TX BIOS:  Mrs. Eldora Scott Maples
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   Tales - Queer Tales
   
   Folk Tales - Superstitions
   
   Ruby Mosley
   
   San Angelo Interview
   
   Page one
   
   FOLK TALES - SUPERSTITIONS
   
   "My father, Billy Scott was born in Joplin, Missouri, where he lived
   most of his life," states Mrs. Eldora Scott Maples, San Angelo, Texas.
   
   "When my father was twelve years of age he heard a strange tap, tap
   one night as he lay in bed that sounded as if water was dripping from
   the top of the house down to a feather mattress. The tap, tap come
   repeatedly through a duration of a year or more before he recognized
   that some message was trying to be revealed. The tap, tap, tap,
   appeared so frequently that they soon ceased to be taps but were an
   insistent stream, then stopped when the usual tap, tap, tap, began as
   before. While in that lone room in the stillness of the night with
   blared eyes the constant tap, tap, never varying from sound except by
   frequency, my father decided
   
     NOTE: C 12 - 2/11/41 - Tex. [Box 1?]
     
   00022that the visitor was a ghost. Many times the entire family
   searched for the ghastly specter but it was never physically located
   even though one could hear the sound. One time grandmother Scott said,
   'Billy some one's spirit has come to watch over you,' It did al /
   through the remaining years. My father had tried every way plausable
   to locate come physical phase of the tapper, although his efforts were
   in vain. One lonely, quiet night he was listening to the insistent
   tapping when he decided to talk to his spiritual companion, the
   question came up as to how he might receive an answer. Finally the two
   decided to work out a code as: two taps for yes, and one tap for no.
   Thus the conversation began. Of course father wanted to know who the
   tapper was and if he was either of his favorite generals, Hannabal or
   Napoleon; the answer came with one tap which meant no. He asked about
   several other celebrities and found the tapper to be Alexander The
   Great, therefore he was and is until this day, called Alex by the
   Scott generation. He is known by the entire family and is recognized
   by advice at intervals, which proves helpful in many instances.
   
   "My father was almost a genius in regard to Latin, Greek and French
   languages; also a lover of history, therefore he had an understanding
   of theosophy that would be meaningless to the ordinary person.
   
   "I will relate several of Alex's theurgies which saved my father's
   life several times. Alex reported the death of my mother's first born;
   a son's life saved when a war ship was blown up. I 00033could name
   minor incidents reported by Alex that would fill a book.
   
   "Father, just an ordinary boy at 17 years of age, went over to a boy
   friend's to play a little game of poker, lost his money and started
   home. The vicinity of Joplin was sparsely populated and the wooded
   section made a very desirable place for a rif-raft of robbers to
   harbor as there was money in 'them there hills', of the new mining
   town, as it is today in the oil boom towns. Father was a little shaky
   as he had to cross a little ravine. The paths were connected by a foot
   log crossing the stream, a big tree spread her branches in every
   direction, one going directly over the path. When father came near the
   tree he was frightened out of his wits by hand clutches on his
   trembling shoulders. He wheeled around to recognize his assailant when
   he found himself alone. He grabbed a stick and searched the underbrush
   on either side of the path for his assailant but found no one. He gave
   up with disgust and turned homeward. As he got back to the big tree he
   discovered a huge panther sitting on the limb of the tree that
   extended over the trail. He retraced his tracks, whistled to his boy
   friends, they brought the dogs and gave chase but the panther
   disappeared. Father went home and stretched out for a good night's
   sleep, when the tap, tap, met his ears. He asked Alex if he had saved
   him from the panther and his answer was two taps, which meant yes.
   Alex vanished and didn't bother any more that night. In case father
   didn't recognize Alex's presence, he was gently touched on the
   shoulder or an arm. 00044"One night Alex was tapping and father was so
   tired and sleepy he said, 'Go away Alex, I'm too tired to talk with
   you to night,' Alex continued the tap, tap indefinately until he
   became so tiresome that father said, 'Get out of here, you damned
   son-o-a-b.' At these words father was struck on the head by a magic
   blow of a streak of blind lightning which left him unconscious for
   hours. The next morning he was so weak that he could hardly get out of
   the bed of cold sweat. His headache lasted several days and he never
   refused to recognize Alex [Again?]. Alex was silent for several
   months. Father would call on him and pray that he would return and he
   did.
   
   "Alex saved father again, when working in a lead and zinc mine at
   Joplin. Father's ears were trained to catch Alex's taps instantly, as
   they were unexpected warnings which were often urgent. On this
   occasion they struck an especially rich vein of lead and zinc. The
   miners were enthusiastically working to obtain as much ore as
   possible. Father heard a tap, tap, on his shovel handle and felt the
   light brush of a magic hand on his shoulder. He felt Alex's presence,
   looked up in time to see thousands of tons of dirt caving in when he
   shouted, 'My God, men, get out of the way!' They all dashed down the
   tunnel where they were saved again. Alex came tapping that night and
   father thanked him for his warning. The shaft of a mine was dug
   straight down as a well or cellar, then the vein of zinc or lead was
   traced and its course was followed as far as the wealth was
   obtainable. The whole set-up was similar to a large house with a
   hall-way 00055leading to each room. My father and his partner were 40
   feet below the surface, digging zinc. One that far under the ground
   never knew what was happening on top. The railroads in the mine were
   always graveled which caused a grinding sound when walked upon. My
   father and his partner heard footsteps come to the turn and stop. His
   co-worker said, 'I heard someone coming, Billy.' Then dad answered, 'I
   thought I heard someone too.' They walked around the bend and saw no
   one. When they resumed their work, footsteps were heard again. They
   knew that they could see any one that entered the mine, from the place
   they worked. The footsteps were heard for the third time and dad felt
   the light brush of someone's hand on his shoulder. 'Let's get out of
   here! Something must be wrong,' cried dad. 'I'm coming, I won't stay
   where hants walk,' replied the partner. They rushed out to the drift
   in the shaft and before they arrived in the shaft they were met by the
   water that was waist deep and still flowing in torrents. Dad's partner
   couldn't swim a lick but he helped him to get a hold on the pump.
   Father rang the bell but no answer came; no bucket was let down to
   them. The engineer was asleep on the job- I will explain that the
   engineer's job was to keep the water pumped out of the mine. The pump
   was run by steam as there was no electricity in those days; when the
   fire died out the pump stopped and the engineer slept on, even though
   the partner was almost exhausted, dad pulled him up the forty foot
   ladder to safety. Again Alex had saved his life. The workers on top
   only smiled when dad and his partner related how Alex had saved
   00066them, but the partner thanked God for the warning.
   
   "Father and mother were as elated over their first born as any
   ordinary new parents, no other child was ever so perfectly sweet.
   Father was making good money and sent mother on a ten days' visit with
   relatives to show the new offspring. Every one was well and happy.
   When they had been gone four or five days Alex came to my father in
   the mines and gave his tap, tap, on the shovel handle. His first
   thoughts were of mother and baby. He asked Alex if it was his wife. He
   tapped once, meaning no. A lump came in his throat as he knew it must
   be the baby. When he hesitated to ask about the baby, Alex kept
   knocking. Then he asked, 'Is it my baby?' Alex tapped twice. He asked
   if it was sick. Alex tapped once. With a weak body and trembling voice
   he asked if baby was dead, when the answer was two sad taps on the
   shovel handle. At these taps father dropped his shovel and went home
   and waited for a message from mother, which came stating that baby was
   dead. Alex was a true and faithful spiritual companion that guided the
   Scott family in many tragical hours.
   
   "When Bob's ship went down, Alex comforted the family. My brother,
   Bob, did service in the World War, his duty was fireman on the W.P.A.
   San Diego, the largest ship convoy at that time. Father was at his
   usual task when Alex, true to his watchfulness throughout the many
   years, come to warn dad about the boy. Naturally in those trying times
   of war when Alex kept his insistent knocking, dad's thoughts turned to
   Bob. As [on?] so many occasions he was 00077reluctant to ask this time
   if his visit concerned Bob. Finally he secured enough courage to force
   the words from his lips. Alex's answer was tap, tap, meaning yes. He
   asked, 'Is Bob dead?' and waited restlessly for the answer. Relief
   surged through him and tears came in his eyes as Alex gave one joyous
   tap, no. Father shouted, 'Bob is alive! Bob is alive,!' That was all
   that mattered at that time. Father came running home, telling us that
   Bob was alive, and found us with broken hearts, grieving over Bob's
   death as we had read in the Fort Worth Record where the bottom was
   blown out of Bob's ship on the morning of July 19, 1918. Mother's
   faith in Alex at that time fell to nothing as she stated, 'Alex's hind
   end is full of blue mud, Bob can't be alive.' Later news came that Bob
   was alive. All belief in Alex was strenghtened and the family lived
   under the guidance of Alex. The Dr. on the ship was a German spy and
   his communications with friends set the trap to blow the ship up fifty
   miles from New York, near Fire Island.
   
   "Thus through the years, Alex warned my father of death and he passed
   the news on to mother, whose faith was built up enough that she
   prepared for the departure which came as predicted.
   
   "Alex comes to Bob and me now but neither of us talk to him. I cannot
   encourage such a character as it worries me to think of him and if he
   revealed more I would certainly believe every tap which would cause me
   to live a life of unrest. Therefore, Alex is regarded as a sacred
   mystery that runs in the bones 00088of the Scott family. When he taps
   we know that something is going to happen, good or bad. We never
   question Alex's theurgy and receive the tragedies as God sends them."
   0009FolkTales Superstitions
   
   Ruby Mosley
   
   San Angelo, Texas
   
   BIBLIOGRAPHY
   
   Mrs. Eldora Scott Maples, San Angelo, Texas. Interviewed April 27,
   1938- May 3, 1938.

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