Stories from Ida and Ben

Stories About Ida

and Ben Bounds

THAT’S MY WIFE ,

YOU IDIOT
~I922
BY BILL BOUNDS

          Sergeant Benjamin F. Bounds had been recently discharged from the U. S. Army after serving for about 5 years. It is believed that in his time of service, He served the Army in different places ranging from Mexico, Cuba, Philippine Islands and Russian Siberia. He served in combat situations in Mexico against Pancho Villa and against the Communist soldiers of Russian Siberia. Ben was no stranger to solving personal situations with a bit of physical, personal contact with any adversary.
          After being discharged from the Army, Ben returned to south Mississippi as a civilian. He visited Forest Baptist church near Pistol Ridge, Ms. There he met a beautiful young brunette girl named Ida Isabel Anderson that was playing the old fashioned pump organ for the church services. Ida looked more Indian than most full blooded Indian girls. Ida`s great Grandmother Running Deer is said to be the daughter of the great Choctaw Indian Chief, Pushmataha. After many horseback rides across the Black Creek area and some serious letter writing, Ben succeeded in getting this musically talented Ida Isabel to become his wife. Note: some of these letters still exist.
          After marrying Ida, Ben brought her to visit with his parents, James Henry and Penny Bounds near what is now Carnes, Ms.   He was showing Ida around the farm, walking near the livestock dipping vat, when the local schoolmaster rode by on horseback, spoke to them and went on his way. This dumb schoolmaster visited some other neighbors down the road and remarked to them, that Ben probably had to dip his Indian bride in the livestock vat before he could sleep with her. Note: Ida believed that the fact that her part Indian Grandfather Elysha Anderson served as Union soldier during the civil war caused some problems with neighbors throughout her life.
         The next day, after the one room school “Eureka” had sent the local kids home, Ben met this Schoolmaster at the school yard and “whipped his butt” for what he said about his bride.
          Someone asked the schoolmaster the next day why he looked so “beatup” The schoolmaster said that some “Crazy Little Redheaded SOB” had beat up on him because of what he had said about “dipping his new Indian bride” in the livestock vat.
           This neighbor came by and told Ben that the schoolmaster had insulted his new bride again with the same remark.
          The next day Ben met the schoolmaster after school was out and again “whipped his butt” again for insulting his new bride.
           The schoolmaster evidently decided it was time for him to move on. He was never again seen in the community.
Note: In order to sell cattle in the early 1900`s, the cattle had to be dipped completely submerged in an watery Arsenic Solution, or a crude petroleum/soap water, solution or a watery mixture of sulphur, lard and soapy water. This was to eliminate “Texas Fever” also called “Tick Fever”. No cattle could cross state lines until they were dipped to remove the ticks. The dipping vats were very common on the local farms.

Ida Bounds and the Sheep Killing Dogs

~1944

By Bill Bounds

This story is written to give younger generations an idea of what Mother had to do for us to survive during the 2nd World War, when food and money was in short supply.

It was a quiet day during early summer of 1944, but as was apt to happen, there was the bark of several dogs down Fox Ridge near Double Branch. Mother at that time owned about 200 head of sheep, some of these grazed Fox Ridge. To a sheep owner the bark of a loose dog in the woods meant danger to the sheep. Live healthy sheep meant food, money and security for her young family. Millard and myself still were not big enough to send into the woods to protect the sheep. Big brother Gus was away working and fighting to defend our country. Protection of the sheep was left to Mother.

Mother gets the old Remington pump 22 cal. rifle loaded with 14 Long Rifle bullets off the wall. She heads across the north field towards Fox Ridge to protect her sheep from the marauding dogs. She crosses Fox Ridge into Double Branch swamp towards the barking, growling dogs. In a deep hole of creek water she finds four large cur dogs attacking a large ewe sheep that had taken refuge in the creek to avoid the dogs. Bang! Bang! Bang! from the 22 rifle stifled the bark and growling of the dogs with one dog eliminated. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The rifle speaks and a second sheep killing dog is eliminated. The poor bleeding ewe is still swimming frantically to evade the two remaining dogs. Bang! Bang! Bang! the rifle speaks and the third sheep killing dog is eliminated.

The fourth and last dog has now diverted its attention from the bloody ewe in the creek and is swimming menacingly towards Mother. Mother is now standing on the low creek bank near the bloodthirsty attacking dog. She is shaking and as frightened as a person can be. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang speaks the rifle and then “click” on the empty chamber. Mother is out of bullets. The angry wounded dog is swimming directly towards Mother and she has no more bullets.

The growling dog continues its advance up the creek bank to attack her. Mother takes the rifle barrel in her hands, raises the rifle over her head and clubs the attacking dog over the head with the rifle stock, knocking the dog back into the water where it sinks. The battle on Double Branch was over, the ewe and Mother were safe, however the rifle stock was broken from the rifle and had to be replaced.

BEN AND IDA BOUNDS HOUSE and FARM

(~1927)

by Bill Bounds

Papa(Ben) and Mother(Ida) bought 40 acres of land from a Mr. Lancaster. They considered this land ideal for their farm, because there were 3 all weather springs of water flowing for watering crops and livestock. There was an old sawmill site about 2 miles away. This had been a very large mill that employed about 400 to 500 people that moved away when the mill closed. White and black families had lived near and operated the lumber mill. The housing was mostly rough slab lumber, temporary shacks, that were destroyed when the mill closed.

A more substantial building with a low ceiling building about 16 by 30 feet that had been used as a church by the mills on-site black people was given to Papa and Mother as a starter home. They moved the old church to their 40 acres, added a fireplace, 2 more bedrooms, a front porch, and increased the ceiling height to about 8 feet, then added a tin roof. They later added one more bedroom, a kitchen, and 2 more porches.

One story about the old mill church was that some members of the church that were fleeing for their lives took refuge in the church to get away from some bad black people. The bad guys broke into the church and killed 2 of the people that had taken refuge in the church.

Some family members believe that there was a Godly spirit remaining in this house that protected Ben and Ida`s whole family, especially Gus during WW II, and healed Millard from a ruptured appendix, Bill from diphtheria, and Henry from strep throat .

Ira believed that there were ghosts in the house and enjoyed showing the nieces and nephews the closet where, he said, Albert the alligator lived. Maybe there was a Godly protective spirit present in the house. Maybe there were ghosts in the house, but I don’t think there was an alligator in the closet.

History of the original 40 acres

bought from US Government in December 1901 by R. W. Lee

sold to B. F. Lee in 1901

sold to Elliot Swilley in 1904

sold to W. G. Lancaster in 1904

bought by Ben F Bounds in 1927

became part of Ida Bounds estate in 1951

Note: ½ the mineral rights were sold in 1940 to H. H. Parker. These mineral rights were later returned to the Ida Bounds estate in 1954 (recorded in Chancery clerks office, Forrest County Mississippi in January of 1955)

Bought by Porter Soley in 2003

HOW A NEIGHBOR LOST AN EYEBROW

(~1928)

By Bill Bounds

Papa (Ben) was an overseer for a large timber company in South Miss. This meant he rode either by horseback or T-Model Ford vehicle over timber company land to keep the land safe from timber thieves. He traveled armed with a pistol.

One day a neighbor that was mad at him flagged him to a stop, as he passed the neighbors house driving his T-Model Ford. Papa stopped. The neighbor had a claw hammer in his hand. The neighbor struck Papa in the back 3 times with the claw hammer, before Papa could pull his German Luger pistol from under his car seat.

Papa fired one shot at the man while crouching down in his T-Model Ford, the bullet struck and removed one eyebrow from the man`s face.

The neighbor fully recovered and they became friends after that encounter. Wow! Talk about a “close call.”

Ida Bounds ~1937

Ida Bounds ~1972

Grandmother’s

Tremendous

Memory

By Sylvia Jean Gunn

Grandmother Bounds read this in the Saturday Evening Post in 1923 when her son, Gus Bounds, was a baby. She memorized it and never forgot it. What a memory!

What a funny bird the frog are:

When he hop, he fly almost;

When he stand, he sit almost.

He ain’t got no sense hardly.

He ain’t got no tail hardly.

When he sit, he sit on what

He ain’t got almost.