Georgia BIOS:   Fishermen
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   0001
   
   LIFE HISTORY
   
   February 27, 1939
   
   Mr. J. H. Emerick (white)
   
   Mr. L. L. Emerick "
   
   157 First St.
   
   Athens, Georgia
   
   Fishermen
   
   Grace McCune
   
   The rain was coming down in torrents as I started out in a taxi to get
   an interview with Mr. Richards and his son about some of their fishing
   trips. As the taxi crossed the river and left the pavement, it turned
   around a curve and started up one of Georgia's famous old red hills.
   It seemed to me that every time the car gained one foot, it slipped
   back two, and I was sure we would land in the river at the bottom of
   the hill. But the driver laughed, and said, "We'll make it, for I have
   already pulled this hill several times today."
   
   The driver was right. We made it after several attemps and I drew a
   breath of relief as he stopped in front of the house. Mr. Richards and
   his son, Lee, were out in the back yard under a long shed looking over
   their fishing equipment. I never knew that it really required so many
   things to be a fisherman. There were fish lines, and corks for pole
   fishing as they called it, trot lines and baskets that they used to
   keep their fish in after they were caught.
   
   Then there were the steel traps, which was used in trapping, and then
   their camp stove. This was made as they explained out of the steel
   rims of wagon wheels, as that was the best material they could get for
   that. The stove was a frame, made like a small table about eighteen
   inches, high with cross pieces, across the top for the pans, pots and
   especially the coffee pot to sit on and there was 00022no danger of
   them turning over. They assurred me that with a good fire built under
   this stove cooking was no problem.
   
   Picking up a large coffee pot, which would hold several gallons and
   was black from long use over many fires, Mr. Richards said, "This old
   pot has been on many trips with me, and is just like an old friend. I
   would not know what to do without it. We always try to be comfortable
   when we go on our trips. I have a tent, also these, and he showed me
   several camp cots, go with us also and we have good blankets to keep
   us warm. We have dishes to. Of course, they are tin cups and plates
   for they can be carried around without any fear of breaking them.
   
   "But why are you out in all this rain today? Just to ask me about
   fishing. Do you want to go fishing? " " No, " I answered, "that is one
   thing I don't like to do. I can't be still long enough to fish and
   camp out. " " Only one time," I replied , " and that was with my dad
   and I didn't enjoy that. " "Why?" he asked. "I knew your dad and he
   enjoyed a good fishing trip as much as anyone I ever knew and I can't
   see why anyone could not enjoy it. " " Well," I admitted ," maybe you
   are not as afraid of snakes as I am." This brought a hearty laugh from
   both of them and Lee said, "just like a woman."
   
   This was not my first visit to this home, as I had interviewed Mrs.
   Richards a few weeks back for a [DEL: life hi :DEL] story of the mill
   village. She heard them laughing and came out to the shed where they
   were showing me their things. "What are they doing to you?" she asked.
   Are they showing you those worms?" Her son laughed again and said,
   "No, she would be afraid of them for she is afraid of snakes, imagine
   that."
   
   Mr. Richards said, "talking about women just look at this new fish
   basket of mine all the bottom cut out." Mrs. Richards laughed 00033and
   said, "Yes I did it. He left the basket in the chicken yard, and one
   of my hens got in it to lay and she couldn't get out. I tried to get
   her out and couldn't so I just cut the bottom out. Oh, yes, they both
   put up an argument, said the basket cost more than two or three old
   hens. But I didn't see it that way, and any way the hen is out and
   they can put in another wire bottom. "
   
   "Why don't you all come in the house to the fire?" Laughing she turned
   to me and said, "Tell him he is too old to be out in the rain." I
   didn't say anything. I didn't know if I should or not, for the truth
   was he didn't look old to me. He and his son had on their overalls,
   and high-top boots. I saw only a tall, very erect man, apparently not
   over fifty. I was surprised when he laughed and said, "Don't mind
   Mammy, she is just reminding me that I was seventy-five yesterday."
   
   I was sure they were teasing and I laughed. But he grinned and said
   "it is a fact, yesterday was my birthday, and I am really that old,
   but I sure don't feel my age. But come on we will go in the house. I
   want you to eat a piece of my cake. In fact? I had two cakes. My
   daughter brought me one, and of course Mammy cooked me one. But you
   know neither one of them put any candles on them. I guess they just
   hated to remind me too much of my age.
   
   "But I did have a nice day, for we was all at home together, and I got
   one of mammy's hens for dinner and I liked to think it was the one
   that got in my new fish basket, but of course she wouldn't have killed
   that one for anything. As we started in the house I remembered my last
   visit here and the delicious dinner that I had with them. I regretted
   the sandwich I had before I left town. As we went through the clean
   warm kitchen, I knew if they insisted I would never be able to resist
   that dinner.
   
   00044
   
   We went through the kitchen to a bedroom where a bright fire in the
   grate made the room so comfortable. The son turned on the radio to get
   the news report and for a few minutes they were quiet as they listened
   to the reports of a tornado in South Georgia. " On the day before that
   was terrible," he said. " But I thought last week that we were going
   to be blown away. " "No," he said as I started to ask where, "We
   wasn't here, but down on the river, and as the Negros say, 'hit was
   way down in Greene County'" "How did you get down there?" I asked,
   "Surely you didn't go that far in a boat. "
   
   Mr. Richards laughed and said, "You evidently don't know your old
   Oconee River. Why I have been as far as Milledgeville, Ga. in my boat
   many times. " " But how do you manage about the dam? " I asked and I
   regretted that question immediately, for they both laughed and said,
   "Go over it."
   
   Then Mr. Richards said, "We carry the boat in a truck and put it in
   the river below the dam and after you pass the cemetery bridge there
   is no more trouble, but speaking of the dam, have you ever been around
   it? "
   
   "No," I replied, "I don't know why but I just never have.
   
   "Then, you should," he replied , " and see those old pot holes as they
   call them. "
   
   "Some of those holes are all of eighteen inches deep and dug out in
   solid rock. They are supposed to have been made by the Indians for
   cooking in. I have seen them ever since I was a small child, just
   large enough to follow my daddy around. I guess that is where I get my
   love of fishing for that was practically all he ever done was fish and
   hunt."
   
   Mrs. Richards came to the door, and said "Come and eat dinner, then
   you can talk all the evening."
   
   00055
   
   I thanked her and said I had already had my lunch before I left town ,
   " but that was a long time ago for you was here at eleven o'clock and
   now it is one. she insisted When you get these men to talking you will
   wish you had eaten and besides, Grandpa wants you to eat some of his
   cake. I admit it did not take very much insisting for me to [DEL: eat
   :DEL] accept. I enjoyed it very much for whether it was the chicken
   that caused the fish basket to be ruined, or not, It was delicious, as
   well as the cake.
   
   After dinner was over and we were back around the fire, I asked them
   to tell me about their trip to Greene County.
   
   "Well," Mr. Richards said, "We started out on the 11th day of January
   and didn't get back until the 17th of February. We did not intend to
   stay that long, but we got caught by the high waters and couldn't get
   away for we was in our boat. I think it rained just about the hardest
   I have ever seen and the wind was terrible. I thought sometimes that
   our tent would go inspite of all we could do, and if we had been up on
   the hill it would have blown away, for trees were just torn up by the
   roots, but we were down near the swamp lands and the trees around us
   protected us I guess. Yet it is a wonder some of them didn't blow over
   on the tent.
   
   "No, we didn't have any luck on this trip. Usually we put out our
   traps on creeks and rivers to catch minks and musk rats, but the
   streams were so bad that we couldn't put out many traps and in all
   that time we only got about four minks and a few muskrats. We caught a
   few fish to eat, and caught a few squirells and some rabbits, but we
   had plenty to eat. The hardest thing was to get enough dry wood for
   fires and cooking. But you know there is always a way to get along if
   you try hard enough. Yet I don't like to be out on trips much when the
   weather is so bad.
   
   00066
   
   "Fishing is not what it has been, for I have seen the time when I
   could make good money fishing and hunting. It was no trouble to sell
   all the fish we could catch, and get a good price for them There was
   also a demand for game of all kind, but the automobiles have changed
   all that, as well as they have changed many other things, even the
   railroads."
   
   "But just how have they affected fishing?" I asked.
   
   "Will, almost everyone or at least the greatest majority of people own
   a car and now it is no trouble for them to get out for a day of
   fishing or hunting and in that way they get all the fish they want and
   game too. You know it does not take you long in a car to go many miles
   and the roads are so much better. Why, I can remember when it would
   have been almost impossible to get near a river with a wagon. But now,
   you can ride to the banks of almost any river in a car. And just look
   at all the freight trucks as well as the passenger busses on the
   highways.
   
   "No, there is no pay in fishing any more. We have to have a license to
   fish, another one if we sell them, and it means a different license in
   every county that you go in to hunt or fish. You can't sell game
   either. There are so many people fishing now, that there are not as
   many fish as there were a few years ago. I really think Clarke County
   has less than any other County. "
   
   "What do you use for bait?" I asked.
   
   "Well, that is according to how you fish mostly. Just the common old
   fish bait worm is good bait and especially for pole fishing. Of
   course, some people like these bait that you buy. I mean these flies
   and things like that. I had rather hunt my own bait. There are many
   different kind. One is the catawba worm or 'catalpa' is the way it is
   spelled now I think. But it used to be just 00077plain catawba and you
   get them off catawba tree. Did you ever see any catawba trees? "
   
   "Yes, on a trip one time to North Carolina," I replied. "But I did not
   know there were many in Georgia. "
   
   "Why I have some out here in my back yard," he said. "But you are
   right, there are more in North Carolina and there is a river there,
   that I am told, is named Catawba, because of so many of these trees
   along the banks. But I put out my trees especially to get the worms
   for fishing. The common old grub worms make good fish bait. Ground
   puppies are also good but hard to get. " [?] I didn't have any idea
   what ground puppies were and I was afraid to ask, as they had already
   laughed at me so many times.
   
   But I guess my expression showed my curosity, for he said, "Did you
   ever see any ground puppies?" I hesitated, then very meekly admitted
   that I didn't know. They were having a grand time with me. But I had
   started out to learn something about how they fished, and I took it
   like a good sport and laughed with them.
   
   "Didn't you ever go to school?" his son asked.
   
   "Yes," I replied, "and I think I have owned a dog of most every kind,
   but I guess I just didn't ever own one of the ground puppies. "
   
   This brought a yell from them, and I knew I had said the wrong thing
   again. So I just grinned very sickly and came across and asked what a
   ground puppy was. After they got over [their?] laugh. They explained
   that it was a worm.
   
   Mrs. Richards also laughed with them, but said, "Don't let them get
   the best of you. " " I am trying not." I replied, "but they seem to be
   doing it just the same. But if a ground puppy is a worm. I want to
   know what kind of a worm it is."
   
   Then Mr. Richards said, "Well, it is really more like a lizard than a
   worm. It is found under old rotten logs on river banks, but 00088the
   swamps are the best places for them. There are different kinds. The
   ones that we get around here are mostly a dark blue in color and just
   about three inches long. But down in Greene County most of them are
   striped, dark blue and white, and are I believe just a little larger.
   There is just about twoo good bait in a dog. They have a slime on them
   much like a snail. Then there is another kind that you find mostly in
   the dryer places that are a dark reddish color, I don't like to fool
   with them as they are hard to find. I really don't know where they got
   the name of ground puppies but that is all I have ever heard them
   called.
   
   "When we could fish with baskets, that is bait the basket and put it
   in the river, yes the basket was tied to something on the bank to keep
   it from washing away, but it is against the law now to fish with a
   basket. The bait was old spoiled cheese. I have used many different
   baits: muskrat cooked is a very good bait and raw meats, even the old
   grasshopper is fine bait for a hook, but it takes a mightly long time
   to get enough of these to try to fish with. A few years back when fish
   was plentiful, we really could catch fish in a basket.
   
   "Did you ever see a trotline put out?" [?] I remembered little of the
   only fishing trip I ever made and was afraid to say, but as he seemed
   to expect me to say something, I asked if it was a line that run
   across the river for the small lines to fasten to, and for one time I
   was at least partly right.
   
   "He said, "Well, you do at least know a little don't you? " and
   grinned, "But when we are fishing with trotlines they are put out and
   baited at night and we do not go back to them until the next morning.
   "
   
   00099
   
   "How long have you fished? " I asked.
   
   "Well, ever since I have been large enough to follow around after my
   daddy. He was a great fisherman. I have fished in all the streams in
   Clarke County as well as other nearby counties. And I have really
   fished in this old Oconee River. I have had good luck, and bad luck in
   fishing. Many is the time I have went back to look at my hooks and
   find them all gone, but you will find some interesting things on the
   banks of the river. One of them is a very large Indian mound. It has
   been there so long that large trees are growing on it. I heard a few
   days ago that the government was going to open it and see what is in
   it. "
   
   "What kind of fish do you catch around here? " I asked.
   
   "Well, they are mostly catfish, perch and minnows, but in the fresh
   water lakes you catch bass and perch. The largest fish I ever caught
   around here was a blue cat, weighing twenty-one pounds. "
   
   He laughed and said, "As long as you don't do any fishing I will tell
   you this, fish are just like a woman. When they get excited and
   scared, why I have even had them to jump in the boat.
   
   "Is that just a fish story?" I asked, "or is it really facts.
   
   "I believe you are learning," he said. " But I have really had that to
   happen; but I admit not often. [DEL: But :DEL] One time when I was a
   fishing [DEL: trip in :DEL] near Little Rock, [in?] Arkansas, [DEL:
   and that is where :DEL] I caught the largest fish I ever caught, and
   this is no fish story either it s weight a little over 75 pounds. Was
   I excited? Now, I really believe that you don't know anything about
   fishing, for anyone that has ever fished would know that is the
   ambition of a fisherman is catch a large fish and I don't know which
   was more excited, the fish, me or my little dog.
   
   001010
   
   As he mentioned go, ? the yellow and brown dog lying at his feet
   raised her head to look at him. He reached down to pat its head and
   said, "No, it wasn't this one. It is dead, but now you can laugh for
   it was just a little poodle dog but she was a good sport if she was
   little and would follow me, regardless of where I went. I have had to
   carry her lots of times because she was too small to keep up with me.
   But about the only time I ever saw her really scared was one day when
   we were fishing. She was asleep on my old coat in the bottom of the
   boat. I was trying to pull in a line, and evidently got the fish
   scared for one jumped out of the water and fell on top of the dog,
   poor little thing, she gave a yelp, jumped and fell out of the boat."
   He laughed heartily, as he said: "You know I though I never would get
   her to come back to the boat and she did hate to get wet so bad. After
   I got her back, I wrapped her up in the coat and we quit fishing for
   the day.
   
   "And how I did enjoy seining. You use a net for that and just crowds
   of us would go seining and catch fish enough in just no time for a big
   fish fry, and that is really my greatest pleasure is a fishing trip
   off on a camp. I never did much fishing with a gill net, or as some
   call it a floating net. It is also against the law to use them any
   more, even in the open season for fishing.
   
   "July and August are the best times for fishing around here. That is
   when I just can't stay off of a camp. I love the water and am happiest
   when I am on it. I only have two children. My son here and a daughter,
   but they are almost as bad about fishing as I am and have been with me
   many times. Lee will be just like me. In fact, he is now, and when he
   is not working on his job as a painter you will find him off somewhere
   on the river fishing or hunting. My daughter is a good fisherman and
   can handle a boat like a man. That 001111son of hers, he is my only
   grandson, but I have five grandchildren, likes fishing. I used to take
   him with me, when he was very small.
   
   "Do you make good with your trapping? I asked.
   
   "Sometimes, yes," he replied, "but even that is not so much now. Of
   course if we could catch plenty of the game it would pay fine. We
   stretched the skins out on a board and dry them out good before we
   skip ? them off, but you know we have plenty of fox here, and they are
   really getting bad and something is going to have to be done about
   them or the country will soon be overrun with them.
   
   "There are plenty of coons and oppossums here too? Did you ever go
   hunting?" he asked.
   
   "Well, one time," I replied, "but it was just a rabbit hunt, and I
   didn't catch anything. He laughed and said, "Did you expect to catch
   them or kill them.
   
   "My brother killed several," I replied. I knew your brother he said.
   We used to go on many fishing trips together, he was a good sport,
   always ready to go his part in every way, work or play.
   
   "My daddy was a member of the old Volunteer fire company and as I
   followed him in his love for fishing and hunting, I also belonged to
   the Volunteer fire company. I was a member of the 'Bloomfield Hose and
   Reel Company No. 4. We were known as the 'dirty dozen.' There were
   several different companies and we had great times together, even if
   we were always trying to do just a little bit better than the other
   company. I still have a medal that was given my father by his old
   company, for his good service in 1873. I was one of the first ones
   that stayed on the fire department when it organized as a paid
   department in 1900.
   
   001212
   
   "Back in those old days, there were two cisterns down on the main
   street and rain water was run into these cisterns from gutters to be
   used to fight fires. One of the companies had one of those old time
   hand pumps and it took two men to use that pump to pump the water out
   of the cistern into another hose that would reach the fire. There was
   one or two companies of Negro volunteer firemen then also and they
   really did some good work. I stayed on the fire department about three
   years after it was re-organized and then I gave it up and went on a
   fishing trip.
   
   "I also worked at the waterworks plant here for years. Yes, I have
   been on the police force. That was when we walked. There was about
   nineteen men on the force and two horses was all we had to ride and
   they were used by the captain and chief. I remember when they bought
   the first automobile. We were all supposed to learn how to run it, and
   do you know I haven't learned until this day how to run an automobile
   and don't guess I ever will. I could run it, start it alright, but
   when it came time to turn around or back I was out of luck, but then
   there was several of the boys that never learned how to run an
   automobile.
   
   "But I just couldn't stay there long. I just had to get out it is just
   not in me to work where I can't go when I want to and I just can't
   stay off the river long at a time, even if I am not making much at it.
   But I have all this ground here and in season I raise vegetables to
   sell. We have two cows, and I raise my own meat. We have chickens. In
   fact it is almost like being out in the country and that is what I
   like, for I had rather have contentment and peace than riches any
   time.
   
   001313
   
   "Every summer we go on a camp for weeks at a time, just fishing and
   how we do enjoy it. Oh, yes we usually get a crowd. Then we always
   have company over the week end. They come out on Saturday night after
   they get off from work, and if we were not too far out they stayed
   over until Monday morning. When we are camping too far away, they have
   to leave on Sunday night.
   
   "We always prepare for a large crowd on Saturday night. That is when
   our fish baskets are nice for we can keep fish in them in the river
   for days at a time and then when we are at the camps we have plenty of
   vegetables, chickens, eggs, butter and milk for it is no trouble to
   get all these things from the farmers that come to the camps for they
   make money by it for all the camps that I have ever been around get
   tired of fish and want other things to eat."
   
   His son came back in the room at this time and said, "You are going to
   have to spend the night."
   
   "Why?" I asked.
   
   "Because it is raining so hard you will not be able to get off this
   hill tonight.
   
   "What time is it?" I asked and was surprised to find it past five
   o'clock. I began to think of how I was to get away. I said, "Well, I
   can get a taxi." They laughed and said, "Do you want to bet on it?
   
   "But I don't see why I can't," I replied.
   
   Mr. Richards said, "Well, they don't like to come up this hill for it
   is really bad, but still it is nothing to what it used to be.
   
   001414
   
   I soon found that they were right, for I tried one hour and didn't get
   a taxi and it was a long way to the bus line, but I decided to try to
   get to the bus and any way I didn't much like the idea of riding down
   that hill. When I was ready to leave I thanked them for their
   hospitality and that I had enjoyed the afternoon.
   
   Mr. Richards and his son laughed and said, "We are very glad that you
   came for we have cetainly enjoyed having you and how about going
   fishing with us this summer? We will learn you how to fish, and all
   the differnt kind of baits and especially promise to show you what a
   ground puppy is."
   
   As I started down the steps they all came to the porch with me, their
   son said: "Wait just a few minutes. I think I see a car that belongs
   to one of my friends out at the store and I will see if it is I will
   ask him to take you to town."
   
   "I don't like to be any trouble," I said.
   
   "He won't mind," he said and went on out to the store. He was back in
   a few minutes and said, "He will be glad to take you in to town, for
   that is where he is going and said he was ready to go whenever you
   was.
   
   I said I was ready at any time, and as the man came out of the store I
   said, "GoodObye and as I was getting in the car they reminded me of
   the fishing trip this summer. I thanked them but I don't think I would
   like a fishing trip with them for they would only have another grand
   time trying to [DEL: learn :DEL] teach me how to fish. The End

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