Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-07-07
Grits and Gravel
(By T. MOSES JONES'


been down for couple of weeks and
it had been written some days before
it was mailed, as the date of writing
and the date of postmark were some
distance apart. also think that after
the writer wrote it, that he got cold
feet and signed a tic-ficious, or a
fictitious name, as the places where
his name appeared had been erased
and rewritten. But anyway, whoever
wrote there it is, and I am asking
operator and proof7reader to please
leave as it was written. But I am go
ing to "Pint it off, as requested, with
punctuation.
"Kittrell, N. C..
June 10, 1898.
Dear r. Moses:
The first thing I want to tell you
about is myself, SO you will know who
this is from. My name is |. Mike
Bradshaw. People that know me call
me Bud. So this is from I. Bud Brad
shaw. I am not quite 8 #. tall, don't
weigh 200 lbs, my hat size is not
over a no. 8, and I wear small IL
shoe. Sometimes think I will change
my name to Mike Longfellow.
I read your letter in Dispatch, and
sometime back you spoke of remem-
bering so far back. couldn't help but
think of one of our neighbor boys.
We were talking about how far back
we could remember. He spoke up and
said that wont nothing, he could re-
member when his papa and mamma
was married. That was some remem-
bering.
You wrote about the hail storm in
1881. Yes, remember my Pa said
the hail stones was so big and hard
that they made scars on rock Chin
ney and the scars was there not so
many years back. Also 1881 was the
year of big snow. I don't quite remem-
Der the snow, as that was the year
I was born. / heard my father speak
of it.
I was born in Franklin county the
year Vance was formed You said
something in one of your letters
about kin folks. guess everybody
has some good kin folks and some
not so good. Me and my wife get to
talking about what kin is Cousin
David to his mothers fathers sisters
great uncles grand pas grand daddy.
tell her all know is he is Miss
Fannies goats Willies Bill, or certain
ly he belongs to the Caucasian race or
there about.
Mrs. Thompson says she likes to
read about old things. I live nea.
Plank Chapel church, but she knows
more about the church than 1 do. It
was the first plank church built in
N. G. I have several old things. One
is a steel blade with brass handle to
punch button holes, for any size but
ton. It was made in 1918. l have an
old Seth Thomas clock with all
wheels made of maple wood except
one, and that is made of brass. Also
flax upsetter, the date on that is
1919.
l have three spinning wheels with
J. B. on them. I was told Ma. Joe
Bledsoe made them. My mother used
to card and spin thread, also knit. I
used to hold hanks. of thread for her
to wind into balls. My wifes mother
started up the old spinning wheel not
so many years back and there was 8
or cats sleep around the fire place.
She turned the wheel and it begun to
zue. She heard scratching noise be-
hind her. She looked around and
every cat made for, the door at the
same time. The door was shut so she
decided to open it. When she did
there was a ball of cats all going out
at the same time.
Yes, 1 have a hobby, collecting In
dian relics and arrow points. 1 guess
n oil NE
would be over one bushel in all.
have axes, tomahaks, drills that they.
drilled holes through other rocks,
grinding rocks that they ground corn
and berries to make paint to paint
their faces, and all sizes shapes, and
colors of arrow points.
Also hoes, spears, and beads, have
one point or flint was here before the
Indians. I have some handles of soap
stone that was broken off of pots
they cooked in and some pieces of
clay pots they nodded from clay and
burnt same in.
/ have lots of arrow points fasten-
ed on boards with copper wire, and
hang them on wall have an old
loom they used to make cloth with,
a spoke back chair said to be $50
years old, a shop made pillow and
point, and lots of other old relics. An
old colored woman gave me pair Of
scissors she said DR.. Aston (Mr. Wal
ter Alstons father) brought from Ra :
leigh in 1850, before the Civil War.
l have old razor bought in 184S.
They said three come in set and sold
for $4,000. And some old wills whef =
the slaves was willed to certain ones
in the family. So much for the old
things.
And as I was going to say, my
health gave way three years ago. The
Drs. told me to have my teeth pulled,
and I did; and to have my .tonsils re-
moved, and I did. So / began to i'm
prove, and 1 had some false teeth
made. And I want to tell you there
is three things will never get use
to: one is mules riding on trucks; wo-
men smoking cigarettes; and these
! false teeth.
| One more thing and I am through.
l was up tree one time cutting off
limbs, and Mr.. Bobbitt came along
| the road. When he saw me up the
tree, he stopped and said "Son, if you
- fol- e.