• Contributor
  • Mo
  • Ray, Robert W. (Robert William), 1916 or 1917-
  • Metcalfe, Wilford
  • Moore, Bill
  • Gilley, Grover
  • Oakley, Wiley
  • Sutton, Jim
  • Mehaffey, Frank
  • Caldwell, Mack
  • Hill, Millard
  • Wiggins, James Lafayette "Fate", 1860-1954
  • Morris, Al
  • Cathey, Mark, 1871-1944
• Format
  • Transcripts
  • Interviews
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1939
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11' x 8.5"
  • Pages: 47 pages
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • GSMNP_Cata-Hall_Tape_06_1939

J. s. Hall Tapes TAPE No, 6 • COl\'TENTS ... "'""' • \ ~-'>: l~ ~.., '!:"-:-! Side 1: Page HARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, Swain County, North Carolina Continuation of foregoing bear hunt Calling and killing the turkey gobbler on Indian Creek Demonstrating turl~ calling AL MORltiS, Kirkland Creek, near Bryson City, North Carolina Hunti.ng around Bryson Place Hunting bee trees Hunting on the head of Deep Creek HUSIC - Uni.dentified singers ''That Ramshackle Shacl< on the Bill'' NARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, Swain C?tmty, North Carolina Fishing \-1ith a fe 11m~ from NeH York \...___./ UNIDENTifiED SINGER!) FATE \HCGINS, Deep Creek, Swain County, North Carolina Early population on Deep Creek Bear and cubs · Contest 111ith l·lark Cathey, fishing B. K. Collins bull Early life HILLARD II ILL and IJERBEi{T (llub) ~Tl' !JENSON, Saunook, 1-Jay\wod County, North Caro Una 'fall tales: Large turni.p Big copper pot Side 2: HILL and STEPHENSON - contd Tall tale: Bear hunt Fatal dynamiLe Llast on Blg Creek LIBRARY 159-162 162-163 164 165 166 166-167 168 169 170 171 17! 171 172 1"12 1.73 173 175··176 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK / J. S. Hall Tapes CONTENTS of Tape 6 - contd FRANK MEHAFFEY, Maggie, Haywoop County, North Carolina Tall tale: Coon hunting "The Bun Ain't Loaded" Jll1 SUI'TON, Cataloochee, Haywood County, North Carolina Liquor making His father's wind sucking horse WILEY OAKLEY, Gat linhurg, Tennessee Ta 11 tale: Turkey shooting Guns UNIDENTIFIED INSTRUNENTAL HUS IC - "John Henry" GROVER GILlEY, Bryson City, S\-1a in County, North Carolina ''Arthur the Rat" BILL NOORE, Saunook, Haywood County, North Carolina "Arthur the Rat" WILFORD .HETCALFE, Del Rio, Cocke County, Tennessee "Arthur the, Rat'' ROBERT H. RAY, Jefferson City, Tennessee "Arthur the Rat" OLIN HONTE ITH, Bushne 11, Swain County, North Carolina "Arthur the H.at" FRANK CASE, Bryson City, North Carolina "Arthur the Rat" '~· 177 177-178 179 179-180 181 182 183 186-187 188-189 190-191 192-194 TAPE No. 6 - CO~~E~~S Side 1: HARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, Swain County, . North Carolina Continuation of foregoing bear hunt Calling and killing the turkey gobbler on Indian Creek Demonstrating tur~ calling AL MOru~IS, Kirkland Creek, near Bryson City, North Carolina Hunting around Bryson Place Hunting bee trees Hunting on the head of Deep Creek HUS IC - Uni.dentified singers "That Ramshackle Shack on the Hill'' MARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, Swain C?unty, North Carolina Fishing with a fellow frorn New York UNIDENTifiED SINGERS FATE 'HIGGINS, Deep Creek, Swain County, North Carolina Early population on Deep Creek Bear and cubs · Contest with Hark Cathey, fishing B. K. Collins bull Early life MILLARD HILL and l·lERBEi\T (Hub) STI'HENSON, Saunook, Hay•,,ood County, North Caro li.na Tall tales: Large turni.p Big copper pot Side 2: HILL and STEPHENSOli - contd Tall tale: Bear hunt Fatal dynamice blast on Blg Creek 159-162 162-163 164 165 166 166-167 168 169 170 171 171 171 172 172 173 173 175-·176 FRANK MEHAFFEY, Maggie, . Haywoop Tall tale: Coon hunting "The Bun Ain't Loaded" JIM SUTTON, Cataloochee, Haywood County, North Carolina Liquor making His father's wind sucking horse WILEY OAKLEY, Gatlinburg, Tennessee Tall tale: Turkey shooting Guns UNIDENTIFIED INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - "John Henry" GROVER GILLEY, Bryson City, Swain County, North Carolina "Arthur the Rat" BILL MOOlill, Saunook, Haywood County, North Carolina "Arthur the Rat" WILFORD ~~TcALFE, Del Rio, Cocke County, Tennessee "Arthur the Rat" ROBERT\~. MY, Jefferson City, Tennessee "Arthur the Rat" OLIN MOI-."TEITH, Bushnell, Swain County, North Carolina "Arthur the Rat" FRANK cASE, Bryson City, North Carolina "Arthur the Rat" 177 177•178 179 179-180 181 182 183 184-185 186-187 188-189 190-191 192-194 195.-197 MARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, North Carolina - contd Begin 000 Break 045 Begin 046 Break 091 Begin 092 Break 153 Another story Begin 156 Break 188 Turkey cails Begin 190 Break 227 AL MORRIS, Kirk lands Creek, Nor.th Carolina Hunting Bee tree Bear hunt UNIDENriFIED SINGING "Ramshackle Shack" Begin 250 Racket 261 Break 302 Begin 307 Begin 330 Begin 332 Break 347 Begin 348 Break 357 MARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, North Carolina New York fisherman UNIDENriFIED SINGING "Memphis Bound" · Begin 358 Break 387 Begin 388 Break 399 . FATE WIGGINS, Deep Creek, North Carolina ~egin 400 Break 427 Begin 429 Break 447 Begin 229 Break 249 MILLARD HILL and HERBERT STEPHENSON, Saunook, North Carolina 1939 Tall tales Tape ends Begin 448 Break 456 457 No. 2 HERBERT STEPHENSON .. contd Begin 000 Break 014 MACK CALDWELL, Mt. Sterling, North Carolina Begin 016 Break 058 Begin 061 Break 072 FRANK MEHAFFEY, Maggie, North Carolina Begin 074 Break 152 JIM SIJrTON, cataloochee, North Carolina, 1939· Begin 155 Break 20l WILEY OAKLEY, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 1939 UNIDENTIFIED INSTRUNENI'AL "John Henry" Begin 103 Break 250 Begin 251 Break 260 GROVER KIBBEY, Bryson City, North Carolina BILL l100RE, Saunook, North Carolina WILFORD METCALFE, Del Rio, Tennessee Begin 262 Break 292 Begin 293 Break 322 Begin 325 Break 330 Begin 332 Break 353 ROBERT H. RAY, Jefferson City, Tennessee Begin 355 Break 384 No.· 6, SIDE No. 2' - contd / \....__/ OLIN MONTE ITH, Bushne 11, North Carolina · Begin 385 Break 407 Be~in 408 Break 423 FRANK CASE, Bryson City, North ·Carolina Begin 424 Break .440 Begin 442 Break .417 Tape run~ out at 458 ·:.',.·· ~ ..•. ·:· •.. ·.·. · . · I . .); , , · . . I ~ . . , ._ ' ;•·\ . .-.. . ·'z·;· . r· ,_. . . ':~· · .,. .·· . . :::.·. ·-_ ' ' ,, . ' -' )::: :K s... ! -·< ; . ' -_; ~ ,-~ ·. . . . ~ ' ... •. ·~.j 4---------. Meandering In, The S~okies ,, . . .· ' .... ' ·i; ' ' . \ ':·•·$ athey~A Mou,ntain Legen(.l fishing country and Cathey was to make his dry fly sk\tter \ By John Wi.~\e started early fitt}ing it and I aciib•s Lhe 'rough trollf ~ater : Many years after his death, Indian Creek, a , tributary. as if in a dance! He m~ged,, :~ ters and fishermen of Lhe These creeks run back into the to keep h~ line nut Qf Lhe ... ; reat Smokies region ~till talk black bear homeland and water aqq· Lhis jettering fi:y -~,, ound their campfires of the Cathey learned earJy to hunt fishing b~~ame anartlnwhtcl;l,~;, 1 gends of Mark Cathey-es- them. he was 'Lhe ack.nowltl(lgea ially about his "Dance of master. :~ · i~ e Dry Fly." . He established hi1:1 reputa- The 1~-faced, ov~r~Uedi~ 1 It is agreed by mountam- , tion early as a Wilt-fly fish- tobacco..W~ing Cathey' did~.·. rs that he was Lhe greatest erman and this 'led to )lis n't impreiJ$' strangers nil¥lh .at ,. 1 unter and fisherman Lhe renowned "dance of the dry . · first but .they soon were •• '\ 1 rookies ever produced. For . fly." Fishermen SQOil came : en~all~.'by h. is pitby w.lt. f!ll } ' •I ver 50 years, fro~,tbe 1890's from sevepal s\B,tes · jijllt to j . mtfctlt a:>, ; the~ we~::• l J,)f, hiSJ1 ~· the time of his death in 1944, watch hlm. Non'e~ ,eould beat fishing and 6unUng , . ~Ulr'''l ewasfamousinthehills,and him ;.n catches ·o{l)ainbow. Many a ttunter \i<IU&I'!~ tll,4 ,> i' years b~fore his death, he These visU.ing fiaberm~n prJ)- . compani®Bl.lip just to ijsta11 toe(,, as a living legend, with word due~ a. yolmg cit)' dude who, his camQ!licle yarns and di<fn',t{;i bout h!m reaching even to in turn,in~9verter:tiY created careif ~~didn't hunt at aU: A llywood. He once turned the most famous . ft~~g story Cathey ·killed .over 50 . bl4Qk ~·i own an offer to take a part in ·about Gathey. _,., ·. . .:. ~rs jn his days !lnd1.1~ ,~;~.\ movte. . · . .. . . . . · · chase aft~r ma,ny UJore,. al~,1 ·; Calhey wa~ ~>.?r_ n Jan. ~s. .T b. e. .. .d ~.. . llookpd a ~aU . lowing ot~--~- Fl~ ~ roake_.t .Jl. e _ JU,ll,.:~.J 871 , near Swam ~unty. ~ · t~out .~nq ~~d;i(:tQ. ibe u_ P. ~f ' Cathey ·xnew -~_ •. he, Stnok~. '- :.1 ·. ~.P.. Sl."~-~,so_ . : _-~_·:x;.. tl!!..: ke ~~u-tM~.- !,. !. . .l -·~. r~~.;....· .~ . ·.. . ; . "..~,· ~.-.·.~ ~--·.:.·. tn a_;r. iitous o~.t ,-ina e ca Y , . ~ ., ·. ·. · .. · . · i :~rtra:rf: ·t,lef,~l#4 dl~ttpe .... l .. ,..~,, im . famous . A hfe-long C~they ,$0lem!ll , t~,d him to ·· them ~Qr . week~ , at ·a · ti.JUb, 1: achelor, he began as a ~uth - climb t~e pole anp .~ that, alone. ~ .· one (·wqr.r~ U•. i 0 spend a great deal of time there {1sh. to d~ath Wtth a ,, alw!'ya ~e ba~kl __w it_tl ·' .·, et$._/· eep in the rugged Sm?kles • huge Bo~le kntf~ ' fue young anolher .~tory to attd .to ~ tM I earby. Deep Creek tlself . man earned, . , _ ~ legends. "') · ' · · ' robed far into jagged trout One of Cath~.~r.;~t tr1ck~ The mQuntain people liked ·•·--·---- ----.. -- _, ... · .. __ ,_.. -- •• ..,_. ,lUld ._~ ~•they.,J:Ie wu · l I • ' ·I. ~, I' . ,.. . ' ' I O: weleortl._it~lle,re; ~- Jlft .: ; ' tSaid w~t · he thought. Many~ :. ; articl~ \ltl~ve ~ written ' '. a~~t~t hijrl'and he baa a place l ' . IJl sev~al b(!Q~. bu~tb~ ~ thouSJnda. wh~ still reQU'JJlber l him. Tb,ey make hilp live \i · .ag!lin, a-'with SP4rkij,n,IJ eyes · · ,, • and ch~!!lll. they re(l~ bla ' ::;.ft~r1\'1~ ~4l)d<NPl~itt, · ·;, . , · 1·. ·' At 73 Cllf,bey sW' ~ and -. hunted :~ll ~ bW _of. t.tt~tn . • ·hi' ~t qry 'fly still .~. on: I. '. •· O~p · · ~ek, Ha.zeJ · Creek, · 1: Noland ~ l\'Qflley' He would .'... ~- ap~r qn,e d~f on the i\•, Square ~. Jik)tso.n · ~tr. lll,D'' ' :,• rounde4/ll1Y admifers !Uld thtt next d{lY,'J)e go.ne wilh his ~­and d~;ldeep Into ·~ la9~ t,&.in$. ·~~; · ' · · · Still~ ti• wa11 older and hie , , kin foli{!i. anq frieJ'Ids · worri~ ,< , 00w. Qiil beaytit.I.Jl ;~ay ~n ·' · •· OctO\lt!r j ~th Lhe ~ • • ~,b~ · belove<f;1~1~reJt Sm~ ~ theit lodliest, one~ ,agalo.)w - bls · dog arid rtfle a~ !l~d~:<U9r tbflli~.~. 'l'ttM. tf niltht h~f-«d tiC:'~ ~' .n h1>; ;._e;_. •· pat.UtUy;·,;ptd now' . I\ ·. ~ar<:p~ cf party \v9,8 formed. Th01!b~:tn8 l him ill ®ath iSs be ha~ Uved1 a seated .it Lhe blls.e of lD PJ4 e tree hlis gup llf;l'O$& his lap.li~ . dog ~dly W!lttih.i~ at bis ~ • ..:; -there lp bls ~())den ()ctq~ under ·l):ijl B~NtUdde<\ liky.,,. j ~ I TAPE No. 6 - SIDE 1 (From Index Counter Number 000 to 007 is blank) MARK CATHEY, Deep Creek, Swain County,- North Carolina - cont 'd ·00) So I got up 'n' very close in a few feet to where he 's under those old windfall logs, 'n' hissin' the dawgs. I c'd hear him back under the-re; growlin' 'n', snappin' his teeth. An-d. I kept a workin' around, tryin' to get a shot at 'im. Side of 'im t' shoot 'im and-uh. All at onct he came ouwt. And the dawgs run out of the way ah' he took after me-e. An-uh. He run me, a hundred yards. Right after me. And th' dawgs come in behind 1 im 'n' conmenced catchin' 'im. And he whirled. And went right back into the same place. Second ti-me. Couldn't get a shot at 'im for the dawgs as he went back. So I went back in again right up-uh close t' level and-uh, putty soon I seen his-ut1 no-se, well from 'bout th' fork of his mouth ouwt. An' I, let drive at 'im an' broke both of his under ja-ws. Cut 'em two. \~ 1 1 he come out of there 'n' started, bey'o- from me and-uh the dawgs w' s after 'im he 's a draggin' and-uh, I couldn't get nairy 'nother shot the-re. So he went on ouwt two or three hundred yar-ds. An' they stopped 'im that time in the open laur-el. I did nothing, it w's under nothing. An' I 'o1ent on ou>~t an' give 'im a couple more shots. An' that-uh finished 'im. \ve-11. It w's-uh, nig-ht ¥:hen I got Honeycutt to me. After while I heard him :.3) shoot. BREAK '•,4 ) I -----1 We have signals that we go by, iri our huntin'. Three shots to come to ye. Th£1t means kill 'i.m. T'"o to go to to,m. So I finally got Honeycutt to me. He-ll I aske.d him t' come in. And. I would stay with th' bear and for him to come in and bring back help t' pack it ouwt. 0 No" he sa-id, "I'll stay." He said''you c'n go faster than I can." vlell. I lit out to-uh our camp \·las at Bryson Place it 's, well it 's nine mi-les f'm where I keelled this bear to '\-Jhere we camped. So it w' s a way in the night when I got in to camp, 'n' th' th' crowd was oneasy abo-ut m-e. I up met a bunch of 'em/nearly a mi-le above the cabin about th' forks of Deep Creek. Come a goin' to see about me. And-uh. I didn't tell 'em what had happened til we got in to cam-ps. I told th- they asked me what I'd been doin' an' I told them that-~h, I was with th' dawgs had been after a mile past 'n' I just fooled away all th' evenin' after 'em 'n', got into camp well I had quite a bit of blood on me my duck back clothes an' they noticed the blood. And-uh John Edwards said to me he says "man" he says you've killed a be•'lr." ''Yes'' I says "I killed the biggest bear, that ever walked th' Smoldes, Johnny." I saic "he's layin' right on th' right in under the Smokles, the head of th' left hand fork of Deep Creek." I said "I left Honeycutt \>lith 'im." \.Jell I said "notc1 v~c've got to go back a bunch 133) of men t 1 pack this bear i-n." BREAK ~6) An' so they 's. Fixed up t' go back i-n to help pack out th' be-ar an-d. They w's eleven of !em went back i-n 'n' they had had supper when I got in but they fixed the grub for breakfast. Took coffee an' a lard bucket to make coffee. For breakfast 'n'. They w's a doctor, Doc Carr from Oakdale Tenness,::e hew's n) weakly little delicate feller. And-uh he '"'s in for him I said "Doc you better stay _ out of there." I says "you it I 11 kill" I says "you can It make if." "Oh" he says "what you take me for Cathey'' 'n' he says "I'm up here to bear hunt." We.-11 I says "go on. You'll learn something. You'll have some experience. :r So he had on a bi-g uh, uh a heavy sweater an' a Mackinaw cont. Well 'bout time they w's gittin' ready he, pulled off that Hackinaw an' w's a leavin' an' I told an' did leave I told 'im I said "Doc you'd better take that Mackinaw along you'll need it." It w's a fairly cold night November. So he said."no" he said "I don't need that." We-ll. They went on up th' left hand fork of the creek an' they w's no-uh they had to hop th' rocks, at th' fords. They 's twelvt! or fourteen fords to cross. And Doc fell in to-uh, slipped on a rock, up about th' Deep cap an' got wet all over, 'N' like t' froze to death 'n .'. An' they got 'im they finally got 'im in to where the bear w's an' they had to, they carried axe with 'em a small axe. They had to take, an' cut wood, build a big fire for 'im an' take off all their Mackinaws an' duck backs an' wrop 'im up. Keep 'im from freezing t' death. And-uh. So, they got 1-n th' next day about one o'clock. Packin' th' bear meat in. An' I w's sittin' on th' porch of the Bryson Cabin. C'd see om-lt you c'd se-e, half a mile there when the leaves w's do-wn, 'n' I seen 'em comin' down through the old field. This Doc Carr was behind, he w's in the re-ar. Had a big walkin' stick-uh, joggin' it alo-ng an' he, come on up and-uh the first \Wrd he said to me "\ell" he says "Cathey" says "if I'd a had any i-dee, 'at 'at this w'd a been th' trip that it's been on me I wouldn't never undertook it." "V-Jell" I says "I trled to tell you noc last nieht," but I said "you v..•ouldn.' t listen." An' I says "you've haC: some experience ., < now.'' We 11 he listen to you the next time. And so-uh. about winds up the bear hunt. That w's said to be the biggest bear that's ever killed on Smokies. Old bear hunters there guessed him t' stretch five 138) hundred pounds. An' I believe he'd a done it. BREAK Well back in-uh, nineteen 'n' twenty-six the spring of 1926 I think it was, * they'd ban they 's an old gobbler on the right hand fork of Deep Cre-ek. And they'd been parties went after 'im an' tried to call 1 im up. Some boys out of Bryson City down here, Little Jack Franklin an' th' two Bryson boys Ed and Thad. An' a feller name of Sommers went up, 'n' tried to call 'im an' couldn't do it 'n' they carne back ouwt 'n' told me-e, about the gobbler. So I was dmvn at Bryson-uh one day, little later. Claude Williams. He 's a brakesman on th', Southern, road here on the Murphy Branch. He had a Ford ca-r. An' I said to 1 im I said "Claude" I said "let's go up in." Hell he w's on the sick list kinda layin' off. I says "Claude let's dri.ve u-p, an' camp at the Sherrill Wiggins place on the George Branch 'n', ki-ll that old gobbler in the mornin'." "Hell'' he says-uh "don't car.e if I do." So we got us a little grub together enough for supper 'n' breakfast, 'n' got in th' Ford an' driv up in two mi-les of, whur we camped 'n' walked up the George Branch t' Wiggins house an' spent the night 'n' got up _th' next mornin' a way before da-y. 'N' topped ouv1t at th' head of the Ceorge Bran-ch. We-ll th' birds begin to whistle, An' we heard the gobbler gobbling, across on th' fur side of th' right hand fork of Indian Creek, Well I told Claude I said "Claude it's impossible to cell him Ol!"Ylt here." * - been -..._/ I said t' go around to the opposite side (scratch , ._'' indis- . ' <· tinguishable~ 167-169) we face th' back rid-ge, whur you c 'n call 1 im. 0 . Well Claude says "I can 1 t make that. II We-ll I says "you stay right here" I says "I can make it." So I left Williams there, an' I went on around. An' when I got around an' down the crest of the ridge I went down th' crest about a half a mile down from the main rid-ge, he gobbled ouwt on top. We-ll I sat down I al' s I never hyde in a bunch of lawgs, I I git a tree that'll hyde my body. An' I set down right, facin' 1 im. So I got my place an' I cal-led a little. An' he answered me, gobbled three or four times. There. I. He gobbled 'n' gobbl~d and I wouldn't call no more. I called twice for '1m. And-uh, I seen that gobbler I guess two hours anyway before I shot 'im. He'd cc:ne up, a ways-uh to'v:ard me an' then he'd turn back 'n'. Turn under, the to-p. On the side hi-11, an-d. Fi-nally he got up in about a hundred yards of me. And. Stretched up stopped right above a biz mountain oak tree, my ball went into this tree. An' I killed 1 im. I shot him ~-lith a, .22 high pow-er. So it w's tt,;enty minutes til eleven when I shot the turkey. So I went on back around to where IHlliams was. Uh different ones had tried to call 'im. Some of the Luftee fellers had told me about this gobbler bein', gobblin' there and-uh, couldn't they couldn't call hirn up. 'N' I hardly ever fai-led back then on cawllin 1 up a turkey. It's th' way you co-11 that-uh that brings 'em. If you call 'ern too much 19) you'll never git one to ye. BRr...AK Joe Hall Tapes Page 164 )1) Demonstrating turkey calling That is calling the way I call up a gobbler, turkey gobbler a wyld gobbler. L7) call 'im with my mouth. BREAK AL l10RRIS, Kirklands Creek, recording) City, North the LS) Hell we went on then. Thir-? Thir-? Been about thirty or thirty-five 36) year ago, we w's out there an' the dogs treed a bunch of. coons 'n' lay by 'em at night. Clim th' trees next mornin' 'n' set th' tree afire. An' got five coons. Went on then th' next, that evenin' back in at th' back of Round Top, 'n' catched three more. 'N' killed a big turkey gobbler. 'N'. Then. Good long while, forgot th' most of it. vie, stayed out there about six weeks me coons. 'N' . ' 'n' a feller Smith f~om Virginia. We caught aoout thirty-five * I don't knmv how many polecats. 'N' caught a oughter while we 's up there. And. Killed one small deer. PAUSE An' caught several fish don 1 t know exactly how many. It 's in that w's in th' winter time. An' then-uh, while we w's up in there our dogs got after gang of coons 'n' run 'em in on the head of, Reagans Creek uh Reagans Prong. 'N' got four out of that bunch. Oh I couldn't tell th' possums we did ketch around that Bryson place there while we 's camped there. So 'at's about all I knmv of that. Caught a heap of fish in them mountain streams. Al' s enjoyed fishin'. Didn't used t' think I'd done any good at all withoutn ketch as many as hundred an' fifty or t\-'O hundred a day. 'N' I've been in several little bear fights I don't knovl as I ever killed one myself but I've been along w'n they 's several of 'em killed. 5:>) PAUSE An'. Killed one or two deer w's all I ever all th' deer I ever killed • . 58) PAUSE (Faster and higher pitch than foregoing) 64) Well it's been about six year ago w'n they 's openin' up Forney Creek buildin' th' road up there th' CCs. I 's a workin' fer 'em with a team. Might 've fished a little. Don't know. An' they found a bee tree one evenin' some boys wanted to cut it. 'N' did cut it I reckon 'n' I told 'em all I wanted out of it w's a little bucket of honey. They'd slipped out a pitcher out of th' superintendent's office. An' I went back down a Sunday they tuk it up t' th', t,.lhere I w's camped, 'n' cleaned their honey up an' had about seventy pounds I guess, 'n' probably a little more. And, I slipped th' pitcher back that, they'd tuk from superintendent 'n'. Tuk 'im some honey. He looked at it a \-lhile 'n' took out his knife 'n' eat a bi t e or two of it. Few clays after that l1r. John Sherri 11 come a long 'a', asked some of 'em who cut th' tree 'n' they didn't tell 'irn. An'. John said he guessed that's been that old Al Harris that done that. So • . I don't reckon he ever found out l;ho cut t he tree. An'. I found another un or t'l-.!0 while I w' s there an 1 tl: ey cut ot~c of 'em, we eat th' honey while we 1 s at 12) Sherrill's. An' tha t's about al l I know about bee huntin'. BREAK {Slower than pre ceding, same s peed as f irst Harr is) ',)· ) I Bout t hirty ye a~:;; a go t hnr;:;> ' s me 'n' four or five other fellO\JS went' t' th' head of Deep C r~ eK , t h ' leit hand prong. T' camp . We 's bear huntin 1 • rC . We got out that Lookin' 'n' me 'n' one cousins, found a coon lappin I a chestnut tree an I we killed hit. Some of · . . • th' boys th' other boys that evenin' killed, 'bout two year old deer. Two spike buck. An' we built up a big fire out of some, green beech. Hung that deer up 'n', got 'im to barbecuin' an' th' boys 'mong 'em all eat it up that night eat th' whole deer up. So we had the coons for breakfast th' next mornin'. 'N' had a bear fight but th' dogs lit across th' mountain • an' went into Tennessee. Didn't do no good a bear huntin'. That's about ~6) all that. BREAK ~98) 04) Now my mind is drifting back To that ramshackle shack In th' hills of old Kentucky far away And I never thought I'd hear That some day that I'd be there To that ramshackle shack there some day. I can hear I can hear Th' whip-poor-will Th' whip-poor-will Softly singing his message from th' hill I'll never no more roam From my old Kentucky home And that ramshackle shack on th' hill. BREAK Creek, Swain . ~.: 06) . ..-. Now I don't know, I think this wouldJve occurr~d in nineteen 'n' twenty-eight. \ole 11 I PAUSE Now let me see you wanted me to commence with th' story /-----/ 1-----1 Yes. PAUSE Are we ready now? Hell. Hell th' summer of nineteen an' twenty-eight there came a feller down here from New York, City. An' wanted to go a fishing. And-uh he hunted me up or they came down to me an' he 1 s putt in 1 · up at th 1 Fryemont Inn. Hunted me up in town here an' \ve \-lent do-wn, we-ll, first he-uh rigged up. To make the trip. He went t', hardware an' bought him a duck back suit, buoy knife, an-d, a fly r'od. And we went down to Forneys Creek. And-uh commenced fishing. vlell I give th' feller a chance ahead of me to catch, some trou-\vt. And he fished we-ll it w's in the evening, I, got in ahead of 'im. And. I wanted to bring out a few trout. Well so pretty soon he hollered at m2. He'd hooked a little trout back behind. And he'd run reeled 'irn up, his nose right up into th' tip tied of th' rod. An' hollered to me, an' asked me h~ says ''Oh Hr. Cot hey" he says ''what shall I do with him 110-'..J . 11 \,le 11 I said, "tie in th' pole an' stob I im. II An'. About that time th 1 fish c.lroppcd off into the vmter. So-uh. That's about all of the story. Anyvmy I ca ught ri nice bunch of trout that evenin 1 8) to bring ouwt .,..,Hh ns. 9) (MEl1PH IS BOUND) Hay hay I'm Memphis bound Goin' there t' see th' town on 'City, · North ICN 339-354, Gonna catch me a long old freight train Gonna ramble all around. Hay hay I~m all a go Waitin' th' hear th' whistle blow It's blowin' for th' same old salt mine That y' tote a forty-four. Hay hay (yodeling) Hay hay I'm feelin' fine Feelin' like a drink of wine. I won't stand a soul pickin' on me That girl I leave behind. Soon soon you' 11 never get me Never git old on me. I'm a happy go lucky coHboy Just as happy as a king can be llP..EAK County, ; c:. '<"!,:~ ,:: · ~t;-../; · 338) remember b~ ck w'n they only three houses in Bryson City. Old John Shuler, Howe Stein 'n' Lucy Ann Stein. I've saw all this place in wheat 'n' corn on both sides of th' river·. 'N' Deep Creek was settled up with about six families on it. When I c'n reecollect. Up here 'n', of white people an' above there they w's Injuns. Several Injun families lived up Indian Creek an' Deep Creek. Th' Injuns lived by huntin', mostly. Th' white people farmed, steers, mostly. Just a few horses. ~46) PAUSE 1-----1 Well. Back in my time I stayed in the, Smoky Mountains for five y~ars a herd in 1 cattle for people an 1 , in August. I w1 s go in 1 up to my cabin with a pack of rations on my back 1n 1 , the-uh, I run on an old she bear an' two cubs. I killed th' old un an' one of th 1 cubs. One of 'em got away. It w's in August. They w1s about th' size of a dog th 1 cubs w1s. I killed several bear. Seven or eight in time. I killed lots of deer an' lots of turkeys. Ketch lots of fish. >56) PAUSE He 'n' Mark Cathey used t 1 , dispute abotJt which w's th' best fisher. 'N' Mark's the best un. We went by ourself to the head of Forneys Creek 'n', fished an 1 We , we fished about a day an' we b1::ought three hundred an 1 thirty out be s i.de wha t we eat. Hark bear me thirty. Hark's th' best fisher in 60) the county as far as t ha t goes . BREAK ~~- ? ·~ ""'r> ··· ; ~- -- ~ • i~-*'sryson, had a Jersey bull. He turned 'im out in th' mountains thE7Y all \ "- .. "-: ,, · gdi" afraid of 'im. I come to 'im 'n' talked to 'im an' tried to get 1 im to · · do somethin' with 'im an' he wouldn't do it. An' th' bull run on to me an' I had a .38 Winchester. I shot 1 im nine shoots an 1 killed 1 im. An 1 skinned 'im an' brought him the hide. Hew's dangerous. That's about all I reckon, of that. 1-----1 Well I don't know what. I c'd, if you'd like t' have it I c'n tell you ho\-7 I started out to live? Back nearly fifty-six year ago, I married a girl on Indian Creek. Mary Beard. An' we went to housekecpin'. We didn't have anything my brother moved us on a sled. To a cabin I put up. \~e lived there I plowed a steer for several year til I got able t' get a horse. We've raised, eleven children, ten of ou.r own an' raised one grandchild. We've had a hard time. I started with nothin'. I've not got very much yet. I have a pretty good home now. I worked at it. That's about all there is to me I guess. Te 11 us your name. 176) Wiggins yeah 1-----1 Fate Wiggins 1-----1 BREAK HERBERT (Hub) STEPHENSON, ' 77) Hell Hub how you gittin I along now? Oh purty good I guess. I've been a farmin' a little along. I planted, some turnip seed. Planted 'em in a little old lot you know had a acre of ground fenced off 'n'. They 's one of them seed come up, growed 'n' an' it it, we had rail fence around it. · An' that turnip you know it growed til it bursted that fence, down. (STEPHENSON) Hell over in Kentucky where I come from, we've been a makin' a solid copper pot. An 1 the pot 1 s so big aro'und, the people on one side can 1 t even hear the other un's hammer. Well I' 11 be doggone. \lliat 're they makin 1 such a pot as that for? Cook that turnip in man. ~3) Well I'll be daag-gone. BREAK HU) of Side 1 00) went a bear huntin' ' th' branch to/where one 'd a been a usin'. I seen 'im a comin' down to the branch to. get water. So I raised my gun 'n' he didn't stop. I raised my gun again an' he didn't stop. So I broke an' run an' the bear took after me. He run me over a ridge, an' down the holler an' over a ridge an' down another holler, t' river. I hit the ice on the river an' scooted across the river, an' the bear hit the ice an' broke his neck. You don't mean to tell me the river 's froze over in July? L4) The bear run me from the Fourth of July til December. BREAK MACK CALDI~ELL, Ht. Sterling, ) Ready t' go talkin'? Yeah Nineteen seven, December the l~th, w'n all those bloy boys got blowed up on Big Creek on this loggin 1 job, makin' a railroad. I 's a workin' over at Laurel Fork an', superintendent sent for met' come over 'anted met' do th 1 shoot in 1 • I come over there on Saturday 'n 1 , 1 fore noon went up ther.e 1n 1 , saw the superintendent I 'n' him went out across the creek 'n 1 , got over to th', shop over there an' left the boys over there loadin' some holes. He left th' shop an' went off over to, old railroad 'n' 'bout time we got over there we, heered a, dynamite blast go off 'n', just in about a second another un \·lent off, we took behind some trees rock flew all over us. An' I told Mr. Valentine I said, "That's, must be somethin' went wrong" I said "that shot's Hent off over there without any, givin' any notice." So I an' him we turned went back we got over there. Found th' shots had went f off 'n',killed, six boys. Found two a layin' down the road. The clothin! of two of 'em w's scattered all in the timber there an' the foreman's cut th' ropes somethin' like couple a three hundred yards blowcd agin a big • rock layin' up on th', grade. Other boys crawlin' around there addled. Tuk us, sornething like, t\JO or three hours to get 'em all gathered up or practically all evenin'. So \ve 's still short three men. \e came back in * that night an' got some chain blocks 'n' ";ent back U[J there 'n'. Found one man fell do~;o;n bet;;ecn a crevice of the rock 'n 1 , tuk th' chain blocks an 1 pu- pul!. ~ d 'ir:! b~1c l·~ ' ;.rn hack l~1o s e ., Fcur~ d on.c r.H.in layin' do-r,.;n in there 'n'. ) Then next day everybody begin t 1 wonderin 1 , wher- what caused the blast to go off. So we asked questions tryin 1 to find out so finally we, run across a feller said that, Jimmy Sutton brought over two gallons of whiskey to his brother there 'n 1 , the boys h'd all got a few drinks of likker caused the blast to go off. Kill ever 1body. So later \¥e gotthe railroad built 1 n 1 , we logged up an' do\vn through there an 1 we always called this curve th 1 ) Dead Man Curve. BREAK Haggie, Haywoop County, North Carolina , 1939 . _;:; (Indistinct talking) Back in nineteen 'n' thirteen me an' my brother coon hunted lots. In Smokies. We had a dog named Track. He 's a good un. We went to Flat Creek one cvenin' built up a campfire 'n'. Stayed til two o'clock next morning. He left 'n 1 went in on Stillwell 'n'. Old Track he struck. Right up Stillwell he went an 1 us right after 'im. 'Bout ten o'clock in the day it begin a snow in'. We, fo llered old Track about an hour an 1 th' snow was about, twenty-two inches deep. He turned back to the camp. 'Bout two o'clock in the evenin' old Track come back 'n' we had a big, campfire. Chunk h'd rolled down 'n' old Track come in 'n' set down by the fire 'n'. D'rectly he retched down an' got a chunk of fire in his mouth 'n' ritht out out the door he went. We 's right/after 'im. Went back in on Stillwell 1n' we 'sa trackin' 'im he'd went off 'n' left us. Right up Stillwell he ~ent an' us right after 'im 'n'. 'Bout a mile above where we turned back why, we found old Track at a big cliff. He took this chunk of fire 'n', he treed the coonn in th' cliff 'n', stuck th' fire under it 'n' set th' leaves afire. Smoked th' coons out 'n' had 'ern three big uns a lyin' there dead. I give 'em to my brother an' told him to come bo.ck the nigh way 'n' I'd go up t 1 Balsam Corner. See if I could locate some bear sign 'n', I didn't take anythi.ng to eat '.4i th me 'n'. \·lent up there an' th' fog come down an'. I got lost an' got in on Tennessee. Gittin' about dark an' I traveled all, night. Next day 'n' late next evenin'. Hadn't had a bite to eat. Come to littJ.e log cabin in on Cosby some\·here. I called 'n', Homan come door - a'n' I ibout stayin' all night I told 'er ' --~ · ~ .. iJ. ;., froze 'n', give out. Said she guessed she c'd keep me. / . .,:_.,._ __ ',, -~- . , . she saf.d there wasn't" no man of the house. Started t' bed she, made four ~,, pallets. They \v 1 s her an' two daughters. 11ade a pallet in each corner of th' room. \-lent t' lay down an' she got a biig pistol 'n' laid it up on th' fireboard 'n' she said, "You see this gun. If anything takes place here tonight" says "I'll use that gun on ye." So I just tumbled down on the pallet 'n' was give out In I J jest in a few mintues I 's about asleep. The old lady she begin to snore. (Snore) She said "the gun ain't loaded. (Snore) The gun ain't loadcq." I took it fer granted that she \olanted me to crawl over to her pallet 'n' I cra\vled over 'n', laid 'V1ith her a while an' I went back to my pallet. I jest plunked dmvn on it. Three days walkin' 'n' no sleep 'n' nothin' to eat. D'rectly the, middle aged girl said, "my time next. l1y time next. Hy time I}ext.'' I decided that one more piece .wouldn't kill me 'n', (Laughter) I crawled over, to her, pallet an' lay a while 'n'. I just barely could cra\vl ¥Jhen I left there 'n'. Jest about halfway back to my pallet, this little girl over in the other corner, with a little finer voice said "don't fetgJ.t rne. Don 1 t fergit t~l<:!." I thought there I \-Ja s tha t I knmved I 1 s a new duck 'n' I crawled up th e re an' tried pcttin'. I got over 'n', laid with her a \vhile an' I jest, started back to my pallet 1 n 1 fell over. Just as I mmt out on my head th' old \wrnan said "ready a gain. Ready again" 'n' I said ( S non~ ) "thr! gun ain't l oaded." 'Bout. 'Bout three days my brother found me there unconscious. (Laughter) BRr!.AK County, · One' time way back w'n I 's just a boy me : . -i, _ ; . ·- ~'f ~· ~ make some likker. Way back in, Smoky 11ountains in a place called Hells Half Acre. We went over an' put us up a still 'n'. We.w's a makin' some awful good. It 's so good you c'd taste th' gal's feet in it that hoed the corn, it 's made out of. One day George got drunk that 's my brother. He 's chunkin' far (laughing) that day. Blowed the cap off of .it. I guess it went seventy-five or ninety feet in the air. An old friend of ours w's way back on Old Field Balsam, w's kno~as that time, as Old Field Balsam now it's l:lt. Sterling lookout tower. He seen it. 'N' he come to Brother George in about a week after that an' asked him ho\-1 he 1 s get tin 1 1 long makin 1 it George told 'im he hadn't wasn't rnakin' it. He said "well there ain't no use to lie about it" says ''I know right where your still's a settin'." Well George says "you tell me where it's at an' I'll tell you how we're gittin' along." He said "well it's right in th' head of the Sal Hannah Branch, to th' back of (Laughing) Ground Hog." He'd told 'im twenty feet away from where it 's setting. Yeah my daddy one time he 's an awful horse trader. He had an old wind sucker. One mornin' he got on 'im he said "I'll trade that thing if I don 1 t get not b. in 1 but a bull year lin." That 's about th' cheapest thing on the market i.n this country at that time. So he lit cut 'n' he 's gone about three days an' nights. Come back in he had a big horse. He said "well" he said 11 I shore oi.d fix up that old felle r I traded -\vith. I let th' latch barn." So he fed big sore .on his back about as Jest as soon as he :~ · .. · r~·~E~ tu~ned 'im .in th' stable he nailed · Je~t · t' sucking wind. . (Laughing) He'd swapped a windsucker for a \dndsucker. Hell George, w' s right smart boy he decided he'd slip down 'n', feed 1 im one mornin'~ Went down 'n' had a big wild house cat, stayed in th' barn. He raised a plank in th' barn floor an' he throwed that cat on that pore old horse's back. An'. Then the ro\-1 started. You've never heered no such a commotion in all th' days of yore life down there. My daddy he hollered, for mother says "Mother come here" he says "confound. it that cussed old cat scratched my horse an' he's teetotally ruined 1 im (Too dim to understand) shoot into pieces I \von' t be bothered with no such talk as that around me. 11 PAPSE Guess that's about all of this one. BREAK ~;. 1) This is Wiley Oakley, roaming man of th' Great Smoky Motnvntains. I've been - . a guyde now for quite a few years. 'N' I 's horned 'n' rared, in th' Great Smoky Mouwntains at th' foot of Mouwnt LeConte. 'N' when I 'sa boy I didn't do anything but hunt. One day I went ouwt a, to shoot some turkeys. An' just as soon as I entered the woods, here I saw a big flock of turkeys up on a limb. 'N' I had this old cap 'n' ball gun, well I w's a little bit choicy. An' I didn't want t' just shoot one an' all the rest of th' flock would fly away. So I tried to figure out some way that I could line these turkeys up an' kill more than one. As this cap an' ball gun takes you so long to load 'em why the whole flock of turkeys is gone an', I w's a very good shot at that tyme. But the trouble was that I ahvays made them, th' meat uh th' feathers fly, but th' trouble \oJaS the meat went \•ith it th 1 most of th' time. So I, decided I couldn't line these turkeys up an' I just decided that, I'd just pick one out, or aim at th' middle of th' limb, probably be better, so I just aimed at th' middle of th' limb where these turkeys \·.•' s setting. At the crack of this gun \·Jhy I split the limb open an' all these turkeys feet fell right dm,•n in the crack of this limb. It closed in on 'em an' fastened the whole flock. Here I had about a dozen or two 'at, fastened in this limb. By, almin' at the limb instead o~ pickin 1 out one turkey \vhy I got th' whole business but I had a hard time in climbin' up th' tree t' git the turkeys ouwt. Course when I yodel to th' end of a story th8.t means you don't have to believe it unless you want to. (Yodeling) Lord Lord this is · about th' best turkey hunt I ever made. .t I huntio' 1n 1 called th' flintlock gun. You had to carry powder in the horn _in' you had a little pan where you pour the powder in an' ·then th' flint lock goes down an' sets the powder off. An' of course of a rainy day you couldn't do much good a hunt in'. This was the first kind of a gun that I ever owned. Then a little later I had cap an' ball gun 'n'. You could go ouwt on a rainy day an' kill turkeys. But you wouldn't kill 'em by the dozen. You'd only kill one at a tyrne. Th' most of th' time it w's like I said before the, usually you do a lot of good shootin' but they always knock th' feathers out but the meat went along with 'em. (Chuckling) So I'm not very good at, sto':y tellin', not today. Beg to be excused. BREAK J. s. Hall Tapes UNIDENTIFIED lliSTRUMENTALISTS (JOHN HENRY) 1) Instrumental music BREAK GROVERGILLEY (Kibby ?), Bryso!l City, Swain .,. ,_;.--. My name is Grever Gilley. I w's born in North Carolina of, Bry_son City. I went t' th' CCC camps April the third 1939. Once there was a young rat named Grover who never could make up his mind, whenever his friends asked him if he would like to go out with them, he would only ans>-Jer, I don't know. He \~ouldn't say yes or no either. He would always shook making his choice. His Aunt Helen said to him,now look here. No one is going to, care for you if you carry on like this. You have no . more mind than a, blade of grass. One rainy day the rats heard a great noise in the loft. The pine rafters were all rotten so that the, barn was, barn was, rather unsafe. At last the joints gave away and fell to the ground. The walls shuck, and all the rats hair stood on end in fear of horror. This wouldn't do said the captain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home. \-ihen five· hours the ten scouts came back and said, we found a stone house where there is, room and board for all of us. There is a kindly horse named Nellie a cow a calf and a garden with a elm tree. The rats crawled out of their little house and stood on the floor in a, long line. Just then the old rat saw Arthur. Stop he ordered crossly. You are coming of course. I 1m not certain said Arthur undaunted. The roof may not come dovm yet. \,!ell said the nngry old r at we can't wait for you to join uE:, right about face march. Arthur stood and v:atched them hurry away. I think I'll go tomorrow he cl amly said to himself but, then again I don't know. It's so nj_ce <~ r!c snug h c rf!: . Th:;t n:q::,ht: t here \Jas s big crash in the foggy morning. Some men with some boys and girls rode up an', the barn. C:ci. Ha 1f in the. r· , Page 185 . ved a board and he saw a young rat quite dead. : .. ~ s hole; This the shirker got his due. BREAK BILL. MOORE, My name is Bill Moore in _Way11esville w's raised up on, a farm. In my first life I'll say 't-1 1n I w' s three year old. I learned to play, a tune on a banjer. 'N' from that I learned how to play a git~ar. An' when I became to be sixteen years old, I joined the CCCs. I w's sent to Almond North Carlina. I stayed in South Carliner, three years with my grandparents. An' th' most of my, life I've spent ln th' CCs. Once there was a young rat named Arthur. \~ho neve:.- could make up his mind. W 'never his friends asked him if he, would like to go, out with them. He would only answer. I don't know. He would say yes or no either. He would always shirk making a, choice. His Aunt Helen said to him. Now look here. No one is going to care for you if you, carry on like this. You have no more mind than a, blade of grass. ·One rainy day, the rar. heard a great noise in the loft. The pine, rafters were all rotten. So that the barn was, rather unsafe. At last the joist gave, way and felt to the ground. The walls ~hook and all the rats, hair stood on end with fear and horror. This won't do said the captain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home. Hithin five hours the ten scouts came back and said. t;;e found a stone house where there is room and board for all for us a ll. There is a kindly hor- horse horses named Nellie, a cow a calf and a garden with an elm tree. The rats crawled out of their little houses and stood on the floor in a long line. Just then the old rat saw Arthur. Stop he ordered coarsely . You are comi ng of course. I'm not certain s a id A~thur un-undaunted the, the roof may not come down yet. Hell said the Arthur he calm¥ said but then again I ,· .. . BREAK Arthur stood and watched them hurry away. I think I'll go tomorrow he clam- camly said to himself. Himself but then again, I don't know it's so nice and snug here. That night there was a big crash. In the foggy morning. Some men \-11th some boys and girls rode up and looked at, the barn. One of them moved ·a board an' he saw a young rat, quit dead. Quite d~ad. Half in, half out of his hole. Those, the scarcer got, his due. BREAK . ,·~:r · Wilford Metcalfe; Tennessee. I'm twenty-two years old 'n' I went to school at, Del Ryo for :~cc.- ten years. (Reading rather fast) Once there 's a young rat named Arthur who never, could make up his mind. W1never his friends asked him if he, would like to, go out with them he would only answer I don't know. He wouldn't say yes or no either, he 'd I always shirk making a choice. His Aunt Helen said to him. Now look here, no one is going to care for you if you carry on like this. You have no more mind than a blade of grass. One day one rainy day the rats heard a great noise in the loft. The pine rafters were all rotten so, that the barn was rather unsafe. At, at last the joist gave way and fell to the ground. The walls shook and all the rats, hair stood on end with fear and horror. This won't do said the captain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home. \>Jithin five hours the ten scouts came back 'n' said. We found a stone h o u ~ e where there is room and board for us all. There is a kindly horse named Nellie a cow a calf, 'n' a garden, with an elm tree. The rats crawled out of their little house, and stood on the floor in' a long line. Just then the old r a t saw Arthur. Stop he ordered coarsely. You are coming of course. I'm not certain said Arthur undaunted. The roof may not come, do~m yet; 'i·:ell s aid the old r a t we can't wait for you, to join us . Ri ght about face. J.vl&o:-ch. Arthur stood a nd watched them away. I think I'll go tomorrow he ca lmly said to himself. '- -.'~ "''l'~: \'~-~,·:>_--;~~~.;,.. ·--. :·t 189 I don 1 t know. It 1 s so nice an,d snug here. That night there was a big crash. In the foggy morning some men with some boys and girls rode up 1n 1 looked at the barn. One of them moved a, moved, a board an' saw a rat dead. 04) Half in and half out of his hole. BREAK RAY, Jefferson - 'I ~' My name is Robert Hilliam Ray. I County Kentucky. I am twenty-t~o years old. I went to school at Elton Park, for three years. I went to school at Tapico, Tennessee, for three·years. Once there was a young mouse, named Arthur. Hho, could never make up his mind. Whenever his friends asked him if he would like to go out with them he would always answer, I don't know. He wouldn't say, yes or no either. He would always, sshirk making a choice. His Aunt Helen said to him now look here. Noone is going to care for you if you carry on like this. You have no more mind, than a blade of grass. One rainy day the rats heered a g1:eat noise in the loft. The pine rafters were all rotten, so that the barn was, rather unsafe. At last the joints gave, way and fell to the ground. The walls shook, and a 11 the rats, hair stood on end with fear and horror. This won't do said the captain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home. Hhen five hours, an' ten seconds came by, and said. We found a stone house where there is room, and board for us all. There is, a kindly horse named Nellie, a cow, a calf, and a garden, with a elm tree. The rats crawled out of their little house and stood on the floor in a long line. Just then an old rat sew Arthur. Stop he ordered cursly. You are coming of course. I'm not certain said Arthur undaunted. The roof may not come down yet. Well, said the old rat we can't wait for you to join us. Right about face. J1arch. Arthur ~tood and \vatched them hurry away. I think I'll go tomorrow, he camly said to hi.mse lf. But then again I don't know. It's so nice and snug here. Tha t night there was a big crash, J. s. Hall Tapes the foggy morning, some men with, some boys and girls rode up and looked at the barn. One of them moved a board an' saw the rat quite dead. Half in, ) half out of his hole. BREAK Swain . - 9) My t1ame I live at North Carolina, in state of Swain County. (Laughter) 1-----1 Y1 1 ant me t 1 start over agin? There was. Once there was a young rat named Arthur who never could make up his mind, Hhen, whenever his friends asked him if he \-'Ould like to go, out with them he would only answer I don't know. He wouldn't say yes or no either. He would always shirk making a choice. His Aunt Helen asked him, now look here. No one is going to care for you if you carry on like this. -~ You have no more mind than a blade of grass. One rainy day the rats, heard a great noise in the loft. The pine rafters l-.'ere all rotten so the barn was rather unsafe. At last the joist gave way and fell to the ground. The walls shook and the rats hair stood out on end with fear and horror. This won 1 t do said the captain. . I' 11 send out scouts, to search for a new home. Within five hours, the ten scout scouts cRme back and we found a stone house where the room and board for us all. There is a kindly horse named Nellie and a CO¥.' an 1 a calf and a garden with an elm tree. The rats crawled ·out on the little ho-houscs and stood on the floor in a long line. Just then the old rat sa\·1 Arthur. Stop he ordered coarsely. You are comi.ng of course. I'm not certain said Arthur undauntedly. The roof may come down yet. Well s<'.id the old rat, we c<:n't wait for you to join us. Right about face. March. Arthur stood watching them hurrying, hurry away. I do~'t know it's In I snug here. Night there was a great ca- crash. In the foggy J ~J:c~ ·i~~- .. ,...:.<if ~ morning, some men an' boys and girls found, rode up and looked at ·the barn. One of them moved a board an 1 he saw a young rat quite dead. Half and half out of his hole. BREAK (Too fast a recording at 7% IPS to understand. At 3-3/4 IPS, by straining to understand, it can be understood.) ) My name is Olin Nonteith.. I live at Bushnell North Carolina in the county of Swain. Once there was a young rat named Arthur who could never make up his mind. \~henever his friends asked him if he \vould like to go out with them he would only answer I don't know. He wouldn't say yes or no either. He would ahvays shirk making a choice. His Aunt Helen asked him. Nm.; look here. No one is ever going to care for you if you carry on like this. You have no more mine.! than a blade of grass. (Here it slm·JS dm.;n but still not enough to understand at 7~ IPS) One rainy day the rats heard a great noise in the loft. The pine rafters were all rotten so the barn was rather unsafe. At last the joist gave v.'ay and fell to the ground. The Hall s shook and the rats hair stood on end with fear and horror. This won't do said the captain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home . Within five hours, the ten scouts came back and said. (Here it s lo-;vs do;.m to 7~ IPS) ,.:e found a stone hou;;e wht;:re t ht~ J:e i. s r oom c:nd l.~ c a t· d fo r us a ll. There is a kindly horse named Nellie, an' a cow, a calf an' a garden with an elm tree. not Hell said the old rat' angrily I can It join us. Right about face, march. Arthur stood and watched them hurry away. I think I' 11 go tomorroto~ he calmly said to himself. But then again I don It know it's so nice and snug here. That ni- night there was a big crash. In the foggy morning, some men, Hith some boys and girls rodeup, and looked at the barn. One of them moved a board and saw a young rat quite dead. Half in and half out of his hole. Thus the shirker got his 9) due. BREAK Bryson City, Swain, (Very dim and with scratch) 60) My name is Frank Case. I live in Bryson City North Carolina in the County of Swain. Once there was a young rat named Arthur '"ho could never make up his mil\d. Whenever his friends asked him if he would like to go out with them he would only answer I don 1 t know. He wouldn't say yes or no either. He would always shirk making a choice. His Aunt Helen said to him, now look here no one is going to care for you if you carry on like this. You have no more mind than a, blade of gl- grass. One rainy day the, rats heard a great noise in the loft. The pine rafters were all rotten so that the barn was rather unsafe. At last the joist gave way and fell to the ground. The . walls shook and all the rats hair stood on end with fear and horror. This won't do said the captain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home. Within five hours, hours the scouts came back. And said we found a stone house where there is room and board for us all. There is a kindly horse named Nellie a cm-1 an' a calf a garden. \Hth a elm tree. The rats crawled out of their little houses and stood on the floor in a long line. Just then the old rat saw Arthur. Stop he ordered coarsely. You are cominr; of course, I'm not certain said Arthur undaunted. The roof may not come down yet. \.Jell said the angry old rat we can't wait for you to join us. Right about face. March. Arthur stood and watched them hurry av.·ay. I think I' 11 go tomorrow he cah~ said to himsc lf. l3ut then again I dorrt know, it's so nice and snug here. That night there was a big crash in the foggy morning some ::r.ill with scratch) . Case. I live in Bryson City North Carolina in th' county of L . a young rat named Arthur, who never could make up his mind. r- - ''ids asked him if he would like to go out with them he ¥7ould don't know. He vwuldn't say yes or no either. He \vould :akin3 a <:boice. His Aunt Helen said to him now look h~re no :o care for you if you carry on like this. You have no more ade of grass. One rainy day the rats heard a great noise in 2 pine, rafters were all rotten so that the barn was rather :s t the joist gave way and fell to the ground. The walls shook r.ts hair stood on end, with fear and horror. This wo-, won't ~ ptain. I'll send out scouts to search for a new home. With t ..- .:: ten scouts came back and said. He folmd a stone house vlhere - and board for us all. There is a kindly horse named Nellie a • a garden, with an elm tree. The rats crawled out of their and stood on the floor in a long line. Just then the old rat Stop he ordered coarsely. You are coming of course. I'm not ( .·-. .\1·thur undaunted. The roof rnav not come ' dmm vet. ,.Jell said ., '> ., t - :rat '"e can 1 t \·Wit for you to join us right about face march. J. s. Page 197 Arthur stood and .waited and watched them hurry away. I think I'll go tomorrow he calmly said to himself but then again I don't know it's so nice and snug here. That night there was a" big crash. In the .foggy morning some men with some boys and girls rode up looked at the barn. END of Tape I I I l I

This 431-page manuscript is titled “Joe Hall tapes” and covers a series of interviews made by Joseph Sargent Hall (1906-1992) from 1939 to 1941. The history was collected as part of the Cataloochee History Project that collected photographs, stories, and oral histories about families who lived in the Cataloochee Valley. Today’s Cataloochee Valley is within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While, in general, the Great Smoky Mountains region was sparsely populated, the Cataloochee Valley remained an exception. By 1900, the population of Cataloochee had grown to 1,000 residents living in hundreds of log and frame homes.

• Creator
  • Hall, Joseph S. (Joseph Sargent), 1906-1992
• Contributor
  • Clark, Medfor
  • Cathey, Mark, 1871-1944
  • Case, Frank
  • Carver, Aden
  • Caldwell, Mack
  • Bumgarner, Willis
  • Bumgarner, Dexter
  • Brown, Bill, Mrs.
  • Boulder, William
  • Bell, Ray
  • Bell, Gleason
  • Barnes, Bill
  • Anderson, Ted
  • Anderson, Ken
  • Allen, Melvin
  • Allen, Emery
• Format
  • Transcripts
  • Interviews
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1939; 1940; 1941
  • Date digitized: 2015-09-22
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11' x 8.5"
  • Pages: 431 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • Appalachian Region, Southern -- Social life and customs
  • Appalachians (People)
  • Cataloochee (N.C.) -- History
  • Families -- North Carolina -- Haywood County
  • Mountain life -- Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.)
  • Musicians
  • Storytelling
• Location
  • Haywood County (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • Cataloochee History Project
• Identifier
  • GSMNP_Cata-Hall_1939
• Repository
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park