Mama's Boy

After they found Wilbur James Jr.'s daddy dead with that smile on his face, things went a little haywire in the McLemore household. Wilbur's mama, Hazel, went through a real short period of grieving due to the nature of where they found Senior. Her attachment to Junior come to be real strong. There were talk that she nursed him till he were nigh on to four year old. But them was just rumors, I ain't got not proof or nothing. One thing what were real clear is the hold she had over her boy. He were a good-looking kid and the girls was always trying to get close to him, but mama warn't gonna have none of that. She kept him well under control until he were a senior in high school and then all of a sudden she dropped dead. Now imagine you're driving a car and you got one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. And all of a sudden you pull your foot off the brake. That's what happened with Wilbur James. He took to smoking and drinking and running around with womens older than him. That were about the time Leddie Sue were turning toward beauty on the scale of life. Wilbur were smitten and within in a year they was married. Turned out Leddie Sue had her eye on him all the time she were in her plain, homely state and when he started noticing her she were ready for action. Next time we gonna look at how Wilbur couldn't quite shake his old ways.

About Wilbur James, Jr.

I reckon the best way to tell about Wilbur James, Jr is to start with his daddy, Wilbur James Sr. Now Senior were well known in Harper; a land owner, cattle raiser, farmer, merchant and deacon. He were known as what they call "a good man." Back then, in the town just down the road from Harper, they had this hotel what was known to house special ladies for the entertainment of men. Nobody really knew who went there 'cause they had a back entrance and the head bellhop were given tips not to tell nothing. Well, that didn't work out too well for Senior 'cause he died in there. They said he had a heart attack from over-exertion. I reckon they could have hid all this too except for one really strange thing; Senior died with a smile on his face. It warn't no Mona Lisa smile, but a "I won the lottery" smile. Mrs. Senior let out a scream when she first seen him and spilled the beans right there in front of about half of Harper what had come to view their prominent citizen. The undertaker taken him back and tried to fix it, but it warn't no use 'cause it kept snapping back. They even called in a plastic surgeon from New Orleans. He wouldn't touch Senior. Not because he were afraid of dead bodies, but he said he couldn't change the look of happy to somber. All this affected Wilbur James, Jr. Not directly 'cause he were too young, but through his mama. Tomorrow I'll take that up.

Leddie Sue the Tomboy

Like I told y'all, Leddie Sue are home from spending twenty-two years in the state jail. Y'all can read back about all that. Now, I wanted to tell y'all a little more about Leddie Sue so you could maybe put a little sense to what all happened. Leddie Sue were a tomboy growing up. She went hunting and fishing with the menfolks in her family and were real good at sports. She were a good shot what makes it hard to understand how she missed her husband and shot her brother-in-law. But that's what she done. Now I'm here to tell y'all all that tomboy stuff come to a screeching halt when Leddie Sue entered into the age of accountablity. She not only blossomed; she come to a full-out bloom. Instead of hanging around the gun store she were spending her time at the cosmetic counter. And it paid off in some regard 'cause she turned into a real beauty queen. She won the Miss Harper contest and come in second in the Miss Mississippi contest. Turned out they just couldn't accept her talent part. They said she were the best whistler they ever heard, but there never were no whistlers in the Miss America contest. All this is when Wilbur James McLemore set his sites on Leddie Sue and determined to marry her. Next time I'll tell a little about Wilbur James and the hold his mama had on him.

Leddie Sue Gets Out

Leddie Sue come home today, home to Harper. She been away for twenty-two years; in the state prison. She were supposed to stay for thirty but got out on the 'cause of good behavior. What she were in for, were right interesting. She killed a man. It were a accident. Sorta. She meant to shoot somebody else. She went into this bar 'cause she learnt her husband, Wilber James, were in there with another woman. And he were. Leddie Sue took aim at Wilbur's heart but she were shaking so hard her shot were misplaced right into the heart of her brother-in-law, Albert, who were sitting in the same booth. He were with a woman other than his wife. His wife were Leddie Sue's sister, Amy Jean. Amy Jean refused to testify on her sister's behalf and the judge gave her the maximum sentence. Later on, Amy Jean claimed she were sorry and Leddie Sue had done her a great service by getting rid of her two-timing husband. She warn't all that grateful 'cause while Leddie Sue were in jail, Wilbur got a divorce and ended up marrying Amy Jean. Now we all waiting to see what's gonna happen with Leddie Sue back in town. We all on pins and needles because it seems to always be the innocent bystander what gets nailed. Even though Albert warn't all that innocent.

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Frying the Turkey

For my part of helping with our Thanksgiving dinner, I'll be frying the turkey. I bought me one of them turkey fryers down a Lowes and got it all set up in the back yard. Then I seen all this stuff on TV about how dangerous turkey fryers can be. They can tip over and spill hot grease all over an innocent bystander. You know what Will Rogers said about innocent bystanders. They is in the most danger of anybody. You always reading in the paper about a innocent bystander getting shot or run over by a speeding car or something. Anyway, another thing what can happen with a turkey fryer can happen when you drop the turkey in the hot oils. They showed one man drop one in and the hot oils come down upon the flames and a ten alarm fire broke out. I got my fryer all propped up with bricks and concrete blocks so it can't tip over. And I created this block and tackle machine over it so I can slowly lower the turkey into it. I hope all y'all will be careful however you cook your turkey. And I hope y'all all will have a happy Thanksgiving.

Hotel in McComb

Back when I were just a young fellow they had a hotel in McComb what they called the McColgan Hotel. They had bellhops dressed in uniforms and a lobby with leather couches where peoples would sit and read newspapers. And they had a real good restaurant. My daddy like to take us all there for steak sandwiches. I still remember how good they was. Now, I been hearing stories about things what went on in this hotel involving ladies of the evening. I guess I didn't know about it back then 'cause I never had no need to find out. Them steak sandwiches was good enough for me.

Old Coal Chute

Y'all know trains use to run on coal. And, of course, they had to pick up more coal along the way--they couldn't carry enough with them to make them long journeys they went on. One of the places what held coal for them to get along the way were McComb. When I were just a boy the old coal chute catched on fire and burnt up. It took more'n two weeks for it all to burn. I were crossing over the bridge called the overhead bridge and stood there to watch the flames. A fellow standing beside me got a hole burnt in his britches when a hot cinder come flying out (about 50 yards) and landed just above his knee. The hole were bigger than a 50c piece. Now they got a new coal chute made out of concrete. Ain't no trains using coal no more though.
Note from Hollis: Several people have told me they left comments that did not come through. If you want to comment or just straighten Uncle Harvey Lee out, he has a Facebook page under: Harvey Lee Whitmire. Please leave a message.

Cowboys at the Palace

Me and Dorothy been riding around McComb, a bigger town in the next county. I taken a few photos with my new iPhone and I'm gonna be talking to y'all about them over the next few days. Today I'm talking about the Palace Theater, what were a great place to watch picture shows particular on Saturday. You can see from the picture how bad it's done got. A lot of McComb are like that today. But back then (in the 1940's) on Saturday some of the cowboys what were in the picture show, they were showing that day, would show up and put on a little show themself. Sometime they would just talk but other times they would twirl their guns or crack their whips or spin their lassoes. One day we was having high school football practice and I looked up in the stands and seen Don Red Berry, one of my favorites, sitting in the stands. He stood out 'cause of his cowboy outfit and pearl handle guns. I went over and talked to him and all this led to him coming down into the shower room after we finished and meeting all the players. He were just wandering around while the movies were showing; biding his time till he went on stage. He offered us a ride in his car, what were one of them station wagons with wood on the side, and about twelve of us piled in. Some even rode on the running boards. He got us in back stage and we seen his little gun-twirling act from back there. A lot of other stars, peoples like Lash Larue, come to the Palace. Now, as you can see from the picture, ain't nobody coming.

Hershey

I had a lot of dogs over the years and ain't bought nary a one. They come up to see me and I can't help but to feed 'em something and they seems to want to hang around. I reckon I know what's causing them to stay but like I say I can't seem to help myself. One time I had eight dogs hanging around; all shapes and sizes and all dispositions. Some liked to bark and cause a disturbance and some was a quiet as could be. But they all had one thing in common; they was loyal. Hollis give me this new, what they calls, a iPhone and I been taking pictures with it. One of the shots were of Hershey, a dog what come up last year. Hershey warn't nothing but a bag of bones when he walked up into my yard. You can see from the picture I got him in real good shape. Now that dog won't leave my side. One of Willie's daughters come to stay in the big house while me and Dorothy was on our honeymoon and she telled us, when we got back, how Hershey wouldn't hardly eat nothing and walked around like he were wondering what had happened to his world. Now we back and he's happy. Yesterday, another dog come up. I reckon he'll stay too. You understand I don't do no advertising. It's all word of mouth.