In a message dated 2/28/99 6:09:30 PM !!!First Boot!!!, jlawson@newwave.net writes: << Folks, please change your subject lines to match what's in your posts >> great suggestion!!!

Is anyone familiar with a place called "POOR FORK" in either eastern Ky. or SW Va. ?

The drinking of alcoholic spirits has been a way of life throughout history of man. Some of the earliest permanent buildings in this country were Inns and Taverns where a person could go to socialize. Pioneer families made their own home brew. One of the oldest drinks was "mead" and was made with honey. It was often heated in a cone shaped container called a "beer mauler" placed in the fireplace. The secret of any good beer was in the yeast used. An ale or stout yeast was fairly active and is a "top acting" yeast. Yeast used in lager beers was "bottom acting" and less rapid. Regular baker's yeast worked too rapid and made terrible tasting beer. How these early settlers cultivated their yeast is a lost art today and just another example of what they had to go through when everything they did was from "scratch". Personally, I like the smell of beer, but then again, I like Kim Chee. (Oriental fermented cabbage). When I was growing up in Tazewell County, I did not have far to go buy a fruit jar of good brew. I just had to watch out for Sheriff Ed McGlothlin or Trooper Andes. (Mr. Andes passed away a few months back. He and Mr. McGlothlin were the local law enforcement there for many years) Sheriff McGlothlin was in an OK Corral type shoot out in Boissevain in the 1940's. He won but was shot several times.

I have been away for the past couple of days and I thought I would send a few remembrances out to shake the cobwebs out of your minds. My father and his father, both did everything on the farm according to the almanac signs. From when to breed livestock,ween young stock from mothers, 'Cut' young mail animals, plant crops, dig root crops (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, etc..), start seedlings for planting vegetables and flowers, and digging annual bulbs and roots up to store for the winter and a couple of others I don't remember right now. I remember a few remedies my mother had for us kids: Turpentine & sugar applied to where we stepped on nails, and then tied on with a strip torn from a flour sack. Buttermilk put on sunburns The heated whiskey, lemon and sugar drink for sore throats Casteroil for anything that you complained of Blair Liniment for sore muscles ( I still use this today when I can get her to send me some) Some kind of worm medicine when we complained of feeling run down and lifeless Spider webs for stopping bleeding Cold spoon or cloth on the back of the neck for Nose bleeds I remember one year back in the mid 50's my mother took some of us over to Jefferson, NC to visit my 'little' Mamma, on the train from Abingdon. My sister had some worts on her hand at the time. There was on old woman riding over the mountains with us and noticed them. She took a string and loosely tied them around each one and said something as she did this. She told my mother that they would disappear in about a week. And she was right they did. This was my only encounter with what my mother called 'Mountain Witches'. She used to enthrall us with many tails of good witches from back in the Mountains as a youngster. I think this was a trait from the Scotch-Irish and German Mix. Bobby Vencill New Market, Md

When I was a "wee tot" I would sit by my grandfather's knee and listen while he and his uncle told stories from their childhood. Around 1915 they attended a baptism at Tumbling Creek Church. As the entire congregation gathered on the banks of the river to observe the baptism, the "town drunk" staggered by and wanted to see what all the commotion was about. As he wandered closer to the riverbank to get a better view, he didn't notice that the river had undercut the portion of the bank he was standing on. About the same time that the minister finished praying and immersed the new convert into the water, the bank (and the drunk) fell into the water. The new convert came out of the water, threw up his arms, and said, "I've seen the Lord Jesus Christ!" The drunk called out, "You're a durn liar! It was a mud turtle...I seen it myself!" My grandfather said this resulted in the worst whipping his father ever gave him...because he laughed out loud at a baptism! Kim Hagy

COMMERCIAL AND UNRELATED POST TO THIS LIST IS PROHIBITED. THE PROHIBITION IS STATED IN THE WELCOME STATEMENT AND IN THE TAGLINES. THOSE WHO MAKE SUCH POST ARE REMOVED FROM THE LIST. -sysop Here a program that let you speak on the Internet for free. So no long distant charges. I don't know if any of you all have used I-phone, but its like that, but better. I don't work for this company in anyway. I thought it would be a great way to talk to people that I know and find connect with in family you are looking for out there. My number is 1 803 shrader You can get this program at http://www.mediaring.com/mrtalk99/ Yours, Scott Shrader ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== #8 Anyone interested and researching SW VA and Appalachian history might be interested in the Fincastle History Forum list. Contact Edgar at ehoward@conknet.com or swvaroot@swva.net for a copy of the rules. Feminism AIN'T ladylike

Well, here is my contribution: Before the days of the information super highway, I did all of my research by traveling around the country and I met some interesting Harrells, Harrolds etc...Once I went over to Thompsons Valley in Tazewell County and had a great lunch with Abb Harrell and his wife..and after lunch..we sat on his front porch and chewed tobacco and spat down the mountainside...He told me about one of his ancestors, Uncle Will Harrell and his drinking buddy..I don't remember his buddys name..but they would ride their horses, shoot their pistols and pass the likker' bottle back and forth..When one saw that the other one was going to get the last drink from the bottle he would pull his pistol and shoot the bottle out of his mouth and hand...They did this all the time..until.....one time Uncle Wills' buddy pulled his pistol to shoot the bottle...and..shot Will in the neck...He immediately got Will to a doctor..and the Dr.said there was nothing he could do for him...they placed him on a cot...to die...Wills buddy..left..The sheriff came and, thinking he had shot Will on purpose tried to arrest him..and in the process shot him..He was taken to the same doctor who told them there was nothing he could do. They put him on a cot beside Uncle Will and the two lay there and talked until they died, with never a cross word, they were buddies to the end!!! G. Lee Hearl Ye Ole Storyteller.... Abingdon, Va...

Well some folks would say I should not share the following letter, but it has long intrigued me and thought maybe someone on the list would know of the people involved. on the envelope:M J Larkin, General Merchandise, Stile, Virginia Yuma, VA Jan 9, 1907 & a 2 cent Washington Stamp (following is as it appears spelling and punctuation) more post marks on the back E sville, Tenn Dec 10 1907 & Church Hill, Tenn Jan 11, 1907 (so did it take a year to get there? or did the E--something town forget to change the month? Church Hill, Tenn, Jan 8, 1907 Mr. R L Jeter, Dear Sir as it is an impossibility for us to agree. you will please take everything out of my shop that belongs to you and if you want to hall any thing out of on your fields next to me you go some other way besides across my place and you will also get watter some whare else now this you must shure do as I cannot put up with your class any longer. If my wife is not worthy of coming in your yard you nor none of your family can tress pass on me now you will please obey this notice R E L Ford. you will pleas pay me what you ow me at once Teresa jatsh@msn.com Hughes, Clark, Capwell, Bennick, Schaub PA/FL Anderson, Horton, Herron Jeter, Snapp, VA/TN/FL

-----Original Message----- From: Edward Boggs [SMTP:scotlandforever@webtv.net] Sent: Sunday, February 28, 1999 2:08 PM To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Good Guys/Bad Guys Any family stories from these areas in regards to family heroes/villans you would like to share with the list? (or just a colorful character ?) ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== #1 When you have a new email address please UNSUBSCRIBE from the old BEFORE you lose it; and SUBCRIBE from the NEW address as soon as you get access to it. If you fail to do this please send the old and new address to: ehoward@conknet.com and the Mailing List name -sysop [Pam Moehling] Hi, I just heard from a fellow BURKE researcher about 3 weeks ago..He asked me if I knew WHY our BURKE family moved out of Guilford County, NC...I said no, I hadn't heard... well he said that my gr-gr-grandfather, John Washington BURKE's, daughter murdered a colored person and so they all up and left Guilford County real quick...he's trying to find further information about this murder or killing and the details... John Washington's son Charles Henry BURKE was right there when Stonewall Jackson was shot...saw it happen... Another son who was a Doctor had been treating his sister...and happened to be out of town on business..while he was gone the sister became very ill and she died..when he returned after being gone several days the family was in mourning and told him of the terrible news...He went bezerky..ran to the gravesite..had the body dug up and sure enough..there was the proof..His sister wasn't dead (when buried) she was in a diabetic coma..and she evidently came out of it after being buried..of course it was much too late by then..they said he never forgave himself until he died for not sharing her condition with at least someone in the family...

Howdy all; I just got to tell this one about my dad. If he were alive he would be 114 years old but he has been gone for a spell. He was accused of having the 'best' garden in Tazewell County. While being very careful to plant 'by the sign', he wouldn't discuss his methods very much. A friend came by one day and ask, Mathes, what sign do you plant ( a vegetable) in? Dad snorted like an old bull and said, "I don't plant in the sign, I plant in the ground." David. M. Burke deburgh@scescape.net

Just stirring the pot a bit, eddie (meaning changing the suject to refresh things) thannxx-e.g.b

Any family stories from these areas in regards to family heroes/villans you would like to share with the list? (or just a colorful character ?)

My new address will be: 103 Park Drive Narrows, VA 24124 (pronounced Nairs) Someone coined it my "Wolf Creek Lair" . I will still have the two same email addresses: ehoward@conknet.com swvaroot@swva.net I leave NH Thursday afternoon and should be in SW VA by Friday afternoon. -sysop Feminism AIN'T ladylike

Looking for Benjamin Franklin Hanes' father, name unknown. Brother by the name of Carl. Benjamin died in NC around Lexington. Lived in Rhodell, WV around 1926-31 then moved to Reedy Creek, NC approx. 10 miles from Lexington. I guess he could be found Forsyth Co. NC or Davidson Co., NC. Had a son named Clyde Franklin who was my grandfather but died 2 months before my mother was born. He had several brothers and sisters named-Bessie, Odell. Looking mainly for Benjamin's father. Have been unable to find but a generation or 2 past him there are Benjamin Franklin Hanes' that I feel are related I just can't tie together until I find Ben' father. If you have ever heard on any of these please let me know. Thaknk you. beckyb5@ibm.net

Eddie: I have to say this list is the BEST! I am on several and this one is the only really "fun" one I am on. The rest mostly deal with just statistics and some occasionally get "testy", although there are many helpful people out there. This list encourages learning all about our families; ie: the maps, the clothing, the remedies, the food, the books, etc. Thanks again for fostering such discussions. Besides that, it stimulates our memories, right? Have a smooth move to Narrows.Guess I need to look that up on the map. Speaking of maps, I got your message and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of mine. Thanks again, Diane

Folks, please change your subject lines to match what's in your posts. How much genealogy has gone through this list the past few days labeled "Kings Mountain" or "Home remedies" because someone just hit "reply" and didn't pay attention to what the subject line was? Many of us will never know what we may have missed because there were just too many to deal with so we just deleted some of these posts without reading them. Jean

I do remember that my Grandmother Patsy Horn Vance, and her milk cows. Her cows would go down into the mountain fields, and come back with scratches on their Utters. This made it hard to milk, because it hurt when they were touched. She would take Sulfur and Lard, mix this together and then apply it to the Cows Utter's. This would aid in healing and make it easier for her to milk the next time. She always had little can's of salve also. These were in tin cans. I loved to look at those little tins when I was small. I have no ideal what was in them now. But they did stink. I remember one look black? I have no ideal what it was though. Kathy, Researching on Davis, Stewart, Vance, Horn, Mullins, Lesters, Mullins, Rifes, Bakers,

A few weeks ago, I finished reading "The Allegheny Frontier." It dedicated a whole chapter to remedies and doctoring. Here are some of the more humorous ones: PAIN IN THE FEET: Turn your shoes bottom side up before going to bed. CHAPPED LIPS: Kiss the middle rail of a five rail fence. SKIN ERRUPTIONS: "The treatment of erysipelas, or St. Anthony's fire, which resulted from a hemalytic strptococcic infection, required the blood of a black cat. Consequently, in many areas it was difficult to find a black cat with both its ears and its tail, since most of them had sacrificed those appendages to the cause of medicine." SNAKEBITE: "One method consisted of capturing the snake, cutting it into pieces about two inches long, placing the pieces on the wound to draw out the poison, and then burning them to ashes as a kind of revenge." My grandmother raised seven children, and was often out too far away from the doctor for minor things such as cuts that required stitches. So, she'd do it herself. When she had rambunctious grandchildren and was afraid we'd get hurt "if we didn't quit tearing around," she'd threaten that she'd have to sew us up with PURPLE THREAD. We knew she didn't mean it, because she always delivered the threat with a smile. Today, she is still threatening the great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Cheers, Sharon

<Just wondering. Was it the Scot/Irish who innovated the remedy historically known as "moonshine" ? I was told my g-grandfather conjured up some of this moutain dew now and then.>>> EXCELLENT question. Given that the Scot/Irish tended to live up the hollows and on the ridges (maybe like their homeland) and that being where the moonshiners were, I think it very likely that were was a connection. Also, the Scots and Irish are more associated with distilled spirits (Scotch whisky and Irish whisky) than the Germans who drank wine and beer. The question I have is why did the Germans not bring their wine making skills with them. Or the appetite for it. They became Baptist and Methodist instead. -eddie Feminism AIN'T ladylike

Hi ya all, Dh gave me this one even before our kids were born. We were newlyweds. I was ironing hs fatigues (he was in Army) and I burnt my arm on the iron. He thinly sliced a potato put it on the burn and wrapped it in gauze. By the next morning the skin was barely pink and did not blister. When our oldest was about 12 or 13 he got the top of his feet badly sunburned. My dh shaved a potato and put it on top of the feet. We were camping so the only thing he could wrap it with was damp paper towel and then tore a t shirt up for final wrap. Next morning nor burn, potatoes were black. The starch in the potato pulls the burn out. I am now looking for FERGUSON/MOORE in Kentucy and Missouri in mid 1800's. Marge