't get him off if you don't find him out uh he will just swell around then and he'll be uh like a tick. Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: A tick'll go in too you know if he stays on you too long. Course uh like it is now people takes more bath and more regular than they used to and they keep 'em off pretty well. I had something on one of my shoulder blades here a while back it felt like one but Nevertheless I couldn't see back there and I couldn't reach back there but I take and scrape it all I could stand. It was sore. And I sometime {X} believe it was a little old seed tick got on my shoulder blade So when I take a bath I take the cloth and clean my back with a cloth you know? And I could uh level with that place and it was so tense it was sore And I still believe that was a tick on my shoulder but it's gone now. I guess he shed it off. {X} But anyhow uh that's the way they do you and they call you how it feels when you haven't got on you And bite you. {NS} At the time. Interviewer: I see. What about these insects that are bad about getting in your clothes and eating holes in 'em? 472: Oh moths? Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: Yeah. Moths and roaches'll do that too crickets. {NW} them crickets are bad about getting into your clothes. If they can get in the house. Interviewer: {NW} 472: And if it ain't a mighty tight house they coming in. Interviewer: Right 472: They gonna visit you. Interviewer: I had one get in my I didn't know what that thing was get in I heard something uh in my bedroom at night and I was trying to sleep and woke me up making all kinda racket and I looked and I looked turns out it's just a little one little old cricket making all that noise. 472: Yeah Interviewer: Drives me crazy 472: Yeah they sure are. ms Beeler has a frog out there in that bush that she goes by the weather. When that frog hollers you can just about figure on the rain at night or the next day. So night before last he really did holler. And he come a rain. I pay attention to that too. {X} we have a frog that'll holler. And the crickets will holler a lot of times before it comes up a rain. They'll just make alarm out there and we got uh what they call katydids up in them oaks. At night to keep you awake if you if if if you're easy to keep awake. {X} holler {NW} My poor dad he used to do this though. We lived close to a big old tree and they just {X} he'd just go out in the yard and build a fire and that was all there. You can hear them old katydid cuz he went in that fire They'll go for fire at night you know. Most any bee or fly will. And that's where he got rid of them katydids Interviewer: Have you ever heard of anything as being called a candle fly? 472: Candle fly? Oh yeah. Lots of candle flies. Candle flies are start- uh worms. Webs. web worms One kind of get in your crib of corn or any crib where there's uh storage stuff and lay them eggs and it'll it'll perform uh webby trash. {X} And they'll get mad to where s- accumulate worms in there at the end to eat up whatever it's laid on Like those butterflies we have in the gardens lay on them plants. And two nights there's a worm there eating up the leaf That's the way that happens. A little white butterfly. And we know that happens. And he gives to a lot of trouble. This candle fly he's terrible too to get into things. And I tell you what these worms will accumulate that he makes They'll raise another fly They'll be another {D: candle fly} Another candle fly. They come out of that egg. Out of the worm. He'll he'll he'll die. hatch out of what? Hatch out a- another candle fly. Interviewer: I see. 472: Just like a worm on a {D: katabi} tree When that worm goes in the ground know you'll never see him no more. But them eggs is in him and next year they hatch out come {X} {D: If you read just them leaves you can} {D: let} hatch out crawl back up tree. That's the way they accumulate. Interviewer: I see. 472: Yeah. Interviewer: Do you have this insect around here that you see at nights and they'll blink on and off? 472: That's what you call a lightning bug I was just looking for the last few nights. I just love to see 'em. But yeah they come in the early spring and they will last a way in the summer but {NS} like it is is so much poison {NS} And uh uh poison in the air now until it's just about killed all of them bugs we believe that I believe that's what we will They used to come around here to spray at night and in the evening you know with a spray? Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: Well it gets everything all kinds of insects. It'll even get these little town birds. Course when they printed it's kill when the insect is killed the bird eats 'em and that's it. It gets the bird. Uh anything it eats. And it's real good on them skeeters though. But do we love it? But in a way I don't like it. I don't want. I don't want to see nothing like that. I'd rather fight the mosquito or get behind the screen. From the mosquitoes Interviewer: {X} 472: than to have the air polluted polluted that's what I'm trying to say. Interviewer: It does get pretty bad. 472: Pollution yes sir. For ms Preach on that street over yonder if the wind is blowing it'll go right over there. It'll go clean across town uh across the streets. And that's the reason why they that I don't like to see 'em come around you know they ain't been around a good while now. {X} Interviewer: You know talking about insects sometimes when you go fishing this insect with this long thin body come flying along and land on your pole and you had to twitch it to get it off? 472: Yeah. Interviewer: What do you call that one? 472: Uh some of 'em called 'em dragonflies I call 'em mosquito hawks. Mosquito hawks he gets the mosquitoes. I ha- and I used to see young gal with a broom kill 'em in the evening you know? In the yards? Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: They'd be catching them skeeters. Man if I see one doing that now I tell him what he's doing. He don't realize what he's doing. He's killing that mosquito hawk that eats up {x} insects. He's killing {X} killing 'em. And that's wrong to kill 'em I think. I wouldn't do it. Mosquito hawk. Interviewer: Have you ever heard people call that mosquito hawk a snake doctor? 472: Never have. Never have. But uh they got another thing when you're fishing that bothers you. That's a yellow fly. They come in in the month of June and they come in and stay in all of June. And they go out July. Interviewer: I see one of your squirrels over there you got on the end of that limb of that dead tree. 472: Yeah. Interviewer: Is that a cat squirrel? Can you see him? 472: Yeah it's a cat squirrel. {NS} He's picking on the ear of that corn I'm gonna watch him. If he gets to doing that I'll get him away from over there. Smile while you sticking on getting the ear of corn. Interviewer: {NW} You ready? 472: Yeah. {NS} If he if he knows don't you see I'll watch him and when another one I'll pu- break it off. {NS} Shelter {NS} and put it in a tub and put it in the sunshine {NS} so when they dry for the meal. I'm gonna make my bread out of that that's my big one. The corn. Interviewer: What do you uh call a uh corn you know that's tender enough to eat right off the cob? 472: Roasting ears. Roasting ears. We had a little girl a little young girl come here with the people this weekend and she wanted to know about that corn was it right out there. My corn. Uh she was talking about somebody had given her some roasting ears a bunch and she was wondering about my corn was it good to eat too? And she says is it ripe? Is it ripe? Is it alright to eat? I said yeah. But it's too hard to eat roasting ears now. I said it's not roasting ears I didn't know what she meant. But I learned as she left by them that she was looking for some roasting ears to eat. Off of the cob. But it's hard now and whenever it gets hard I use it for meal. Dry it good and carry it to the mill have it ground. Then I have my winter break. Interviewer: #1 Do that # 472: #2 {X} # Interviewer: the roasting ears do they have that stuff that you have to brush off the 472: Silks. Interviewer: {NS} 472: They have silks uh-huh. The roasting ears has silks and you have to clean it uh shuck it and silk it. And then uh put it in the water wash it wash it good and uh then you take a knife and cut it off if you hadn't got a a wa- a if you hadn't got one of these uh graters you can grate it with. I got one of those now I just call it a grater that you grate it with. Cut it off real fast. And then you can can it and put the can of {X} but this corn actually gets too hard for the roasting ears you can use it for meal. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: Or feed stock or whateve- how much ever you got. I only use mine in bread. And then I can take this meal after now and show you how you can come up with it. You can take this meal after it get in my home I take me a s- couple spoonfuls and put in a thin frying pan set it on the stove and parch it. Brown it. Just to just color it good. And put just a little bit of salt in that and then put it in a jar. And you talking about a delicious meal that you got. Interviewer: What kind of bread is that? 472: It's it's cornmeal parched. And uh you put it in a jar put you a little bit of salt better not put much. It'll ruin it. Just to keep the taste little longer just to your taste And uh put it away in a jar and then every now and then you take a spoon go by there and get you a spoonful. And eat it. You can't hardly stop going for two or three spoonfuls. Interviewer: {NW} 472: So good. It's got the best flavor to it you ever put in your mouth and uh but you better you got to learn how to eat it! Because you'll suck it down your windpipe. Interviewer: {NW} 472: And it'll powder in your mouth whatever 'til slobber hadn't wet it you see. Interviewer: I see. 472: Alright. If if you draw a breath like that you ought not to die. You choke. Uh but anyhow you learned how to eat it and eat it slow. And it's one of the best things you can come up with. That is in the uh um nut line I'd call it. Interviewer: it's not cornbread? 472: No it ain't cornbread it's just made to put in a jar. {NS} Brown it put it in a jar or something like Interviewer: #1 {X} # 472: #2 {X} # {X} And just use it with a spoon every night. Interviewer: Do you like cornbread? 472: Hoo yeah I cook cornbread all the time. I'm having to buy my cornbread now though. I run outta meal. Interviewer: How do you like to fix your cornbread? 472: Oh I like to take in uh take it out and put it in the what I make it up in and put me some flour in it. And if it's not self-rising flour I have to put your salt. Season it. And then uh put a little baking powder some old baking powders in it. And stir it up good and make it up with meal. I'll break a egg in it if I got it first. Stir it and then put the milk in. If I ain't got milk I'll use water. And then put it in the pan. I'd cook it on top of the stove or put it in the oven and cook it. Either way. It'll work either way. Interviewer: Is there anything else any other kind of bread you made with cornmeal? 472: No I don't don't reckon so. Uh yeah you can make what's called muffins. Make it into muffins. Put it into them little pan call it muffin bread. You can do that. Interviewer: what about these uh you know these round things that have some onion in 'em? Some people like to eat 'em with fish? 472: Oh uh but get acquainted with this boy. Interviewer: Huh? 472: Hey! Uh this is Interviewer: doing here? 472: This is uh Kelly Boy. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: Lives uptown that's who I thought you were when you when you came up the other day Mr Kelly boy Interviewer: Yeah. 472: And uh got to looking found different. Well alright uh he's our neighbor. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: We we really enjoy him. He's a good friend he's a good worker. Interviewer: I see. 472: Better worker than anything else I reckon. He's really good. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: We proud of him. Interviewer: So you call those things 472: #1 Uh # Interviewer: #2 uh # 472: muffins. Little muffins you can make outta cornbread. Interviewer: Have you ever made yourself any hushpuppies? 472: I do that all the time when I got fish. To cook fish if I cook it myself? That's I don't want the fish without them hush- uh hushpuppies. {X} And I take them things and I can just make 'em to where you're at {NS} you just nobody eat too many of 'em. Interviewer: {NW} 472: I can put that seasoning in 'em you know? Teeny bit of pepper and uh onions. Cut up a lot of onions. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: And I make 'em up in the put a little flour in my meal just like I'm gonna use it for bread. and then make all of that together stir it up. Get it ready. When my fish gets done then your supposed to dig 'em out with a spoon and put them in there in the grease hot grease. Cook 'em brown took 'em out. Cool them up and they're ready to go. {NS} It's really good. I love hushpuppies. I hardly ever I don't cook fish unless I cook some hardly. They's so good. Interviewer: Do you ever hear of people talk about uh pone of cornbread or corn pone? Something like that? 472: uh yeah they make 'em in pones you can make it in pones now it's gotta be you got That's the way you make it that a way. You take it make it up take your hand make a pone lay it in that side of the pan then you make another one fill up the pan too you know? You have a pan or two to fill up. Called pone. Interviewer: So a pone's just a 472: Pones is made with your hand. And lay it in the side of the pan. In it 'til it fills it up there Interviewer: I see. 472: Yeah. You bake 'em. Interviewer: {NW} 472: That's called pone cornbread. Pone cornbread. Interviewer: I see. What about can you take uh your cornmeal and make your make your batter and then kind of pour it out and cook 'em in little flat round 472: Oh W- well now that's called uh I call that uh butter cakes. Powder cakes outta cornmeal yeah. That's the way you cook 'em too. {NS} And that's good. But {NS} you use flour in that in that in that way. I'd call 'em uh flapjacks. Interviewer: Is a 472: {X} Interviewer: and a flapjack the same thing? 472: No it's all the same but it's {X} if you make 'em outta cornbread they would wouldn't answer so well with syrup and all of that you see that's the reason why. {NS} {X} bread {NS} made out of uh the flour flapjacks that's to eat cor- uh syrup with mostly. Interviewer: I see. 472: {X} but cornbread is made for other things. Interviewer: {X} Have you ever heard of hoecake? What is that? 472: Hoecake. That's uh a big bunch a flour cooked in a in a ba- in a it's a batter but it's made a whole big hoecake outta that. It's made a big thing Interviewer: It's pretty big. 472: Yeah it's like the pone cornbread but it's all together. And you bake it in the stove or on the top and that's what's called a hoecake. Interviewer: But it's made outta cornmeal. 472: No outta flour. Interviewer: Outta flour? 472: Yeah. Interviewer: Oh I see. 472: Hoecake. Yeah. A- but meal I don't have made hoecakes outta meal. Made outta flour. Interviewer: You ever heard of anything called a corn dodger? 472: That's corn dodgers that's like uh corn dodger's like a the little cookies we cook in these little cans? What'd I call 'em a while ago? I forgot. Muffins. Only corn dodger is cooked uh in a long things. We call them corn dodgers. Interviewer: {X} 472: Cooked in long vessel Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: instead of the round. That'd be the difference. Interviewer: I see. 472: layered the same way but that's what they call 'em. Corn dodgers. Interviewer: You know some people say that they just two different kinds of bread there's the kind you make it home call that homemade bread and then the kind that you buy at the store you call that 472: Well {NS} bread made at home is it's either be a pone a bread or a hoecake. I mean a just bake it in there. Well or you could call a cornbread a hoecake if you put it in the pan and cook it all together. It would go as a hoecake too. Interviewer: I see. 472: That's right Interviewer: I see. 472: That's right. But anyway no there's no difference in no bread. That wouldn't make no difference in uh the meal that you buy at the store and the meal that I get out of the field in other words. It's all the same {X} Cook it either way. Any kind of way you wanted to do it. {NS} That's where the difference comes. That's all the difference to me. You cooked either one of 'em ei- either way you want it to. There's no difference in the store-bought bread and uh bread you cook at home in other words unless you buy uh loafs of bread or something like that. Interviewer: I see. Did you ever make these things at home you'd get your batter and you'd fix it up and pour it out and fry it in deep fat so you'd have a hole right in the middle of these things? 472: That's what you call let me see what they call them now they call them donuts. Oh yeah. {NW} Interviewer: You haven't made those at all? 472: I never have no I ain't made them. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: But I've saw 'em made. Donuts yeah. That's made outta flour. Donuts. Interviewer: If you were going to bake yourself some bread what would you have to put in it to make it rise? 472: Well I'd have to get the old Clabber Girl baking powder. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: What they got old Clabber Girl baking powder is all I've ever known. And uh but my seasoning then of salt and season it with put that enough of that in have to learn how to put a amount of that in. {X} according to the according to bridge to make a to make it rise {X} Mix the flour though regardless. It does better with flour. And you put this baking powders in it. And then you have bake your hoecakes then. Interviewer: Was there anything that you could use besides baking powder to make it rise? 472: uh I haven't learned it. Interviewer: Maybe yeast? 472: Well yeast yeast'll uh make uh dough rise but I've never used no yeast to put it in uh just take the yeast and put it in the bread to make it go all at once no. But you can take and make your yeast if you can get you some yeast made you can put that yeast in the bread then instead and you got something's real good. And ah a preacher! Here he comes. His wife is a bread maker and she was supposed to make yeast bread. And she buys this yeast at the store and called herself making yeast bread. But when I got some of it I found the difference. If sh- if sh- {X} she gonna make me no more and I ain't get to talk to her I say don't put no more sugar in it. I don't want no sweet at all in my bread. And I said then I ca- love it better but then it's not the kind that I thought she was gonna bring me I thought she was gonna bring some that's rise up. and when you're cut a loaf it'll perfume the house. Or or something like that now I said that's the yeast I'm talking about. Something or another that'll {NS} that'll taste good {NS} in your mouth. Interviewer: Right. 472: Yes. And it's healthy too. Believe it or not. If I hear 'em say you should drink a little uh beer for the stomach say in other words uh some do uh but it's the yeast that you get in your stomach in your body that does the work good It's good as hell Interviewer: {NW} Right. 472: {X} Interviewer: I see. What do you usually eat for breakfast? 472: Well I will say this mostly what I got Uh if I hadn't got an egg and grits I use uh I have some usually have some canned stuff that we people mix. Seventh-Day Adventist Movement. Can some stuff that's meatless. But you think you've got meat when you're cooking it and when you taste it. And that's the kind of food we tend to buy and have on hand for our breakfasts. Then we cook our grits and flavor it with a gravy out of that. We eat this stuff. Or we take some of the juice out of the can and flavor our stuff that we eat with it. If we got it. If not you can buy at the store now you can buy this uh meatless uh meat. They call it. It's looks just like bacon. But it's meatless it ain't no meat in it it's veg- made outta vegetable. And I think it came from our movement. Uh {D: Loma Lan- Loma La- Loama Linda} {D: Loma Linda} A place called {D: Loma Linda} uh where they make this stuff. And we believe I believe that that's where it come from this meatless stuff that you can buy at the store. Interviewer: I see. 472: Yeah. And you just think you're frying bacon. But you don't fry it but just eat it hot good because it'll just crimp up so lightly {X} you know. Just don't do good it's hard! Interviewer: {NW} 472: But if you put it in that hot oil and just turn it over and take it out just as tender and nice and tastes so good. Interviewer: If you wanted to buy a lot of bacon except might you have it sliced you'd say you'd have to buy a whole of bacon. 472: No you just well you what you do there you just buy a piece of meat slice your own bacon. Uh you can do that you can buy a whole side of a hog. I reckon you can now uh a big piece, and cut you cut your own meat off. Slice it off with a knife. Fry it. Fry it like that. But they they've got it ready-sliced now you buy it. you pay a whole lot more for it but then you got it ready-sliced. Interviewer: Is that side of a hog called the middling? 472: Yeah they call that middling meat. Yeah. {NS} Belly part of the middling. {X} I hear a lot of 'em's supposed to season the bean with a piece of side belly. Call it {NW} put put it in the uh beans or something Interviewer: Do you put any greens maybe? 472: Yeah Whatever you got cooking. Boil it. Uh season it with that. Hog meat. But we don't use any {X} Seventh-Day Adventist don't use hog meat. Interviewer: I see. What do- how do you like your eggs fixed? 472: Well I'd rather have mine just poached like to put on my grits. Well either I boil my egg you cut it up and put mayonnaise something like that on perhaps. That's good. {NS} Toast me some bread then to go with it. Then I used whole for uh I mean I use wheat bread. Wished I did have some whole wheat bread to use. But I use wheat bread. Partly If I can't get wheat bread I get roman meal which is kind of a wheat but otherwise Interviewer: I see. 472: {D: Gotcha} Interviewer: What do you call the two parts of an egg? You got the 472: Yolk and white. Yeah. The yolk and white. Interviewer: Now the yolk is that's the color uh what color is 472: Yellow. Interviewer: Yellow. 472: Yeah. Interviewer: I always get those confused. 472: Yeah. Now y- you take a some eggs you got two yolks. Double yolk. Them's big eggs. {NW} Interviewer: I imagine. {X} 472: They are big though. And that's the kind I buy most of the time if I can find 'em. {X} So I just cook me one egg but if I have to buy those little ones I got double trouble wait now I hope the uh the uh store men don't hear me. Interviewer: {NW} 472: {NW} Interviewer: I'd worry about that. 472: If I buy the little egg I I have two to break. If I want two two yolks {NS} I need enough for my meal. Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: Big eggs give me a meal by itself. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: Boil it fry or however I wanna cook it. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: I tend to boil. Uses {X} Told you I was lazy to start with Interviewer: #1 {NW} # 472: #2 {NW} # Interviewer: #1 # 472: #2 # Interviewer: {NW} 472: Or Interviewer: when you used to eat uh bacon or some other kind of meat with your breakfast did you ever uh like to eat this uh spicy hot meat {X} Uh we- never did care about too much spices Cannot lie. I never did. I believe it but I'm not I don't like it too well. {X} 472: You could get it Interviewer: #1 {D: in} # 472: #2 Such # as ham and all that. I never did like too much spice in hams either when I eat hog meat like that. This lady brought the mail to me? She d- d- uh she's the last one to ever give me a piece of ham to eat. Interviewer: Is that right? 472: that's the last ham I ever eat in my life was there lady brought it to me. Interviewer: Did you like to eat that stuff that you could get in links or patties? 472: Sausage. Yes uh really a pig after a uh weenies. Weeny sausages. Interviewer: You don't eat that anymore though? 472: I'd rather not. Keep all animals systematic Uh hog meat is fine for some people I reckon but it's too rich anyway for people to eat. It is it's just too rich and they'll tell you that theirselves. If you eat very much of it it'll make you sick. It's just too rich a meat to eat. And we rather eat beef if we're going to eat meat or fish scale fish Or beef. Interviewer: What did people call the man who uh sold meat and uh compared it uh with 472: Merchant. It come from the merchant house. All of this meat comes from the merchant house. From merchant merchant. Interviewer: Do you still have people uh like a butcher? 472: Oh yeah. No not around here we don't have none right around us. But we got butchers uh far and near you know you send they s- the butcher can send it to you whole and then we got a butcher he- here in the store to cut it up. Now that might be what you're coming up with. {X} he he's a meat-cutter we call him. Interviewer: Uh-huh. 472: He Interviewer: I see. 472: And and he's good enou- I mean he can cut it most any way a person wants it {X} Well I heard the same thing Interviewer: Did y'all put a when you were growing up did you have uh hog-killing time? {NS} 472: Yeah. We used to have a hog-killing time in the Fall and the cold weather we had to wait the cold weather on account of the flies! And things like that would uh gnats take over We'd just wait 'til wintertime it's the best time to kill meats of any kind. Wintertime. Where you won't 'til you can get to put it away you see. Interviewer: Did you make anything with meat from his head? 472: Yeah souse. Call hog hog head cheese. People called it now hog head cheese. We called it souse back there. At that time and uh then we pickled the meat my father always went and bought a lotta salt and would take the washpot and put that salt and water in there. They would put that salt in there until this brine would float a egg. That's how strong you wanted it. Interviewer: {NW} 472: Til floating {NW} when it start floated a egg then he let it cool and uh he'd have his meat uh put in a barrel. And he'd pour this brine in over with his meat. And that's the way he picked up his meat. Interviewer: {NW} 472: In that brine. And then the first two weeks after the first two weeks he took that brine outta that meat took that meat out laid it on a table and took that brine that was left and add to it and make some more new brine put in there and then that was it for the year. Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: Yep that's it for the year. Interviewer: Did y'all ever do anything with the liver? Hog's liver? 472: No no more than just cook it and eat it. Never put it away or nothing. Interviewer: Didn't make any 472: #1 We'd give away and # Interviewer: #2 grind it up make it into a # pudding or anything? 472: No. No I saw we had one auntie one time made us a blood pudding out of it. Caught the blood? Stuck the hog and caught the blood and made pudding out of it. Interviewer: Yes sir. 472: But we didn't eat it. Wasn't u- I didn't like it. Interviewer: I don't think I would either. 472: Uh-uh. And the Bible's strictly against that. The Bible's strictly against hog hog pudding. Blood pudding. Big time. So we we'd uh give and take other word we had a big hog killing we had a lotta help. And we'd divide out all the stuff that we couldn't take away. Interviewer: {X} 472: And we'd just have a big union meeting you know. Cook a lotta these lites and livers together cook 'em real tender and {NS} have 'em. And the tongue we'd use the tongue sometimes. In well {NW} Never waste throwed away no hog tongue. Interviewer: Did you ever hear of people around here eating brains and eggs? 472: Lots yeah. I have eat 'em myself. Brains and eggs. But I don't eat no more. That way I wouldn't want that. I'd just rather not do that. But if it's but a little tender beef I'll eat it and uh scale fish. Interviewer: You ever heard of anything called a scrapple? 472: Scrapple. No. Interviewer: Something you'd make with hog meat and cornmeal. Cook it fry it. 472: No I never heard of that one I don't believe. Never heard of that. Scrapple. Interviewer: You mentioned um Clabber Girl baking soda a minute ago what i- what is clabber? 472: Cl- clabber? That's what we call clabber is uh milk curdled {X} it goes to clabber. Cow milk from well fresh from a cow what ain't been {NW} demolished I call it to all the good fat took out. It'll clabber and after it clabbers then you take this clabber and put it in a churn. Leave the cream on it. Uh put the cream in there with it and then you churn it and you got buttermilk. Well that's what we call clabber when it turns hard like that. Interviewer: {NW} 472: So it turns hard like that. Interviewer: Is there any kinda cheese you can make outta that clabber? 472: Yeah you can ca- uh you can uh make uh white cheese out of it. Strain it and make white cheese out of this clabber out of this clabber. Interviewer: Is that white cheese uh is that li- 472: Oh clabber cheese. Interviewer: Clabber cheese? 472: Yeah. Interviewer: Is that the same thing as cottage cheese? 472: Co- yeah it's the same thing. Cottage cheese. But we call it clabber cheese if we make it ourselves. That's where a- where that other is made from too. Interviewer: Ever heard of uh the inside parts of a chicken or a hog called the haslet or hashlet or harslet anything like 472: No the hog a hog has a haslet. Hog haslet. Interviewer: Which part is that? 472: Well let me see now. that grows on the little {C: silence}