OREGON FOLKLORE - WORK PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION: Surnames: Jamerson, Ayers, Havird, Barlow, McGrath, Davenport, Haberly
Title: Early Songs and Ballads


*********************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE:
************************************************ 
Copyright. All rights reserved. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm
*********************************************************************************
Transcribed and formatted for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
W. David Samuelsen - January 2002 - NO COPYRIGHT - PUBLIC DOMAIN
************************************************************************

Name and address of informant: Mrs. Cora Jamerson 1917 SW Third St, Portland,
Oregon.
Date and time of interview: December 2, 1938.
Place of interview: 1917 SW Third Ave., Portland, Oregon. Encountered her
while seeking for Mrs. McCrath, deceased.
Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.: Apartment living room of small
apartment house, a wooden structure in a "rundown" neighborhood. Fairly
comfortable though crowded room. A large kitchen adjoined. The living room
appeared to be also the sleeping quarters, in the usual two-room apartment
manner.

1. Scotch.
2. Kelso, Washington, 1871.
3. Daughter of John Ayers and Monterey Ann Havird Ayers.
4. Kelso, Washington, Forest Grove and Portland, Oregon.
5. Public school of Forest Grave.
6. Taught country public school when young. Later learned and followed trade
of dressmaking, a trade she still pursues. At present in charge of apartment
house where she lives.
7. None other than above.
8. No particular religious affiliations. Sang in choir when young.
9. Small, alert, gray-haired woman.
10. Mrs. Jamerson's father, John Ayers, was one of five brothers who
originally spelled their name Airs. Because of family trouble in settlement of
father's estate in Scotland the four brothers who came to America changed
their name. John Ayers, so his daughter said, built the first railroad bridges
between Portland and The Dalles, the first boat dock at Celilo, and the first
bulkhead at Oregon City.

Text:
My father, John Ayers, when he came from California to Oregon in 1852, worked
for some time for Barlow of the Barlow Route. Mrs. Barlow after settlement
where they lived so long, what is now Barlow Station, was considered quite the
lady of the country roundabout. My mother was with her a lot. After Abraham
Lincoln's inauguration Mrs. Barlow pieced him a quilt of silk ribbon. There
was a wide border all around the quilt, and this border was embroidered in red
roses. Mother helped her on it, and was always very proud of her share in the
work.

Mother used to sing to us a lot, lullabys, old ballads and so on. One of her
favorites was 'The Drunkard's Dream.' My sister has a copy of that and I'll
write and get it for you. She had a lot of old lullabys and I think sister has
some of those too. Father played the violin and we used to sing together.
Father never approved of kissing games. There were two games we used to play.
I don't remember just how we played them, but the names were 'As the Mill Goes
'Round', and 'Pop Goes the Weasel'. There was a big family of us in our youth
-- ten altogether. My brother, John, who died October 12, 1937, was the
inventor of the cigar log boom, that could withstand almost any sort of high
seas. The first log raft got loose and was lost two months before being found
and then it was all there, not a log missing. Mother died last year, She was
91 years old. She looked young and felt young clear up to the last. She was
married to father when she was 14 years old and he was thirty. Father died at
the age of 63.

In going through some discarded papers of Mrs. McGrath in the basement I found
a letter apparently written by her and not sent, relating to Homer Davenport.
I have no use for it and will give it to you. It is unsigned.
(Copy of letter, original of which is in files).

"Dear Friends, Bessie and Jim:

Well here I am, writing to you for reference. There was a girl here who heard
I was from Silverton and asked me to give her some information about Homer
Davenport. Seems like Homer was quite a hero amongst the Portland people. Well
I wrote down all I could think of when he was quite young, and if you know
anything I would be very grateful to you. We never knew much about him after
his father sold the farm and moved to Silverton.

At the time he came to our house he was 8 or 10. Was on the trade for
chickens. We had one of the largest roosters I ever seen, and Homer said he
must have him, so my mother gave him to Homer. He was a fighter, and he
matched him up with another, and presume they made a lot of fun. The poor boy
was always hungry. When my brother would see him coming he would say to
mother, 'Here Homer comes, get out your pie and doughnuts.' He was always
drawing pictures. Said to me, 'Adele, you have the talent, why don't you study
to paint?' I would watch him draw houses and go do them too, so that is why I
love to paint houses and trees. He put me next to it. I might have been 100
per cent artist if I had studied it."

Comment:

Mrs. Jamerson was very cooperative and helpful, and called up a number of
people over the telephone, trying to secure interviews for me. She promised to
write her sister, who lives somewhere in Washington, for copies of the
lullabys and the close-to-a-hundred-year-old popular ballad of the Drunkard's
Dream.

She was unable to obtain any interviews, however, but did give the name of Mr.
Haberly, Third and Harrison Streets, who knows Silverton.