Son Of The Red Earth
by
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It was a Friday in late October 1934. I was looking forward to seeing Betsy the next night at the movie house. Shortly after the noon break, we were headed back to the Pavillion Springs area to put the finishing touches on the open air building we had constructed over the springs. I was taking the crew down to the springs while Bulldog was finishing up a little paper work at the camp. He was gonna meet us at the springs after he finished up. Bulldog really struggled with the paperwork, and I wasn’t much better. At least he had a high school diploma. What little schooling I had gotten didn’t go far when it came to figuring and such. The paperwork had to be done though. Without the paperwork being turned in every month, nobody was gonna get paid, and not getting paid was not a very popular thing around the C.C.C. camp. I was glad Bulldog had volunteered to do it this month. Figuring up the payroll and getting it turned in was sure to give me a headache every time. We hadn’t much more than got back down to the springs when here came Bulldog down the trail flogging his old mule for all he was worth. Bulldog had taken to riding a mule around the park the last few weeks. Said his lumbago was bothering him too much to have to walk all over the park. That old mule was really working up a lather the way Bulldog was pushing him down the trail. He slid off the mule just as he got to where I was standing. He grabbed me by the shirt and half dragged me behind a bunch of cedars growing alongside the trail. You men get on back to work, he hollered! This ain’t no concern of yours. He whirled around and grabbed me by the shirt right up close to the collar and dragged my face down close to his. Is Billy Bates your real name? Don’t lie to me boy! Tell me the truth! Is Billy Bates your real name? Before I could answer, he started talking again. 'Cause if your name might happen to be Jorney Wilson, there are two Federal Marshals back at camp looking to take you in. That you boy? Your name Jorney Wilson? I just nodded. I was dumbstruck. Couldn’t talk. Old Bulldog was doing all the talking anyhow, so I just stood there and listened. Boy, you head off down the creek 'til you get into the thick woods past the Rock Creek Campground. Wait 'til it gets dark, then ease up to town. The white house right behind the old lodge building. You know where it is. That’s Millie Rogers’ house. Tell her old Bulldog said to feed you and keep you hid 'til I get there. Now go! Get out of here before them Federal boys take a notion to come down here looking for you. I started to open my mouth to say something, but he just shoved me toward the trail to Rock Creek Campground. Just shut up and go. Remember, go to Millie’s house after dark. I’ll meet you there.
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About the Book
"Son Of The Red Earth" is based on a story told to me in 1967. The story centers around the life of young Jorney Wilson. Starting in the early 1930s, Jorney’s story is about the harsh reality of living with an alcoholic, abusive father and his struggle to keep skin and bones together for the both of them. Sold off to a neighboring farmer for the sum of fifty dollars, Jorney vows not to take another beating. He finds he has to fight back to keep that very thing from happening. With Silas Baldwin down on the ground and maybe dead, Jorney flees to a life of running and hiding, always just one step ahead of the law. From working for the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) to running moonshine whisky, Jorney finds a way to get by and makes some lasting friendships along the way. When he finds the girl of his dreams, it seems everything is going to work out alright after all. But then Carl Betterman of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BOCI) manages to capture him with a truck load of moonshine whisky. When he finds himself on trial for murder, the darkest days of his young life are ahead of him. Jorney Wilson was truly born of the red earth, thus the title of this book. Follow him as he tries to make a life for himself and find justice and vindication for a crime he didn’t commit. Share his adventures as he roams the countryside and helps make history in the young and growing state of Oklahoma. Sit with him in the dark cells of the Atoka County Jail as he awaits his trial for murder. Live with him as he fights to be free as a “Son of the Red Earth”.
About the Author
Ted Pittman was born and raised in the rural area of southern Oklahoma. Born to a blue collar family, he remains true to his roots in his writing and the composition of his stories. His book of short stories “Black Cotton” reflects the way of life in the 1950’s and 1960’s in small town America. The stories are both humorous and heartwarming, and depict actual events in the life of the author. His latest book “Son Of The Red Earth” is a historical fiction novel based on a true story. The setting is southern Oklahoma during the Great Depression years of the early 1930’s. Ted’s ‘down home’ style of writing is evident in this book as he tells the story of young Jorney Wilson’s struggles to survive and gain vindication for a crime he didn’t commit. A born again Christian, Ted enjoys his church family and has a deep abiding faith in God. He attends church in the small town of Mill Creek, Oklahoma where his wife Darlene has taught a youth Sunday School class for many years. Ted and Darlene currently reside in Murray County Oklahoma. They have four children and eleven grandchildren. His interests include fishing and camping, boating, long walks in the park, and spending time with the family. He is a business manager and has worked for the same company almost forty years.