Part II.. August 4, 1975 Interview

Part II.

August 4, 1975 Interview

[Interview conducted by Judy Carlson at Bessie Murphy's home]

Judy Carlson: Could I hear a little bit more about your Scottish ancestry?

Bessie Murphy: Gragg -- my father's people -- they came originally from Fishire to North Ireland in probably the early 1700's. And began coming to America before the Revolution, because some of them served in the Revolutionary War. Gradually, they began going West. I've got them back to Tennessee now and into Missouri, where my grandfather was born.

Judy Carlson: You 're very proud of your Scottish ancestry.

Bessie Murphy: Yes, I am. My father had a lot of influence on me. I just wonder if parents and generations past didn't have more influence on their children than they do now, because life went along with a great deal of the same beliefs and ideas, and now it's so radically different.

Judy Carlson: What about Scottish characteristics?

Bessie Murphy: Well, in general, the men were t11 and raw boned. They liked to keep family traditions, clear down to my time. One was about the uncle in the Putnams Army. One was a guard on the dock at Boston when ships came, and General Washington and his aides went down to the dockside to look through their spy glasses. Then Washington turned to my uncle and asked him if he didn't want to look, and he did, and he could see the buttons on the soldiers' uniforms. Now that's several generations ago! My father talked a lot about the ones he knew. I did visit the historical society in Belfast and learned some general history. If I had more time, I could have learned a lot more.

Judy Carlson: How about the Scottish trait of "watching your pennies"?

Bessie Murphy: Oh yes, there were very few of them that had any chance of making any big money, and they had to be careful with what they had.

Judy Carlson: And your father?

Bessie Murphy: He was very economical, but he wasn't what you called tight. But there was more economy practiced in times past than there is now. Scotch and German and everything else were economical. The waste bothers me. And it's very, very unnecessary and makes our taxes high. And the taxes are exorbitant.

Judy Carlson: You've traveled a lot, haven 't you?

Bessie Murphy: Some, United States, Hebrides Islands. . Bonnie Prince Charlie Country, still full of . traditions. And some of the people would like to turn back the page of history to that time.

Judy Carlson: Would you like to return to times past?

Bessie Murphy: Yes, I personally would, but if the world will not learn from its mistakes, what's the use of going back?

Judy Carlson: What time would you return to?

Bessie Murphy: When I was a child. I thought that was great. Automobiles were just coming in. The transition from the horse to the automobile. To me, the automobile didn't thrill me.

Judy Carlson: Do you still horseback ride?

Bessie Murphy: Not these days. Not for 20 years. My back bothers me, from a fall off a horse and arthritis.

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Judy Carlson: Are these ideas your parents had?

Bessie Murphy: Yes, I think so. They were ambitious and tried to improve their farm. It's hard to put it in words.

Judy Carlson: How about some of the clubs you belonged to at OSU?

Bessie Murphy: I stayed at home, see. The Home Ec club and the Downtown Girls Club is all I remember.

Judy Carlson: Do you think you majored in Home Ec because it was erpected of you?

Bessie Murphy: More or less, yes. I'm not sorry although it might have been better if I could have done something else. There was a time, I think I could have indulged science, and gone in as a lab technician . . . I liked bacteriology and botany. At that time men were monopolizing science.

Judy Carlson: They still are.

Bessie Murphy: Yes, I guess so.

Judy Carlson: When did you start taking pictures of wildflowers?

Bessie Murphy: Just last spring. I talked to friends and got advice, and the rest is luck. I'm lucky I have this friend who has a jeep -- that's the easy way to climb a mountain.

Judy Carlson: What about the bouncing?

Bessie Murphy: No, I'm used to bouncing along on a farm wagon when I was a kid, and then on a horse. I liked the farm and all the activities on it. And I really liked the horses.

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