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AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ERNEST A. CARVIN
MY LIFE BEGAN IN THE SLEEPY LITTLE TOWN OF BAY ST.LOUIS,MISSISSIPPI,THE COUNTY SEAT OF HANCOCK COUNTY.AT ONE TIKE IT WAS CALLED SHIELDSBOROUGH,PROBABLY AFTER A KAN NAKED SHIELDS,AS THERE WAS A FAKILY NAKED SHIELDS IN THE AREA.I WAS BORN ON TUESDAY,OCTOBER 17,1911.MY BIRTHSTONE IS AN OPAL,AND I WAS BORN UNDER THE ZODIAC SIGN OF LIBRA,THE BALANCE.
MY EARLY LIFE,1911-18 WAS SPENT IN BAY ST.LOUIS.IN THIS PERIOD OF MY LIFE I DEVELOPED A FEAR OF CATERPILLARS,SNAKES AND DOGS.LIKE ALL KIDS WE PLAYED GAMES,CLIMBED TREES,AND GOT INTO MISCHIEF OF ALL SORTS.
MY FATHER AND BROTHER ALPHONSE SAWED TREES INTO SHORT LENGTHS FOR USE IN OUR COOKING AND HEATING STOVES.THEY ALSO CUT LUMBER FOR USE AS PICKETS AND FENCE POSTS.I LIKED TO CURL UP BEHIND THE STOVE AND GO TO SLEEP.THE FAMILY WOULD GO SEARCHING ALL OVER FOR ME.	'
ONE DAY I WALKED DOWN TO THE SHRIMP FACTORY,WHICH WAS ABOUT A MILE OR SO DOWN OUR STREET,CALLED BOARDMAN'S AVENUE ON THE BAY OF ST.LOUIS.THEY FOUND ME SITTING ON A BARREL WATCHING THE LADIES " PICK SHRIMf> ?,AS THE EXPRESSION WAS THEN.MY SISTER ELVIRE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.
WE RAISED A FEW CHICKENS AND PIGS AND HAD A GARDEN.I REMEMBER GOING TO CHURCH ONCE BUT DON'T REMEMBER WHERE IT WAS.IT MAY HAVE BEEN ABOUT A HALF KILE WEST DOWN OUR STREET.MY FATHER HAD A SHOTGUN THAT HE USED FOR SHOOTING CHICKEN HAWKS.
ONE DAY MY BROTHER WILLIS FELL FROM A TREE.IN LATER YEARS HE TOLD ME THAT IF HE HAD NOT HIT SO MANY LIMBS COMING DOWN HE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN KILLED.AS IT WAS,HE LOST SOME TEETH AND INCURRED OTHER INJURIES AND WAS OUT COLD FOR ABOUT A WEEK.I REMEMBER OUR FAMILY SITTING AROUND HIS BED WAITING FOR HIM TO REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS.
OUR HOUSE WAS BUILT IN TWO SECTIONS.THE FRONT SECTION,I BELIEVE,WAS COMPOSED OF FOUR BEDROOMS.THE REAR SECTION WAS A LARGE ROOM COMPRISING PRO-	v\&
BABLY A KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM.IN BETWEEN THESE WAS A CONNECTING PORCH	?
WITHOUT A ROOF.WE HAD AN OLD FASHIONED WATER PUMP WHICH HAD TO BE PRIMED WITH WATER,AND THEN THE HANDLE WAS PUMPED UP AND DOWN TO SUPPLY WHATEVER WATER WAS NEEDED.
I REMEMBER A FIERY RED " DEVIL'S HEAD ?' ON THE BUREAU IN MY PARENT'S BEDROOM.WE USED MUSTARD PLASTERS FOR ACHING BACKS AND HUNG ASAFETIDA BAGS AROUND OUR NECKS TO WARD OFF " LA GRIPPE ? AND OTHER MINOR AILMENTS.
AT CHRISTMAS TIME WE USED TO HAVE THE MOST DELICIOUS DINNER,CONSISTING OF A ROASTED SUCKLING PIG,SITTING IN A LARGE ROASTING PAN,COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY YAMS FLOATING IN THE JUICES AND GRAVY ^ WJWlJ aw.*
I ATTENDED AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CALLED THE R.W.WEBB SCHOOL,WHICH WAS
named for a Former mayor of bay st.louis.our house was about <oo feet from
GRANDFATHER -CARVIN1S HOUSE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BOARDMAN'S AVENUE.ACROSS THE STREET FROM HIM WAS HIS DAUGHTER ELEANORE.WHO WAS THE WIFE OF ELMER BOURGEOIS.ELMER AND MY MOTHER WERE COUSINS APPROXIMATELY SIX TIMES REMOVED.
SOMEWHERE AROUND 1917-18 WE LEFT BAY ST.LOUIS AND WENT TO BILOXI TO LIVE.WE STARTED FROM BAY ST.LOUIS IN A SMELLY OLD SHRIMP BOAT MY UNCLE ALFRED BOURGEOIS HAD BEEN USING TO CATCH SHRIMP IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.IT SMELLED SO MUCH OF SHRIMP THAT ALL THE WOMEN GOT SICK,AND I WAS PROBABLY THE WORST OFF.FROM THIS TIME ON,EVERYTIME I WENT ON BOARD A SHIP,REGARDLESS OF ITS SIZE,I GOT SEASICK AGAIN.IT WAS DECIDED THAT MY FATHER,UNCLE ALFRED^AND ALPHONSE WOULD GO BY BOAT, AND THE REST OF US WOULD GO BY TROLLEY FROM PASS CHRISTIAN TO BILOXI.OUR BOAT ARRIVED THE FOLLOWING DAY,AFTER A VOYAGE AROUND THE EAST END OF BILOXI,AND TIED UP AT A WHARF IN FRONT OF OUR NEW HOKE ON BAY VIEW BOULEVARD AND LAMEUSE STREET.THIS WAS ONE OF THE TWO JOULLIAN HOUSES WE WERE TO LIVE IN.IT WAS A LARGE THREE-STORY HOUSE,IN
STUCK IN THE PIG'S MOUTH
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