Lou’s Story:

       It was approaching winter and Lou was cold and depressed. She couldn't remember when she had been this cold. She shivered because the thin dress provided by her guardians did not give her the protection she needed against the damp frigid air of another early winter. Her papa had given her guardians money for winter clothing, including a winter coat and warm boots for her feet. Instead of buying Lou those items they had, instead, purchased her the flimsy clothing she now wore. With each passing day she spent with this horrible family she prayed her papa would return soon.  And she missed her papa terribly.    

        When her father left her with her temporary guardians she had nice warm clothing to keep her warm through the winter. But, that was months ago and a lot had happened since he had said goodbye. 

         Lou missed her papa almost as much as she missed her mama. But, she understood why she must stay with her guardians. Her mama had died while giving childbirth to her stillbirth baby brother leaving her and her papa alone. Papa couldn't take care of her by himself and continue his horse trading business.He had to be away for long stretches of time while buying and selling horses. So he sought out a family with other children to look after her while he was away on business. His thought was that having other children around would give her a greater sense of family and she would be happier. Therefore, he took Lou with him to see if she would fit in with their children. At first sight she fell in love with the family and enjoyed playing with their children. They had a daughter who was the same age as Lou and it seemed they got along well enough. So her papa had arranged room and board for her. Before he left he gave strict instructions that Lou's hair was not to be cut. He said, "she has beautiful hair and her mama made me promise that I would never cut it. And that is a promise I intend to keep."

        Initially, Lou was happy and she seemed to fit into her new family. Although she missed her papa greatly she knew he loved her and would be returning periodically to check on her. And she knew he could not take her on his business trips and traipse all over Arkansas and Oklahoma buying and selling horses. Because she was raised by her mama to help out around the house she didn't mind being asked to perform chores for her new family. Although she did notice that the more difficult or tedious tasks seemed to be allotted to her to perform. Slowly more and more tasks were pushed off onto Lou as the others seemed to slack and complain about how Lou was not pulling her weight. More and more her room and board status shifted to the point she did most of the chores and had little time for herself. But, she did not complain. Thus, little by little she was reduced to a sub servant  status where even the children were able to boss her about.

        Lou always knew when her papa was coming to visit because the family began to treat her better. And a few days before an expected visit she was given a bath and allowed to wear one of her newer dresses. In addition, special care was given to comb and brush her hair until it was glossy and curled. Papa usually visited once a month and his schedule was fairly regular which usually occurred on a Saturday.So today was a special day as she waited with anticipation and excitement that her papa would be riding up the road and she would be given a reprieve from her dull tedious routine from doing most of the chores around the house. But, the day passed and no papa. Several days passed and no papa so the family relaxed and the routine continued. Of course Lou was worried about her papa  but the mistress explained that her papa most likely was delayed because of his business. She explained that in the horse trading business her papa might need to deliver horses further away than usual. She told Lou not to worry her papa would be there to visit soon. This seemed to calm Lou but down deep she worried and had trouble eating because of lack of appetite. In addition she was not sleeping well and begin to show dark circle around her eyes. 

        On a few occasions Lou found herself in trouble because she felt she was being mistreated by the family. And a few times she let the adults know her feelings. She was never threatened with physical punishment nor did she ever receive a whipping. The control they had over Lou was the threat of cutting her hair. They knew that her hair was her pride and joy. Therefore, the threat was always if you don't mind or do your chores your hair will be cut. 

         Will slowly worked his horse and pack mule up an obscure hollow in search of his old still. He especially liked the site in this hollow because it was far away from any human activity and it had a cool artesian spring which provided  the water he used to make his whisky. The water was as pure and sweet as any water he had ever tasted. And the site was hidden in a little known unnamed off shoot hollow which was hard to find by the law. By some freak whim of nature the air currents dispersed the smoke from fires used to make moon shine that made the still practically undetectable. It had been awhile since he had worked the still and it had become somewhat obscured by new growth. The hollow was at peak with fall foliage as the White and Red Oak, Hickory, sugar Maple, Plum,  Cherry, Hawthorn and  Willow displayed their brilliant colors against a back drop of mountainous outcrops of rock and green tree Pine groves. At once, Will was atune with nature as he remembered some of the lines of an old  poem his mother had read to him many years ago. He couldn't remember the name of the poem. It could have been entitled "Autum." Nor,  could he remember the author. But, he did remember a couple of verses which had meaning to him during the fall season and reconnected him to this land he loved…Arkansas!

              The leaves of autumn reds and golds, 

              Yellows and pinks some dark and bold.

              A kaleidoscope of color to the eye,

             To sooth the soul and make one sigh.

              Hills and valleys ablaze with sunlit flames,

             Along narrow streams and walking lanes.

             I breathe the autumn air and fill my lungs,

            An age old rhythm begun when I was young.

          Will paused for awhile to soak in the beauty that surrounded him as he repeated the words over and over. Autumn beauty always soothed his soul and kept him connected to the mountains in which he was born. As he relaxed in the little hollow, where his old still was located, his mind wandered to the reason he had returned to making moon shine. Recently, his horse trading business had slowed and it had become necessary to reenter this dangerous trade  to earn enough money to support Lou and himself. In addition, he had other plans. So slowly he had purchased the necessary supplies, in small amounts, as he traveled about to avoid suspicions. After he assembled his moon shine supplies he purchased a pack mule to carry the flaked corn barley and other supplies. He knew he had ample customers for his  moon shine liquor at the Van Buren and Fort Smith traverns. Fort Smith and Van Buren were both river ports of call located on the Arkansas River. Both ports had a huge demand for whisky for thirsty throated travelers, river boat crews and dock workers.  

        Making moon shine was a risky business because the western Arkansas frontier was a place where evil men preyed off honest men in search of a quick buck. But, moonshining  was still a lucrative endeavor and that drove Will back to the trade he had learned from his father. Fact was,  Will's  father was known to produce the sweetest purist,  best tasting moon shine in the region. That was because he sold only the HEART of his distilled liquor. The first two distilled products were called the FORE SHOT which causes blindness and HEADS which is harsh tasting and can cause a bad hangover. The third product was the HEART or SwEET SPOT. The very last alcohol to drip from the spigot was   the TAILS which comes at the end of distilling and is bitter tasting. The first two products and the last was considered un drinkable by Will and was discarded. Besides the HEART was called the SWEET SPOT for a reason because it was sweet tasting and smooth to drink.  Recognizing the four stages of distilling moon shine required experience learned over years of tasting the distilled product as it was distilled. Will's father had taught his son well and it was Will's intention to produce the same quality product selling only the HEART. To accomplish this goal he must stay put until the whisky could be distilled, bottled and carried to its destination. Normally, the process took at least two weeks. Sometimes more time was required depending on the weather. Because it was getting late in the fall season it would require fires around the clock to keep the fermentation process at the right temperature. This required that  he could not leave his little operation. So he had brought along a tent to keep him out of the elements should the weather turn sour. Because of this he would be unable to make his routine visit with Lou as planned. He was upset about that prospect but it was a financial necessity.

        As time slowly passed it became evident that  Lou's papa's  scheduled visit was long over due. And with each passing day  the family relaxed back into their old routine. Treating Lou like a servant girl and demanding more of her even though Lou’s  papa was paying them to care for her. Finally, mentally exhausted through worry about her papa, Lou reached her breaking point and sassed back when ordered to do one more back braking task by the mistress of the house. Her refusal was met with an out burst of language unfit for a child's ears. In a fit of rage the lady grabbed her scissors and cut Lou's hair down to her scalp.     

      Humiliated, Lou became subdued and drew inward. It was as if she had lost her identity. Beaten, she was driven into submission and carried out her tasks in a zombie like manner. Once a happy talkative and outgoing child she retreated into her make believe world. As each day passed she prayed that her papa would return and take her away from these terrible people. And when he didn’t she spiraled further into her own imaginary  world where she and her papa lived alone as a happy loving family. Her make believe world helped her through the tireless days and long lonely nights that followed.

         As he worked around the clock to keep his mash and fermentation process at the proper temperature Will constantly thought of Lou and how she was doing with her surrogate family. He knew she would be disappointed when he did not show for his usual visit. And he now began to mull the thought that with the money he made from his moon shine he would be able to find a place where he and Lou could live. While on the road with his horse trading business he had made many contacts and felt he would be able to change careers so he could stay at home with  Lou. He had saved a little cash and with the extra money from the sale of his moon shine he could start afresh. These thoughts gave him the energy and perseverance to continue his around the clock vigilance of the fire required to make his moon shine. 

        Finally, after several weeks of work an exhausted Will closed down his little operation and delivered the last of his product to Van Buren. He spent a few days in the Fort Smith and Van Buren area looking for a place for him and Lou to live. After a long search he finally found what he was looking for  near Cedarville just north of Van Buren. This location would allow him to do some horse trading, on the side, because of it's nearness to Oklahoma. He then began his journey eastward, following Wire Road, toward Ozone , where Lou was located. 

          It took a long day of riding before he reached Clarksville where he could turn north to reach Ozone. Arkansas had few improved roads at the time so there were many switchbacks which lengthen the distance he had to travel. He followed the old Military Road that had been constructed years earlier to connect eastern Arkansas o the Indian Territory in Oklahoma Territory. Much if the road was also known by locals as Wire Road because if the telegraph line that followed the road from Little Rick  to Fort Smith. When a traveler asked directions if a local they would say follow the wire. After a period of time the road became known as Wire Road. 

      Because it was late in the day he decided to spend the evening in Clarksville to visit some folks he knew through his horse trading business. During those visits he learned that all had not gone as planned with his arrangements for Lou. Although the information was sketchy he began to fear that Lou was being mistreated by the family she lived with. So the next day as he made his way northward he stopped and spoke with folks along the way inquiring about Lou's treatment. The closer he came to his destination the information became more troubling. 

        Although folks were not willing to speak badly about Lou's guardians they did give little hints that was disturbing to Will. Finally, a neighbor closer to the family where Lou was located, who lived a little more than a mile away, informed Will they were relieved to see him come to see his daughter. Their exact words were "if I was you I would take my daughter alway from there...as far away as I could! I would not let her spend another day with them. They mistreat her awful...like a servant girl. Last time I saw her she was in a thin worn out clothing with no coat. And winters coming on. Yes sir, if I was you I would remove her immediately!"

      The information pipe line is often better and faster than a telegraph.  As soon as Will    reached Clarksville the news started traveling northward toward Ozone that he was headed to see his daughter. . By midnight the news had reached the home where Lou was located. And shortly after that the transformation from servant girl to boarder began. Lou was hauled out of her pallet in a corner. Forced to take a bath in the middle of the night with her face and neck scrubbed until it was red. Then she was given a clean bed to sleep in with quilts to keep her warm. The next morning she was forced to take another bath and dressed in her good clean cloths. To cover and disguise  her missing hair she was given a bonnet to wear and threatened wth punishment if she removed it while her papa was visiting.  

          After hearing the disturbing news at his last stop Will urged his horse into a trot to cover the last mile to see Lou. Upon his arrival he was surprised to see the whole family awaiting him along with his daughter Lou. Anxiously, he stepped down from his horse and went straight to Lou giving her a big bear hug with kisses saying "I love you" over and over. Finally, he pulled himself away from Lou and held her at arms length. Seeing the bonnet on Lou's head he inquired why she was wearing the bonnet. The mistress began to stammer out an answer but, Will interrupted, "I asked Lou the question," and then untied and removed the bonnet from Lou's head. Seeing that Lou’s beautiful long curly hair had been shorn like a sheep he became enraged shouting ,"I told you not to cut her hair! How dare you cut her hair! I promised her mother I would never cut her hair! She will not be spending another night with you! Furthermore, I will not pay you the room and board we agreed to for her keep! From what I found out on my ride up the mountain you have been treating my daughter like a little servant! Seems to me she worked for her room and board and then some!" Not one word was spoken by the family in their defense. A mad and greatly shaken Will picked Lou up placed her on his horse, got on behind her and rode off down the road toward Clarksville.

A Note: This story was repeated several times to me over the years by my mother. It was a story my mom had repeated to her by her grandmother Lou. Lou’s story reflects the treatment received by many orphans of that period. I have taken liberty in sketching out my great grandmother's story to make it interesting. My great grandmother would have been about 8-9 years old therefore, this story most likely took place sometime in or around 1881-1882 when she was a child.

Jerry Marvel

December 2020