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Csorgo Smith
hinkar and Xxparimenter
1,4ntone, Alabama
Covingtln Ball
Material Department
MOUNTAIN THINK111 AND Y.,tKRIMMT711
reerge Smith lives an a forty. -acre farm hbaut three miles
from Mentone on the public road leading to the old Nightingale
postoffice, now discontinued. Be is near forty, but still active
and alert. He cultivates about twenty acres of his farm end, with
a helper, operates a small coal mine which he owns. The (mil is
all sold locally, and George gets anaurA out of it to live sorsewhat
better than the average. His home is off the road a piece, and
reached alone a by-path across a branch into his yard.
On the farm he has an experimental orchard containing a, variety
of nut and fruit tress, Japanese, Burbank and ":'inglish walnuts, pecans,
apples, plums and peaches. These he is tasting to find the species
beet silted to lookout Mountain conditions. He is also expegISMINgg
with berries, especiallyiklawiNMObemw. *This berry*, George declared,
"will yet be one of the best cash payint, crops we can raise*; and, as
his *rasps* are 1,-rge and fine -flavored, IwiAlgLprobably right. He
says that, last season, they brought top prices in Rome, Georgia, and
other neorby markets.
*The mountain clinote*, he says altd so do others "peps ep
fruit and vegetables. They have a more lively taste than those grown
elsewhere. It is to these crops, berries, fruits, nuts, melons, Irish
and sweet potatoes, and to plant sets, with *gee and chickens on the
side to produce crops we farmers here must turn if we are ever to
be really prosperous. We don't want cotton. There's nothing in it but
slavery.* Many of his neighbors are beginning to area with him, for
this Burbank of the backwoods is persistently on the job proseiyting for
better ways and days*
Alabama George Smith 2
But George Smith was not aiweys the studious, steady worker he is
today. As a young man he moonehinel, bootlegged and, even got "soused
up*. Etc repaintiom was below per in the community. it all that has
changed since George married his cousin and bought the fern. Be has
given up all his evil ways. Be neither makes, *ells, nor drinks whiskey.
If he quit because of getting religion, he has never mentioned it. It
was probably family disapproval and displeasure, plus his own willseevft",
rather than unfavorable communal comment that led George into changieg
his ways; for he is a strong character. *Been in his drinkin* days
his ward was good*, all agreed. In 1929, a mutual friend, tiring of the
emmwm people *pleyint the farmers against eadh other in beetle down
prices*, persuaded ten or twelve man, among than George Smith, to agree
not to take less than thirty-five cents a dozen for eggs and thirty cents
a pound for broilers. George Smith along stuck to the bargain. Be
always dose. Be is strong for cooperation.
The little)* cabin in Which he lives, and which he built himself
with some aid from friends, is a model of its kind, always clean, Mem-
fortable and well -kept. The furniture in either homemede or was bought
from a large mail order comma popular in Southern ruralteolusueltiew.
or in Valley Bead or 7t. Payne; but all of it is easfortable mad homey.
In the sittinedising room are books, pahphlets„ papers and bulletins
an the tables and shelves. The family consisted of George, wife and
three children, when I last visited them ab/ut a yenr ago. Whether
more bibles have arrived since, I do not know; for when we meet on the
highwmy or at the store, we have been so busy discussing his experiments
end what might be done to bring less hard work and more money to the
mountain people, have never thought to ask bin.
lie book hunger is rare on the mountain, as is his thirst for
scientific agricultural knowledge. To satisfy this last, he takes the
reports of the lederal Department of Agriculture, the Alabama Farm aollotta
ICIF-bama George Smith 3
sne. one or two farm journals. He reeds everything on the subject
he can lay he hands on. Being a miner as well as a fnrmer, he has
moved around the country quite a bit, no knows something of the world
outside. In regard to his book hunger, George says* "What's the We
of living if a man doesn't keen 1.:1) with the times and try to know what's
going on in the world?" On many subjects he is vary well informed mid
repAtily -nd with sim-nle 7'41glish expresses Mn opinion. He may say
"a man should keep his mouth shet" on certain matters, or use "drug"
for dragged; bet, otherwise, his language is good. I h-lre never heard
'Am ewe -r. If he is reliciaus, he never talks about it. His greatest
Interest seems to be in his agricultural experiments. Ile takes pride
in displaying his yard, in wlAch are holly trees, roses, sweet shrubs
and many flowers, and the orchard where Ms experimental tress are
growing and the garden where his -et raspberries are. These last he
always shove, never tiring of discussing their virtues as a coming cash
crop.
All -bout the p1,7ce is well planned, well laid out, and, if George
smith has his way and succeAs in making his dreams come true, the
Lookout-Mountatneers will :!et be "saved from c,Aton".
1/5/39