The Old Dillard Settlement

Mar, 2002

His answer was this, "I know the answer to the first question but the second is puzzling. Some people read tea leaves, others go to the fortune teller, and some listen to the radio."

He probably didn't hear any more from that person.

I don't know if Grandpa DAVENPORT had heard C.C.'s forecast or if it was cold or hot weather, but he had not the problem of caring for a car in this kind of cold weather we have.

He always depended on other transportation; mainly his socks, gum-boots, buckle-up overshoes, or perhaps the old mule was surefooted enough for a trip to Baker's store.

He made a deal with his grandson, once upon a time, telling him (I believe this was Amos), "Amos, if you will promise to drive me around, I will buy a car." What more would a grandson wish for. He consented to this deal with relish. I don't know where he got that car 'deal' but I am sure it was not a new one because he had a problem, a big problem.

He as in need of a sack of feed. He and Amos drove up to the store, loaded up the feed, and I wonder if he didn't get a plug of Day's Work tobacco so he could take his little pocket knife out of his pocket and cut off a little "nip" to chew as they drive home. They made sure there was enough gas in the tank, and here it is when the problem began. The gas was dripping out somewhere, and Grandpa couldn't stand that. It was going to be too expensive to loose all that 5-cent-a-gallon gasoline, so to fix that problem eh hung a bucket or some kid of a container to catch the drip. The car backfired which caught the gas on fire and burned the car up. They walked on home carrying the sack of feed, and if he had a plug of that Day's Work, I bet he chewed it mighty hard on the trip home.

This ended the car problem. This was his first and only car deal and how he dealt with that deal: "He adjusted to the adjustments."

I know the Bogles have lots of memories of Bogle Hollow, don't you L. D.? Frankie Sue, you might ask some of the relation out there about their stories of their family, and what an enjoyment the place is to my son.

Thanks, Frankie Sue, for letting us here know we have a new cousin, who has just arrived. We here in this old settlement, wish to congratulate the great-grandparents, Avil and Riley Brooksher, the little girl's parents, grandparents and all her cousins, not exclude the aunts and uncles. Will she get to come to the Dillard Reunion so we can get acquainted?

I have been thinking when once upon a time Hwy. 14 2as under construction, how many stores and even a hotel was here at Mull, which, I believe was still called the Dillard Settlement. Mom and dad, Zual McClain and Meta and Ira Dillard at sometime all had stores. That is when the "drummers" (called salesman now) would come around.

The candy was a good thing for the drummers to show, and better when it was set in the showcases.

Daddy and mom never made any profit from the sales of candy. The children, like Willodean Smith Barns told me, and sister Myra, that they knew how to tuck their toes on the base trim of the showcase and peep in sort of wishful like, and they always received the reward of candy. The little cousins of Willodean, Marcella, Quentin and, I think, Wanda Smith, were among the children.

Myra didn't have to peep in at the candy, but she knew where the most beautiful little bird cards were so she went to the store and "un-be-knowins" to mom and dad, she opened the entire case of baking soda to add to her collection of bird cards, which each box of soda contained. Some of the evidence is still around to help prove it.

It is too bad mother couldn't use enough soda to satisfy Myra, so she wouldn't have had the burden to think of all these years.

It is alright, Myra, but I wonder if the soda got lumps or if the boxes had written on them, "Do not use if the seal has been tampered with or broken."