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Che Summeruille News
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CHAPTER SIX
THE MOON OF THE COPPERHEAD
The Hounds had called a time out.
The rain came down in buckets.
Truck Gross rested on one knee. He could hardly see
the stands. The rain was blowing in great sheets. ‘‘Blast!"
he said loudly.
“Why blast?"" asked Skee Farnsworth, looming like a
ghostly scarecrow in the white mist.
“If I hadn’t missed the passer, he never would have
gotten the ball off!”
“Well,” put in Sam Parker, ‘‘Nobody's blaming you
because you slipped down, buddy."
But Truck would not be consoled. ‘‘Blast! Blast!
Blast!"” he pounded himself on the helmet.
Joe Merlin looked over his offense. Drenched, muddy,
bedraggled, they were down 14-zip, and it was only the first
quarter. ‘‘Relax, Truck. If I hadn’t thrown the ball to the
wronf colored jersey, we wouldn't be here in the first place.
Besides, we've got a lot more ball %(ame to go.”
‘““Aw, come on, Joe. That ball's like a wet gar of soap,”
said Smoke Cunningham.
“Yeah,"” piged up Billy Ray laassaks, ‘‘and besides,
the.ll‘l Fouts and Marino get intercepted every once in a
while.”
Joe grinned at them both through the water running
from his face mask. *‘You guys do an act, do you?"
“Do we!” said Smoke. ‘‘Listen to this. Oh Mr. laassaks,
did you hear the one about the traveling salesman and the
farmers daughter?”’
“Why, no, Mr. Cunningham, I don't believe I heard the
one about the traveling salesman and the farmer’s
daughter!"
‘Well. It seems there was this traveling salesman who
got lost near nightfall ... "
In spite of himself, Truck Gross grinned. A slow smile
began to spread over the wide face of gll-(ee Farnsworth. Joe
dropged his head, grinning.
n the sidelines, Slab Bullock was doing anything but
g}'l;inning. He had bet a wad on this ballgame. He spit into
the sheeting rain.
In the stands, Abby Merlin had her fist under her chin,
a plastic Foncho covering her. Beside her, Arthur Hallam
was similarly protected.
A few seats away, Penney Montgomery whispered to
’tll‘%r h;l'?band Theseus. ‘‘What do you think Travis will do,
es’
“One thing he won't do, honey, is panic,”” Theseus said
to his pretty, auburn haired wife.
She nodded, but thought, he panicked once, a long time
ago. It got him into more trouble than he could handle.
Further up in the stands, Holly Parker could barely
make out the players, and couldn’t tell which one was Joe.
Along the sidelines, Ansell McWilliams gazed placid
ly out over the white shrouded field.
And far away in Humber Hollow, Darris Hayes
thought he heard a noise in his basement.
’Fhe Hounds heard the noise of the referree’s whistle.
“All right, men,” said Joe Merlin, “lets see if we can
get out of this hole.”
The Hound defense along the sidelines was in agony
for the offense.
“Come on, Hounds!" yelled Luke Parsons.
“Move the ball, you guys!” screamed Mike Josephs.
Travis draped an arm around the shoulder pads of Turk
Barnes. “Turk” he said quietly, “‘when the (fefense goes
back on the field, I want the linebackers to crowd the line
of scrimmage. They aren't likely to throw the thing again,
and neither will we..."”
Turk nodded, rain running in a stream off his mask.
Travis looked sideways at the craggy face under the helmet.
The chin was thrust out. The eyes gleamed with the light
of battle. The nose was crooked and big. Not the same boy
Travis had seen in the run down house on the lane at the
edge of town.
Travis had knocked softly and had been admitted by
a thin woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Palmerston,
a neighbor. “Where's Turk?"” Travis had asked softly. She
had pointed to the bedroom door. *‘But I don’t know if you
should . . . ' Travis had silenced her with a lifted hand. He
had always done these things by instinct, and his instinct
had told him to go to Turk.
The door gave quietly to his touch. Turk was kneeling
with his arms around his father, who was sprawled across
the bed. Travis put his hands on the broad back. Turk look
ed up quickly, then jumped to his feet and put his body
between Travis and his father.
“Dad’s sick, Coach, he must have caught a virus or
something and . . . "’ he stopped because Travis was shak
ing his head so slowly.
“Turk, listen to me. I've seen men in all sorts of shapes.
Some blown to bits in Vietnam. Some blown to bit inside.
I'm not here to go tsk-tsk-tsk and lecture on how people
ought to be strong and the evils of alcohol and all that stuff.
I just thought you could use some help.”
Turk looked up into those calm (ges so brown they
seemed to fio black in certain lights. ‘‘He, he just couldn’t
take ... he started off and his face suddenly collapsed.
He took a half step forward, slid those powerful arms
around Travis' waist, leaned his head against the deep
chest, and sobbed. Travis held him word?essly.
When the storm passed, Travis said evenly, ‘‘Lets get
him into bed.”” They did. Travis had brought Kamburgers
and they ate and talked far into the night. When Travis
left, Turk knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for the
tall coach.
Now, with the rain coursing down his face, Turk grinn
ed tightly. “No problem, coach. We'll stop 'em in their
tracks.
On the field, tra%pin% and double teaming, the Hounds
took the fight to the big, fast Woodlawn team. The Hounds
hacked out three first downs and had good field position.
Joe was mixir;fl his plays well. Dink Bohannon was handl
ing the slick ball as much as Joe. The Woodlawn linebackers
were frozen momentarily until they knew which quarter
back had the ball, and that gave the Hound blockers time
to get the right blocking angles.
Ham Guest rocketed into the line between the guard
and tackle for four. Plug Short pounded the other side for
three more. Dink leasped up with the ball in his hands as
if to basketball it to Smoke Cunningham, then came down
and slipped it into the belly of Plug up the gut. It went
for seven.
Joe shook his head. What a bunch of nuts. One lousy
farmer's daughter joke and they were operating on all eight
cylinders again.
“Sam,” Joe said to the short tackle, ‘‘what’s your man
like?"
Sam sighed. “‘I think he’s on leave from the Chicago
Bears defense.”
“Can you move him?"
“Mayge three times out of five.”
“That's good enough. Truck, how about your man?”’
“He has a peculiar tendency to dive left or right to try
see A SEASON TO REMEMBER, page 4-B
By
PAUL
TREADAWAY
Copyright 1986
DISCUSSES FINSTER’S ART
Haiti Critic, Writer
Visits Summerville
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
A noted art critic and
author was the guest of Bobby
Lee “Buzz"” anfiuKaren Cook,
Summerville, late last week.
Selden Rodman, who has
written over 50 books,
authored a definitive volume
on Haitian art, ‘“The Miracle of
Haitian Art, in- 1974
Throughout his almost 80
years, he has led an adven
turous life, both as a trendset
ter in the art world and as a
resident of Haiti during the
period of rioting that
precipitated the fall of
‘President-for-Life'’ Jean-
Claude (Baby-Doc) Duvalier.
Rodman Kas written of his
ex?eriences in Haiti in two ar
ticles published this year in
“National Review."” gne ap
peared in the April issue and
another is to be published this
month.
During his interview, Rod
man commented on the
changes in Haiti, his efforts to
bring more attention to Hai
tian art, and his observations
on Pennville artist Howard
| Finster. The Cooks, who collect
Cleaning
Several Chattooga County
residents are interested in
.cleaning a cemetery found on
the Bol%ing Road right-of-wa
at the new Summerville Midd.lz
School — but they can’t locate
owner of the property to obtain
permission for the project.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Caldwell, Summerville Rte. 3,
and Martha Durham, Summer
ville Rte. 5, read a story in The
News last week about several
graves being found on the
Highway 100 right-of-way by
road crews grading the site for
passing and turn lanes and
checked out the site.
In addition to at least two
graves with markers and
several unmarked graves, they
found another marked grave in
heavy brush and weeds east of
the highway. The stone said,
“Malissie, Wife of K. Y. Dur
rah. Married Oct. 15, 1862.
Died Feb. 8, 1894. Age 53
Years.”
VISIBLE
Two stones adjacent to the
grading work were visible two
weeks a%o. One says, "Strag)
Brown, Born Dec. 10, 1848,
Died July 17, 1914."” The other
said, ‘‘Annie, Wife of S.R.
Brown, Died June 1, 1890.”
The Caldwells and Ms.
Durham said they want to
organize an effort to clear the
cemetery area of brush and
weeds and to place markers
designating the graves on the
see CEMETERY, page 2-B
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Crisis Pregnancy Center Raises $20,000
Nearly $22,000 has been pledged to sup
}éort the North Georgia Crisis Pregnancy
enter in the coming year. The pledges
are a result of the annual Sav-A-Life
Telethon sponsored by television channel
6. During the three-day event, some
$3,000 in cash was received at telethon
headquarters, including SI,OOO in coins.
Thursday, October 9, 1986
Haitian art, met Rodman and
his wife, Caral, at his art
gallery in Jacmel during a visit
to Haiti last January.
An observer of Haitian
culture since 1939, Rodman
has seen the country undergo
many changes. Working on a
book about the country in
1953, he photographed and in
tervieweg an “‘unknown’’ doc
tor who was to become the next
resident of Haiti, *‘Papa Doc”
grancois Duvalier.
In 1975, Rodman became
the first foreigner to settle in
Jacmel.
He describes the Duvaliers’
rule as ‘‘a 30 year reign of ter
ror’ and describes the present
day Haitians as a people glory
ing in their newly-won freedom.
“We're on the road for
democracy,” Rodman said.
“Haiti has better” prospects
than it has had for-a E)ng time.
They have endured a 30-year
reign of terror with Duvalier
and suddenly they are free.”
The only fear t{lat Rodman
has for the survival of
democracy is that the Haitians
may take too long in organiz
ing a new system of govern
ment. ‘‘Freedom may go to
their heads,”” Rodman said.
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STONE MOUNTAIN PARK PERSONNEL ADDRESS ROTARY CLUB
Jack Morris, Maria Centofanti Welcomed By Ron Hill
STONE MOUNTAIN
Park Draws Millions
Stone Mountain Park is
more than a chunk of garnite
sticking out of the ground
featuring a carving, the
Summerville-Trion fiotary
Club was told Monday at The
Tavern.
Jack Morris, marketing
director, and Maria Centofan
ti, public relations manager for
the Park, were guests of the
“They have just discovered
freedom of the Fress. Everyone
is putting out little pampf‘l'let.s
now.”
According to Rodman, it is
not clear when national elec
tions will be held in Haiti, as
there is no organized system
for voting in 51e wake of the
Duvaliers’ reign.
In his account of the riots
during the early part of this
year in Haiti, Rofman stress
ed that only the properties of
the Duvalier and gennett (wife
of Duvalier) families were
looted. Executions were confin
ed to the cruelest of the secret
police who had tortured and
terrorized the citizens for many
years.
As Rodman attempted to
drive a friend to the airport
during the rioting, he became
even more aware of the true
sentiments of Haitians toward
the American people as they
directed him safely past flam
ing barricades.
Despite the opinions of
more pessimistic ogservers to
the contrary, Rodman sees the
future ofafl,aiti as promising.
“My outlook is very hopegll
and upbeat despite the fact
that the New Yorfi Timez(fives
the opposing view,” Rodman
Club at its weekly meeting.
More than 6.5-million peo
ple visit the 3,200-acre park an
nually, Morris toFd the
Rotarians. The park lands are
actually owned by the state
but the facility is operated for
profit by an independent board
of directors.
Many people think of the
park as having only the carv-
A number of children volunteered to col
lect donations at downtown roadblocks.
Pictured from left are Anthony Dixon,
Alice Taylor, telephone coordinator;
Robert Sweet, Tim Hall, telethon host;
and Martha Blansit, director of the
Center. (Staff Photo by Kay Abbott).
(see story on page 2-B)
Second Front
said.
In his article in ‘‘National
Review,”” Rodman said that the
future of Haiti is centered on
how quickly it can establish
political stability. If a secure
fiovernment is established,
odman sees Haiti as a op
timum place for industrial
development and an ever
increasing tourist industry.
During his nearly 50 years
as a parttime resident of f‘iaiti.
Rodman’s overwhelming pas
sion has been to promote Flai
tian art.
““Haiti produces the most
vibrant painting and sculpture
of any country,” he said.
Rodman's visit to the
United States is largely to ar
range a series of showings of
Haitian art. While staying in
Summerville, he made trips to
the Hunter Museum of Art in
Chattanooga and various
Atlanta galferies.
Rodman first brought na
tional attention to Haitian art
when he directed the painting
of murals by eight Haitian ar
tists in the Cathedral of St.
Trinite in Port-au-Prince dur
ing 1949-51.
“It is one of the principal
attractions in Haiti today,”
see HAITI CRITIC, page 2-B
ing, a skylift to the top of the
mountain, a railroad around
the base of the 875-foot moun
tain and a nightly laser show,
but it is much more, according
to Morris.
AUTO MUSEUM
It has a museum of antique
working automobiles dating
from 1910 to 1964, working
Waurlitzer and Rockola juke
boxes with their original
records, a Scarlett O'Hara
riverboat used by over 400,000
so far this year, a 373-acre lake
with 732-bell carillon and many
other attractions and services,
Morris continued.
Around 575,000 people an
nually ride the park’'s train
around the five-miles of track,
Morris said, and efforts are
under way to connect the track
with a line from Atlanta to pro
vide rides to and from the city.
About 150 yards of land
segarates the two tracks, he
indicated.
The park's “Old South”
segment includes an
antebellum plantation house,
slave quarters, carriage house
and overseer's house, Morris
said.
The Park has a 30-acre
wildlife trail featuring bison,
deer, elk, ducks and other flora
and fauna native to North
Georgia. It also has a petting
zooo and a beach compl%x.
GOLF
It has just spent $175,000
renovating its golf course,
which Morris described as one
of the top 25 public courses in
the nation.
The park has eight tennis
courts and an ice rink, he said,
along with a camping area
whic%x can accommodate the
most modern camping trailers
— or a camper with a tent.
A grist mill, which becomes
a photographer’s delight in
see PARK DRAWS, page 2-B
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Noted Art Critic Visits Here
Selden Rodman, author of 50 books and noted art critic,
discussed the work of Pennville's Howard Finster dur
ing a visit to Summerville. He compared the local ar
tist's work to the greatest of Haitian popular artists.
Rodman, who divides his time between homes in New
Jersey and Haiti, was in the area to arranie showings
of Haitian popular art in Atlanta and Chattanooga.
Rodman visited the News offices Thursday. (Staff
Photo by Kay Abbott).
Gore Man Grows
100-Pound Gourd
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
According to Dewey
Morgan, Gore, you never know
what kind of trouble you can
get in when you try out a new
type of seed.
When Morgan planted his
garden last spring, he careful
ly laid out rows of turnips,
beans and tomatoes and the
100 x 50-foot backyard plot. On
a whim, he planted just one
gourd seed, a new variety call
ed “Bushel gourd,” near the
tomatoes at the center of the
plot. It wasn't long before the
Farmersville Road resident
knew he got more than he
bargained for, as he saw row
after row of his garden
smothered by the overly pro
lific gourd vine.
“When that thing started
growing, I think I almost had
to jump back,” Morgan joshed.
“Ijust about had to get out of
its way. It took over the whole
garden.”
One tendril of the vine
measures 98 feet long. Another
surprise came when Morgan
tried to pick us) one of the
gourds, and couldn’t.
“I know I can lift about 100
pounds,” he said.
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100 Pound Gourd
Dewey Morgan, Gore got more than he bargained for
when he planted just one gourd seed near the center of
his 100 x 50 foot garden glot. The vine quickly took over
the entire iarden, smothering his beans, tomatoes and:
turnips. The largest of the gourds weighs over 100
pounds and measures 59 incfies around. Many other
gourds weigh between 50 and 75 pounds and are still
growing. Morgan displays the largest gourd of his unex
pectedly large crop. (Staff Photo by Kay Abbott).
! The largest of the gourds is
| just over 100 pounds in weight
and measures 59 inches
around. Several more weigh
from 50 to 75 pounds each, but
the gourds haven't stopped
growing yet.
‘1 guess the rain held them
| back a little bit or there's no
’ telling how big the{}[ would
g have grown,”’ organ
| speculated.
' Althoth the gardening
! hobbyist claims no s?ecial ex
‘ Eertise. it is not the first time
‘ e has grown such large
vegetables. A few stalks of
| German beans managed to
push through the tangle of
fiourd vines this year and pro
uced pods 16 inches long and
| nearly two inches wide. Last
| year, Morgan grew a pumpkin
\ weifihing 93 pounds.
l e insists he does nothing
| out-of-the-ordinary to produce
1 his garden oddities.
, “T just look after this
| backyard garden each year,”
l ?edsaggi. “That's all the farming
0.
| Morgan and his wife, Ruby,
| live on Farmersville Road in
| Gore. Both are retired
l employees of Georgia RuiMfll.
| The couple has three living
Ichildren. nine grandchildren
| and four great-grandchildren.