Part II: The Goat Man a Legend

Ches McCartney ( the Goat Man ), lived a long life on the road in good health. Except for the injuries he suffered early on in the WPA during the depression, drinking lots of goats milk seemed to keep him healthy.His dislike and lack of baths didn't seem to effect his health but did give him a certain "Air about Him", and I am sure effected his appearance. His personality was what made him special and well liked by those who went by his camp or talked with him as he passed by them on the road. He liked to preach and read from his bible to those who would listen. To help fianance his traveles the Goat Man sold a few novelties such as needle-threaders, picture post cards of himself and his goats, and accepted donations to help him along his way. He must of had a comercial venture, as well is evident, from one of his post cards he sales. It shows a little girl with a six pack of Pepsi, watching while he gives a drink of Pepsi, from a bottle, to a goat near his wagon; with a Pepsi sign on the back of the wagon.(You Think So). He also sold scrap iron and junk he found along the road as he traveled.

The Goat Man claimed he never had to beg or steal to exist. He states" the Lord provides the perfect medicine, a mixture of sunshine and water, and provides the goats with plenty of vegetation. They in turn provide me plenty of milk.",a product he was fond of drinking fresh in front of the startled onlookers. He offen stated " Everyone is my friend, they visit me whereever I am; I don't have to use a mortgaged car, burn credit card gas, or travel on borrowed time to visit you for a few minutes, and then to rush at unsafe speeds to make it in time for dinner or an appointment that someone else will break anyhow".When anyone bought a postcard or nic-nac, the Goat Man was quick to thank them for their financial assistance as his goats"worked hard and they liked to live high!"

E-Mails recieved on the Goat Man

Robert Lovett, Woodbury, Ga. I remember the Goat Man, about 60 years ago, I was a young boy, on my bicycle, as he was going by near Woodbury. He stopped to talk and borrowed my bike so he could run by a store in town to get someting he needed and leave his goats to eat grass while he was gone. He came back and thanked me for the use of my bicycle and gave me a post card of him,his goats and wagon. That the picture I sent you on my original e-mail. He was strange site to see.

Carol Frattali, Delonaga,Ga. I remember see him as a child in the early 1950's. I was siting in the back seat of the car in Stone Mountain as he went trough town. I didn't know who he was or anything about him then. Now I know what I saw and who he is! Thanks

W.T Harris, Lineville Ala. Mr. Rollins I do remember him. I remember him and the goat staying on my uncles farm, near Camp Hill, Ala. It seem he stayed there, when ever he was passing through, to camp. I remember him also coming by without the goats as he was hitch hiking to Birmingham in the 1970's. He was an interesting man. He and my uncle talked about the bible a lot, they both were preachers. Thanks for the memories.

Albert Askew, now Athens, Ga. I use to see him in Chipley/ Pine Mountain, Ga. as well as other places I have lived in north Georgia. I remember him from my childhood and youth but have seen him over the years. He seemed to travel a periodic schedule. A facinating man.

The Rest of the Story:

The Goat Mans wanderings with his wagon and goats did come to an end rather suddenly! The rumor mill and some news papers stated The Goat Man and his goats were killed by a accident with an 18 wheeler on a rain slicked road in north Georgia; all were killed! This was not true!!

Here is what did happen---Due to another rumor that Ches McCartney was a rich recluse and carried a lot of money with him lead to this incident. At Signal Mountain, outside Chattanooga,Tenn., during the night while he camped a group of thugs came to camp while he was a sleep. They mugged him striking him in the head, it took 27 stitches to close the gash. While he was out cold they ransacked the wagon and slit the throats and killed eight of the goats.

After a short stay in the hospital Ches took what was left and headed home toward Jeffersonville, Ga. On his way, near Conyers, Ga. he awoke to find two of his goats missing. One was never found, rumered to have been eaten, and the other was found tied to the railroad tracks and a train had killed it.

The brutality of all this was to much for the Goat Man to take. He loaded up and returned home, parked the wagon and never took it or the goats on the road again. Instead he took up hitch hikeing or hoboing around the country; dressed with his ball cap, wing-tip shoes and cane.

His house burned down in 1978 and he and Gene moved in a old yellow school bus to replace it. They lived there; with no running water, a potbelled stove for heat, an out house potty. Also on the property was a concret tomb that has his mother and father buried in it. Ches moved into a nursing home (Eastside)in Macon and Gene lived in the bus till June 1998 when Gene was murdered in the bus in Twiggs County, Ga. and the murder was never solved. Ches lived another few months after Genes death. Ches clamed to be 106 with a birth date between1882 and 1900.

Albert Gene and his father Charles "Ches" McCartney are buried in Jeffersonville city cemetery together in Twiggs County, Ga. The City of Jeffersonville donated them the plot.

He is a Legend in the Southeast!

Thanks for all the input on the Goat Man from your e-mails, Ron

   

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