Then we went on to the other parts of his home. The living room was dark. it only had one window and one light. There were boxes stacked up all through the house. The walls were hung with pictures of Johnny, and even some that he had painted and drawn himself.
His mother was in the living room sitting in a chair. He introduced us to her and we talked with her awhile. She was really a nice lady.
After seeing his home, we walked outside and made our farewells and thanked Johnny for spending his time with us. It was a very interesting interview - one that will be remembered.
- Lisa Carpenter
Photographs by Kevin Sullivan. Interview by Kevin and Lisa.
The first thing that inspired me to make canes was one I saw at the portable produce market in Long Beach, California. I saw a man in the crowd that had a snake cane. It took my eyes and I wanted to make one for myself. I started making the canes about twenty-five years ago. Several years ago I made many of them but I've not made many of them lately. I've got a lot of canes in the house but I can't get to them with the stuff piled on them.
I sold a few back yonder. I guess that was the reason I made some. I just like to do something like that. Sometimes people try to beat you out of your canes if you don't hold out for your price. You go through the trouble of making [them and] you can't just give [them] away.
I had one and I took it to Dahlonega and leaned it up against the window at the Gold Rush Festival. It got about dark and I was looking at the exhibits. It had two snakes crawling on it. It was a crooked ivy stick and somebody picked it up, stole it I guess you could call it. Never did find out who got it.
You know, some people are afraid of snake canes. I was down in Florida one time and they didn't even want me to keep the stick in the cafe.
I heard about a man who had a stick with two pieces. The bottom part of it had a hole bored into it, and it had threads so the top part would screw down in there. He could put so much liquor in it, you know. When he wanted a drink of liquor, he would screw it apart. He'd just carry it right around town with him. he'd just slip out the top and take him a drink when he wanted. Nobody thought nothing about it. I don't know whether it's true or not. Could be so. People will try anything.
[While we were there, Johnny offered to sing us some songs that he learned when he was a kid. One of them went]:
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Wife oh wife,
Bedbugs threatened my life.
Wife oh wife, bring me the broom,
Bedbugs are all over my room.
Wife oh wife, bring me the maul,
Yonder goes one climbing up the wall,
He's the daddy of them all!
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[He learned that one from his uncle while he and his brothers were helping his grandfather hoe corn up at the head of Moccasin Creek.]
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