Young Joseph Cotten Story

At the age of 94, Eula Mae Harris (wife of Joe Cotten's step brother) wrote down some of her early memories of the Cotten family.  The following story about Joesph Cotten is transcribed word for word:

"Joe was just like most little boys.  He loved my mama Alice Harris and he loved me, Eula, like a sister.  I remember one Christmas our fathers made their usual drinks for everyone, and they had some 100 proof ALCOHOL that they were going to put in some of the drinks, 'to flavor it', they said.  They were using a glass to measure it with and put the glass down to go have lunch.  And us kids were playing around, messin' around mostly, and Joe got the glass and drank some of the ALCOHOL.  It strangled him, and he passed out!  We thought he was dead.  It was terrible, we really thought he had died.  But he came around, and we were all thankful.  I guess you know he never drank any more alcohol for fear it night kill him.

Then one time my little brother Gaylord got a cold and Papa went to town and bought some 'Castoria'.  They used that a lot for kid's ailments.  It was sweet and tasted pretty good.  Well, Joe decided he would take some.  He drank most of the bottle.  Believe you me, Joe remembered that for a long time after.  We didn't have bathrooms in our homes back in those 'good ole days', so poor Joe spent that day and most of the night on the creek in the timber,  He didn't do that again either."