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LIFE HISTORY
February 27, 1939
Mr. J. H. Emerick
Mr. L. L. Emerick
157 First St.
Athens, Georgia
Fishermen
Grace McCune
(white)
tt
The ran 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 startea up one of Georgia's
famous old red hills. It seemed to me that ever Sr 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,
"Neill make it, for I have already pulled this hill several times
today."
The driver was right. de 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 eouipment. I never knew that it
really required so many things to oe a fisherman. There were fish
lines, and corks for pole fishing as they called it, trot lines and
baskets tnat they used to keep their fish in after they were caught.
Then tnere were the steel traps, which was used in trapping,
and then tneir camp stove. This was made as they explained out of
the steel rims of wagon wheels, as that was the best material they
could gt-t for th&t. 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 esp-cially the coffee pot to sit on and there was
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no 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
A ki A
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 enjoy-
ed a.good fishing trip as much as anyone I ever knew and I can't see
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why anyone could not enjoy it! (1.Nell:LI admitte,mayce you are not
as afraid Of shakes 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 asiseiiltAistOry 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. Riahards laughed
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and 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
tf0d 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.
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"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 liksito thi-nk it
was the one that got in my new fish basket, but of course she
wouidn'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.
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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 theyhrere quiet
as they listened to the reports of a tornado in South Georgia. On
f(
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,- Shit was *ay down in Greene'County "How -did you get
down there?i I asked, "Surely: you didn't g6 that far in a boat.
Mr: Richards laughed Aa said, "YOU evidently don't know your
old Oconee -River. Why'I'havebeen.ab far ae.Milledgeville, Ga.
in my boat many times. But how do you manage about the dam? I
asked and I regretted that question iMitediaeiY, for they both—
laughed'and:said, "Go over it:"
Then Mr. Richards said, 'We carry the boat in a truck and put
in the river below the dam and after'you pass the-Cedetery 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, yOushould," he repliediand seethOse'old'peit hOleri
they.call
"Some of those holes are all of eighteen inches deep and dg
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 sdall child,
jUst-large enough to follOW-my -daddY'arOUnd. .I'guess that'll; whee
I get my loVe,of fishing for that was pTa6tiOaily ail he eVer- done
jaw fish and hunt!
Mrs. Richards came tO-thedoor; and'iaid'"Code and eat -dinner,
then you can talk all the evening."
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"Fishing is not what it has been, for I have seen the time
when I could make good money fishing and h4 ng. It was no.trouble--
to sell all the fish we could catch, and get a good price for them
There watt 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.
"Well, 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 re-
member 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 busts on the higInvays.
"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 &differ-
ent 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
-i/
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
comion old fish bait worm is good bait and eipecially for Pole fishing.
Of oourse, 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 Mum it is spelled now I think. But it used to be just
plain 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.d
"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. didn't have any idea what
ground puppies were and I was afraid to ask, as they had already
laughed at me so many timest,
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 S. ground puppy was. After they got over the laugh. They ex-
plained that it was a worm.
Mrs. Richards also laughed with them but said, "Ual Don't
let them get the best of you. T 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 li4ard
than a worm. It is found under old rotten logs on -river banks, but
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the swamps are the best places for them. There are different kinds.
The ones that we get around he 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
little large. 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
i all r have ev er:: heard them called.
"When we coul tish with baskets, that is bolt the basket And
put it in the river, 'es 'the oasket was tied to' something
bank to keep it from washing away; but it is against the lai now to
fish with a basket. The best bait wits old e0Oiled cheese.. I haVe
used many different baits: muskrat COoked is a very good bait and
raw meats, even the'old-grateshopper is fine bait for a hook, but
it takes a mightly long time to get *hough of these to tr'y to fish
with. A few years baok when fish was plentiful, we really could
catch fish in a basket.
Npia you ever see a trotlini put out", 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:
Alt said, 'Well, you'ao at'least know a little don't you? and
grinned, "But when we are fishing with troilinei they:are-put out
and baited at 'night and we do not go back '0 them until the next
morning.°
10.
L
"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 mm happiest when I am on it. I only have two children. My son
-.1
here and a daugher, but they are Mist 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 andle a boat like sr Man. That
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 ye4,
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.
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"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.
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son 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 plent3iof 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 dons
about tkem-or the country will Boon be overrun-Fith them.
"There are plenty of coons and oppossums here to? 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 cach 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 oi the old Volunteer fire company and
as I followed him in his love for fishing and hunting, I also be-
longed to the Volunteer fire compaw. was a member. of the 'Bloom-
field Hose and Reel Company No. 4. We were known as the 'dirty
dozen.' There wegilvseveal 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 pod service in 18.73.
I was one of the first ones that stayed on the fire department
when it organized as a paid department in 1900.
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"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 hogs 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 e. 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 seve-al 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 content-
ment and peace than riches any time.
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"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
thing 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, "Mc you want to
bet on it?
"But I don't see why I can't," I replied. xMix
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.