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Arts and Entertainment The Grits Eaters - Chapter 8 (A Novel by Clarence Love Morrison, Jr.)
Arts and Entertainment The Grits Eaters - Chapter 8 (A Novel by Clarence Love Morrison, Jr.)
Written by Clarence Love Morrison, Jr. Tuesday, 27 December 2005 03:27
The Grits Eaters
A Novel
by Clarence Love Morrison, Jr.
A Novel
by Clarence Love Morrison, Jr.
CHAPTER 8
THE ROUND-UP
THE ROUND-UP
Early the next morning, immediately
after he had finished his breakfast, Arch saddled his mule and began
the round-up of all cattle he could find bearing his father's mark and
brand. His father had always branded his cattle with a big "M" on
the cow's right hind quarter. This distinguishing brand,
accompanied with an ear mark of a swallow fork in the right ear and a
crop on the left ear, clearly identified the owner of each cow.
The round-up required several days of hard riding, searching the woods
for miles around to locate the animals which had wandered away seeking
good grazing. The piney woods provided wire grass, but the cattle
would wander about seeking new growth that resulted from the woods
fires which Arch knew the different cattle owners set in the early fall
to encourage the grass to grow early. Cattle would find these
burns and feed in these areas until they had consumed the early growth,
leaving only the tough range grass that remained to grow to maturity.
Soon he had a large herd of cattle rounded up and penned. While he was confident he had the majority of his father's cattle, he realized he would locate more after he had branded and marked the ones he had rounded up. He then began the hard work of marking and branding the calves which followed the older cattle. To mark and brand the larger of these animals was a big job and he really needed assistance, but since he didn't have anyone to help he would have to accomplish it alone.
Remembering how he had seen it done by the northern farmers who had larger animals to handle, he built a pen using pine poles. On one side he built a narrow break with a gate inside the pen to close the break. He placed another gate at the other end of the break with a hole in it that would be big enough for a cow to stick their head through. He then anchored a pole in the ground that would pivot to a vertical position when it was pulled to the side, thereby reducing the size of the hole. When an animal attempted to escape, they would stick their head in the hole. When he pulled the pole against the animal's neck it would prevent the animal from backing up or going through the hole in the gate. He could then secure the pole against the animal's neck and proceed with the branding and marking. However, when it was a bull calf he would take a short rope and tie it to the animal's tail. He would then pull the tail up over the animal's head and secure the rope to the fence. With the tail tied in this manner the animal couldn't kick, and Arch could then proceed with the job of converting the bull to a steer. To avoid the possibility of an infection or screwworms, Arch would coat the raw parts of the animal with gum turpentine which was collected by skinning a pine tree and cutting a gash, allowing the gum to run. He knew the gum would blister the raw exposed cuts and no doubt cause great pain to the animal, but it was necessary because he didn't have time to be catching calves to treat screwworms. It was a slow job for one man, but during the next several days he would rise early and return late each day, completely exhausted, but with a satisfying sense of accomplishment. Each day as he marked and branded the cattle, he diligently maintained a record of each animal, being careful to write down a description of each. He was proud when he realized he had twenty-three grown cows, fifteen mixed calves and two grown bulls. He would capture one of the bulls and castrate him when he could find someone to assist him. This was too much of a job to accomplish by himself. In the meantime he would watch the bull and make sure no one else tried to make him their own.
There were plenty of hogs in the swamp, so he built a trap pen, baited it with corn, and caught several hogs each night. He would release the sows and pigs after they had been marked and the boars castrated. When he caught a fat barrow, he would kill it for meat. The thinner ones were placed in a pen, and after being fed corn for a few weeks, they too were butchered. Soon the smokehouse contained meat sufficient to feed the family throughout the winter and spring.
Now he began the job of clearing the fence rows and patching the fences where necessary. Soon he would begin breaking the ground in his fields to make them ready to plant immediately after Easter Sunday. His father had taught him to wait until after Easter to plant since it seldom got very cold after the holiday. This was his plan for the next year subject to changes he couldn't anticipate now.
Once when he was returning home after patching fences all day, he heard loud talking in the direction of the house. When he got closer, he saw a man talking loudly, gesturing with his hands, demanding that his sister and stepmother leave immediately. Cursing, stomping his feet and waving his hands in a threatening manner, he told them he would do them bodily harm if they didn't leave the farm.
He was a big man, neatly dressed with polished boots and a big felt hat. His horse, tied to a bush nearby in the yard, was a fine animal and his saddle and bridle would lead one to think this man was a man of means. Arch heard him say, "I am going to run you squatters off this land and I plan to live here myself. I don't need you rednecks living here messing up this place. Do you hear me, you old bitches?"
The man wasn't aware that Arch had come up and was listening to his boastful and derogatory remarks to the two women. When he turned and saw Arch standing there with his rifle in his arms, his attitude changed immediately and he became quieter, lowering his voice. When he spoke again it was directed to Arch. Stammering, he said, "I didn't know you were there. I was just telling these ladies that I had bought this property and they would have to leave."
Arch just smiled, but the expression on his face reflected the fire that had been ignited by this man. The man saw this and became afraid, realizing Arch would hurt him if he got close enough. Then he saw that Arch was holding a rifle, which made the situation more frightening. Arch said quietly, "Mister, I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't give a damn, but this property was bought by my father a long time ago from the federal government, and if I ever catch you on the west side of the Sopchoppy River again I'll feed you to a gator. Now my advice to you is to apologize to the ladies, get your stinking Yankee ass on that horse and ride out of here as fast as he can carry you because the longer I see your sorry face the madder I get. In just about one more minute I am going to shoot your damned head off. Do you understand me?"
Before Arch could finish, the man realized he had made a terrible mistake coming to this farm; it wasn't like the others he had approached. This man would hurt him, if he didn't kill him. He quickly tipped his hat to the ladies, backed away from the front door, and grabbed the reins of the horse. As it began to move, he mounted hurriedly, crouching low in the saddle as if he expected to be shot in the back. Without looking back, he rode away in a gallop.
As the rider disappeared, Arch turned to his sister and quietly said, "Don't you ever let any carpetbagging son-of-a-bitch talk to you like that again. If it ever happens again just take your pistol and shoot the bastard. I'll get rid of him when I get home and no one will ever know what happened."
With these words he turned and disappeared in the direction of the barn, proceeding with the task he had previously planned. He had known this would happen, but that one wouldn't be back if he knew what was good for him. He really wasn't ready to start anything at this time, there was too much to do, but he didn't plan on avoiding this kind of trouble for if he did, then others would think they, too, could impose on them.
Weeks later, nothing had been heard from the man he had run away. Arch was certain that word had gotten around that their farm wasn't up for grabs, and anyone who had designs on it should be prepared for trouble.
As the weeks passed, his fields began taking shape and Arch decided they would be ready to plant immediately after Easter. He always remembered the advice his father had given him. Wait until after Easter to begin committing your seed to the ground. His father's knowledge had been gained over a lifetime, and Arch intended to follow this sound advice his father had given to him many years ago.
About the Author
This chapter originally published on December 26, 2005.
Soon he had a large herd of cattle rounded up and penned. While he was confident he had the majority of his father's cattle, he realized he would locate more after he had branded and marked the ones he had rounded up. He then began the hard work of marking and branding the calves which followed the older cattle. To mark and brand the larger of these animals was a big job and he really needed assistance, but since he didn't have anyone to help he would have to accomplish it alone.
Remembering how he had seen it done by the northern farmers who had larger animals to handle, he built a pen using pine poles. On one side he built a narrow break with a gate inside the pen to close the break. He placed another gate at the other end of the break with a hole in it that would be big enough for a cow to stick their head through. He then anchored a pole in the ground that would pivot to a vertical position when it was pulled to the side, thereby reducing the size of the hole. When an animal attempted to escape, they would stick their head in the hole. When he pulled the pole against the animal's neck it would prevent the animal from backing up or going through the hole in the gate. He could then secure the pole against the animal's neck and proceed with the branding and marking. However, when it was a bull calf he would take a short rope and tie it to the animal's tail. He would then pull the tail up over the animal's head and secure the rope to the fence. With the tail tied in this manner the animal couldn't kick, and Arch could then proceed with the job of converting the bull to a steer. To avoid the possibility of an infection or screwworms, Arch would coat the raw parts of the animal with gum turpentine which was collected by skinning a pine tree and cutting a gash, allowing the gum to run. He knew the gum would blister the raw exposed cuts and no doubt cause great pain to the animal, but it was necessary because he didn't have time to be catching calves to treat screwworms. It was a slow job for one man, but during the next several days he would rise early and return late each day, completely exhausted, but with a satisfying sense of accomplishment. Each day as he marked and branded the cattle, he diligently maintained a record of each animal, being careful to write down a description of each. He was proud when he realized he had twenty-three grown cows, fifteen mixed calves and two grown bulls. He would capture one of the bulls and castrate him when he could find someone to assist him. This was too much of a job to accomplish by himself. In the meantime he would watch the bull and make sure no one else tried to make him their own.
There were plenty of hogs in the swamp, so he built a trap pen, baited it with corn, and caught several hogs each night. He would release the sows and pigs after they had been marked and the boars castrated. When he caught a fat barrow, he would kill it for meat. The thinner ones were placed in a pen, and after being fed corn for a few weeks, they too were butchered. Soon the smokehouse contained meat sufficient to feed the family throughout the winter and spring.
Now he began the job of clearing the fence rows and patching the fences where necessary. Soon he would begin breaking the ground in his fields to make them ready to plant immediately after Easter Sunday. His father had taught him to wait until after Easter to plant since it seldom got very cold after the holiday. This was his plan for the next year subject to changes he couldn't anticipate now.
Once when he was returning home after patching fences all day, he heard loud talking in the direction of the house. When he got closer, he saw a man talking loudly, gesturing with his hands, demanding that his sister and stepmother leave immediately. Cursing, stomping his feet and waving his hands in a threatening manner, he told them he would do them bodily harm if they didn't leave the farm.
He was a big man, neatly dressed with polished boots and a big felt hat. His horse, tied to a bush nearby in the yard, was a fine animal and his saddle and bridle would lead one to think this man was a man of means. Arch heard him say, "I am going to run you squatters off this land and I plan to live here myself. I don't need you rednecks living here messing up this place. Do you hear me, you old bitches?"
The man wasn't aware that Arch had come up and was listening to his boastful and derogatory remarks to the two women. When he turned and saw Arch standing there with his rifle in his arms, his attitude changed immediately and he became quieter, lowering his voice. When he spoke again it was directed to Arch. Stammering, he said, "I didn't know you were there. I was just telling these ladies that I had bought this property and they would have to leave."
Arch just smiled, but the expression on his face reflected the fire that had been ignited by this man. The man saw this and became afraid, realizing Arch would hurt him if he got close enough. Then he saw that Arch was holding a rifle, which made the situation more frightening. Arch said quietly, "Mister, I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't give a damn, but this property was bought by my father a long time ago from the federal government, and if I ever catch you on the west side of the Sopchoppy River again I'll feed you to a gator. Now my advice to you is to apologize to the ladies, get your stinking Yankee ass on that horse and ride out of here as fast as he can carry you because the longer I see your sorry face the madder I get. In just about one more minute I am going to shoot your damned head off. Do you understand me?"
Before Arch could finish, the man realized he had made a terrible mistake coming to this farm; it wasn't like the others he had approached. This man would hurt him, if he didn't kill him. He quickly tipped his hat to the ladies, backed away from the front door, and grabbed the reins of the horse. As it began to move, he mounted hurriedly, crouching low in the saddle as if he expected to be shot in the back. Without looking back, he rode away in a gallop.
As the rider disappeared, Arch turned to his sister and quietly said, "Don't you ever let any carpetbagging son-of-a-bitch talk to you like that again. If it ever happens again just take your pistol and shoot the bastard. I'll get rid of him when I get home and no one will ever know what happened."
With these words he turned and disappeared in the direction of the barn, proceeding with the task he had previously planned. He had known this would happen, but that one wouldn't be back if he knew what was good for him. He really wasn't ready to start anything at this time, there was too much to do, but he didn't plan on avoiding this kind of trouble for if he did, then others would think they, too, could impose on them.
Weeks later, nothing had been heard from the man he had run away. Arch was certain that word had gotten around that their farm wasn't up for grabs, and anyone who had designs on it should be prepared for trouble.
As the weeks passed, his fields began taking shape and Arch decided they would be ready to plant immediately after Easter. He always remembered the advice his father had given him. Wait until after Easter to begin committing your seed to the ground. His father's knowledge had been gained over a lifetime, and Arch intended to follow this sound advice his father had given to him many years ago.
About the Author
 |
Clarence
Love Morrison, Jr. is a native of Wakulla County,
Florida. He was born in Sopchoppy, Florida on June 28, 1927, and
raised in Crawfordville, Florida. He now resides on Lake Ellen in
Medart, Florida. He is a true Wakulla County individual who has
lived in the county his entire life, except for a brief period during
the latter part of World War II when he served as a merchant
seaman. Following an accident which left him partially crippled,
he became an
employee of the State of Florida and retired after 35 years of
service. He is married to the former Wilhelmina White and they
are the parents
of three children, and the prould grandparents of 10 grandchildren. A natural storyteller, Morrison can entertain for hours with tales of his ancestors and the history of Wakulla County. This book is a work of fiction, but it is based on the life of Morrison's grandfather, Archibald Graham Morrison. |
This chapter originally published on December 26, 2005.
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