Son of Thomas Allen Ayers and Priscilla Bradley of Currahee, Habersham County, Georgia. His first wife Latranquil died in childbirth in 1902, and he remarried Mary Ward Bright Brady, who was lovingly known as Granny Mary.
The Adventure of the Flying Tub and Jim Ayers: by Lucy Addison Anderson
Ride in a Tub, by Lucy Addison Anderson, as told to Cora Ledbetter. Life Along the Middle Broad River by Patti Evans-Shumate and Rebecca Bruce and Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain in the Early 1900's, by Cora Brady Ledbetter, page 95. Here is the original version written by Lucy in 1971.
Grandmother Priscilla Bradley Ayers said the worst scare she ever had in her life was one day she put her two year old baby Uncle Jim Ayers in his favorite play pen, a "wooden tub" and put him on a cushion with his play things, while she swept the yard. He had a little dog named Ned who always stayed close by him as Grandmother swept around on the other side of the house. She heard an awful roaring, and Ned was really barking, and Jim was hollering "Whee, Whee". She went around the house as fast as her legs could carry her. The baby and tub were way up in the air going around and around in the worst whirlwind she had ever seen. Priscilla said she couldn't run, she was frozen. But two of the girls ran after him, and when the whirlwind got way up the hill, she saw the tub start down, but it never did tip over- it just sat down between some trees
Ned, the dog, got to him first, still barking. The tub didn't even tip over. His sisters had Tom pry his hands loose from the tub, but he was still hollering: Whee! Whee! Little Jim Ayers had the first ride in the air of anyone around even before the Wright Brothers. Grandma said she prayed with all her might for God to let him come down safe, and said she her prayers were answered.
Written by Granddaughter Lucy Addison Anderson on August 29, 1971, borrowed and retold by Cora Ledbetter in her book Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain. Original transcribed by Dorothy Latranquil Ayers Martin from handwritten notes in 1971.
The Adventure of the Flying Tub and Jim Ayers: by Lucy Addison Anderson
Ride in a Tub, by Lucy Addison Anderson, as told to Cora Ledbetter. Life Along the Middle Broad River by Patti Evans-Shumate and Rebecca Bruce and Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain in the Early 1900's, by Cora Brady Ledbetter, page 95. Here is the original version written by Lucy in 1971.
Grandmother Priscilla Bradley Ayers said the worst scare she ever had in her life was one day she put her two year old baby Uncle Jim Ayers in his favorite play pen, a "wooden tub" and put him on a cushion with his play things, while she swept the yard. He had a little dog named Ned who always stayed close by him as Grandmother swept around on the other side of the house. She heard an awful roaring, and Ned was really barking, and Jim was hollering "Whee, Whee". She went around the house as fast as her legs could carry her. The baby and tub were way up in the air going around and around in the worst whirlwind she had ever seen. Priscilla said she couldn't run, she was frozen. But two of the girls ran after him, and when the whirlwind got way up the hill, she saw the tub start down, but it never did tip over- it just sat down between some trees
Ned, the dog, got to him first, still barking. The tub didn't even tip over. His sisters had Tom pry his hands loose from the tub, but he was still hollering: Whee! Whee! Little Jim Ayers had the first ride in the air of anyone around even before the Wright Brothers. Grandma said she prayed with all her might for God to let him come down safe, and said she her prayers were answered.
Written by Granddaughter Lucy Addison Anderson on August 29, 1971, borrowed and retold by Cora Ledbetter in her book Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain. Original transcribed by Dorothy Latranquil Ayers Martin from handwritten notes in 1971.
Son of Thomas Allen Ayers and Priscilla Bradley of Currahee, Habersham County, Georgia. His first wife Latranquil died in childbirth in 1902, and he remarried Mary Ward Bright Brady, who was lovingly known as Granny Mary.
The Adventure of the Flying Tub and Jim Ayers: by Lucy Addison Anderson
Ride in a Tub, by Lucy Addison Anderson, as told to Cora Ledbetter. Life Along the Middle Broad River by Patti Evans-Shumate and Rebecca Bruce and Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain in the Early 1900's, by Cora Brady Ledbetter, page 95. Here is the original version written by Lucy in 1971.
Grandmother Priscilla Bradley Ayers said the worst scare she ever had in her life was one day she put her two year old baby Uncle Jim Ayers in his favorite play pen, a "wooden tub" and put him on a cushion with his play things, while she swept the yard. He had a little dog named Ned who always stayed close by him as Grandmother swept around on the other side of the house. She heard an awful roaring, and Ned was really barking, and Jim was hollering "Whee, Whee". She went around the house as fast as her legs could carry her. The baby and tub were way up in the air going around and around in the worst whirlwind she had ever seen. Priscilla said she couldn't run, she was frozen. But two of the girls ran after him, and when the whirlwind got way up the hill, she saw the tub start down, but it never did tip over- it just sat down between some trees
Ned, the dog, got to him first, still barking. The tub didn't even tip over. His sisters had Tom pry his hands loose from the tub, but he was still hollering: Whee! Whee! Little Jim Ayers had the first ride in the air of anyone around even before the Wright Brothers. Grandma said she prayed with all her might for God to let him come down safe, and said she her prayers were answered.
Written by Granddaughter Lucy Addison Anderson on August 29, 1971, borrowed and retold by Cora Ledbetter in her book Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain. Original transcribed by Dorothy Latranquil Ayers Martin from handwritten notes in 1971.
The Adventure of the Flying Tub and Jim Ayers: by Lucy Addison Anderson
Ride in a Tub, by Lucy Addison Anderson, as told to Cora Ledbetter. Life Along the Middle Broad River by Patti Evans-Shumate and Rebecca Bruce and Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain in the Early 1900's, by Cora Brady Ledbetter, page 95. Here is the original version written by Lucy in 1971.
Grandmother Priscilla Bradley Ayers said the worst scare she ever had in her life was one day she put her two year old baby Uncle Jim Ayers in his favorite play pen, a "wooden tub" and put him on a cushion with his play things, while she swept the yard. He had a little dog named Ned who always stayed close by him as Grandmother swept around on the other side of the house. She heard an awful roaring, and Ned was really barking, and Jim was hollering "Whee, Whee". She went around the house as fast as her legs could carry her. The baby and tub were way up in the air going around and around in the worst whirlwind she had ever seen. Priscilla said she couldn't run, she was frozen. But two of the girls ran after him, and when the whirlwind got way up the hill, she saw the tub start down, but it never did tip over- it just sat down between some trees
Ned, the dog, got to him first, still barking. The tub didn't even tip over. His sisters had Tom pry his hands loose from the tub, but he was still hollering: Whee! Whee! Little Jim Ayers had the first ride in the air of anyone around even before the Wright Brothers. Grandma said she prayed with all her might for God to let him come down safe, and said she her prayers were answered.
Written by Granddaughter Lucy Addison Anderson on August 29, 1971, borrowed and retold by Cora Ledbetter in her book Happenings Around Leatherwood Mountain. Original transcribed by Dorothy Latranquil Ayers Martin from handwritten notes in 1971.
Bio by: Andrew Ayers Martin, M.D., J.D.
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