USA > Georgia > Coffee County > Ward's History of Coffee County > Part 11
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Catching Fish
When the war ended in 1865, the streams of Coffee County were full of fish. In the small streams we had cats, perch and pike in abundance. The larger streams had Jack (pickerel), trout (bass), cats and all the larger variety of perch. Fish multiply rapidly. The common fish in the streams of Coffee County grow to their normal size in about two years.
In the olden days people caught all the fish they needed with hook and line. But as the population increased they could not satisfy their greed and wanted all the fish in sight. When the streams got low in the summer time the fish were poisoned with walnut leaves, devil shoe strings and lime. But this did not satisfy their greed and so they began to use dynamite and thousands of fish were destroyed and wasted and the streams rendered useless for fish for many years. It became necessary to pass drastic laws to protect fish and the streams where they raise.
It is worthy of note that when the Creek Indians occupied this territory they did not destroy the fish and game but only used what they needed. All honor to the Red Men for taking care of this country for the White Man. It is a shame that the White Man has not taken as good care of the fish and game as the Indians did.
The game law at this writing, 1930, permits fishing with hook and line and it is to be hoped that all those who have an interest in preserving our fish will line up with the hook and line fishers and put the others out of business.
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Some of the lakes on the Seventeen-Mile Creek be- ginning at the Isiah Lake and coming on south are as follows : Reed Lake at the bridge, the Ward Lake, the Black Lake, Turkey Lake, Flat Lake, Ford Lake, Garr Lake and the Belle Lake.
These are well-known lakes on this stream and known to all the old-time fishermen. Some of these lakes have nicknames. There is one lake called the "Mugger Lake," named for old man Billy Ward's wife. Another lake is big John Ward's smokehouse. He said he never failed to get a mess of fish at that place.
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Wild Turkeys
During the Civil War fish and game of all kinds increased rapidly. This was due to the fact that nearly all the men were away from home, and there was but little hunting and fishing done. Then the guns were very poor and they could not be loaded rapidly and so the game had a chance to increase.
From 1865 to about 1880 there was plenty of game in Coffee County. The woods were full of big fox squirrels and there were plenty of deer and a good many wild turkeys. Wild turkeys are very hard to shoot. They are wild and will leave a section of the country where they use when they find out that they are hunted. They are perhaps the wildest of all the game. They use around big swamps and most always roost over deep water. One of the favorite ways of shooting turkeys is to go in their locality where they use late in the evening and hear them fly up to roost. Hunters call this "roosting turkeys." A turkey flying up to roost can be heard for half a mile and further if the wind is right. Having located the roost of the turkeys, the hunter goes near the roost next morning before daylight and as daylight comes he seeks to find the turkey and then creeps up close enough to get a shot. It often happens that the turkeys are roosting on some big cyprus tree out in the water and then the hunter does not get his turkey.
Another method used by hunters is to use a yelp. This is usually made by putting a stick through a wooden match box and scraping on a piece of slate; by opening and closing the hand the tone of the yelp can be changed to high and low like the yelp of the
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turkey. The hunter goes into the neighborhood where turkeys are supposed to use and about the coming of daylight he begins to yelp. The yelp is supposed to be the call of a turkey hen, to which call the gobbler answers with a "gobble, gobble." Soon the gobbler will seek the hen. If he is very far away he will fly to the place where the hen is located, and if he is near he will slip up to the place through the swamp and trees. The hunter has to be on the alert to find the turkey before the turkey sees him for when the gobbler sees the hunter he says "put, put," and gets away from there.
Another mode of catching turkeys which was used before the war when turkeys were plentiful, was to build a rail pen some three or four feet high and dig a hole under it plenty big for a turkey to pass through and then scatter corn in the pen, also outside the pen near the hole through which the turkey is supposed to pass. When the turkey goes through the hole, getting the corn as he goes through, he finds himself in a pen, and strange to say he cannot find the way out. He looks up all the time for a way to escape and never looks down. We have known as many as seven turkeys to be caught in one pen.
Before the war and during the war there were great flocks of turkeys on the Satilla River, the Ocmulgee River and the Seventeen-Mile Creek, and in fact there were plenty turkeys near all the large streams. An old hunter told me the other day that he has seen as many as twenty-five turkeys in one drove.
It is said that the flavor of the wild turkey is much better than the tame turkey, but in my opinion it depends upon whom is eating the turkey. To my
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taste the wild turkey has a strong, wild taste, and there is much more dark meat in a wild turkey than there is in a tame turkey.
Turkeys make their nests in the swamps and lay fifteen and twenty eggs. If the eggs are hatched under a hen or a tame turkey hen, the little turkeys will have a wild disposition and sometimes when they get scared around the farm they will rise and fly a mile and further.
There are very few wild turkeys in Coffee County now, 1930. There are too many hunters and hunters' dogs and high-powered guns.
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Killing Deer
Speaking of the new game law reminds me that Coffee County had some game and some good hunters in the long ago. Old man Elijah Youngblood killed 999 deer in his time and longed to kill one more to make it a thousand. Big John Ward, "Uncle Jack's John," who is yet living, killed 891, "That he got, as he calls it, when telling the number killed."
In addition to these hunters, there are many others who have done some good little stunts in hunting. "Little Mark Lott," "Aunt Minty's Mark," killed three deer at one shot. It happened on this wise. Mark was sent to the woods to hunt a beef; while beating around the bush he spied a door standing at the root of a tree in a pond near by. He fired, and when the smoke cleared away there was a kicking of legs. Mark went to see how many legs the deer had and, lo and behold, he had killed three deer instead of one. The other two were lying at the root of the tree concealed by some huckleberry bushes.
Do not be surprised when you are told that this scribe killed two deer at one shot. He did it this way. Early one morning he went over to Otter Creek, a little stream near his home, seven miles east of Douglas, when he discovered several deer feeding on the hillside. He dropped to his knees and crawled up near to them and hid behind a tree. He prepared his gun to shoot and looked out from behid the tree. The deer had found him out and were all standing looking his way. One was looking straight at him. About thirty feet behind this one, was another one, looking at him. He fired and got them both. At
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breakfast be had two fine deer hanging up before the smokehouse door.
To further illustrate marksmanship, I will tell you how he killed another deer. He and Tommie Dent were out hunting and as the dog entered the little brushy head where Mr. M. Kight lives, out popped two deer, one about ten feet behind the other. He shot at the head one and killed the hindmost one.
During the year 1876 deer was plentiful in Coffee County. There was a drove of 13 which used in a string of ponds out between the old Dunk Douglas place and the old Dan Lott place. When the woods in the Ocmulgee River section filled up with saw mills and turpentine stills the deer left and came to Coffee County wild woods.
Along with many other friends of the long ago is passing the deer, turkey, fox, squirrel, doves and pine trees.
I love the new civilization in Coffee County, her thrift and enterprise, but when I think of its good old times, "I get mighty lonesome."
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A Stormy Night on the Seventeen-Mile Creek
It was summer time on the Har- graves farm. The
time was three o'clock in the after- noon, the hottest part of a hot day in Wire- grass Georgia. "Old Lazy Lawrence" was dancing on the fences and in the fields. Not a breeze was blow- ing; all vegetation was withered. Both man and beast were -Courtesy John L. Herring. needing rain. It was hot, oh, so hot, and And the owl he say, "I cook for my- self, who cooks for you all?" dry, so dry. The old dog was panting with his tongue out. He dug a hole in the dirt, hunting a cooler spot. The chickens flut- tered in the sand and everything seemed to join in the pant for fresh air. Everything was suffering from the awful heat.
Later in the afternoon, Mr. Hargraves called to Hen, his right-hand man and once his trusted slave, and said, "This awful heat means thunder and rain. It may storm before midnight. Now is a good time to go to the creek and "roost" some turkeys and catch some fish. Get the bullet moulds and mould some bullets.
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Grease "Old Long Tom," fill the powder horn, put a new flint in the lock, polish the steel, and get a sack of corn to feed the hogs."
When they reached the creek Uncle Abe told Hen to get some wood and build a little fire at the lake and he would go around the bay and feed his hogs and "roost" the turkeys. Just at dark, Uncle Abe reached the lake and found Hen with a fire. Hen told him that he never heard so much fuss in all his life. The bull frogs, tree frogs, and "Katydids" and all sorts of crickets all seemed to be on dress parade and were singing and making all sorts of music. When I started to make my fire, Hen said, a Whippoorwill sung out, "stick-fire the-whiteoak." I wondered what he meant. About that time, another one from over the lake says, "stick-fire, the red oak." I said go away from you, "you bird of ill omen." I thought he might be dat bird what Mr. John read us about, what sat on the "Busted Palace" and said "Nevermore, Never- more." About good dark, the old 'gater down at the mill lake, he ups and bellers like something bad was about to happen down there. But them plegged owls nearly run me crazy. One at the upper end of the lake would say, "I cook for myself, who cooks for you-0-0-00 all?" Then one at the lower end of the lake would answer back, "Tom Shickle-shackle and the devil knows who-o-o-00 all."
"Hen, you go down the lake to the 'cat hole' and I will try my luck here by this gum stump." Pretty soon Hen yelled out, "Run here, Mars Abe, I have got a big snake on my hook and can't get him off. He look like the snake that bit Adam and Eve." "That is not a snake," said Mr. Hargraves; "that is an eel
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and he is good to eat, go right on with your fishing." Pretty soon Hen gave another yell and said, "run here, Mars Abe, quick, I got a whale on my hook." "That is not a whale Hen, it is a large black fish." "My Lord. I thought it was the whale that eat Jonah," said Hen.
"Mars Abe, I want to go home, I'm sick of this hunting and fishing. I am afraid we will get cotch in a storm. I been afraid something bad was going to happen to us down here for before we left home, the rooster crowed in the house-bad sign-and last night the screech owl sot on the gate post, something bad bound to happen." "Hen, I do not believe in signs, go on with your fishing." "Old Peter did not believe in signs either, until he heard dat rooster crow."
In the meantime, the thunder roared deeper, louder, and closer. Flash after flash of lightning lighted up the lake and the swamp around and about. The trees cast shadows on the water like strange animals, hob- goblins, witches, and everything to make a man afraid. Pretty soon Uncle Abe heard a splash in the water, a break of limbs and brushes, and then a voice from Hen, something like this: "My Goade, Mars Abe, look at this thing. How many legs has the devil got?" "Plenty of legs to get you." "Mars Abe, look at dat thing, it sho must be the devil." "No, Hen, this is not the devil, it is a large Snapping Turtle." "Maybe so, but it sho looks like Snappen devil to me."
By this time the awful thunder clouds had covered the heavens above, shut out moon and stars and it was dark as Egypt, till flashes of lightning came and made everything seem more and more horrible. "Mars Abe, I am going home, I am. Cold streaks are running up
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and down my back. I don't want any fish, I am going home."
Soon they were on their way home, and soon the rain began to pour. They hurried to an old fodder house at the old Kemp place and got into it just in time to save themselves from one of the most fear- ful thunder and rain storms that was ever seen in this country. The rain poured all night long. The earth seemed to quiver from the awful jars of the thunder. There was plenty of fodder in the old house. It was dry and made a good summer bed. They were sur- rounded with such things as would make them think of the end of the world, and the final judgment. Uncle Abe told Hen many of the secrets of his life; told him where he wanted to be buried and how he wanted to be put away. He gave him the plans for his funeral all in detail.
At last Hen talked out, got quiet and went to sleep, but ever and anon he would say over and over again in his sleep: "Rooster crowed in the house, screech owl set out the gate."
They spent the night in the old fodder house, got home for breakfast next morning sans fish, sans turkeys and sans everything.
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Camp Meetings
Georgia is a camp meeting state and all the history of camp meetings has not been written. They come and go. Dooly County and Liberty County have camp meetings in opera- tion and there may be others as far as I know. Also Tatnall County.
The Gaskin REV. GREEN TAYLOR A distinguished camp meeting preacher before the war. Springs camp meet- ing was started about 1895. Gaskin Springs is situated about two miles east of Douglas on the east side of the Seventeen-Mile Creek.
Mr. Joel Gaskin donated four acres of land to certain trustees named in the deed with the expressed provision that the said land was to be used as camp meeting purposes. The lands to revert to the donor when it ceased to be used for camp meeting purposes. This deed carried with it the right to use the water from Gaskin Springs for the camp meetings. A large pavillion was built near the spring. The pavillion would seat several hundred people. A bridge was built across the Seventeen-Mile Creek for pedestrians between Douglas and the Springs. Many families from Douglas, Broxton, and people from surrounding
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counties built houses, where their families moved and kept open house during the camp meeting times for ten days once a year. The camp meeting was under the supervision of the Methodist Church. The pre- siding elder of the Douglas church had charge of the camp grounds and selected the preachers. However, ministers of all denominations were invited to preach. Several services would be held each day. The first service was held at sunrise. The second service was held at eleven o'clock. The third service was held at 3 P. M., the last service was held at 8 P. M. Much attention was given to the singing of many beautiful gospel songs. Many special services were held for children. Sundown prayer meetings were held in front of the various cottages. All the tenters would gather up and go around together. Service would be held in front of each cottage until all the cottages were visited.
It was the purpose of the camp meeting management to have the best Gospel preachers in the country. When the weather was good people would come from other counties to attend the camp meetings. In old days the camp served a good purpose. The people and the churches were so sparsely settled that they had not much chance to attend church and the camp meeting was intended to furnish preaching to these scattered communities. But as the years went by the need for the camp meeting largely disappeared. It developed into a mere social gathering where people went to see their friends and have an outing for two or three days. Some of these old-time camp meeting preachers were very unique. M. C. Austin, for in- stance, on one occasion at Gaskin Springs was preach-
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ing on "Family Training" and the home life of the people. His remarks were directed mainly to that class of men who run around at night. He says you men know when Coffee County was the best sheep county in the state, that men had trouble with dogs killing their sheep. A sheep-killing dog is one of the most despised things in all the world and they are the hardest things to catch in killing the sheep. They know how to cover up their sins, but at last the preacher said, "The way to locate a sheep-killing dog was to look at his teeth; if there was wool in his teeth the evidence was satisfactory and the dog was killed." The preacher having laid the foundation for his argument then raised his hand high above his head and declared, "It is quite certain that some of you men have wool in your teeth."
In course of the camp meeting services, many special meetings were held. Some for children, some for fathers and mothers, and some for old people. All the special meetings were very interesting. I must tell you about the meeting for old men held one Sunday afternoon at the Gaskin Camp Meeting Tabernacle. A large group of old men seated them- selves around the rostrum and many of them sat on the "Mourners Bench." One old brother read a scripture and several old-time hymns were sung and then the meeting thrown open for talks. Many good talks were made, but I shall tell you only about one which im- pressed me more than all the others. A very old man who had lived a Godly life and who was ripe for the tomb made a talk like this, as near as I can remember : "My brethren, the years of my life are more than three score years and ten. I have known what it was to be
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young and now I know what it is to be old. Many people discount old age and make light remarks about old age, like this : 'Old age is honorable,' yes, he said, 'Old age is honorable,' and it is more than that. It is God's plan for some of us to grow old. When a man gets as old as I am it shows that he has been wonderfully blessed by God. There is just one way to keep from getting old and that way is to die while you are young. I prefer living to be old rather than dying young. The secret of being old and being happy is to be reconciled to God's will about these things. God wants some of us to be old. He has a use for old men and women, if we will only realize that we are old and be reconciled to God's will and find our places in the world as old men and women and then try and fill the place that God has planned for ourselves. The reason that so many old men are grouchy and dis- satisfied with life is because they are not willing for God's will to be done about their lives. They want to stay young and God wants them old, but when an old man trys to play young he makes himself silly and the laughing stock of sensible people. I am willing to be as old as God wants me to be and I am trying to find my place as an old man and to do God's will more perfectly in this world. I am not concerned about how much longer I live nor how soon I die, I am leaving all this in the hands of my Lord. He knows what is best and I am His."
this :
"An old grouchy man once wrote some lines like 'The world turns over and over, And the sun sinks into the sea ; And whether I live or die, No one cares for me. '
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"My brethren, these are not my sentiments and I do not think they are the sentiments of any Godly old people. I think the poem should be changed to some- thing like this :
'The world turns over and over, And the sun sinks into the sea ; And whether I live or die, It all looks good to me.'
"With an unfailing faith in Jesus Christ and this philosophy of life every old person could be happy and content and count it all a joy to be able to live a long and useful life."
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The Language of the Birds
It is surprising how little we know about the birds who sing and play about us every day. They have a language all their own, and if you are familiar with the birds in Coffee County, you will know one when he speaks. The best known singer among all the birds, perhaps, is the Mocking Bird. He sings day and night sometimes, and there is no bird that can produce as many notes as the Mocking Bird. The Brown Thrush comes next. He sings beautifully, but does not sing very much. His place to sing is to perch himself upon the top most bough of some tree. The Robin is a good singer but they sing very seldom and we find many people who grew up on the farm who have never heard a Robin sing. The Robin is a very sweet singer but his songs are short and far between. Once upon a time just about sunrise a Robin, sitting on the highest limb of a dead pine tree in front of our home, sat there and sang for an hour. His notes were beautiful, but he sang in a sweet, subdued tone.
Every boy knows the language of a Bob White. They seem to say, "Old Bob White, are your peas most ripe ?"
The field lark who sneaks around your fields in the early spring, pulls up your corn, will fly upon the fence or perch himself in some nearby tree and sing, "I have been here three years," and he means to say that he will stay just as long as ever he pleases.
Chickens also have a language of their own. The old hen will put on her best looks, walk up beside of her old man and say, "I have to do this and I have to do that, and I have to go barefooted." The dear
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old man puts on a surprised look and answers with all the dignity that he commands, "If I can't get a shoe to fit your foot, to fit your foot, how can I help it."
The Whip-poor-will says, "Stick fire to the white oak." And so with all the birds. They sing and talk.
Birds, Fishes and Fowls
L
No history of any country would be complete witlı- out its birds, fishes, and fowls. In naming the birds, fishes and fowls in Coffee County, I shall name only those generally known by the people of Coffee County.
Turtledove, Partridge, Lark, Bluebird, Tomtit, Bull Bat, Whip-poor-will, Buzzards, Eagle, Kingfisher, Cat- bird, Ricebirds, Jay Birds, Blackbirds, Sapsucker, many varieties of Sparrows, Humming Bird, Mock- ing Bird, Crow, Hawks-many varieties, Carrion Crow, Killdeer, Kingbird, Woodpecker, Redbird, Robin, Thrush, Swallows, Ducks, Snipe, Owls, Chick-a-dees, English Sparrows.
Fish
Fresh-water Trout, Mud Cat, War-mouth Perch, Red-eyed Perch and others, Red-belly Perch, Stump Knocker, Jack, Pike, Perch-several varieties, Mud Fish.
Fowls
Chickens, Cranes, Turkeys, Ducks and others, Geese, Guinea.
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Trees
By Mrs. Lon Dickey
To think of the trees of Coffee County, as I knew them from about 1885 to 1900, is to bring a vision of an almost unbroken forest of long leaf yellow pine, boxed and scraped for turpentining, in some instances left untouched in their beauty and natural state. Long, straight roads led through them, and their cool, breezy aisles were filled with the music of the swaying boughs and the songs of wild birds flitting among them.
Besides the wealth in naval stores which it brought to the "Many Captains of Industry," these trees have provided houses and storehouses for its populace, fences for their flocks, bridges over the ever flowing, turbulent streams, and innumerable other things.
The Tree Family
There were many other species of the pine besides the long leaf, among them the short leaf, the pitch pine, the loblolly or low-field pines, and a dear little short leaf Christmas tree pine in the swamps and lowlands that closely resembled the celebrated spruce pine of northern climates.
Classed with these might also be the red cedar which might easily have been grown in commercial quantities, being the same that is used for making pencils, moth-proof chests, linen closets, and for ornamental posts and many purposes. There was also the white cedar, or arbor vitae, useful for many things, which was only for hedge and ornamental purposes.
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