(circa 2009) Born June, 6 1936, in Camden, Tennessee, Tobiah Bliphan was orphaned and raised at Bethel Bible Village Childrens Home (Hixson, Tennessee), until leaving at the age of 14 to to work in the mines. Tobiah married Beverly Pursley on January 2nd, 1951 at The old Copeland Chapel Methodist Church; three years later Beverly would die of the cough, leaving Hannah and Noah to be cared for. Noah drowned the next year, and Hannah married a sailor when she was 13. Ma met Pa at church, and when he died, she cursed God, and us kids got the worst of it; I didnt miss her when they carried her away to Central Middle. -Tobiah Bliphan (1973, Nashville*) I met Becky Conway, my second wife, while on the trains; I liked her and she liked paregoric. She died in 59 trying to get rid of our baby. -Tobiah Bliphan (1975, Hixon) Mary got the sickness in 47, she was spitting and got all twisted like; the folks took her out to town, and she aint never come back. -Tobiah Bliphan (1970, Sumner) It wasnt long after I left Powell Valley, Berle had a bind needing me to help him with; hed done something to some young girl, and was real scared. I told him better run; you aint needing no help from a boy whod already ran. -Tobiah Bliphan (1974, Clarksburg) At the door was some men asking about Berle, hed been around, but I aint seen him; drunk and mean, children aint something you mess with in a town of bored daddies. -Tobiah Bliphan (1972, Braden) It wasnt too often travelers came round, specially after the floods; I remember coming cross a youngun lying dead round Ponds Creek. -Tobiah Bliphan (1971, Henning) Aunt Neesey aint been out cousin Ruths house in years, I can hear her scratchin up stairs and all, yempin and stuff; she should get took out to the woods, like Memph and that cheatin Tootles. -Tobiah Bliphan (1976, Kyles Ford) I never known too much a man, thatd without just a bit of chance, wouldnt kill his daddy out of piss and pride; Micah had it in his mind to kill both Ma and Pa for money. -Tobiah Bliphan (1975, Baileyton) I was eighteen when I saw my brother kill himself, an angry boy, beat up and shook; the rusty pistol lit up like a brilliant sunburst to his face. -Tobiah Bliphan (1972, Cornersville) There aint five pounds of shit that cant be taught that years of minin aint good for no man; I lost my daddy in em, Lucas got the cough from em, shits still in my throat always. -Tobiah Bliphan (1978, Doyle) Frank lived in the hills, and came down for medicine only twice the whole time I was in Elkton; Id see him, sick and of waste, the church-goers spat, and referred to him as death. -Tobiah Bliphan (1971, Ellenwood) Luke got sent to to The Castle in 56 for drowning a boy outside Gadsden, bet he aint even known he did it; heavy anger, and child-minded, just a matter time til you rip yourself apart. -Tobiah Bliphan (1977, Iron City) In Elbridge-Cloverdale, the water done went bad, and the fear had grown a thirsty witch hunt; wasnt long til even the pure of heart had blood on their teeth. -Tobiah Bliphan (1979, Petersburg) Of the three that went to the Home, I was grown quiet and coarse, Thomas had a clippers cold dead eyes, and Easaw never knew of guilt. -Tobiah Bliphan (1972, Grand Junction) When hunger drew me sturdy with pain, I never fought the temptation to eat something Id grown fond of; Ive been witness to much, much worse. -Tobiah Bliphan (1977, Byrdstown) *dates and locations of responses to questions.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:26:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015