Document text
Alabama
Dan Smith
flerchant and Farmer
lentone, Alabama.
Covington Hall
Sditorial Department
MOUNTAIN MERCHANT-TARMIR
Dan Smith "Daall" to his wife lives with his wife and
three children, one son and two laughter, on the highway about two
miles east of Menton.. He runs a country store and farms for a
living. He also peddles produce for himself and others in the
surrounding markets. In addition the family does laundry work
for wealthier residents. They are always busy, but when Dan has
nothing else to do. Dan goes fishing, which is about his only
recreation. H. has been off the mountain and has visited Hew
York and other cities. He knows something of the world, is
interested in what is happening and comments intelligently on the
news. He is quiet -mannered and never uses an oath. He is a
good friend and neighbor. Many still owe him money on credits
he allowed them in the hard years from 1930 to 1934, but he does
not hound them to pay up. Now and then he will send a bill with
a note explaining,. "I've got to pay my tares and licenses and if
you can pay all this bill or something on it, I'll appreciate it,"
or he calls to their attention the long overdue account and tells
them the sums thing. They pay if they can and, if they can't, he
sighs and says: "Well, I know haw hard times are. Pay me something
as soon as you can." And the account remains on the books, Dan
hoping that soms day he will get his money.
Knowing that he had traveled quite a bit. I asked him why he
cams back to the mountain. "Some people." he said, "like city
life. but I don't. I was raised here and I like the country and
want to live in it. Besides I don't see where most of the people
Alabama Mountain Merchant-!armer 2
living in cities are better off or more satisfied than we are."
He seldom talks of religion and then only when someone else
introduces it. Recently the Church of God evangelists had been
holding a orotracted meeting and the congregation was preparing a
pig diner for the final day. The rural carrier leaves our mail
at Dan's store, the path to which passes near the church. Re-
turning from the store, I asked Dan: "What's going on?"
"We are getting ready for a dinner tomorrow. Come and help us
eat it," he invited.
I assured him that I would if I could. Then I asjed: "Are you
a Holy oiler?"
"No, not yet," he re lied;" but I'm considering it."
His answer surprised me, for in my talks with him he had not
seemed to take much interest in religion, often, in fact laughing
at some jest at the expense of the preachers by one of the ungodly.
His home and store are all under one roof. The house is
entered through the store, which is stocked with country merchan-
dise. On the left, bAlt onto the main building, is a storehouse
for coal oil and other commodities he does not wish to keen in
the store. Back of the store is the sitting room, warmed by a
coal -burning heater and well -furnished with comfortable chairs and
a lounge. On cold dive it is often filled with those who have
come for their mail or for groceries and stayed to talk over
things. The;/ are not intruding, for Dan and Mrs. Smith often in-
sist: "Come in an' sit awhile an' get warmed up before you start
home." To the right of this room is a large, well -lighted dining
room, in which is a long dining table to which friends are often
invited to e chair. They eat well, Mrs. Smith being, not only
an expert canner of fruits and vegetables, and curer of fae-ts,
Alanama Mountain lerchant-Farmer 3
but a fine cook as well. The kitchen is in the front end of but
separated from the dining room. Off of it is a screened gallery
when one goes to get a. drink of cool well water or to wash up. The
bedrooms are between the store and dining room part of the building.
All have good fftnishings and are coiled and floored. The Smiths
own an automobile, a mule, cows and chickens, and these, with the
store and farm and washing end peddling, enable them to get by. So
Dan rarely complains of the hard times. He is not of the complaining
sort.
Asked me why e friend I camp with when on the mountain did
not build himself a house. "I built mine myself and I'm no builder
end he is. He could have built himself a good house. It don't
cost much if a man does the work himself. Why doesn't he do it
instead of him and his folks living in that old log cabin?"
"I don't know," I said. "But you know him. When he gets a
notion in his head only dynamite can get it out; and having the
idea that he wouldn't even fix up the old place but would wait until
he got hold of enough money to build a real home, he prefers to
freeze rather than add a room to or patch up the cabins."
"Yes, that s him," he agreed; "but he's crazy to live like
that, good a builder as he is."
Dan is slim and spare and so is his wife. Neither seems to
be very strong. He was gassed "Over There" during the world war.
Yet they tand up under work that would 1111 a mule, and Dan
never seems to be in a rush. He takes it easy, is an inveterate
smoker and may take a drink of beer when he feels like it. He
subscribes to and reads farm Journals and other -Papers, but there
are not many books lying around the house. When he was urged to