THE TWINS
Written by Bud Slagle
Nephew of Price Mathis (Matthews)
Price and Add Matthews were twins and they stuck together like glue. Where you saw one you were likely to see the other one.
They were pretty much famous in their area for pulling pranks on everyone and they usually pulled these pranks as a team – and then they would take up for each other when anything bad started happening.
At one time Price was the Constable of the Fifteenth Civil District of Lawrence County in West Point, TN. One day Add and a colored fellow (now we all say African American) guy got in an argument down by the creek. Later that day Add saw Price and told him about the argument and about two hours later Price went into Noblet’s store in West Point. The man that Add had the disagreement with was sitting on a nail keg in the back of the store.
Price approached him and said “was that you that talked smart to my brother down yonder a while ago?” The young man mumbled something not quite clear enough for Price to understand and Price asked him what he said. The black man said “I don’t chew my tobacco but once, and then I spit it out”.
Price chose the quick method to settle this dispute, pulled out his pistol and shot the black man in the mouth and said “chew on that a while”.
The bullet came out his jaw and he had a very bad mouth – so to speak – for quit a long time, leaving some permanent damage. But he did live, and later moved to Lawrenceburg where he had a hot dog stand in or near the county court house for several years. Some of Prices kids still talk to the man at his hot dog stand in Lawrenceburg.
Price had to serve a year in jail for shooting the man. Price, being well acquainted with the local sheriff, got to be the jail trusty and he could sit out on the front porch of the jail or even walk up to the square and sit around up there.
Sometimes he would have some of his friends slip him a little moonshine down to the back yard of the jail. He would drink a little and sell the rest. He made more money that year up at the jail than he would have made if he had stayed at home.
Price later moved to Wayne County TN (about 1934) where he spent the remainder of his life, passing away in 1962.
Nephew of Price Mathis (Matthews)
Price and Add Matthews were twins and they stuck together like glue. Where you saw one you were likely to see the other one.
They were pretty much famous in their area for pulling pranks on everyone and they usually pulled these pranks as a team – and then they would take up for each other when anything bad started happening.
At one time Price was the Constable of the Fifteenth Civil District of Lawrence County in West Point, TN. One day Add and a colored fellow (now we all say African American) guy got in an argument down by the creek. Later that day Add saw Price and told him about the argument and about two hours later Price went into Noblet’s store in West Point. The man that Add had the disagreement with was sitting on a nail keg in the back of the store.
Price approached him and said “was that you that talked smart to my brother down yonder a while ago?” The young man mumbled something not quite clear enough for Price to understand and Price asked him what he said. The black man said “I don’t chew my tobacco but once, and then I spit it out”.
Price chose the quick method to settle this dispute, pulled out his pistol and shot the black man in the mouth and said “chew on that a while”.
The bullet came out his jaw and he had a very bad mouth – so to speak – for quit a long time, leaving some permanent damage. But he did live, and later moved to Lawrenceburg where he had a hot dog stand in or near the county court house for several years. Some of Prices kids still talk to the man at his hot dog stand in Lawrenceburg.
Price had to serve a year in jail for shooting the man. Price, being well acquainted with the local sheriff, got to be the jail trusty and he could sit out on the front porch of the jail or even walk up to the square and sit around up there.
Sometimes he would have some of his friends slip him a little moonshine down to the back yard of the jail. He would drink a little and sell the rest. He made more money that year up at the jail than he would have made if he had stayed at home.
Price later moved to Wayne County TN (about 1934) where he spent the remainder of his life, passing away in 1962.
THE TWINS
Written by Tom Stanford
Great Grandson of John Huston Matthews
Add Matthews was born in 1890, along with his twin brother Price Matthews. They were sons of John Houston Matthews. On July 5th 1951 Uncle Add was in the woods alone near West Point, TN. cutting timber. Due to the fact that Uncle Add was alone it is possible that some of the details of this part of his life may not be known. When I say all alone I mean that there were no other people there. The dog that was with him belonged to the Bozwell family that Uncle Add was staying with. The dog’s name is unknown to me, so I will call him Barnaby. Uncle Add loved dogs and you can tell as this chapter unfolds that dogs also LOVED Uncle Add. If there are any doubts in your mind about how smart and loyal dogs are, just read on. Uncle Add and Uncle Price enjoyed life and dogs were very much a part of their lives.
While cutting timber on July 5th 1951 Uncle Add suffered a stroke. Since no one was there to help him, Barbaby (Uncle Add’s Adopted Dog) had to spring into action. Barnaby must have known that his “BUDDY” needed help. Barnaby started to call for help by barking very loud and continuous. Barnaby must have known that someone would be looking for Uncle Add when time came for him to be at the James Bozwell home where he was staying.
Sure enough when Uncle Add did not come home James Bozwell and Pat Coats went looking for Uncle Add. As they got near where Uncle Add lay very ill they heard Barnaby barking and followed the sounds of a barking dog calling for help for his friend. James and Pat soon found Uncle Add.
Pat Coats carried Uncle Add about one mile to James Bozwell’s house on his back and the doctor was called. Uncle Add survived the ordeal, but was paralyzed to the point that he was a bed patient the rest of his life.
After a short time Uncle Add was transferred to the home of Orbra and Viola (Matthews) Slagle, and their children Bud and Margaret Ann. The Slagle's not only cared for Uncle Add day and night, they provided the love that made the last years of Uncle Add’s life very pleasant and happy.
Uncle Add passed from this life in the year of 1955 at the age of sixty-five.
Knowing Uncle Add he probably trained his faithful friend Barnaby to just find someone else who needed a friend.
I must mention that I could not have written this chapter of the life of Uncle Add Matthews without the help of Bud Slagle and Pat Coats.
As a youngster of eleven years old I have some fond recollections of Uncle Add by visiting him, along with my parents Chester and Sibble (Matthews) Stanford, brother Joe and sister Carolyn, at the Slagle’s home
While cutting timber on July 5th 1951 Uncle Add suffered a stroke. Since no one was there to help him, Barbaby (Uncle Add’s Adopted Dog) had to spring into action. Barnaby must have known that his “BUDDY” needed help. Barnaby started to call for help by barking very loud and continuous. Barnaby must have known that someone would be looking for Uncle Add when time came for him to be at the James Bozwell home where he was staying.
Sure enough when Uncle Add did not come home James Bozwell and Pat Coats went looking for Uncle Add. As they got near where Uncle Add lay very ill they heard Barnaby barking and followed the sounds of a barking dog calling for help for his friend. James and Pat soon found Uncle Add.
Pat Coats carried Uncle Add about one mile to James Bozwell’s house on his back and the doctor was called. Uncle Add survived the ordeal, but was paralyzed to the point that he was a bed patient the rest of his life.
After a short time Uncle Add was transferred to the home of Orbra and Viola (Matthews) Slagle, and their children Bud and Margaret Ann. The Slagle's not only cared for Uncle Add day and night, they provided the love that made the last years of Uncle Add’s life very pleasant and happy.
Uncle Add passed from this life in the year of 1955 at the age of sixty-five.
Knowing Uncle Add he probably trained his faithful friend Barnaby to just find someone else who needed a friend.
I must mention that I could not have written this chapter of the life of Uncle Add Matthews without the help of Bud Slagle and Pat Coats.
As a youngster of eleven years old I have some fond recollections of Uncle Add by visiting him, along with my parents Chester and Sibble (Matthews) Stanford, brother Joe and sister Carolyn, at the Slagle’s home
