Blocton, Etc.
Late in life Johnnie told me of his work at the Silver Moon after he went back to Blocton. There were no big events involved. I guess Mr. Herren gave up the soft drink distribution business. I don't remember Johnnie's ever mentioning him after the fire. One thing he told me about earlier was that his wife got very sick and the doctor prerscribed beef blood for her, a big quantity each day. I don't think the name of the illness was ever mentioned, but it almost made me sick to hear about it. I never heard the results of the treatment.
I never knew how much time Johnnie spent living on the Hale County farm. I heard a lot about his taking off his shoes and wading through the swamp to go see Mable. Mama didn't care much for her but didn't try to prevent the courtship and marriage. She said "If you can live with her, I can live around her." She didn't care much for Archie Waugh either. He worked for the highway derpartment and Mama thought she could do better.
The Cafe Johnnie managed in Tuscaloosa was the Coffee Pot, owned by a Mr. Baker. Johnnie used to complain about all the roaches and the difficulty of getting rid of them. It was while working there that Johnnie developed a very strong dislike for chicken. From then on he would not eat it, even at Mama's house, or when he cooked it himself. He never explained clearly why this was true.
The remarkable thing about the mule harness used for plowing was how Mama wenrt into the woods and found a tree that had an evenly shaped fork, cut it down and fitted it on the mule. I never learned where she got the strong wire she used to attach the plow to the shoulder harness.Webster had a sleep walking problem that worried Mama. The house had a back door but no steps to the ground and she worried that he might step out and fall several feet to the ground. So, she nailed the door shut. At least once Webster walked out of the house and got over 100 yards down the road before he waked up. He reported this condition when he went into the Army====and apparently was not bothered with it in the service.
When I would go from Montgomery to visit Mama I would be taken fishing in the deeper pools in the creek and sit there by the hour with mosquitoes eating me up. They didn't seem to bother the others. We would catch 4 or 5 litle fish [I never kn ew what kind] and Mama or Johnnie would clean them and fry them whole. I had a fear of getting a bone caught in my throat and was never able to enjoy the fish.
Mama had a couple of cows, hogs and several chickens. I never knew her to kill a cow but I think she did butcher some calves later. This was during the depression and the family joined the county group in a sort of canning co-operative. The government furnished pressure cookers and cans with equipment to seal them. They canned all manner of stuff---vegetables, soup and meats and all shared in the products.
Webster said Mama would never accept government charity, but since they did so much work on the canning, it was not considered charity. She was critical of people who would not work but expected the government to supply them with food.
It was the canning experience that led to Webster's being classed as a cook in the Army. He served practically his full time as a Mess Sargent in camps or on troop trains.
When Elva got married she and Archie moved to a farm near Selma where their principal job was dairy farming. They milked their cows, put the milk in 5 gallon cans [furnished by the dairy] and sat it out on the road for a dairy truck to come by and pick it up. Later the dairy used tank trucks into which they emptied the milk for transporting it. After a time Elva became skilled in identifying antiques and bought a fairly good inventory. She sold them to the public from her house.
Bill followed Johnnie and Aubrey in going into the military. Aubrey chose to enlist in the Navy rather than being drafted into the Army. It was Bill's [Webster's] leaving that caused mama to come and live with us.
I never knew how much time Johnnie spent living on the Hale County farm. I heard a lot about his taking off his shoes and wading through the swamp to go see Mable. Mama didn't care much for her but didn't try to prevent the courtship and marriage. She said "If you can live with her, I can live around her." She didn't care much for Archie Waugh either. He worked for the highway derpartment and Mama thought she could do better.
The Cafe Johnnie managed in Tuscaloosa was the Coffee Pot, owned by a Mr. Baker. Johnnie used to complain about all the roaches and the difficulty of getting rid of them. It was while working there that Johnnie developed a very strong dislike for chicken. From then on he would not eat it, even at Mama's house, or when he cooked it himself. He never explained clearly why this was true.
The remarkable thing about the mule harness used for plowing was how Mama wenrt into the woods and found a tree that had an evenly shaped fork, cut it down and fitted it on the mule. I never learned where she got the strong wire she used to attach the plow to the shoulder harness.Webster had a sleep walking problem that worried Mama. The house had a back door but no steps to the ground and she worried that he might step out and fall several feet to the ground. So, she nailed the door shut. At least once Webster walked out of the house and got over 100 yards down the road before he waked up. He reported this condition when he went into the Army====and apparently was not bothered with it in the service.
When I would go from Montgomery to visit Mama I would be taken fishing in the deeper pools in the creek and sit there by the hour with mosquitoes eating me up. They didn't seem to bother the others. We would catch 4 or 5 litle fish [I never kn ew what kind] and Mama or Johnnie would clean them and fry them whole. I had a fear of getting a bone caught in my throat and was never able to enjoy the fish.
Mama had a couple of cows, hogs and several chickens. I never knew her to kill a cow but I think she did butcher some calves later. This was during the depression and the family joined the county group in a sort of canning co-operative. The government furnished pressure cookers and cans with equipment to seal them. They canned all manner of stuff---vegetables, soup and meats and all shared in the products.
Webster said Mama would never accept government charity, but since they did so much work on the canning, it was not considered charity. She was critical of people who would not work but expected the government to supply them with food.
It was the canning experience that led to Webster's being classed as a cook in the Army. He served practically his full time as a Mess Sargent in camps or on troop trains.
When Elva got married she and Archie moved to a farm near Selma where their principal job was dairy farming. They milked their cows, put the milk in 5 gallon cans [furnished by the dairy] and sat it out on the road for a dairy truck to come by and pick it up. Later the dairy used tank trucks into which they emptied the milk for transporting it. After a time Elva became skilled in identifying antiques and bought a fairly good inventory. She sold them to the public from her house.
Bill followed Johnnie and Aubrey in going into the military. Aubrey chose to enlist in the Navy rather than being drafted into the Army. It was Bill's [Webster's] leaving that caused mama to come and live with us.
posted by Jeremiah | 11:08 AM
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