Louis Clifford Mancill History, Post #7

This is not my dad, but I just love it. They are so cute, and innocent.

ABOUT THIS SAME TIME IN MY LIFE, I GOT SCARED OUT OF MY SKIN. THE CHURCH IN ROBERTSDALE WAS HAVING MEETINGS AND SINGING EVERY NIGHT AND DADDY WOULD TAKE ALL OF US WITH HIM EVERY NIGHT TO THE MEETING IN THE WAGON. HE HAD A HAY FRAME ON THE WAGON WITH SOME HAY ON IT TO RIDE ON. ON THE WAY HOME ONE NIGHT I WENT TO SLEEP AND WHEN WE GOT HOME EVERY ONE WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE TO GO TO BED. DADDY TRIED TO WAKE ME UP BUT I DIDN’T GET UP I JUST WENT BACK TO SLEEP. EARLY IN THE MORNING I GOT COLD AND GOT UP TO GO IN THE HOUSE. WE HAD A COLLIE DOG THAT STAYED UNDER THE BACK PORCH MOST ALL THE TIME. SO I WENT TO THE FRONT DOOR AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE FIRST STEP THE DOG CAME AFTER ME THROUGH THE STEPS AND I THINK I JUMPED OUT OF MY SKIN. DADDY CALLED THE DOG BEFORE HE COULD BITE ME AND I WENT TO THE BACK DOOR TO GET IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE I WAS ALMOST THERE ANYWAY.

ONE TIME FLOYD AND GERALD WENT AFTER OUR COWS LATE IN THE EVENING BEFORE DARK, ACROSS THE CREEK THAT RAN THROUGH THIS SAME FORTY ACRES, THEY HAD TO WALK ACROSS A FOOT LOG TO GET TO WHERE THE COWS WERE. WHILE THEY WERE UP THE HILL AFTER COWS, JOHN CAME ALONG AND GOT UP IN A TREE RIGHT BY THE FOOT LOG THAT WAS ONLY WIDE ENOUGH FOR ONE BEHIND THE OTHER TO WALK ON. FLOYD AND GERALD CAME BACK WITH THE COWS AND DROVE THEM ACROSS THE FORD WHERE WAGONS WOULD CROSS THE CREEK. THEY STARTED ACROSS THE LOG AND WHEN THEY GOT TO WHERE JOHN WAS, HE JUMPED OUT OF THE TREE, MAKING SOUNDS LIKE A TIGER. FLOYD HAD A STICK AND GERALD HAD HIS POCKET KNIFE OPENED. THEY HAD SAID TO EACH OTHER BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE CROSSING, WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF SOMETHING GOT AFTER THEM. FLOYD MUST HAVE JUMPED HIGH ENOUGH FOR GERALD TO GO UNDER HIM AND GERALD RAN UP THE HILL. FLOYD WAS STANDING THERE WITH THE STICK, SHAKING IT AT JOHN; JOHN FINALLY GOT FLOYD TO CALM DOWN ENOUGH TO SEE IT WAS HIM. THEY WENT TO SEE WHERE GERALD WAS, HE WAS STILL RUNNING UP THE HILL. THEY CALLED TO HIM AND HE CAME BACK TO THEM. THEY ASKED WHERE THE KNIFE WAS AND GERALD FOUND IT IN HIS POCKET, CLOSED UP. IT SCARED GERALD SO BAD HE DIDN’T GROW ANY FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS.

WE ALL GOT ALONG LIKE BROTHERS AND SISTERS DID. WE DID FIGHT SOMETIMES, LIKE CHILDREN DO. WE WORKED AND PLAYED TOGETHER AND WE WERE HAPPY AND ENJOYED LIFE, GROWING UP IN A TIME WHEN THE WORLD AND ITS WAYS WERE SLOW. EVERYONE KNEW THEIR NEIGHBORS AND HELPED EACH OTHER, AND WHEN A NICKEL WOULD BUY A LARGE CANDY BAR. WE ALL GREW UP STRONG AND HEALTHY, WENT TO SCHOOL, CAME HOME TO WORK IN THE FIELDS OR DO OUR CHORES AROUND THE FARM AND HOUSE. WE ALL HAD OUR WAY OF GETTING INTO TROUBLE. DADDY COULD ALWAYS STRAIGHTEN IT OUT WHEN HE GOT HOME, OR WHERE EVER WE WERE. HE NEVER WAITED TILL WE GOT HOME. HE DID IT WITH KINDNESS OR THE BELT. IF WE GOT INTO TROUBLE AT SCHOOL, WE GOT THE SAME WHEN WE GOT HOME. BUT OVER ALL WE WERE GOOD KIDS MOST OF THE TIME. JOHN AND FLOYD PLAYED FOOTBALL AT ROBERTSDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATED, AND WENT TO COLLEGE. HE TAUGHT SCHOOL, AND GOT MARRIED. FLOYD JOINED THE NAVY AND GOT MARRIED. ANNIE LEE GRADUATED AND GOT MARRIED TOO. EMMA LAURA WAS WILD AND I DON’T KNOW IF SHE GRADUATED OR NOT. THE OTHER THREE BOYS GRADUATED TOO.

I WENT THROUGH THE SIX GRADE AND HALF WAY THROUGH THE SEVENTH, AND WAS TAKEN OUT TO DO THE PLOWING AND PLANTING AND THE SAME IN THE EIGHT GRADE. I NEVER WAS ONE TO LEARN FROM A BOOK, IF I COULD SEE IT DONE I COULD DO IT. I FAILED TWO GRADES AND WAS IN THE SAME ROOM WITH GERALD. HE HELPED ME OR I WOULD HAVE NEVER GOT AS FAR AS I DID IN SCHOOL. WE SHARED THE SAME BOOKS AND THAT HELPED OUT WITH THE MONEY. WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN OR FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, THE R.E.A. ELECTRIC CO RAN A POWER LINE ALONG THE HIGHWAY TO SERVICE FARM ALONG THE ROAD. A MAN THAT WORKED FOR THEM SAID IF WE COULD GET OUR HOUSE WIRED THEY WOULD GIVE US POWER I WENT TO ROBERTSDALE, TO A HARDWARE STORE. THE MAN THERE GAVE ME WHAT I NEEDED TO DO THE JOB AND SHOWED ME HOW TO DO IT. I WIRED THE HOUSE UP AND THE MAN LOOKED AT IT AND IT WAS OK SO THEY TURNED ON THE POWER. THIS WAS SUCH A DIFFERENCE FROM KEROSENE AND CARBIDE LAMPS. WE HAD LIGHTS IN EVER ROOM AND ON THE FRONT AND BACK PORCHES. THEN I RAN WIRE OUT TO THE BARN WHERE WE HAD LIGHTS TO MILK THE COWS BY.  WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT WE HAD. 

WE HAD A GOOD OLD MULE NAMED “BECK” SHE WAS A GOOD MULE. DADDY COULD LAY OUT ROWS TO PLANT THINGS IN WITH A GEORGIA STOCK PLOW, WHICH WAS STRAIGHT AS, AN ARROW. HE WOULD LAY THE LINES ON THE PLOW HANDLES AND JUST SAY GEE OR HAW TO HER TO MOVE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ROW AFTER ROW. SHE COULD OPEN CORN CRIB DOORS IF IT WASN’T LOCKED RIGHT. SHE WAS BAD ABOUT OPENING THE GATE OF THE BARN YARD AT NIGHT AND LETTING THE COWS OUT. ONE NIGHT SHE OPENED THE GATE AND LET HERSELF AND TWO OTHER MULES OUT. WE LOOKED FOR THEM FOR THREE DAYS BEFORE WE FOUND THEM FOURTEEN MILES FROM HOME. THAT’S WHEN WE KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE ONE EVENING I WIRED THE GATE LATCH WITH 110 VOLTS OF ELECTRICITY AND HID AROUND THE CORNER OF THE BARN AND WATCHED HER. IT WASN’T, LONG TILL SHE CAME TO THE GATE AND GOT INTO THE POWER LINE ON THE GATE LATCH. WHEN SHE DID, SHE LET OUT A SQUEAL AND TURNED AROUND SHE DIDN’T STOP TILL SHE GOT TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE PASTURE.  

PS  SHE NEVER DID THAT AGAIN AND I  NEVER TOLD ANY ONE WHAT I DID . I REMEMBER OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER WE MOVED TO THE FARM ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FIRST WINTER WE WERE SICK WITH THE FLU, ALL OF US BUT ANNIE LEE. SHE TOOK CARE OF US AND DID THE COOKING AND HOUSE WORK. THE LADY NEXT DOOR WOULD FIX SOME FOOD AND BRING IT OVER AND PUT IT ON A FENCE POST CLOSE TO THE HOUSE AND ANNIE LEE WOULD BRING IT IN FOR US TO EAT. IT WAS A BAD AND HARD TWO WEEKS FOR US. IT TOOK SOME OF US LONGER TO GET OVER THE FLU. WE HAD NO GOOD DRUGS LIKE WE HAVE TODAY.

ONE TIME WE WERE WORKING ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE HOUSE PULLING CORN TO HARVEST AND PUT IN THE BARN. GLENN WAS UP ON THE GATE POST WHERE WE WENT TO CROSS THE ROAD. HE WOULD OPEN THE GATE WHEN WE CAME WITH A LOAD IN THE WAGON TO TAKE IT THE BARN. WHILE  HE WAS  WAITING FOR US TO COME HE GOT OFF THE POST TO RUN TO THE HOUSE FOR SOMETHING AND HE DIDN’T LOOK  FOR CARS AND THERE WAS ONE COMING. HE GOT ALMOST TO THE OTHER SIDE AND WHEN HE HEARD THE BRAKES AND TIRES SQUEAL HE TURN AROUND AND WENT BACK TO THE POST. THE MAN IN THE CAR WOULD HAVE MISSED HIM IF HE HAD WENT ON ACROSS THE ROAD BUT WHEN GLENN WENT BACK THE MAN HAD TO GO THE OTHER WAY AND WENT INTO THE DITCH AND TURN THE CAR OVER TWO TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE CAR WAS BENT UP SOME. WHEN WE LOOKED FOR GLENN HE WAS UP ON TOP OF THE POST AGAIN ANOTHER STORY WAS ABOUT THE OLD TRUCK WE HAD TO RUN THE CANE MILL WITH. DADDY HAD THE TRANSMISSION FIXED BUT IT WOULDN’T RUN AND IT SAT IN THE YARD A LONG TIME.

ONE DAY WHEN EVERYONE WAS GONE {BUT MY THREE YOUNGER BROTHERS} I WORKED ON IT AND GOT IT RUNNING. I BOUGHT SOME GAS AND WE WENT DOWN THE ROAD ALMOST TO SUMMERDALE AND THE FLOORBOARDS CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE TRUCK DIDN’T HAVE ANY EXHAUST PIPES ON IT WE GOT IT OUT AND WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE. THE TRUCK DIDN’T HAVE ANY BRAKES AND WHEN I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY I WAS GOING TOO FAST AND DIDN’T STRAIGHTEN OUT ENOUGH AND HIT THE CORNER GATE POST. IT WAS A BIG POST AND ALL I DID TO IT WAS BEND IT OVER SOME. THE TRUCK HOOD WAS BENT ALSO. THERE WAS A JUNK YARD ON THE ROAD THAT WENT BACK INTO HE WOODS TO THE SWIMMING HOLE AND I DROVE THE TRUCK TO THE JUNK YARD AND FOUND A HOOD THAT WOULD FIT AND REPLACED IT. WE WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE AND PARKED THE TRUCK IN THE SAME PLACE SO DADDY WOULDN’T KNOW IT HAD BEEN MOVED. I WENT OVER TO THE NEIGHBOR AND BORROWED A POST HOLE DIGGER AND RESET THE POST. WHEN I TOOK THE DIGGER BACK TO THE MAN HE ASKED ME WHAT I USED IT FOR AND I TOLD HIM TO SET A POST. HE SAID HE HAD SEEN ME DRIVING THE TRUCK AND WAS GOING TO TELL DADDY ABOUT IT. WHEN DADDY CAME HOME HE CAME OVER AND THEY TALKED A LONG TIME AND I KNEW WHEN HE LEFT I WAS IN TROUBLE. DADDY NEVER DID SAY ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT IT. I STILL DON’T KNOW IF HE TOLD DADDY OR NOT BUT I WORRIED ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME.

 SOMETIME ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, I HAD BOUGHT A BICYCLE THAT WAS A (WESTERN FLYER) AND IT WAS HEAVY DUTY WITH BIG SPOKES IN THE WHEELS AND BALLOON TIRES. I PUT A SEAT ON THE BACK, ONE BETWEEN THE SEAT AND HANDLEBARS ON THE FRAME AND ONE ON THE HANDLEBARS. MY THREE YOUNGER BROTHERS AND I WOULD RIDE TOGETHER AND GO EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE THREE OF US DOING THE PEDDLING AND THE ONE ON THE HANDLEBARS GOT A FREE RIDE. WE HAD THIS BICYCLE FOR A LONG TIME. I DON’T KNOW WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO IT. I MAY HAVE STILL HAD IT WHEN WE MOVED TO MOBILE AND USED IT ON MY PAPER ROUTE WHEN WE LIVED ON ARLINGTON STREET. WHEN WE WERE STILL ON THE FARM I REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS RIDING IT BACK IN THE WOODS AT A CLAY PIT WHERE THEY DUG CLAY OUT TO BUILD ROADS THAT THERE WERE PILLS OF DIRT AND HILLS WHERE WE WOULD RIDE DOWN AND ONCE WHEN I CAME DOWN THE FRONT TIRE HIT A PINECONE AND THE BIKE WENT ONE WAY AND I WENT THE OTHER AND I BROKE MY LITTLE FINGER ON MY LEFT HAND AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SHORTER THEN THE ONE ON MY RIGHT HAND.

MOTHER WAS A WONDERFUL LADY AND MOTHER TO US AND LIKE DADDY SHE WAS STRONG AND STERN, BUT SHE WAS KIND AND SOFT WHEN SHE PUT HERS ARMS AROUND YOU. SHE LOVED HER CHILDREN AND TOOK GOOD CARE  OF US. SHE WOULD TAKE US TO THE NEIGHBORS FIELDS AND PICK UP POTATOES FOR THREE CENTS A HAMPER TO MAKE MONEY TO HELP FEED AND BUY CLOTHES SO WE COULD GO TO SCHOOL. WE WOULD HELP HER WASH CLOTHES AND IRON THEM. SHE TOOK IN WASHING FROM THE NEIGHBORS AND DO OUR CLOTHES TOO. WE WOULD BUILD A FIRE UNDER A BIG IRON WASH POT AND BOIL THEM IN WATER AND HOME MADE LYE SOAP.  A SALESMAN CAME BY AND LEFT A WASHING MACHINE TO TRY OUT BUT DADDY SAID HE COULD NOT AFFORD IT AND IT MADE TOO MUCH NOISE. IT WAS POWERED BY A GASOLINE ENGINE.

MOTHER (CORA LEE WILSON MANCILL) WAS THE OLDEST OF FIFTEEN LIVING CHILDREN. HER FATHER,  JOHN T. WILSON, DIED WHEN HE WAS FIFTY YEARS OLD, IN MAY 1916, AND I NEVER KNEW HIM. HER MOTHER, ANNIE MISSOURI FLOWERS WILSON, WAS THE ONLY GRANDMOTHER I KNEW AND SHE LOVED AND MADE YOU FEEL SO WONDERFUL WHEN SHE WAS AROUND. LIKE MOTHER, SHE ALWAYS WENT ON ABOUT HOW BIG YOU WERE AND HOW GOOD YOU COULD DO THINGS. I WOULD STAY OVERNIGHT WITH HER ANYTIME MOTHER WOULD LET ME. MY AUNTS AND UNCLES WERE ALL GOOD TO US. I REMEMBER UNCLE B.B. BROUGHT SOME FOOD AND FLOUR TO MOTHER WHEN WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TO EAT, AND HOW MOTHER CRIED WHEN HE DID. ALL OF OUR FAMILY WERE LOVING PEOPLE.