Cooter

Back yonder in the 40's and 50's I had this kinfold name of Cooter (his nickname) what drove locomotives for the Illinois Central railroad. He had been on trains since he were a young boy back in the first part of the 20th century. And he never had had no troubles until around 1953. He were coming south through a town north of his home when a deaf man walked out in front of the train and were killed. Then a few months later one night he were coming around a curve close to Amite, La. and a car were stalled on the track. Several peoples was killed. Cooter were hurt by all this but he kept on going. But within the year a school bus had its brakes to fail and come down and run into the side of the train. Nobody were killed but one child had to have a limb taken off. Cooter were wounded real bad by this one. He would sit around and cry and blamed hisself even though it warn't nothing he could have done about none of these accidents. He died before the year were out. God bless Cooter.

The Depression

I were a little fellow during the depression, in fact, I were borned right in the midst of it, 1932. Now we was lucky because it didn't change the way we lived much at all. We was used to growing our own food and we always had a milk cow or two and a whole bunch of chickens for eggs and Sunday dinner. There was some peoples, most of them lived in town (we never thought living in Harper was living in town) who had a rough time. Especially them what worked for the seat cover factory or in the railroad shops. They didn't have no gardens for the most part and needed money to buy food. And they didn't own the place where they live at so they needed to make payments to the bank or to their landlords. The depression hurt them a right smart. Grandpa tried to help 'em as much as possible and let some of them come by and do odd jobs for food. He never did give nobody nothing for nothing. They had to do some work. I asked him about that one time and he said he warn't doing it for hisself but were doing it for the poor fellows. They needed to know how to work for what they got. I reckon he were right.
Like I said the depression didn't have much of a effect on us. But now you take them millionaires like in New York and such. Why they was jumping out of buildings and doing all kind of foolishness 'cause they lost so much. I reckon that's why I live so humble even though I got all that oil money.

Worrying Whitaker

Note from Hollis: Uncle Harvey Lee and Dorothy are still on their round the world trip. I found a few notes Harvey Lee had given me and will share a few with you while he is away.

There were a old man Whitaker, Josephus Whitaker, what lived in Harper a few years ago. Back in around 1950 he heard a fellow talking about all he had to worry about and Whitaker told him for a dollar a month he would do his worrying for him. And you know what that fellow taken him up on it. So ever time anybody passed by the Whitaker house they could see Josephus sitting on the porch in his rocker with this real worried look on his face. I mean winter and summer. Now I reckon y'all know the term "word of mouth." Well that's what happened and before long Whitaker were getting twenty-one dollars a month from folks what wanted him to do their worrying. I told him he ought to take a ad out in the paper and no telling how many peoples would pay him to do their worrying too. He told me he didn't care to do that. He said twenty-one peoples was about all the worrying he could handle.

Sept. 11 Harper Bee Lo-Lytes

Local News:
-The Saturday "Clean Up Harper" event was canceled due to perfect weather. It was so nice everybody went fishing.
-Mary Merkle has her sister visiting from Op, Alabama. It's her first time back in Harper since she lost her footing and fell in the lake. Welcome back, Monica. We quit laughing long ago.
-Harper Drugs will continue to give a gold fish in a glass fish bowl with every purchase of Super A-Z Vits. Mr. Wilmer, the druggist, says they over-bought the fish and will continue till all are gone. Any of you whose fish died can come in for a replacement. Please do not bring in the dead fish. He will take your word for it.

Travel News:
-Dorothy Whitmire called from Asia last week to say she and Harvey Lee are having a good time. They are on a cruise in the South China Sea. She says Harvey Lee is a little disappointed about all the tall buildings everywhere. He says if he wanted to see tall buildings he could have just gone to Houston or Atlanta. He is also disappointed that nobody knows a thing about sweet tea.

Lo-lytes From the Harper Bee

From this week's Bee:

County News- The bridge over the spillway of Harper Lake will be closed through next week. Some             boys from out on Route 3 got the idea of having a bar-b-q right in the middle and burnt a big hole in it. Felix Maine, road department head, said they were working on it and would have it open as soon as possible. The boys who will go unnamed by the Bee were turned over to their parents who will issue the proper discipline. One of the boys was heard to say he wished he could have been put in jail instead.

Travel News- Word came today from Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Lee Whitmire who are traveling around the
                        world on their honeymoon. They were cruising around Australia on a cruise boat.

Weather- Look out the window. Need we say more.

Daily Distraction- Beat Upon Nursery Rhymes

By: Scottie Lee Purvis

Mary had a little bear

As black as he could be

And everywhere that Mary went

You could see her bear behind.