I think I just might love the old words as much as you. To me so many of them bring back sweet memories of my mountain people. It’s amazing how a word or words can change from one mountain top to the next.
In my family it was ‘dag gumit’ or ‘dang gumit’ and ‘dag burnit’. It all depended on if you were talking to my Sparta family or my Gum Spring Mountain family.
About that spring house. I remember as a child when we would have the family reunion at my great grandparents home in the summer. The watermelons were kept in the spring house which consisted of a small stone structure with a roof on it set into a hillside and it sat over a very cold water spring that ran out of the side of that big hill not far from my great grandparents kitchen back door. That water was ice cold even on the hottest August day.
Grandpa would keep a wood stick he had whittled down so he could shove it into the latch so tight us kids couldn’t pull it out. At some point Grandpa would call all of us kids over and tell us it was about time for the watermelon and ask who wanted to help him carry them up. Well, of course all of us did.
So here’s this huge flock of kids following behind him like a brood of baby ducklings trailing behind their mama to the pond. Once we got to the spring house he would wiggle that stick out of the latch and just as he started to open the little door which was only about three and a half feet tall he would say, “Now step back in case one of them water moccasins might try to jump out.”
That would strike fear in any child so we would all scatter. Now if the sun was shining just right it would cast light way back in that spring house to the back wall where there was a row of mason jars sitting with a clear liquid in them and the water about half way up them. Grandpa said it wasn’t safe to reach back any further than where he had the watermelons because that’s were the water moccasins like to stay in the heat of the day.
I was a grown woman the last family reunion I went to out on Gum Spring Mountain. Grandpa had long since passed away but there stood that spring house and when I caught sight of it I stopped and remembered what Grandpa use to tell us about the water moccasins. I busted out laughing. It hit me like a bolt of lightening! There wasn’t any water moccasins in that spring house. That was jars of moonshine on that back wall of the spring house. That sly old dickens was making sure none of us kids would get into his shine. Now I could tell you that those jars were for medical use only but I’m not sure what I wouldn’t be lying.
—Jenny Apple
I hope you enjoyed Jenny’s memories as much as I do. I’ve seen remnants of spring houses at old homeplaces but I’ve never seen one in use. If you’d like to read more about spring houses visit this post from the archives and be sure to read the comments too.
Although my childhood had no spring houses, it was filled with lots of teasing like Jenny’s Grandpa’s story of the water moccasins.
Last night’s video: Matt Lost His Glasses! (Thank Goodness We Found Them)
Tipper
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That’s a great story. Sounds like something my Pawpaw would say and do. Makes me smile thinking about it.
My great aunt’s place still used a spring house when I was young. We heard the stories about being careful of snakes but it was because the copperheads blend in so well with the rocks. We always had to carry our snake sticks to protect ourselves at the spring house.
You know I worked at a women’s clothing factory and lived in Sparta, TN and that’s why I became a nurse. Water from clothing steamers dropping on my head in sun zero and a boss man giving the eye… to be near a friend I had met in the armed forces who was a mad genius. She was wonderful as were most of the people there in Sparta. She slid off the road in icy conditions not long ago and was killed on Gum Springs Road. I been across it many many days. I’ll hoist a coffee to her and the medicine jug too! God rest her and bless the dag burn hillbillies. RIP Donwood.
Really glad Matt’s glasses got found. I have to wonder, though, whether it makes sense for anyone needing glasses to hunt for them without any. Y’all shoulda carried that metal detector with you. And, Matt needs to get a strap for those glasses so that he can wear them around his neck if they get knocked off his face.
Great story!!!
Tipper, the last two times I’ve clicked on your video, something comes up asking me to subscribe and I X out because I have subscribed and your blog shows up in my email every morning. When I read your blog or view your videos I always click on the like button so I don’t know if it’s something that utube is saying our likes don’t count unless I am subscribed to it or not, but maybe you can tell me?
Getting back to the blog, I have heard and still say ‘dag gumit’ or ‘dang gumit’ and ‘dag burnit’ but it sometimes sounds like “dad gumit’ or ‘dad burnt it’ and my people come out of east TN, NW Al, and NE MS. One of my Mother’s oldest sisters showed me where they use to walk as children up the hill a ways to the spring. It was not enclosed in a little stone house, like you see them where I now live, but theirs had a wooden box implanted into the side of the hill and that is where they kept their food stuff cold as that water was always cold. I’ve heard enough scary snake stories to last me a life time, and I used to be terrified to just even see a picture of one. I’ve tried to work on desensitizing myself but not so sure I’ve accomplished it:} Even when you and Matt were walking through the woods I’m thinking watch out around that old fallen tree log.
I’m so glad you found Matt’s glasses!! I’ve been through that hunting for something and it is very exasperating. Example: I’ve looked for readers all around the house and found one – and reaching up to my neck to put it in the neck of my top, I felt two more already hanging there. Now I could beat myself up or just laugh at myself. I choose to laugh and just try to leave one in every room:)
Now I’ve got to get to church for Sewing Servants. Catch you on the next one. God Bless ya all and have a great day!!
Dee-it might have been YouTube asking you to subscribe but you don’t need to to watch the video 🙂
So glad you found Matt’s glasses!Around the house would have been amazing,but in the woods was impressive. Prayers answered for sure.Good video.
Enjoyed reading Jenny’s story this morning! We didn’t have a spring house but Cindy who lived at the head of the holler did! Don’t think she would have had any water moccasins in it!!
Where were you 23 years ago today? For me, I’ll never forget! Pray for our country.
Jenny shared some interesting memories about her Grandpa, the spring house, watermelons and moonshine.
So glad you found Matt’s glasses.Around the house would have been great,but in the woods,now that’s impressive!! God definately answered your prayers. Good video!
Why would Grandpa keep his “medicine” in the spring house? Sources tell me that good “medicine” is best taken at room temperature. It certainly needs no preservation and is, in fact, one of the best preservatives known to mankind.
This story made me smile. I thought at first, why would a cold blooded water moccasin want to be anywhere that was cold?? Then she mentioned the jars. Her grandpa was a sly old bird as my father would say!
That is a good story. I think spring houses would still equal or beat a refrigerator for some things. The old timers, including moonshiners, didn’t always have to have surface water. They were shrewd about knowing where to dig at the foot of the slope along a “spring branch” to create a spring. Country I grew up in, about all the living was on ridgetops above the water. Springs were most often down under the cliff and spring houses were very rare. More common were “spring boxes” made just to get a pool of water to dip from. Some were covered and some were not. Springs were often given the name of the family that made or used them and the name was a reference for location.
My Aunt Kate and Uncle Sammy had a spring house on their farm in the Arkansas Ozarks. I remember the tiny salamanders around it. the water was always so cool on hot summer days. I don’t know about water moccasins, but I purt’ near stepped on a copperhead in their yard and I remember seeing a dead rattlesnake draped over a fence. Sammy was a strong temperance supporter, so I hope there was no ‘shine back in the corners of their spring house.
I loved your story Jenny!
The article reminded me of what my mother told me about spring houses they had in eastern KY. I asked her if her family used them, and she said yes. She said her family built a little building over a large rock where the water ran over it. They set their milk, butter and other items they wanted to keep cool inside. They also would put these items down in their well. I have never actually seen a spring house in use, but you can see one of them in some of the historical places. I think the McClean house has the remnants of one in Appomattox, VA where the surrender of Lee’s soldiers occurred. As far as moonshine, I had an uncle who made and sold it for years until he was caught and put in prison for a couple of years back in the late sixties or early seventies. Once I remember visiting them as a child and I noticed he grew huge amounts of potatoes and corn. I asked my mother why they grew so much since there were only three people and she said he gave it away to neighbors and family. I also once caught him going into a secret room in his house after a man gave him an empty flask and came out with what looked like water. I again asked Mom why this man came for water and “didn’t he have water at his house?” I was an inquisitive child, and she told me to stop asking so many questions. Well, I found out later what he was up to, and it satisfied my curiosity. Tipper, I enjoyed the video of you and Matt last evening. Glad Matt found his glasses.
That was a great story. I can just see those kids scattering at the prospect of encountering a water moccasin. I wonder what became of Grandpa’s shine? lol!
I loved reading about her wonderful memories. That’s a great story too : )
That’s funny! I could picture it as she told the story.
A fine start to my day, Tipper. Thank you and Jenny!
My hubby had a pond between his house and his grandparents. Grandma would tell all the little ones—our kids included—that there were alligators in it, so don’t go too close. It was her way of keeping them safe.
What a wonderful memory and story to pass on, especially to all of us. I have seen the knocked down or ruins of two former spring houses, both made with rocks and wood, and with both springs still running. One had a small but steady stream or trickle really, but the other was bubbling out like a little river. I recently looked at properties for sale and saw several with natural springs. Talk about blessings!
God is so good! Answered prayers, again!! Congratulations Matt on your first deer of the season! I always enjoy your sharing with us, thank you. God bless you and yours.
I only knew of one family that still used a spring house up into the 70’s, now there is a pond at the spring and a Dollar General store at the the site of their home. I knew one other lady that carried her water from a spring on up into the 80’s before she finally gave in to getting a well. After getting a well she only had water at her kitchen sink. I would sometimes get buckets of the spring water for her. I remember both of my Grandmothers telling me of scary things if they didn’t want me doing something, one would tell of Bloody Bones and the other would tell of her Bad Eye-she was almost blind in one of her eyes.
If Mother heard me say “dang or dad gum it” or any of the other words even “dog gone” I would get fussed at or a stern talking to, she said those words were just a form of cussing.