Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia

from The McCoys

TRUDA WILLIAMS MCCOY 397 THE MCCOYs: THEIR STORYAs TOLD TO THE AUTHOR BY EYE WiTNESSES AND DESCENDANTS (1976) from Chapter 4, Roseanna McCoy Election day in the hills of Kentucky was always a day to look forward to. It was the only day in the year that everybody met everybody else. Friends and enemies, Republicans and Democrats, the poor and the well-to-do (nobody was considered rich), the respected people of the community and the ones not so well respected. Everybody went to the elections. Whisky was always plentiful: Sparkling moonshine as clear as the mountain streams, but singing a more potent song. Part of it was brought to the election ground by the voters, but most of it was furnished by the leaders of the two parties in the attempt to influence the voters in their favor. Baskets of food were brought by the womenfolk, so that there was never a lack of something to eat or drink. By sunup most ofthe voters (men over twenty-one), and younger men were already gathered, dressed in their best "Sunday go to Meetin" clothes and best felt hats. They came singly or in groups, laughing and bantering good-naturedly. By noon most of the women had gathered, dressed in gaily colored dresses ofprint calico and wearing soft woolen shawls when the weather was chilly, the middle-aged and older women wearing huge sunbonnets with tails reaching to their shoulders. The young, or unmarried, women usually went bareheaded. Always at election time there were a dozen or more women (old or married, which was about the same thing), carrying baskets of gingerbread which they sold "one fer a nickel er three fer a dime" in order to make a little extra money for a few yards of calico, a picture for the wall, a vase to hold their flowers. Among the crowd of men and women were children laughing, talking and munching ginger cookies. When the men became thirsty, most of them retired to a shade and took a dram ofwhite liquor. Any old timer could hook his forefinger in the handle of a gallon jug and, with a peculiar twist of the wrist, throw the jug over his hand, raising it to his mouth with one movement . Women and children resorted to water to quench their thirst. Respectable mountain women didn't drink whisky except (perhaps a small sip) 398 LISTEN HERE in the privacy oftheir own homes. No respectable woman was ever known to become drunk, since drunkenness and respectability did not go together. A crowd of McCoys were gathered on the election ground at one side ofthe building, talking with their friends. On the opposite side of the building were the Hatfields. Some were drinking in good fellowship and arguing in a friendly way with each other. "Hey there, don't be stingy with your likker," called out a voice as a good-looking, sandy-haired young man came up. "Howdy, Johnse," they chorused, "here's the likker, don't drink it all, though." Johnse took the jug, hooked his forefinger in its ear, and with one movement had the jug to his mouth. He drank long and deeply. Old Jim Vance winked at another member of the dan and turning to Johnse said, "You're larnin, Johnse, by heck. Twon't be long till ye can drink with any of us old hands." Johnse laughed at the praise and asked, "Are ye jealous, Uncle Jim?" "No," Vance assured him, "but you're too young to be a-drinkin so much. Put too much likker in a young feller and he's liable to start anything. Likker is something you got to let grow on yeo Take a little at first and after awhile ye can take more and more of it. Come to think of it, likker is a lot like women; you don't want to take too many ofem right at the start; go slow till ye learn their ways-then spread out. Likker's fun. So's women." "Likker was made to drink," Johnse replied. "In fact, that's all it is good for, that I've ever heard of." Several of the crowd laughed loudly and slapped Johnse on the back good-naturedly. "You're right, Boy. Drink the stuffand don't wait for a snake to bite ye for an excuse." "Or put in bitters like the women folks do." Johnse was still arguing in a friendly way with Vance when he...