My friend Tom from Florida just called. He knew I was in or near Demopolis and he wanted to share a little local color with me. It seems one of Tom’s many good friends (he’s just that kind of guy) is a lawyer who now lives in Sarasota, Florida, but hails from Demopolis, Alabama. Apparently every once in a while after a few drinks, the lawyer friend liked to tell this tale of his youth in Demopolis:
Back in grammar school in Demopolis there was a kid named “Peehead Johnson”. Seemed everybody knew old Peehead. Now, old Peehead wasn’t given that name by his parents. No sir, he earned it. Seems that Peehead could pee completely over the top of a Cadillac Coupe DeVille, from one end to the other, bumper to bumper…honest.
Tom said when he pulled into the fuel dock here, he was met by the dock master who asked Tom if he’d ever been to Demopolis. Tom said not only had he not been here, but he only knew one thing about Demopolis. Curious, the dock master asked what that might be. Tom, (unsure how true the story was) said, “Well, I know the story of Peehead Johnson.” The dockmaster’s jaw dropped, and he replied, “Well, y'all know, that feller could pee right over an intire Cadillac Coupe DeVille from one endta' thuther…” Then the dockmaster said that poor old Peehead wasn’t doing too well, “he’s a been suffrin’ from kidney problems.” Imagine that.
Tom has a theory. He says every city has something that it is famous for, like Chicago (the windy city) or New York (big apple). Sacramento calls itself the city of trees. Tom figures the best that the folks in Demopolis could come up with was the story of old Peehead. Tom wants me to drop the name here in town. We’ll see…somehow I think my buddy is setting me up!
Note: One of my dad’s best buddies growing up in the small town of Sutter Creek, California was a guy named “Peckerhead” Nelson. Dad never told me the origin of that name...probably for the best...
Peckerhead is on the left. Dad is on the right.
Sutter Creek, CA, Circa 1943
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