"Short Stories," Lee County.
Folder contains 33 pages of Alabama short stories compiled by Preston C. Klein for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.• [ 'I!ru.ok DriTlr J.c.stoosh 2 p.C.~l.in--Le. CO. hit's too lat•• OBuse ~ou sho 18 tied down ter hard work then fer most uv us has ter w"rk in...
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project Collection |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project "Short Stories," Lee County. |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project Alabama Writers' Project; Alabama--Biography; Alabama--Social life and customs; Lee County (Ala.); United States. Works Progress Administration |
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Folder contains 33 pages of Alabama short stories compiled by Preston C. Klein for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.•
[ 'I!ru.ok DriTlr
J.c.stoosh
2
p.C.~l.in--Le. CO.
hit's too lat•• OBuse ~ou sho 18 tied down ter hard work then fer most uv us
has ter w"rk in the mi11.do_ll ~er UOUsIWOl'k,waehing d babiee ooming erlong
so fast,solll8times,l1k. pouring peas in '1' hopper and hite too muoh f.r
girls so ~oung,bad ernoush
ken tak. keer er them,
J/eith.r on. uv us went no
I likes large f l1ies.f ~er
eres in aohool of ooars••n ~er feel th.m
kind.r things .....n ~.r do git grown. I ain't got bot on. ohild t t w~t
throush high sohool.1I\Y onl~ bo~ h-ank.but now Has.l and Anni. Lou.whos. married
and lives at P.pperr.:U. and hall three .r the wast ;rounguns ~ou is .ver
..ed,th. noisiest ohillun,all th';r think UT is ho uoh fUss d.~ kin lIBlte,
run thr~ush the house hard as de~ kin tar. ,don't think 'r nobo~ nor nothin:
she works in the lIIlU too, thq went thro the sixth grad., but Iris now,looks
like is going on throush,this is her first ~.ar in hish sohool and she seems
ter 11ke hit, She go.s on the ,epperr.11 SChool Bus that goes b~ h.r. ever
morning and .vening,into Opelika. Yes'm.~ou seed her up to the (entist last
plaid on,
week wid '1' green euit.r.d satin blous',and purpl.7sOBrf/er Dlas pr.s.nt
she got.
""T b~ Frank,he finish.d hish IIOhool. th.n work.d in the mill at Pepper-
1'.11 too und.r .Combs,as sup.r and he tak.n er fance t.r ank and tried
ter help him all h. oould t.r 1IBlt. ,1' ris. en get t.r b. a Sop.r,lo as he
was h.r•• bot .Combs mOTed ter california, theD Frank staid on t ill he saw
e~ won't go dO nothin' 1lI0re fer him ,and he got dissatisfied,eo he ote
to .Combe en ••Combe wrote him to oome oat th.r••n h. 41d,t.r the oD1;r
ootton mill in Calif.rnia,hite n'ar san Franoieoo. .Combe done all he
oould to help I\J' b~.but after he'd been out there er 1lhlle h. got hurt,wos
OBught in the ohiner~ at the mi:p. and knocked unoonol.us with two big
holes in his head and h. llQ' unoonoious in the hospital five w..ks and ~ou
know hit like t.r kill.d m. ter think. I ooulan't go to m~ bo~ .n him not
knowing non••r as. His wif. ud talk. ter him and n'ver mak. him know noth-
ST93Y-- -TRUCK DRIVER
/ TRUCK DRIVl'.R---Lee Co.
J.c.stOllgh
ldrs.P. C.t.
.then ~ knooked at -rs.8toughs door,
•
el,the next oldest daughter ana-
..,red the door and Baid her ..other W88 there. then I aaked if r may go back
where she wae and talk.llo WI! did and •• stough wae on tne be restiPg.she
had just returned from 10 own and looked neat and olean.ahe had her r our-led.
a permanent.had on a green uniforn 11ke the mill workers we and .-
barefooted.said her faet hUrt,so 1 iDlliated on her BtlliYing where she .e.
After a lit tle while iP talkiPg h r aon and wanting to show me some
piotureB.ehe put on a pair of worn DB"" blue felt BlipperB •
"Good morning •Stough.I balleTe I'n caught ao_one here this trip,
I stopped by a few daTB ago to get ecme fruit and the little girl. the little
fat one,l1ke me.waB in the ;yard but couldn't
that waB IriB.aw baby child,she ain't but thirteen yoar6 ola,but Jou'd think
she were Bixteen 'o'rdin to her size,Bhe don't neTer try ter Bell Buy er
the fruit nor tlings tho. I wos up ter ss .lies. she had had er stroke,
don't know how bad but she wos tuok sudden 11ke.hit's her right side er her
fsoe and the left leg.you know she done had er opperatiom on her arm.er cancer
and tent ter Philadelfa and had it took off.and she aiP't gotno folks
down her- neither What keers fer her.her folks is in malina and they is rick
but ss, jie.she is rioh too but no body keers fer -'r ahe iB so looris.
but I feels sorry fer her and goes up tbare r1ghtoften. Irises papa.he had
gone up to .naw he had gone ter ntgo_ry on er haaliPg trip. I fer at.
aU... 18 both lind here might all our liTeB. I woe born down 'boat
1I0tasi11ga.Ala. ,en 1I0nd up ~ere to the old lIill wh I waB ten ~ar old.
and hQ oum from Ch bers Co •• Alab _.and IIUTed her. at the mill too when h.
wos a little boy.don't kn how old. I marrle When I wos foarteen,YlB 'II. I
sho did,mo'm I had no bUBinesB doing UT llUoh but yoa know how ohillan is,
yer oan't tell ua nothin' that er 1lIl7.yer kin talk till yer are blae iP the
faoe but wnat good dO hit do.et they got they head eat. t know it, I sho
•
woald hate fer Iris to do eUoh er fool Btunt yon kin alWIliYB .. e hit when
.ruok. Driver
• c. stough 3
F.c.hein---Lee co •
. in' bout us at home nor notioe his little lrankie neither fer the longest.
then Bhe ltDew he was gittin' better oause he would aBlt her things and allk
about hiB b:tother-in-law what waB nRmed on. but he oalled h1.lll 1I0n.so she
bowed he was gettin I better by that one thing. oauBe no one bowed he oalled
him Lon. He BIlYS now he is alrii!ht and ites like hit,but I sho do wants
ter Bee him BO bad.
1 want ter Bhow you their pioture they sent me s.him and his wife and
,
little Frankie. but fure" I 11 show you the 0 De taken when he fust got up,he
~
looks like er soareorow you dress up.look at his olothea.look 18k they's
•
throwed at him.he's fell er way so muoh he 8aid,now look at this' •• ain't he
doneepioked up tho.and looks so fine. Aintthat little rasoal jest like him.
and I want tar lIijow you his pioture ,When he wore dresses and see whut you
I I think, they 100kB like twins.don t they? That little youngun er his n there
~ ~
is the BWeetest little ole thing,Bhe live with us er while.Annie Lou is
jealous er her bad,en ef I wus lllYing down there she'd orawl up and k1Bs me
~ I
and lIlY by me en e~ I was Betten over in that big oheer she d orawl up in IIlV
lap and kisB IlllI an~ set there in rq lap.her names ankie,pl8"iYed all day by
herself,oarried on talking 18k hit 1lUS two or three there.ask herself questionB
and answer them herself eTer made no fuss lak the o1al.er ones,and so
good and eet tar mind.
She takes A.crobat danoing,you know ut that is,here she 1& in her suit.
the teaoher brage on her BO auoh,learning BO muoh in two or three leesons that
taken months fer the others tar learn, that she saye the other ohillun learn
more trum _tohing rankie than they do her. Here are SOIll8 er her lit tle letters,
ahe has ter write me too eFer ti e her Daddy dO,and I oertainly has ter
write her a letter ever time too by herself,!. Sits these little envelops and
paper and glues er old at on hera,oourse she don't know the dif er.noe,t
then puts hit in Prank's ltters. I jest want t.r see them so bad,I think
sOllllltimes I'll write them to 00.. ~Olllll en I'll PIlY their w&1 baok.then when
hegets here I'll tell him I'm broke ,so h.'d have ter atay.
•
Truck Driver 4 P.O.Kle1n---Lee 00.
J •.c.stough
You had better let him e.taq lI.stO&gh.1:r he is doing well there and has
sOllMlone to pUll for him,it 1410ks as if you have to lB ve that pUll in everything
you try to do.
Dow Ra.el here,who WBS neat and olean,barelegged with houseshoes on haA
set her hair and had a net over it and wearing a vlue uniform with white
oollar and ouffs,she 1s eighteen but she never went DO further than the sixth
gra~e,she aor Annie Lou,they Jest wouldn't do 1t,rather work than go ter
school. Ha.el,she vorks on the third shift at Pepperrell. She goes by tax1
over there fer seventy-five oenta er _ek,see he lIBkes three trips er day
and fUll and packing in eaoh others :laps and sOIlBUmes uJtea two trips fer
one shift,aa he takes one load over, he brings the other load back,so 'oourae
he can do ll.1t cheap and mllke sOllMlthing outer hit that er~, She is a
spinner but she ain't been in er week now,been having trouble with her feet.
Hur*s all over her foot and up her ankle. She is stout JArIl.Stough.and
atanding all day,I expect her arch has fallen, nRita her ankles too.· Yes,
r know it hurta up )lOar leg and r 1IOuld get her BOlII8 aroh Slpporte to put
in her ahoea,but ..~ one-half Biae larger in ~er shoes to allow for the jupporta.
nYell'm,r got me scme good shoes,they said had er support built in
them,see these black ones. I know they are fine and suoh oomfort, but r got
more relief with extra supports than r did the built in supports,as I believe
she wUl dO,if she has suffered very muoh with her feet,whioh I have.
n ell that is whut _ wUl have ter do."
Se. how fat she is,she don't eat nothin' ter talk er 'bout,most days sh
Jeat eata one meal er day 'oauae when ahe gets here at six o'olook in the
morning 'thout aD7 breakfaet and goee right ter bed,n.t eaten and gite up
bout two er three 0' olock, then she goes ter work at ten at night, she aays She
likes that shift, o'a,me neither but she Jeet got use ter hit I reoon,
aleeping in the da)"time,now .stough kin set in that big oheer wid hia head
back and sleep like he WIlS dead and they be five er six uv ue in here talking
and this thing(Radio),going. You know,I don't keer much fer these things
Truok Driver
.e.stough 5
P.C.K1e1D---Lee
unless yer kin g1t sum pretty ohurch usio er such but I sho don't 11ke all
th1s mixed up kind er mas10 and hol1er1ng.
I never 1s been able tar bW er piano tar give none er the ch111un
IIOs10 1esson8,en it there is en;y IIIDsio in eny uv UII. I don't know U. IriB
kinder wonted ter take musio lBssons but 00u1dn't get her no p1eno,en I did'
nt knower no p1aoe she oou1d go ter preot10e. We11,Iris 18 the 001)2 one
that takes tar danoing,sh. and the other kids 'round,knook it over here next
door,where they are fixing er oafe,en er store,en er danoe ha11,hit opens up
tomorrow night en • Long 8 711 he is going to g1ve um free musio,fer that
n1ght,he's got er 'ledtr10 p1ano,You know,over there,so she m~ learn ter
danoe real good aow.
Ir1s ain't Dever IIOrked in the .111 y.t,oaus. sh.'s a1w~s wanted tar
go ter school en I hope she w1ll go an. I u8ed ter rk from -six 1n the
morning till 8ix in the even1D' ,en I tell yer hit used ter nearly kill me too,
but I a1n't worked eone 1n ten or twelve year now. ~ 01. man used ter
work in the mill too,but thsn he took tar trUcking, and I am glad he d1d
03USS he oangst to go to more plaoes now and see more,hs'E bsen to Tennessee,
Georgia, 1S81ss1ppi and P10r1da. He first jest done hauling and now he
truoks most e~er thing,truoks baok en forth ter '10r1da most ever week,or
two weeks and so..t1mes twioe er w.ek or just whenever h. sells outer h1s
fruit and vegetables. XKas week he made three trips but that sho 1s hard
on h1lll, but he tak.s .r n1gger '101lg ter kelp drive 1IIben he rushes 11ke that
'oause hedon't stop ter 81eep none,now when he makes er regular tr1p,I git
up 'bout four o'olook and gits his breakfast sn he g1ts off 'bout five and
I tries to VB hit fer Ha.e1 when ahe oomes at six ever morning.
Like this week,he left outer he 'bout five in the morning and gen-eral1y
gets baok Thured~ n1ght ef he don't go nowhere else. He tr1es aost1,
to git ter the 8sme hotel each tim. ,knowing the folk8 and he gets er hot
bath there too,he 0 '10 do that at Touri8t Camp8,he gite h1t fer one
dollar er night,room en bed Y8r know. Sometimes ef hit is very hot he 8878
•
Truok Driver
J~~;stough
7 P. C.lle in---Lee
w
• he stops in the &hade so~re en takes er nap.he 8its so tired en hot.
Theee trips usu811;y ooBts Ii"1m.ever thin8.roun'tllent;y-five or twent;y do:nars
en he generali;Y clears 'bout twent;y dollars on er truck load. Sometimes 118
gits all fruit.moBt1;y rOllllges en grapefruit,en lI~et ell.11ke this time,he's
bringing fruit and vegetables BUch aB.beans,oabbage.oarrota,ououmbers.celer;y
1eUuoe,beah,pota*oes lIlId Breenontons. ne bU;Y1I them en truokll em b ck
home en lIells ter the rchants. en he first started trUcking ora nges
he could go the the grove and the gro r would have them pUl1e lIlId loaded
on hill truok in bulk but now ~e has to go to the paoking hoase where thq is
cu11ed.or Blsed,oolored,numbered,oounted,lIaoked,so much more to hit now,en
then they has ter put stamps on his bills ter IInow ter the inspector whsn
he corsllell the state line DOming out sr 110rida. There's two little inspectors
houses,one on eaoh side er the road and ~ou Jest ea .e11 stop and let
them look at ;yer load and ase ;your paper and stamps,cbuse ef ;you go b;y.the;y
ketoh ;yer en;yw&;y. He looks at ;yer paper en Stampll then peeps over d looks
in ;yer truok ter sse sf ;ysr got anything from the orchards and not the packing
house.
o ;yes,I have,I been down on eeveral trips lIUh him,al1 er UII have been,
Iris lit rted ter go this tims but hated ter lose the t~s outer school.
When we go," kin eat IIsn;y 118 we want at the packing house,oBurBe .e
oan't talte none awq tho,and the flowers is the prettiest thingll ;you is ever
lIeed,all oolors and everwhere ;you look. On side er the paclt1ng house ill so
much er this feather;y fe ,;you've ned hit, I know.and the mllll said I oou1d
git lIuch es I wanted en told his nigger ter help lIlIl but ;you know, we never did
git to the root Dr that thing,the sand wus so deep,I guess the *oots nt
IItraightdown to git to dirt and water. You ain't never been do there'
That sand 111 lIhite es any sugar,oou1dn't tell it if put in a sugar bowl,en th
the prettiest sight. e go down to the east ooast.to Indian River near Coooa
l1a. and sOlie er ~ first trips I've mads with him we stsid on er while l*nger
and got ter see sr little more.
,
('ru Driver
. I. C. stough
•
8 P. O.Klein---Lee
I want to show you these postcards of the pretty plaoes I've seen there.
you jest n't think that pretty till yer see em. Grapefruit grows closer
to the ground than or&Bges does.
Rasel why don't you COCle in and talk tc us,ybur mother and I are having
a good time, Who is your sweetheart these daYS,does he live around here? I
ain't got none. She don't frolio 'round much,not many young fo~ close '
'round here her si~e.so tbere ain't never no parties ner sich much,she st~s
pretty close en woaking cn night shift too,don't have the t1JDe. She bringll
her money in en gives hit ter .e ever 10 1mB en all jest UBeS hit and 11 ours
te rgethe::-.
e pays our Drs.Bill with oranges en grepefruit,he's got lot er ohillun
ter eat fruit. No'm .. don't have the Dr. much.
We got four rooms here ,and atarted bll7ing the place before hi-t wus fin- iabed and e aiD' 10 never £010 but two rooms painted yet, takes hit as we oan,
Ths stoughB house is painted white on the outside,has a small front porch with
cement floor and entering from this you go into a small room,supposedly to
be the living room,but they store their fruits and produce in this,from here
into another ~oom,lining-roomand bed-room oombined,in horo are two bede,set
of drawers,settee and obair,overDtuffed and oabinet Philoo radio,this is one
of the phinted rooms and the kitchen is painted, there is one more bed room
and bath. The ourtains are of bleaohed IIDslin and on tnbe mantel is a long
scarf banging down about eight or ten inches and embroidered at both ends,on
lobe oantel is a clock,vases,and p~otographs. In s~ow1ng the kodak piotures
of her Bon she gave me the tet~oope and id,"Look at him through this
'elesoope,You oan see him good~whioh I did.
Isn't your dinner ready a.Stough, I ell your meat. Not yet.we jest
eat time, I j88t put e eat on When you oum in,I'd been ter town ter sell
SUIl oranges," sells mostly to the sto s,and jest got in,wont yoo eat With
UB? e got meat 4 ••et pota.oe•• Thank you,I've b en to dinner.
•
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p. O. llel~_Le8 00 •
T!ll1CI: J'ARllmI (Shar. Cropp.r)
J. C. Garn.r, Sr.-OpelU:a. Ala.
Two and one-half mile. north "".t of OpelU:a. Ala•• on. half
a mil. frolll h1gh_y 241. 11.... the Garner•• who ar. truck farmere.
A. you .nter the long dr1v.way. 1.ad1ng through a c.dar grove,
and ••• to the right Ju.t about thirty f ••t from Garn.r. hom•• a
••rvant. hou•• v1th thr•• 11ttl. p1ckan1nn1•• playing in the whit•
•and, which bring. baek to your mind, the tim. of .lav.ry.
Mr. and Mr•. Garner 11Tit alone at present, both have grown
marr1.d chlldren 11ving at oth.r plac••••ach having b••n married
befor•• thh b.1ng Mr•• Garner'. third hu.hand, h.r chlldr.n b.1ng
by h.r f1ret hu.band and ar. not at hom. at pr•••nt. Mr. Garn.r 1.
old and not able to h.lp h.r ....ry much, aha has to k.ep extra colored
help to do the plov1ng. ouch ae breaking up the ground. g.tting r.ady
to plant. then bu.t1ng up the m1ddlee to cult1~te the crop. atter
they com. up.
Their horo8 111 ve'r'¥ comfortable, a four room hou8e, 1iring room
and bedroom. acro._ the front, narrow ball back of thea. tvo roome,
th.n an .1••xtend1ng two roOlll. back. the din1flg room and kitch.n. 1t
hae a bath at the .nd of thle narrow cro....hallway. but th.y ha.... no
n 1nnlng water nor electric light••
The 11ving room 1. a large .quare room, open fireplace, OTer.
tuffed ••tt••• two chair. and a table with a emall radio. that 1.
not in working ord.r at pree.nt. In the center of the mantel 18 a
center-p1ec. v1th wide croch.t1ng around the edge. Several photograph.
of differ.nt memb.r. of the f&l!llly ..r. on the mantel, and t ..ble;
.nlarg....nts of oth.r. on the vall. Thi. 18 al.o ne.d ae a bedroom.
a bed 1n one corner. In this room, and the other bedroom, are acra
curtain. at the v1ndow••
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,
J. C. Garner--Truck Farmer - 2 - p. C. Xlein--Lee
•
The dining room ie a long room and hal a aafe for diehe. in
one end and the long dining table in the center. The k1tchen ie
smal.l, baa another eate for the milk Te••ele and such and the wood
.toTe 1. pall and low, 80 .1 ta up on a cement bal. about ten inch••
high. The back porch ie .creened but in bad condition. She hal a
table here in the oun .mere .he keep. her milk Jug., bottlee and
pane to oun.
Mr•. Garner 18 a ahare-cropper &8 veIl aa & tru.ck farmer. She
raia•• turnip green., onions, beane, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce,
)[ql., mustard, gherkin., butterbean8, cabba&e, okra, .lni;:llah pea.,
Crowder peas, field pea., turnips, radiahea, egg-plant, aquash, Irish
and Bweet potatoea, bot and bell pepper, cucumber., beets, collard.
and peanuts. .~ old mAn won1t let me plant and do &8 I want to 80metim..,
he'. old cd vanto hi. W8:II and I been trucking loto longer than
he ie and he kept me back from planting IIl¥ beane and Irieh pot...toee
laet year and I mi..ed eeven cento fer IIl¥ bean. and bad to take fiTe
cento er pound and .ame with the potatoe•• I mi..ed fiTe cent. and
had to take two and er half cento. but bet I pl...nt em when I git ready
thi. year. Yeo ,_, I kin, and do get out in that g...rden here and the
lover garden and spade and fork up them rove good ae any man ...nd I
don't aok WD no odd. neither. ae 11k.. cOllllllereial fertali.er, but I
don't. I 11kee .table manure and taht'. whut 1'_ goiner uee thie year,
too, the lover garden dido' t make good thie year, hi t won't rich
enough. I take rq produce to Pepperill Mill and Auburn Curb Market
twice er veok, I make ae much ae er hundred and tventy-five dollar.
ar month lome _ontha and 80me I don t t caUle we don 1t have aa much tlr
een, I carry my egg. and chicken., when I have them and I have regular
milk and butter euotomer.; ve killed er little guin.... pig la.t veek,
.0 of couree hit VWI .....11 but eold 'bout all er that•
•
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J. O. Garner- Truck Farmer
- 3 -
P. O. l1e1n--Lee
I had right good o&1e on my oollard. till the vonn. je.t er
'bout ru.1ned th"" nov.
Holm, Mr. Beavsa 1. m::f laDlord, and he mrs 18 ar fine men
too. ve goe. half and half with ever,yth1ng. it 1. hi. mule I u.e. out
here. I didn't have one and I put. down ever,ything I get. and .ell.
and he pay. for half er all the cov feed when ve buy any, half er
the ga.oline, I use in the car fer I peddle. in it, I ain't got er
truck. he paid fer half er the licen.e ta«, he take. milk en butter
frum me too, I bave rrs:y ovn chickens, he let. me have all them. but
eV8r,ything 81ee, cotton, corn, ru!fage, potatoe. and all euch 18 halfed
and h. 18 j e.t aa good and fair 'bout it all. I kept ~ peddling money
in er trunk at the houee cause the band. charged 1! yer wrote mor'n
three ch.ck., eo I kept it at home and had eight dollare etole la.t
week, eo he told me to bring ~ book and money and he'd lock it in hl8
big eate at the office fer me.
We do have er little fruit but not much, ve have fine current••
few peaches and apples, nice strawberries, fine watermelon. and cantelope••
You mean ever morning, veIl not 80 loon, aver morning 'fore 81x,
but tho morning. I peddle, us get up at quarter ter four, and fix our
break!a.t and it ju.t variea, I alway. have ter have ~ old men a
.erial and too he 18 on er 8pecial diet I fix•• it and fer ~eel!. I
have tar have rrq coffee and aometimes I try bacon, and course we bave
had er little "u·.ge, jo.t .ech ae that, then I gather my vagetable.,
....ah the onion. or turnip. or radi.hea, jeat ""atever root vagetable.
I have and bunche. or fixe. om all up, fixe. my milk and churn.. bot tle.
~ butte~ilk en aveetmilk and mold tho butter, then get it packed in
the car, and all that take. tim. you knov.
•
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J. C. Garne~TrucIt Farmor - II - p. C. noin--Leo
I did loto or canning too, I have right good luck a .olling
th.... tho A&P Storo aaid thO)' could .ell a cortain picklo I mako for
thirty-five conto a jar if I'd bw labelo tor put on it but thoy
charge a. much for .i:< a. thoy do er hundred and I coulda't afford to
do it. I mako a right good .oup I have good luck in selling out at tho
Villago, they noe all tho jolly too I kin mako, hit. one kind, a plum
jelly I make that they bu7 loto or hit and noo in.toad er cranborrio••
I had oomo bad luck too wid .omo or rq canned good., I put up in tin
and had .ettin in the hall. one or my bad little granboy. cum tor .ee
no and fer dovilment he took the ice pick and vhen ve noticed hi. ho
had jabbed hole. in .everol or ~ can••
My hon. ain't lay1ng nov, I koep. oold right up wid um. and day.
I poddlo .omebodY geto um thom day. 0 I goto thi rty-fhe conto nov. and
thirty-fhe cento fer my butter, hit tako. it all turned back to mako
again tho. We get our living out er it for vhich ve are mighty thankful
oven if, hit 10 hard york. You knov I think cutting all thlo cotton
crop down ha. _e pauporo out or mo.t or no 11ttle farmor., hit ha. no,
canoo the lanlorde. mo.t uv thom don't treat you right 'bout hit, you
don't alva:ro git vhut'. coming to you and all tho cotton do.. 10 pa:ro
for it. fertili.er of that.
No 1m I doni t never have time tar go to picture ahove, canIt go
to my church liko I'd like to. I crochet. or littlo aftor oupper vhon
I ain't too tirod, that'. all tho timo I havo.
I have one daughtor in Nov York. 10 a D1otiono•• at Xing. Hoopi tal.
abo .endo mo fi vo dollar. ovory month and give mo fifty dollar. on tho
car. Poor thing abo had or timo getting her oducation. When abo vue in
high .chool, abe'd ~ home in tho evoning. and drho or doublo team or
1IU1•• and bnot th... middlo. liko or men, and vhut I'm talking 'bout vhon
~33 C~OPP~R --~c.Garnersr.---Opel1ka,~la. /
P.C.Xlein---Lee Co.
Two and one-ha~ miles north east of Opelika,Ala.,ons half a mile from
highway 241,liv& the Garners,who are truck farmers.
As you enter ths long dttvew~.leading through a oedar grove,and see
to the right just about thirty feet from Garners home,a servants house with
three little piukaninnies playing in the White sand.whioh brings back to
your mind,the time of 81avery•
. • and . s. Garner live alone at present,both have grown married ohildren
living at bther plaoes,eaoh having been married before ,this being s.
Garner's thire husband,her children being Py her first husband and are not
at home at presant. .• Garner is old and not able to help her very muoh, she
has to keep extra oolored help to do the plowing,suoh as breaking up the
ground.getting ready to plant. then busting up the middles to oUliivate the
orops after they oooe up.
Their home is very oomfortable,a four room house.living room and bed-room
aoross e front,nsrro hall baok of the.e two rooms,then an el,extend-din
two rooms back,the dining rOom and kitohen.it has a bath at the end of
this narrow cross-hallwaY,but they have no running ter nor eleotrio lights.
The living room is a large square room,aplmixK open fireplace,overstuffed
settee,two chairs and a tabla with a small radio,that is not in working
order at present. In the oenter of the mantel is a oenter-pisce with ide
orooheting around the edge. Several photographs of different members of tbs
family are on the mantel,and table;enlargements of others on the ,~ll. This
is also used as a bedrooa,a bed in one cornaro In this room,and the other
bedroom,are Borim vurtains at the windOllfs.
The dining room is a long room and has a safe for dishss in one end and
the long dining table in the oenter. The kitohen is small,has another safe
for the milk veaBels ani suoh and the wood stove is small and low,so sits
up on a oSment base about ten inohes high. The
but in bad oondition.
back porch is soreened
•
,J..C.Garner--Truok Fermer 2 P.C.Klein--Lee Co.
She has a table here in the sun Where ahe keeps her milk jugs,bottles and
pans to un.
o s. Garner is a ahare-oropper as 11 as a truck farmer. She raises
turnip greens,onions,beans,tomatoes,carrots,lettuoe,kayle,mustarn,gherkin.,
butterbeans,cabbage,okra,EngliBh peaS,Crowder peas,field peas,turnips,raddiBheS,
egg-plant,Squash,Irish and sweet potatoes,hot and bell pepper,cuoumbers,
beets,oollards and peanuts. "1W old man won't let me plant ann do as
I want to sometimes,he's old and wants his my and I been trucking lots
longer than he is and. he kept me back from planting my beans and Iriah potatoes
last year and I missed seven cents fer my beans and had to take five
oents er pound and SBCle with the potstoes, t missed five oents and had to
take two an d e r hall cen t s. but bet plant em when I git ready this year.
Yes'm, I kin,and do get out in that garden here and the J.oY18r garden a nd
spade and fork up thee rowa good as any man and don't ask um no odds
neither. He likes oommercial fertalizer.but I don't,I likes stable manure
and taht's ~ut I'm goiner use this year,too,the lower garden didn't make p
good this ysar,hit won't ribh enough. I take my produoe to Pepper ill Llill
and Auburn Curb 0 rket twioe er eek, I ClSke as much as er hundred and twenty-five
dollars er nth some months and some I don't cause we don't hava as
much ter sell,I carry my eggs and chickens,When I have them and I have
regular milk and butter customers; - killed er little guinea pig last
week, so of course hi t us small but sold 'b out all er that,
I had right ~ood sale on ey oollards till the worms jest er 'bout ruined
them now.
Jlo'm,llr.Reaves is my lanlord,and he sure is er fine man too,we goes
half and hall with everything, it is his mula I uses out here,I didn't have
one and I puts down everything I gets and sells and he pays for hall er all
tha cow feed men we buy any,half er the gasoline,I use in ths ear fer I
peddles in it,I ain't got er truck,he paid fer half er the lioense tag,he
takes milk en butter frum me too, I have Itry own ohickens,he lets me have all
J C.Garner---T' uck armer
•
3
them,but everything else,cotton,corn,roffage,po.atoes and all soch is hal#ed
and he is jest as good and fair 'bout it all. I kept Qw peddling money
in er trunk at the house cause the banks charged if yer wrote mor'n three
ohecks.so I kept it at home and had ei~t dollarD stole last week,so he told
me to bring ~ book and money and he'd lock it in his big sofe at the offioe
fer me.
e dO have er little fnuit but notmuch,we have fine currents,few peaches
and apples,nice strawberriel,fine _termelons and cantelopes.
Yoo mesn ever morning, 11 not so soon,ever morning'fore six, bot the
mornings L peddle,us get up at quarter ter four,and fix our breekfast and
it just varies, I always have ter h.ve ~ old man a serial and too he is on
er special diet,l fixes it ani ~er ~self,I have ter have ~ coffee and
sometimes I fry bacon,and oourse have had er little ....... sausage, jsst
sech as that,than I gather my vegetsbles,w~sh the onions or turnips or radishes,
jest Whatever root vegetables I have and bunches or fixes em all op,
fixes my milk and churns,bottles my butter-milk en aweetmilk and mold the
botter,then get it paeked in the oar,and all that takes time you kDow.
I did lots er canning too,I have right good lick a selli•• them,the
A&P store said they coold sell a certain pickle I make for thirty-five cents
a jar if I'd buy labelB tar put on it but they
do er hundred and I couldn't afford to do it.
~rge as moch fer six as they
make a right good soup I
have goad luck in selling out at the Village,they use all the jelly too I
kin make,hits one kind,a plum jelly I make that they buy lots ar hit and
uee instead er cranberries. I had some bad luck too wid oms er my oanned
goods,I put up in tin and had settin 4n the hall,one er my bad little granboys
oum ter see us and fer devilment he took the ice pick and when ~
noticed him he had jabbed holes in several er my oans.
hens ain't laying no ,I kseps sold right op wid um,and days I peddle
somebody gets om them day ,I gets thirty-five cents now,and thirty-five oents
fer my botter,hit takes it all torned back to make again tho.
J.C1GarnerSr.---Truok Harmer .... •
• •
P.C.K1ein--Leo
• e get our living out er it for ",hiob we are m1.~ty thanltful even if hit 111
hard work. You know I think outt ing all this ootton orop down hS8 made
•
paupers out er most er us little sr rS,n1t has uS,oause the lanlorda,
most uv the don't treat you right 'bout hit,yoa don't always git ~at's
comin to yoa and ell the cotton does is pays fer its fertiliser ef tat.
Bo'm I don't never have time ter go to pioture shows,oan't go to mf
charch lUe I'd 11ke to. I orochets er little after supper when I ain't
too tired,that's all the time I ave.
I have OIl d..ngnter in _ew York,is a D1IItioness at Kings Hospital,she
sends _ five dollars every month and give fift7 dollar on the c •
Poor thing she had e time getting her e uoation. en she s in high
school,she'd oU ho e in the evenings and orive er 40uble team er mules
and bust the middles like ar un,and whut I'm tl11king 'bout men most men
has double teams and bustin' mi dles,tor dO,they ha ter . ve er dr~ver
bu. she one it all herself.
e lived o1oser to Auburn then and she did all kinds er little jobs
to help psy her way through. She ~elped ksep Curb
ings,wo ked in the ill on late shift at night a
t.ll.rketB early in the morngo
to sohool dUring the
de:y,then one er the ~•el1ks ethodist sunde7 Sohool 0 Bseo helped her er
w ile,till ahe finally got throu a th y giv' her thie goo ob and ahe
writes fer lIIlI to oome and stay wid her but I ra . er stay hers and work long
as I'm able. She said if I neede any ore IllODey she'd Bend it.
OUr peanute tur d out real good too thi year an got twenty-five
cents er pock en 6 didn't oull and thirty-five when"" diel.
It ao too drY on yar d flowers this au or, 1 hud er few GsraDiams
and suoh in pot8 tbat WllS real pretty a nd gave them Betten in the house now
they may get k111e4, I don't have no pit till pat am in.
• '1:i'lTERVI'
I
I .J.C.Bland
d1dge Grove ,ua.
1>vo<-, ~,c, 1(, - c..
"Good 1I0rD1Dg, D ,~, dOD't believe ou know 118, do you'" "10._
over thh Spring wUh ss l1sabeth to pt .0000e IItrawberr1..... "OI1,ye., I
dO zoell8l1ber 700 DOW," "COII8 in WOD't you,th. 01. lady and the yOUDs.at
girl 1& both .1o1t,O DO,they'. both JP now and er 'boat aome."
Ye.'II,that'. whu' 1. left uv it,DOt lIuoh trucking DOw,my .trawberrie.
19 d thl. lower .1de, and my oollards hero dOD't look muoh bat I goe••
ey w111 oOllle OD tho. TaUl't Illloh tor ae11 ouhr traolt garlleD. DOW lUa beeD
ao 4%7,1 Jeat ot my little green planted bat they dOD't take 10DS ter 00 e
apt .o'm,l dUD't plant lID bell pepper and DO permuto,You 18, d that
110 ,,,ell air. L got SOIl8 hot pepper, bat tain't 1ID0h. e far hit, epa
it in vlnogar fer pepper-sauae,You do,.you want .Olle more'
e didn't have any lack in raising oh1ckeDs an at we have got dOD't
lay DODll,we keepp ap wUh them here at hO e ana
too.
slDoe they'a 11 beeD sick
I'd like to talk to 70u • land,aboat the old ohuroh reoora. IIf Farlll-vi110
aDd sae if yoa have the firat OMS.
come OD in,DO'. dOD't .et out here OD the par, hona apan the froDt
door. You maw,my ...ld he aet folke OD he paroh that _'t
D10e and he didn't t in h18 hoa.e. ell,I dOD't II1Dd aitting oat here
in the .un, • land,but we "eDt aD in,throup a veTl ordiDlll7 Uttle living
rooll, bat oollfortable,.orill ourtaiD. at the "indow.,a viotrola, ..veral ohair.
and a table wUh oeDter-)1aoe of oroohet-.
The "14e open fireplaoe • oollfortable looking,ani OD the maDUe,wor•
• everal photograph.. In the ining room 'llhare ••Bland and tina wn-o
BiUing b the fire,a blasUla wood fir.,it being real 0001 t.hat day,we sat
dOWD to talk, d .aid,"I tell yoa thi. 01 Flu i. something el.e,both
of aa wert' Biolt Ju.t DO body to 0 thiDS•• " "Ie that your YOODgest child?
Ye.'m,but aha 18 DO' own,I haveD't alIT,I am the third .Bland,and there
are two ..ta of childreD here,ODly 'wo girl. at ho ,the other ODe 1& iD
•
,
2 .J.C.Bland
""". (). e. II _.e..... eo.
high school and the oldest .~rl .orks in Columbus at the Hosiery Kille,I
.orke. ther a .hile before I IIl1rried .Bland. and I .orbd at a oafe in B'hem
Birllingham too and I tell you they had a bro. bread they they made thellselv9B
and lold at fiTe oentl a Ilioe.that I have .anted .0 bad. I did write for it
but the baker had moved out er town."
The dining table ..S pushed baok as it .a. used al an eTery dEq Bitting
room too.large rook fireplaoe,.ith 10vel)' .ood logs burning.loub1e windo.s
with .orim ourtain•• thll se.ing machine there by the light,rel'rigerator in a
oorner and to one side a stand of home made shelving fullof oanned goods.
" .B1and how did your oat ton brop turn out this yearY" "A failure,
just made 2200 pounds and last year I made three ba1e••••11.I think my peanut.
did very .e1l. I expeote a man all dEq ye.terda7 and lOOking avery min.
ute this Ilomina fOr h1a to OOlllB and thrash uoff my peanuts. they sell fer sixty-
five dollarl•
•• .Illand told lIr.Bland to go out and piok off some peanuts for my
little girl before I left.
We been tr,rina to bl17 thil little p1aoe from .D1ements but show have
had er hard tilll8 and 1 don't kn o. if we oan make it er not. I haven't been
on the farll t1l.1 IlOW in er lana t e, I done oarpentina work in Columbus •
• orked at the Iaplellent store in town and ef I do sEq it I ain't never been
er lel7 man but it'. je.t hit u. hard.lo 1IIl0h rain at fir.t on our ootton.
and then needina it so lIad no. fer other thing.. Yes'll .il1 have IlOIDe llllIat
but don't raise muoh oaUle the old lad)' or me 'ither oan eat the meat; I
had plenty er oorn tllr feed lUll and I made aood oorn but sho. ain't got no
ootton.
lIr••Bland do you have any time for cro'heting or qUi1ting,O.have you
made any of the mattresses the olub lady on f ms are makinll'/ Oh yes. I do
some little .....thing most all tho time fer pick up .0rk.I have done SOIllll
Ilighty pretty pieoes and want to start .. a ,pread. 10.1 have not been to
any of the meetina When they were making a maUeras.had thOUght I .ould but
•
•
•
•
3 J.O.Bland
nv.., G, e, K, _L...- e.,
now as we dUn' t lIake any ooUon and 1.. would ltave to bUT the ooUon. I flgared
we oould not jest atford lt thls tl.. and oould make out OD What I had. I
don't haft oh tillMl to do fan07 work lIlDoh tho Bailee t1lle I make the girls
soho olothes look atter things that have to be tended to.oook three 118I11.S
a d87.1t'S not muoh we have at dinner fer the ohl1dren gone and I do oook
supper so as to let them have er hot meal a d87.08Ose they take a linch to
sohool. I try to have some flowers in the yard and the glrls 11ke to fool
wlth thell too but we don't have no plt to take Dare of them ln the wlnter so
I oan't haft Ilany pot flo rs.
!hls rlght leg ls glving so trouble rlght now,oause I went out
Where you see all those sun-flower stalks in thB patoh to s&Ok so_ for the
ohlakeDs and turned rq enk1e and oan har~ make it sOlie t1lles, so llr.B1and
sald let the ohlakeDs root for themselves,oause the seeds wl11 fall out,but
I wanted to save some for later to lIix with other t\Jinga.
I wlsh you dldn't have to hurry ott so and would stay to dinner wlth
uS,lt n't be lIuoh but will .t87 your hunger,I gues•• Bow it you will go
by •• I!ae's hou.. you Dan get the old books :Jou are looklng for,we left
the. there last eek. Glad you os•• by and do this &&lin Wh.n you don't
have to hurry off. You ..y find Aunt Olareoy at home now too if you will
stop by again.
•
,
-.'- -
I .J.C.Bland
R1dge Grove,Ala.
711M.. (1. <!. g. - .&.. ~.
•
"Good morning. .Bland, L, don't be11eveyou know me,do you?" "I oame
over th1s Spring w1th utss El1sabeth to get some strawberr1es." "Oh.yes,I
dO remember you now. n "Come 1n won't you,the ole ~ady and the young.st
girl 18 both s1ck,O nO,they'. both I'P now and er 'boot some.-
Yes'm,that's whu' 1s le~t uv 1t,not muoh truck1ng now,~ strawberr1es
1s down th1s lower 81de, and ~ oollards here don't look muoh but I guess
they rill oome on tho. ~aUl't much ter 8ell ouur truck gardens now 11ts been
SO ~,I jest got my 11ttle greens planted but they don't take long ter oome
•
up. .o'm,t d1dn't plant muoh bell pepper and no perm1nto,You 1s,oBnned that
much, well s1r, 1 got some bot pepper, but ta1n't much sale ~Rr h1t.we pats
1t in vinegar ~er pepper-sauoe,You dO?you want some more?
e d1dD' t have any lick 1n ra1sing oh1ckens and mut _ have got don't
lay none,we keep up w1th them here at home and s1nce they'. all been s1ck
too.
I'd like to talk to ~u Mr. land,about the old church records .~ Farmv1lle
and sse 1~ you hav. the ~1rst ones.
Come on 1n,no'. don't sat out here on the porch.Yarthena open the ~ront
door. You know,~ Daddy always said he sst ~olks on 1J:hs porch that _an't
n10e and he d1dn't want in h1s housll.. all,I don't mind .1tting out here
1n the sun,Yr.Bland, but we went on 1n,through a very ord1nary 11ttle 11ving
rooa,but oomfortable.soria ourta1ns at the windowB,a v1ct~01a,s.veral ohair.
and a table ri th oentsr-)180e o~ crochet.
The ride open ~ireplace was comfortable 100k1ng,ani OD the mantle,were
several photographs. In the dining room mere ~••Bl8Dd and loIart1na W8're
s1tting by the ~1re,a blasiDa WOOd ~ire.1t be1ng real 0001 that day,we sat
down to talk,Mrs.Bland .a1d,"I tell you th1s old 'lu 1s someth1ng else,both
of us were s1ck and just no body to do th1ngs. n nIs that your youngest ch11d?
Yes'm,but aha 1s not m~ own,I haven't anY,I am the th1rd •• Bland,and there-are
two ast. o~ ch11dren here,only two g1rls at home,the other one 1s 1n •
•
2 J..r.J.C.Bland
~,(J. C, /(, _ t .. c. .
,high school and the oldest girl works in Oolumbus at the Roslery Yills,I
worke. ther a whUe be£ore I married lir.Bland,and I worked at a oa£e in B'haIl
Birmingham t.oo and I tall you they had a bro_ bread thai' they made themselves
and sold at £ive oents a slloe,that I have wanted so bad,I did write for it.
but the baker had moved out. er t.own."
~e dining table a pushed baok as it was used as an every day sitting
room t.oo,large rook flreplaoe,with lovely wood logs burning••ouble windows
with scrim ourt.ains, the' sewing machine there by the light, refrigerator in a
oorner and to one slda a stand of home made shelving fullof oanned goods.
"Yr.Bland bow did your ootton Drop turn out this yearY- "A failure,
just made 2200 pounds and last year I made three bales,w'll,I think ~ peanuts
did very well,I expeoted a man all day yesterday and looking every m1n~
ute this .orning for h18 to oome and thrash ~ff ~ peanut.s,they sell far sixty-
five dollars.
s. land told ~.Bland to go out and pick off some peanuts for my
little glrl before I left..
a been trying to buy this little plaoe from .Olements but show havs
had er hard time and L don't. know if we oan make it er not. I haven't been
on the far. Ull .ow in er long U e. I done oarpent.1ng work in Colullbus,
worked at. the Implement store in town and ef L do say it. I ain't never been
ar laST men but. it.'s jest. hit us hard,so much rain at first on our ootton.
and then needing it so bsd now fer othar things. Teslll will have aome meat
but don't raise muah oause the old lady vr me 61t.her oan eat. the Ileat; I
had plenty ex oorn tlIr feed UIIl and I made good oorn but ahow ainlt got no
oOUon.
.Bland do ~u have any time for oroeheting or qUi1ting,O,have you
made any of the II&ttresses the olub lady on farms are makingY Oh yes, I do
some little s...th1ng most all the ti.. fer pick up work,I have done some
aighty pretty pieoes and want to start me a spread. NO, I have not been t.o any
of the meetingswhen they " re making a mattexss,had thought I would but,
•
•
3 J.C.Blani
~. (il.~. 1<._ L....~ .
• now aB _ dUn" make allY ootton and 4 would have to b~ the. ootton, I :t1l1ure4
we oould no' jeBt a:t:tord U th1a t1ee and oould IIaka out on What I had. I
•
don't haTe much t1... to do :tanoy' work lIuch tho caU88 tllle I ll&Ite the g1rlB
Bohool 010thes 100k after things that have \0 be tended to,ooOk three ....ls
a dB.7. it' B not muoh we. haora at dinner fer tha ohildren gone and I do cock
aoppar so aB to let tham haore er hot meu a d87,caoBe they take a Ibch to
Bchool. I try to have Bome flowera in the yard and the g1rlB 11ka to fool
with them tco but we don't haore no pU to talte oare o:t tham in the winter BO
I ean't baora lIany pot nowera.
!rh1B right lag 1B g1or1ng DB Bome trouble right now,oaoBe out
e.re you Bee all thoBe Bon-f10 er au.1.lts 1n the patch to Back BOIlS for the
ch1ck.DB and torned Jq aDkle and can har&ly 1l&Ite. it aome t1lleB.BO llr.Bland
said let the ch1ekans root. for themBelveB, OBOSe the Beeds w111 fallout, bot
I wanted to Bave BOIll8 :tor later to mu with othar tlllJlp.
1 wish ;you didn't have. to hurry off BO and woold stay to dinner with
uB,1t WOD't be much but will stB.7 your hODger,I goeBs. Bow 1:( ;you will go
by • .. )(ae I B hOOBe ;you can ge.t the old bookB ;roo are looking for, we le:tt
thell there last week. G1ad ;you oem. by and do this ..iJa wileD yOll don't
bave to hurry off. You may find Aont Clareey at hOIDB now too if you w111
stop by again.
ill ill 0 k r a. • •" •
,~ .
I 11 8 os k:indllr s 0 ,Ilae so. u t4e pict~r o s 1 i ' t ,
it'll all so veri! II ii' chillun will ust at b:o oae ole
onky-'l'o in't o e r t taken t ancing yet o.
lot.. 0 oar on • 've he s v 81 op"",,,Uons and
work ." r six OD s end it is noatl round 50/
er ,
ou s r
t.oo,Ul1.s
t no the
or
.e ,
ssionary Union.they's
ty eoo n i
80 u. cl:...
i
a coul bj
i::.1 P
ti_t ocan's
star
d t
I've 80t
in e
your
t. co 1
1
ough ora.
d
t.ar
I Joys
IIlOst13 pti t 0
ie a nice street t
ell, u
11 t 8S 0 t o l'
U.8 to id
Our iokness
er p t. r pot out.
ou y yoo ow his i ...e': 11, t's nic • e's fi e boy.
his • lth is oott he is tow.
I'm 81 d you at 0 pad by z:d sorry I could 't talk longer to you but.
you be st.opping back ao t.ime.
( |
| title |
"Short Stories," Lee County. |
| titleStr |
"Short Stories," Lee County. |
| url |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/840 |
| id |
ADAHwpa840 |
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GSU# SG022775_00229-00262SG022775_00229_00262"Short Stories," Lee County.Folder contains 33 pages of Alabama short stories compiled by Preston C. Klein for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.1930-1939Alabama Writers' Project; Alabama--Biography; Alabama--Social life and customs; Lee County (Ala.); United States. Works Progress AdministrationTextDocumentsAlabama. Dept. of Archives and HistoryWorks Progress Administration filesSG022775WPA Alabama Writers' Project, Short Stories by Preston C. Klein, Lee County.Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, 624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130EnglishThis material may be protected under U. S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research. Though ADAH has physical ownership of the material in its collections, in some cases we may not own the copyright to the material. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in our collections.96 dpi tiff•
[ 'I!ru.ok DriTlr
J.c.stoosh
2
p.C.~l.in--Le. CO.
hit's too lat•• OBuse ~ou sho 18 tied down ter hard work then fer most uv us
has ter w"rk in the mi11.do_ll ~er UOUsIWOl'k,waehing d babiee ooming erlong
so fast,solll8times,l1k. pouring peas in '1' hopper and hite too muoh f.r
girls so ~oung,bad ernoush
ken tak. keer er them,
J/eith.r on. uv us went no
I likes large f l1ies.f ~er
eres in aohool of ooars••n ~er feel th.m
kind.r things .....n ~.r do git grown. I ain't got bot on. ohild t t w~t
throush high sohool.1I\Y onl~ bo~ h-ank.but now Has.l and Anni. Lou.whos. married
and lives at P.pperr.:U. and hall three .r the wast ;rounguns ~ou is .ver
..ed,th. noisiest ohillun,all th';r think UT is ho uoh fUss d.~ kin lIBlte,
run thr~ush the house hard as de~ kin tar. ,don't think 'r nobo~ nor nothin:
she works in the lIIlU too, thq went thro the sixth grad., but Iris now,looks
like is going on throush,this is her first ~.ar in hish sohool and she seems
ter 11ke hit, She go.s on the ,epperr.11 SChool Bus that goes b~ h.r. ever
morning and .vening,into Opelika. Yes'm.~ou seed her up to the (entist last
plaid on,
week wid '1' green euit.r.d satin blous',and purpl.7sOBrf/er Dlas pr.s.nt
she got.
""T b~ Frank,he finish.d hish IIOhool. th.n work.d in the mill at Pepper-
1'.11 too und.r .Combs,as sup.r and he tak.n er fance t.r ank and tried
ter help him all h. oould t.r 1IBlt. ,1' ris. en get t.r b. a Sop.r,lo as he
was h.r•• bot .Combs mOTed ter california, theD Frank staid on t ill he saw
e~ won't go dO nothin' 1lI0re fer him ,and he got dissatisfied,eo he ote
to .Combe en ••Combe wrote him to oome oat th.r••n h. 41d,t.r the oD1;r
ootton mill in Calif.rnia,hite n'ar san Franoieoo. .Combe done all he
oould to help I\J' b~.but after he'd been out there er 1lhlle h. got hurt,wos
OBught in the ohiner~ at the mi:p. and knocked unoonol.us with two big
holes in his head and h. llQ' unoonoious in the hospital five w..ks and ~ou
know hit like t.r kill.d m. ter think. I ooulan't go to m~ bo~ .n him not
knowing non••r as. His wif. ud talk. ter him and n'ver mak. him know noth-
ST93Y-- -TRUCK DRIVER
/ TRUCK DRIVl'.R---Lee Co.
J.c.stOllgh
ldrs.P. C.t.
.then ~ knooked at -rs.8toughs door,
•
el,the next oldest daughter ana-
..,red the door and Baid her ..other W88 there. then I aaked if r may go back
where she wae and talk.llo WI! did and •• stough wae on tne be restiPg.she
had just returned from 10 own and looked neat and olean.ahe had her r our-led.
a permanent.had on a green uniforn 11ke the mill workers we and .-
barefooted.said her faet hUrt,so 1 iDlliated on her BtlliYing where she .e.
After a lit tle while iP talkiPg h r aon and wanting to show me some
piotureB.ehe put on a pair of worn DB"" blue felt BlipperB •
"Good morning •Stough.I balleTe I'n caught ao_one here this trip,
I stopped by a few daTB ago to get ecme fruit and the little girl. the little
fat one,l1ke me.waB in the ;yard but couldn't
that waB IriB.aw baby child,she ain't but thirteen yoar6 ola,but Jou'd think
she were Bixteen 'o'rdin to her size,Bhe don't neTer try ter Bell Buy er
the fruit nor tlings tho. I wos up ter ss .lies. she had had er stroke,
don't know how bad but she wos tuok sudden 11ke.hit's her right side er her
fsoe and the left leg.you know she done had er opperatiom on her arm.er cancer
and tent ter Philadelfa and had it took off.and she aiP't gotno folks
down her- neither What keers fer her.her folks is in malina and they is rick
but ss, jie.she is rioh too but no body keers fer -'r ahe iB so looris.
but I feels sorry fer her and goes up tbare r1ghtoften. Irises papa.he had
gone up to .naw he had gone ter ntgo_ry on er haaliPg trip. I fer at.
aU... 18 both lind here might all our liTeB. I woe born down 'boat
1I0tasi11ga.Ala. ,en 1I0nd up ~ere to the old lIill wh I waB ten ~ar old.
and hQ oum from Ch bers Co •• Alab _.and IIUTed her. at the mill too when h.
wos a little boy.don't kn how old. I marrle When I wos foarteen,YlB 'II. I
sho did,mo'm I had no bUBinesB doing UT llUoh but yoa know how ohillan is,
yer oan't tell ua nothin' that er 1lIl7.yer kin talk till yer are blae iP the
faoe but wnat good dO hit do.et they got they head eat. t know it, I sho
•
woald hate fer Iris to do eUoh er fool Btunt yon kin alWIliYB .. e hit when
.ruok. Driver
• c. stough 3
F.c.hein---Lee co •
. in' bout us at home nor notioe his little lrankie neither fer the longest.
then Bhe ltDew he was gittin' better oause he would aBlt her things and allk
about hiB b:tother-in-law what waB nRmed on. but he oalled h1.lll 1I0n.so she
bowed he was gettin I better by that one thing. oauBe no one bowed he oalled
him Lon. He BIlYS now he is alrii!ht and ites like hit,but I sho do wants
ter Bee him BO bad.
1 want ter Bhow you their pioture they sent me s.him and his wife and
,
little Frankie. but fure" I 11 show you the 0 De taken when he fust got up,he
~
looks like er soareorow you dress up.look at his olothea.look 18k they's
•
throwed at him.he's fell er way so muoh he 8aid,now look at this' •• ain't he
doneepioked up tho.and looks so fine. Aintthat little rasoal jest like him.
and I want tar lIijow you his pioture ,When he wore dresses and see whut you
I I think, they 100kB like twins.don t they? That little youngun er his n there
~ ~
is the BWeetest little ole thing,Bhe live with us er while.Annie Lou is
jealous er her bad,en ef I wus lllYing down there she'd orawl up and k1Bs me
~ I
and lIlY by me en e~ I was Betten over in that big oheer she d orawl up in IIlV
lap and kisB IlllI an~ set there in rq lap.her names ankie,pl8"iYed all day by
herself,oarried on talking 18k hit 1lUS two or three there.ask herself questionB
and answer them herself eTer made no fuss lak the o1al.er ones,and so
good and eet tar mind.
She takes A.crobat danoing,you know ut that is,here she 1& in her suit.
the teaoher brage on her BO auoh,learning BO muoh in two or three leesons that
taken months fer the others tar learn, that she saye the other ohillun learn
more trum _tohing rankie than they do her. Here are SOIll8 er her lit tle letters,
ahe has ter write me too eFer ti e her Daddy dO,and I oertainly has ter
write her a letter ever time too by herself,!. Sits these little envelops and
paper and glues er old at on hera,oourse she don't know the dif er.noe,t
then puts hit in Prank's ltters. I jest want t.r see them so bad,I think
sOllllltimes I'll write them to 00.. ~Olllll en I'll PIlY their w&1 baok.then when
hegets here I'll tell him I'm broke ,so h.'d have ter atay.
•
Truck Driver 4 P.O.Kle1n---Lee 00.
J •.c.stough
You had better let him e.taq lI.stO&gh.1:r he is doing well there and has
sOllMlone to pUll for him,it 1410ks as if you have to lB ve that pUll in everything
you try to do.
Dow Ra.el here,who WBS neat and olean,barelegged with houseshoes on haA
set her hair and had a net over it and wearing a vlue uniform with white
oollar and ouffs,she 1s eighteen but she never went DO further than the sixth
gra~e,she aor Annie Lou,they Jest wouldn't do 1t,rather work than go ter
school. Ha.el,she vorks on the third shift at Pepperrell. She goes by tax1
over there fer seventy-five oenta er _ek,see he lIBkes three trips er day
and fUll and packing in eaoh others :laps and sOIlBUmes uJtea two trips fer
one shift,aa he takes one load over, he brings the other load back,so 'oourae
he can do ll.1t cheap and mllke sOllMlthing outer hit that er~, She is a
spinner but she ain't been in er week now,been having trouble with her feet.
Hur*s all over her foot and up her ankle. She is stout JArIl.Stough.and
atanding all day,I expect her arch has fallen, nRita her ankles too.· Yes,
r know it hurta up )lOar leg and r 1IOuld get her BOlII8 aroh Slpporte to put
in her ahoea,but ..~ one-half Biae larger in ~er shoes to allow for the jupporta.
nYell'm,r got me scme good shoes,they said had er support built in
them,see these black ones. I know they are fine and suoh oomfort, but r got
more relief with extra supports than r did the built in supports,as I believe
she wUl dO,if she has suffered very muoh with her feet,whioh I have.
n ell that is whut _ wUl have ter do."
Se. how fat she is,she don't eat nothin' ter talk er 'bout,most days sh
Jeat eata one meal er day 'oauae when ahe gets here at six o'olook in the
morning 'thout aD7 breakfaet and goee right ter bed,n.t eaten and gite up
bout two er three 0' olock, then she goes ter work at ten at night, she aays She
likes that shift, o'a,me neither but she Jeet got use ter hit I reoon,
aleeping in the da)"time,now .stough kin set in that big oheer wid hia head
back and sleep like he WIlS dead and they be five er six uv ue in here talking
and this thing(Radio),going. You know,I don't keer much fer these things
Truok Driver
.e.stough 5
P.C.K1e1D---Lee
unless yer kin g1t sum pretty ohurch usio er such but I sho don't 11ke all
th1s mixed up kind er mas10 and hol1er1ng.
I never 1s been able tar bW er piano tar give none er the ch111un
IIOs10 1esson8,en it there is en;y IIIDsio in eny uv UII. I don't know U. IriB
kinder wonted ter take musio lBssons but 00u1dn't get her no p1eno,en I did'
nt knower no p1aoe she oou1d go ter preot10e. We11,Iris 18 the 001)2 one
that takes tar danoing,sh. and the other kids 'round,knook it over here next
door,where they are fixing er oafe,en er store,en er danoe ha11,hit opens up
tomorrow night en • Long 8 711 he is going to g1ve um free musio,fer that
n1ght,he's got er 'ledtr10 p1ano,You know,over there,so she m~ learn ter
danoe real good aow.
Ir1s ain't Dever IIOrked in the .111 y.t,oaus. sh.'s a1w~s wanted tar
go ter school en I hope she w1ll go an. I u8ed ter rk from -six 1n the
morning till 8ix in the even1D' ,en I tell yer hit used ter nearly kill me too,
but I a1n't worked eone 1n ten or twelve year now. ~ 01. man used ter
work in the mill too,but thsn he took tar trUcking, and I am glad he d1d
03USS he oangst to go to more plaoes now and see more,hs'E bsen to Tennessee,
Georgia, 1S81ss1ppi and P10r1da. He first jest done hauling and now he
truoks most e~er thing,truoks baok en forth ter '10r1da most ever week,or
two weeks and so..t1mes twioe er w.ek or just whenever h. sells outer h1s
fruit and vegetables. XKas week he made three trips but that sho 1s hard
on h1lll, but he tak.s .r n1gger '101lg ter kelp drive 1IIben he rushes 11ke that
'oause hedon't stop ter 81eep none,now when he makes er regular tr1p,I git
up 'bout four o'olook and gits his breakfast sn he g1ts off 'bout five and
I tries to VB hit fer Ha.e1 when ahe oomes at six ever morning.
Like this week,he left outer he 'bout five in the morning and gen-eral1y
gets baok Thured~ n1ght ef he don't go nowhere else. He tr1es aost1,
to git ter the 8sme hotel each tim. ,knowing the folk8 and he gets er hot
bath there too,he 0 '10 do that at Touri8t Camp8,he gite h1t fer one
dollar er night,room en bed Y8r know. Sometimes ef hit is very hot he 8878
•
Truok Driver
J~~;stough
7 P. C.lle in---Lee
w
• he stops in the &hade so~re en takes er nap.he 8its so tired en hot.
Theee trips usu811;y ooBts Ii"1m.ever thin8.roun'tllent;y-five or twent;y do:nars
en he generali;Y clears 'bout twent;y dollars on er truck load. Sometimes 118
gits all fruit.moBt1;y rOllllges en grapefruit,en lI~et ell.11ke this time,he's
bringing fruit and vegetables BUch aB.beans,oabbage.oarrota,ououmbers.celer;y
1eUuoe,beah,pota*oes lIlId Breenontons. ne bU;Y1I them en truokll em b ck
home en lIells ter the rchants. en he first started trUcking ora nges
he could go the the grove and the gro r would have them pUl1e lIlId loaded
on hill truok in bulk but now ~e has to go to the paoking hoase where thq is
cu11ed.or Blsed,oolored,numbered,oounted,lIaoked,so much more to hit now,en
then they has ter put stamps on his bills ter IInow ter the inspector whsn
he corsllell the state line DOming out sr 110rida. There's two little inspectors
houses,one on eaoh side er the road and ~ou Jest ea .e11 stop and let
them look at ;yer load and ase ;your paper and stamps,cbuse ef ;you go b;y.the;y
ketoh ;yer en;yw&;y. He looks at ;yer paper en Stampll then peeps over d looks
in ;yer truok ter sse sf ;ysr got anything from the orchards and not the packing
house.
o ;yes,I have,I been down on eeveral trips lIUh him,al1 er UII have been,
Iris lit rted ter go this tims but hated ter lose the t~s outer school.
When we go," kin eat IIsn;y 118 we want at the packing house,oBurBe .e
oan't talte none awq tho,and the flowers is the prettiest thingll ;you is ever
lIeed,all oolors and everwhere ;you look. On side er the paclt1ng house ill so
much er this feather;y fe ,;you've ned hit, I know.and the mllll said I oou1d
git lIuch es I wanted en told his nigger ter help lIlIl but ;you know, we never did
git to the root Dr that thing,the sand wus so deep,I guess the *oots nt
IItraightdown to git to dirt and water. You ain't never been do there'
That sand 111 lIhite es any sugar,oou1dn't tell it if put in a sugar bowl,en th
the prettiest sight. e go down to the east ooast.to Indian River near Coooa
l1a. and sOlie er ~ first trips I've mads with him we stsid on er while l*nger
and got ter see sr little more.
,
('ru Driver
. I. C. stough
•
8 P. O.Klein---Lee
I want to show you these postcards of the pretty plaoes I've seen there.
you jest n't think that pretty till yer see em. Grapefruit grows closer
to the ground than or&Bges does.
Rasel why don't you COCle in and talk tc us,ybur mother and I are having
a good time, Who is your sweetheart these daYS,does he live around here? I
ain't got none. She don't frolio 'round much,not many young fo~ close '
'round here her si~e.so tbere ain't never no parties ner sich much,she st~s
pretty close en woaking cn night shift too,don't have the t1JDe. She bringll
her money in en gives hit ter .e ever 10 1mB en all jest UBeS hit and 11 ours
te rgethe::-.
e pays our Drs.Bill with oranges en grepefruit,he's got lot er ohillun
ter eat fruit. No'm .. don't have the Dr. much.
We got four rooms here ,and atarted bll7ing the place before hi-t wus fin- iabed and e aiD' 10 never £010 but two rooms painted yet, takes hit as we oan,
Ths stoughB house is painted white on the outside,has a small front porch with
cement floor and entering from this you go into a small room,supposedly to
be the living room,but they store their fruits and produce in this,from here
into another ~oom,lining-roomand bed-room oombined,in horo are two bede,set
of drawers,settee and obair,overDtuffed and oabinet Philoo radio,this is one
of the phinted rooms and the kitchen is painted, there is one more bed room
and bath. The ourtains are of bleaohed IIDslin and on tnbe mantel is a long
scarf banging down about eight or ten inches and embroidered at both ends,on
lobe oantel is a clock,vases,and p~otographs. In s~ow1ng the kodak piotures
of her Bon she gave me the tet~oope and id,"Look at him through this
'elesoope,You oan see him good~whioh I did.
Isn't your dinner ready a.Stough, I ell your meat. Not yet.we jest
eat time, I j88t put e eat on When you oum in,I'd been ter town ter sell
SUIl oranges," sells mostly to the sto s,and jest got in,wont yoo eat With
UB? e got meat 4 ••et pota.oe•• Thank you,I've b en to dinner.
•
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p. O. llel~_Le8 00 •
T!ll1CI: J'ARllmI (Shar. Cropp.r)
J. C. Garn.r, Sr.-OpelU:a. Ala.
Two and one-half mile. north "".t of OpelU:a. Ala•• on. half
a mil. frolll h1gh_y 241. 11.... the Garner•• who ar. truck farmere.
A. you .nter the long dr1v.way. 1.ad1ng through a c.dar grove,
and ••• to the right Ju.t about thirty f ••t from Garn.r. hom•• a
••rvant. hou•• v1th thr•• 11ttl. p1ckan1nn1•• playing in the whit•
•and, which bring. baek to your mind, the tim. of .lav.ry.
Mr. and Mr•. Garner 11Tit alone at present, both have grown
marr1.d chlldren 11ving at oth.r plac••••ach having b••n married
befor•• thh b.1ng Mr•• Garner'. third hu.hand, h.r chlldr.n b.1ng
by h.r f1ret hu.band and ar. not at hom. at pr•••nt. Mr. Garn.r 1.
old and not able to h.lp h.r ....ry much, aha has to k.ep extra colored
help to do the plov1ng. ouch ae breaking up the ground. g.tting r.ady
to plant. then bu.t1ng up the m1ddlee to cult1~te the crop. atter
they com. up.
Their horo8 111 ve'r'¥ comfortable, a four room hou8e, 1iring room
and bedroom. acro._ the front, narrow ball back of thea. tvo roome,
th.n an .1••xtend1ng two roOlll. back. the din1flg room and kitch.n. 1t
hae a bath at the .nd of thle narrow cro....hallway. but th.y ha.... no
n 1nnlng water nor electric light••
The 11ving room 1. a large .quare room, open fireplace, OTer.
tuffed ••tt••• two chair. and a table with a emall radio. that 1.
not in working ord.r at pree.nt. In the center of the mantel 18 a
center-p1ec. v1th wide croch.t1ng around the edge. Several photograph.
of differ.nt memb.r. of the f&l!llly ..r. on the mantel, and t ..ble;
.nlarg....nts of oth.r. on the vall. Thi. 18 al.o ne.d ae a bedroom.
a bed 1n one corner. In this room, and the other bedroom, are acra
curtain. at the v1ndow••
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,
J. C. Garner--Truck Farmer - 2 - p. C. Xlein--Lee
•
The dining room ie a long room and hal a aafe for diehe. in
one end and the long dining table in the center. The k1tchen ie
smal.l, baa another eate for the milk Te••ele and such and the wood
.toTe 1. pall and low, 80 .1 ta up on a cement bal. about ten inch••
high. The back porch ie .creened but in bad condition. She hal a
table here in the oun .mere .he keep. her milk Jug., bottlee and
pane to oun.
Mr•. Garner 18 a ahare-cropper &8 veIl aa & tru.ck farmer. She
raia•• turnip green., onions, beane, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce,
)[ql., mustard, gherkin., butterbean8, cabba&e, okra, .lni;:llah pea.,
Crowder peas, field pea., turnips, radiahea, egg-plant, aquash, Irish
and Bweet potatoea, bot and bell pepper, cucumber., beets, collard.
and peanuts. .~ old mAn won1t let me plant and do &8 I want to 80metim..,
he'. old cd vanto hi. W8:II and I been trucking loto longer than
he ie and he kept me back from planting IIl¥ beane and Irieh pot...toee
laet year and I mi..ed eeven cento fer IIl¥ bean. and bad to take fiTe
cento er pound and .ame with the potatoe•• I mi..ed fiTe cent. and
had to take two and er half cento. but bet I pl...nt em when I git ready
thi. year. Yeo ,_, I kin, and do get out in that g...rden here and the
lover garden and spade and fork up them rove good ae any man ...nd I
don't aok WD no odd. neither. ae 11k.. cOllllllereial fertali.er, but I
don't. I 11kee .table manure and taht'. whut 1'_ goiner uee thie year,
too, the lover garden dido' t make good thie year, hi t won't rich
enough. I take rq produce to Pepperill Mill and Auburn Curb Market
twice er veok, I make ae much ae er hundred and tventy-five dollar.
ar month lome _ontha and 80me I don t t caUle we don 1t have aa much tlr
een, I carry my egg. and chicken., when I have them and I have regular
milk and butter euotomer.; ve killed er little guin.... pig la.t veek,
.0 of couree hit VWI .....11 but eold 'bout all er that•
•
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J. O. Garner- Truck Farmer
- 3 -
P. O. l1e1n--Lee
I had right good o&1e on my oollard. till the vonn. je.t er
'bout ru.1ned th"" nov.
Holm, Mr. Beavsa 1. m::f laDlord, and he mrs 18 ar fine men
too. ve goe. half and half with ever,yth1ng. it 1. hi. mule I u.e. out
here. I didn't have one and I put. down ever,ything I get. and .ell.
and he pay. for half er all the cov feed when ve buy any, half er
the ga.oline, I use in the car fer I peddle. in it, I ain't got er
truck. he paid fer half er the licen.e ta«, he take. milk en butter
frum me too, I bave rrs:y ovn chickens, he let. me have all them. but
eV8r,ything 81ee, cotton, corn, ru!fage, potatoe. and all euch 18 halfed
and h. 18 j e.t aa good and fair 'bout it all. I kept ~ peddling money
in er trunk at the houee cause the band. charged 1! yer wrote mor'n
three ch.ck., eo I kept it at home and had eight dollare etole la.t
week, eo he told me to bring ~ book and money and he'd lock it in hl8
big eate at the office fer me.
We do have er little fruit but not much, ve have fine current••
few peaches and apples, nice strawberries, fine watermelon. and cantelope••
You mean ever morning, veIl not 80 loon, aver morning 'fore 81x,
but tho morning. I peddle, us get up at quarter ter four, and fix our
break!a.t and it ju.t variea, I alway. have ter have ~ old men a
.erial and too he 18 on er 8pecial diet I fix•• it and fer ~eel!. I
have tar have rrq coffee and aometimes I try bacon, and course we bave
had er little "u·.ge, jo.t .ech ae that, then I gather my vagetable.,
....ah the onion. or turnip. or radi.hea, jeat ""atever root vagetable.
I have and bunche. or fixe. om all up, fixe. my milk and churn.. bot tle.
~ butte~ilk en aveetmilk and mold tho butter, then get it packed in
the car, and all that take. tim. you knov.
•
•
J. C. Garne~TrucIt Farmor - II - p. C. noin--Leo
I did loto or canning too, I have right good luck a .olling
th.... tho A&P Storo aaid thO)' could .ell a cortain picklo I mako for
thirty-five conto a jar if I'd bw labelo tor put on it but thoy
charge a. much for .i:< a. thoy do er hundred and I coulda't afford to
do it. I mako a right good .oup I have good luck in selling out at tho
Villago, they noe all tho jolly too I kin mako, hit. one kind, a plum
jelly I make that they bu7 loto or hit and noo in.toad er cranborrio••
I had oomo bad luck too wid .omo or rq canned good., I put up in tin
and had .ettin in the hall. one or my bad little granboy. cum tor .ee
no and fer dovilment he took the ice pick and vhen ve noticed hi. ho
had jabbed hole. in .everol or ~ can••
My hon. ain't lay1ng nov, I koep. oold right up wid um. and day.
I poddlo .omebodY geto um thom day. 0 I goto thi rty-fhe conto nov. and
thirty-fhe cento fer my butter, hit tako. it all turned back to mako
again tho. We get our living out er it for vhich ve are mighty thankful
oven if, hit 10 hard york. You knov I think cutting all thlo cotton
crop down ha. _e pauporo out or mo.t or no 11ttle farmor., hit ha. no,
canoo the lanlorde. mo.t uv thom don't treat you right 'bout hit, you
don't alva:ro git vhut'. coming to you and all tho cotton do.. 10 pa:ro
for it. fertili.er of that.
No 1m I doni t never have time tar go to picture ahove, canIt go
to my church liko I'd like to. I crochet. or littlo aftor oupper vhon
I ain't too tirod, that'. all tho timo I havo.
I have one daughtor in Nov York. 10 a D1otiono•• at Xing. Hoopi tal.
abo .endo mo fi vo dollar. ovory month and give mo fifty dollar. on tho
car. Poor thing abo had or timo getting her oducation. When abo vue in
high .chool, abe'd ~ home in tho evoning. and drho or doublo team or
1IU1•• and bnot th... middlo. liko or men, and vhut I'm talking 'bout vhon
~33 C~OPP~R --~c.Garnersr.---Opel1ka,~la. /
P.C.Xlein---Lee Co.
Two and one-ha~ miles north east of Opelika,Ala.,ons half a mile from
highway 241,liv& the Garners,who are truck farmers.
As you enter ths long dttvew~.leading through a oedar grove,and see
to the right just about thirty feet from Garners home,a servants house with
three little piukaninnies playing in the White sand.whioh brings back to
your mind,the time of 81avery•
. • and . s. Garner live alone at present,both have grown married ohildren
living at bther plaoes,eaoh having been married before ,this being s.
Garner's thire husband,her children being Py her first husband and are not
at home at presant. .• Garner is old and not able to help her very muoh, she
has to keep extra oolored help to do the plowing,suoh as breaking up the
ground.getting ready to plant. then busting up the middles to oUliivate the
orops after they oooe up.
Their home is very oomfortable,a four room house.living room and bed-room
aoross e front,nsrro hall baok of the.e two rooms,then an el,extend-din
two rooms back,the dining rOom and kitohen.it has a bath at the end of
this narrow cross-hallwaY,but they have no running ter nor eleotrio lights.
The living room is a large square room,aplmixK open fireplace,overstuffed
settee,two chairs and a tabla with a small radio,that is not in working
order at present. In the oenter of the mantel is a oenter-pisce with ide
orooheting around the edge. Several photographs of different members of tbs
family are on the mantel,and table;enlargements of others on the ,~ll. This
is also used as a bedrooa,a bed in one cornaro In this room,and the other
bedroom,are Borim vurtains at the windOllfs.
The dining room is a long room and has a safe for dishss in one end and
the long dining table in the oenter. The kitohen is small,has another safe
for the milk veaBels ani suoh and the wood stove is small and low,so sits
up on a oSment base about ten inohes high. The
but in bad oondition.
back porch is soreened
•
,J..C.Garner--Truok Fermer 2 P.C.Klein--Lee Co.
She has a table here in the sun Where ahe keeps her milk jugs,bottles and
pans to un.
o s. Garner is a ahare-oropper as 11 as a truck farmer. She raises
turnip greens,onions,beans,tomatoes,carrots,lettuoe,kayle,mustarn,gherkin.,
butterbeans,cabbage,okra,EngliBh peaS,Crowder peas,field peas,turnips,raddiBheS,
egg-plant,Squash,Irish and sweet potatoes,hot and bell pepper,cuoumbers,
beets,oollards and peanuts. "1W old man won't let me plant ann do as
I want to sometimes,he's old and wants his my and I been trucking lots
longer than he is and. he kept me back from planting my beans and Iriah potatoes
last year and I missed seven cents fer my beans and had to take five
oents er pound and SBCle with the potstoes, t missed five oents and had to
take two an d e r hall cen t s. but bet plant em when I git ready this year.
Yes'm, I kin,and do get out in that garden here and the J.oY18r garden a nd
spade and fork up thee rowa good as any man and don't ask um no odds
neither. He likes oommercial fertalizer.but I don't,I likes stable manure
and taht's ~ut I'm goiner use this year,too,the lower garden didn't make p
good this ysar,hit won't ribh enough. I take my produoe to Pepper ill Llill
and Auburn Curb 0 rket twioe er eek, I ClSke as much as er hundred and twenty-five
dollars er nth some months and some I don't cause we don't hava as
much ter sell,I carry my eggs and chickens,When I have them and I have
regular milk and butter customers; - killed er little guinea pig last
week, so of course hi t us small but sold 'b out all er that,
I had right ~ood sale on ey oollards till the worms jest er 'bout ruined
them now.
Jlo'm,llr.Reaves is my lanlord,and he sure is er fine man too,we goes
half and hall with everything, it is his mula I uses out here,I didn't have
one and I puts down everything I gets and sells and he pays for hall er all
tha cow feed men we buy any,half er the gasoline,I use in ths ear fer I
peddles in it,I ain't got er truck,he paid fer half er the lioense tag,he
takes milk en butter frum me too, I have Itry own ohickens,he lets me have all
J C.Garner---T' uck armer
•
3
them,but everything else,cotton,corn,roffage,po.atoes and all soch is hal#ed
and he is jest as good and fair 'bout it all. I kept Qw peddling money
in er trunk at the house cause the banks charged if yer wrote mor'n three
ohecks.so I kept it at home and had ei~t dollarD stole last week,so he told
me to bring ~ book and money and he'd lock it in his big sofe at the offioe
fer me.
e dO have er little fnuit but notmuch,we have fine currents,few peaches
and apples,nice strawberriel,fine _termelons and cantelopes.
Yoo mesn ever morning, 11 not so soon,ever morning'fore six, bot the
mornings L peddle,us get up at quarter ter four,and fix our breekfast and
it just varies, I always have ter h.ve ~ old man a serial and too he is on
er special diet,l fixes it ani ~er ~self,I have ter have ~ coffee and
sometimes I fry bacon,and oourse have had er little ....... sausage, jsst
sech as that,than I gather my vegetsbles,w~sh the onions or turnips or radishes,
jest Whatever root vegetables I have and bunches or fixes em all op,
fixes my milk and churns,bottles my butter-milk en aweetmilk and mold the
botter,then get it paeked in the oar,and all that takes time you kDow.
I did lots er canning too,I have right good lick a selli•• them,the
A&P store said they coold sell a certain pickle I make for thirty-five cents
a jar if I'd buy labelB tar put on it but they
do er hundred and I couldn't afford to do it.
~rge as moch fer six as they
make a right good soup I
have goad luck in selling out at the Village,they use all the jelly too I
kin make,hits one kind,a plum jelly I make that they buy lots ar hit and
uee instead er cranberries. I had some bad luck too wid oms er my oanned
goods,I put up in tin and had settin 4n the hall,one er my bad little granboys
oum ter see us and fer devilment he took the ice pick and when ~
noticed him he had jabbed holes in several er my oans.
hens ain't laying no ,I kseps sold right op wid um,and days I peddle
somebody gets om them day ,I gets thirty-five cents now,and thirty-five oents
fer my botter,hit takes it all torned back to make again tho.
J.C1GarnerSr.---Truok Harmer .... •
• •
P.C.K1ein--Leo
• e get our living out er it for ",hiob we are m1.~ty thanltful even if hit 111
hard work. You know I think outt ing all this ootton orop down hS8 made
•
paupers out er most er us little sr rS,n1t has uS,oause the lanlorda,
most uv the don't treat you right 'bout hit,yoa don't always git ~at's
comin to yoa and ell the cotton does is pays fer its fertiliser ef tat.
Bo'm I don't never have time ter go to pioture shows,oan't go to mf
charch lUe I'd 11ke to. I orochets er little after supper when I ain't
too tired,that's all the time I ave.
I have OIl d..ngnter in _ew York,is a D1IItioness at Kings Hospital,she
sends _ five dollars every month and give fift7 dollar on the c •
Poor thing she had e time getting her e uoation. en she s in high
school,she'd oU ho e in the evenings and orive er 40uble team er mules
and bust the middles like ar un,and whut I'm tl11king 'bout men most men
has double teams and bustin' mi dles,tor dO,they ha ter . ve er dr~ver
bu. she one it all herself.
e lived o1oser to Auburn then and she did all kinds er little jobs
to help psy her way through. She ~elped ksep Curb
ings,wo ked in the ill on late shift at night a
t.ll.rketB early in the morngo
to sohool dUring the
de:y,then one er the ~•el1ks ethodist sunde7 Sohool 0 Bseo helped her er
w ile,till ahe finally got throu a th y giv' her thie goo ob and ahe
writes fer lIIlI to oome and stay wid her but I ra . er stay hers and work long
as I'm able. She said if I neede any ore IllODey she'd Bend it.
OUr peanute tur d out real good too thi year an got twenty-five
cents er pock en 6 didn't oull and thirty-five when"" diel.
It ao too drY on yar d flowers this au or, 1 hud er few GsraDiams
and suoh in pot8 tbat WllS real pretty a nd gave them Betten in the house now
they may get k111e4, I don't have no pit till pat am in.
• '1:i'lTERVI'
I
I .J.C.Bland
d1dge Grove ,ua.
1>vo<-, ~,c, 1(, - c..
"Good 1I0rD1Dg, D ,~, dOD't believe ou know 118, do you'" "10._
over thh Spring wUh ss l1sabeth to pt .0000e IItrawberr1..... "OI1,ye., I
dO zoell8l1ber 700 DOW," "COII8 in WOD't you,th. 01. lady and the yOUDs.at
girl 1& both .1o1t,O DO,they'. both JP now and er 'boat aome."
Ye.'II,that'. whu' 1. left uv it,DOt lIuoh trucking DOw,my .trawberrie.
19 d thl. lower .1de, and my oollards hero dOD't look muoh bat I goe••
ey w111 oOllle OD tho. TaUl't Illloh tor ae11 ouhr traolt garlleD. DOW lUa beeD
ao 4%7,1 Jeat ot my little green planted bat they dOD't take 10DS ter 00 e
apt .o'm,l dUD't plant lID bell pepper and DO permuto,You 18, d that
110 ,,,ell air. L got SOIl8 hot pepper, bat tain't 1ID0h. e far hit, epa
it in vlnogar fer pepper-sauae,You do,.you want .Olle more'
e didn't have any lack in raising oh1ckeDs an at we have got dOD't
lay DODll,we keepp ap wUh them here at hO e ana
too.
slDoe they'a 11 beeD sick
I'd like to talk to 70u • land,aboat the old ohuroh reoora. IIf Farlll-vi110
aDd sae if yoa have the firat OMS.
come OD in,DO'. dOD't .et out here OD the par, hona apan the froDt
door. You maw,my ...ld he aet folke OD he paroh that _'t
D10e and he didn't t in h18 hoa.e. ell,I dOD't II1Dd aitting oat here
in the .un, • land,but we "eDt aD in,throup a veTl ordiDlll7 Uttle living
rooll, bat oollfortable,.orill ourtaiD. at the "indow.,a viotrola, ..veral ohair.
and a table wUh oeDter-)1aoe of oroohet-.
The "14e open fireplaoe • oollfortable looking,ani OD the maDUe,wor•
• everal photograph.. In the ining room 'llhare ••Bland and tina wn-o
BiUing b the fire,a blasUla wood fir.,it being real 0001 t.hat day,we sat
dOWD to talk, d .aid,"I tell yoa thi. 01 Flu i. something el.e,both
of aa wert' Biolt Ju.t DO body to 0 thiDS•• " "Ie that your YOODgest child?
Ye.'m,but aha 18 DO' own,I haveD't alIT,I am the third .Bland,and there
are two ..ta of childreD here,ODly 'wo girl. at ho ,the other ODe 1& iD
•
,
2 .J.C.Bland
""". (). e. II _.e..... eo.
high school and the oldest .~rl .orks in Columbus at the Hosiery Kille,I
.orke. ther a .hile before I IIl1rried .Bland. and I .orbd at a oafe in B'hem
Birllingham too and I tell you they had a bro. bread they they made thellselv9B
and lold at fiTe oentl a Ilioe.that I have .anted .0 bad. I did write for it
but the baker had moved out er town."
The dining table ..S pushed baok as it .a. used al an eTery dEq Bitting
room too.large rook fireplaoe,.ith 10vel)' .ood logs burning.loub1e windo.s
with .orim ourtain•• thll se.ing machine there by the light,rel'rigerator in a
oorner and to one side a stand of home made shelving fullof oanned goods.
" .B1and how did your oat ton brop turn out this yearY" "A failure,
just made 2200 pounds and last year I made three ba1e••••11.I think my peanut.
did very .e1l. I expeote a man all dEq ye.terda7 and lOOking avery min.
ute this Ilomina fOr h1a to OOlllB and thrash uoff my peanuts. they sell fer sixty-
five dollarl•
•• .Illand told lIr.Bland to go out and piok off some peanuts for my
little girl before I left.
We been tr,rina to bl17 thil little p1aoe from .D1ements but show have
had er hard tilll8 and 1 don't kn o. if we oan make it er not. I haven't been
on the farll t1l.1 IlOW in er lana t e, I done oarpentina work in Columbus •
• orked at the Iaplellent store in town and ef I do sEq it I ain't never been
er lel7 man but it'. je.t hit u. hard.lo 1IIl0h rain at fir.t on our ootton.
and then needina it so lIad no. fer other thing.. Yes'll .il1 have IlOIDe llllIat
but don't raise muoh oaUle the old lad)' or me 'ither oan eat the meat; I
had plenty er oorn tllr feed lUll and I made aood oorn but sho. ain't got no
ootton.
lIr••Bland do you have any time for cro'heting or qUi1ting,O.have you
made any of the mattresses the olub lady on f ms are makinll'/ Oh yes. I do
some little .....thing most all tho time fer pick up .0rk.I have done SOIllll
Ilighty pretty pieoes and want to start .. a ,pread. 10.1 have not been to
any of the meetina When they were making a maUeras.had thOUght I .ould but
•
•
•
•
3 J.O.Bland
nv.., G, e, K, _L...- e.,
now as we dUn' t lIake any ooUon and 1.. would ltave to bUT the ooUon. I flgared
we oould not jest atford lt thls tl.. and oould make out OD What I had. I
don't haft oh tillMl to do fan07 work lIlDoh tho Bailee t1lle I make the girls
soho olothes look atter things that have to be tended to.oook three 118I11.S
a d87.1t'S not muoh we have at dinner fer the ohl1dren gone and I do oook
supper so as to let them have er hot meal a d87.08Ose they take a linch to
sohool. I try to have some flowers in the yard and the glrls 11ke to fool
wlth thell too but we don't have no plt to take Dare of them ln the wlnter so
I oan't haft Ilany pot flo rs.
!hls rlght leg ls glving so trouble rlght now,oause I went out
Where you see all those sun-flower stalks in thB patoh to s&Ok so_ for the
ohlakeDs and turned rq enk1e and oan har~ make it sOlie t1lles, so llr.B1and
sald let the ohlakeDs root for themselves,oause the seeds wl11 fall out,but
I wanted to save some for later to lIix with other t\Jinga.
I wlsh you dldn't have to hurry ott so and would stay to dinner wlth
uS,lt n't be lIuoh but will .t87 your hunger,I gues•• Bow it you will go
by •• I!ae's hou.. you Dan get the old books :Jou are looklng for,we left
the. there last eek. Glad you os•• by and do this &&lin Wh.n you don't
have to hurry off. You ..y find Aunt Olareoy at home now too if you will
stop by again.
•
,
-.'- -
I .J.C.Bland
R1dge Grove,Ala.
711M.. (1. <!. g. - .&.. ~.
•
"Good morning. .Bland, L, don't be11eveyou know me,do you?" "I oame
over th1s Spring w1th utss El1sabeth to get some strawberr1es." "Oh.yes,I
dO remember you now. n "Come 1n won't you,the ole ~ady and the young.st
girl 18 both s1ck,O nO,they'. both I'P now and er 'boot some.-
Yes'm,that's whu' 1s le~t uv 1t,not muoh truck1ng now,~ strawberr1es
1s down th1s lower 81de, and ~ oollards here don't look muoh but I guess
they rill oome on tho. ~aUl't much ter 8ell ouur truck gardens now 11ts been
SO ~,I jest got my 11ttle greens planted but they don't take long ter oome
•
up. .o'm,t d1dn't plant muoh bell pepper and no perm1nto,You 1s,oBnned that
much, well s1r, 1 got some bot pepper, but ta1n't much sale ~Rr h1t.we pats
1t in vinegar ~er pepper-sauoe,You dO?you want some more?
e d1dD' t have any lick 1n ra1sing oh1ckens and mut _ have got don't
lay none,we keep up w1th them here at home and s1nce they'. all been s1ck
too.
I'd like to talk to ~u Mr. land,about the old church records .~ Farmv1lle
and sse 1~ you hav. the ~1rst ones.
Come on 1n,no'. don't sat out here on the porch.Yarthena open the ~ront
door. You know,~ Daddy always said he sst ~olks on 1J:hs porch that _an't
n10e and he d1dn't want in h1s housll.. all,I don't mind .1tting out here
1n the sun,Yr.Bland, but we went on 1n,through a very ord1nary 11ttle 11ving
rooa,but oomfortable.soria ourta1ns at the windowB,a v1ct~01a,s.veral ohair.
and a table ri th oentsr-)180e o~ crochet.
The ride open ~ireplace was comfortable 100k1ng,ani OD the mantle,were
several photographs. In the dining room mere ~••Bl8Dd and loIart1na W8're
s1tting by the ~1re,a blasiDa WOOd ~ire.1t be1ng real 0001 that day,we sat
down to talk,Mrs.Bland .a1d,"I tell you th1s old 'lu 1s someth1ng else,both
of us were s1ck and just no body to do th1ngs. n nIs that your youngest ch11d?
Yes'm,but aha 1s not m~ own,I haven't anY,I am the th1rd •• Bland,and there-are
two ast. o~ ch11dren here,only two g1rls at home,the other one 1s 1n •
•
2 J..r.J.C.Bland
~,(J. C, /(, _ t .. c. .
,high school and the oldest girl works in Oolumbus at the Roslery Yills,I
worke. ther a whUe be£ore I married lir.Bland,and I worked at a oa£e in B'haIl
Birmingham t.oo and I tall you they had a bro_ bread thai' they made themselves
and sold at £ive oents a slloe,that I have wanted so bad,I did write for it.
but the baker had moved out. er t.own."
~e dining table a pushed baok as it was used as an every day sitting
room t.oo,large rook flreplaoe,with lovely wood logs burning••ouble windows
with scrim ourt.ains, the' sewing machine there by the light, refrigerator in a
oorner and to one slda a stand of home made shelving fullof oanned goods.
"Yr.Bland bow did your ootton Drop turn out this yearY- "A failure,
just made 2200 pounds and last year I made three bales,w'll,I think ~ peanuts
did very well,I expeoted a man all day yesterday and looking every m1n~
ute this .orning for h18 to oome and thrash ~ff ~ peanut.s,they sell far sixty-
five dollars.
s. land told ~.Bland to go out and pick off some peanuts for my
little glrl before I left..
a been trying to buy this little plaoe from .Olements but show havs
had er hard time and L don't. know if we oan make it er not. I haven't been
on the far. Ull .ow in er long U e. I done oarpent.1ng work in Colullbus,
worked at. the Implement store in town and ef L do say it. I ain't never been
ar laST men but. it.'s jest. hit us hard,so much rain at first on our ootton.
and then needing it so bsd now fer othar things. Teslll will have aome meat
but don't raise muah oause the old lady vr me 61t.her oan eat. the Ileat; I
had plenty ex oorn tlIr feed UIIl and I made good oorn but ahow ainlt got no
oOUon.
.Bland do ~u have any time for oroeheting or qUi1ting,O,have you
made any of the II&ttresses the olub lady on farms are makingY Oh yes, I do
some little s...th1ng most all the ti.. fer pick up work,I have done some
aighty pretty pieoes and want to start me a spread. NO, I have not been t.o any
of the meetingswhen they " re making a mattexss,had thought I would but,
•
•
3 J.C.Blani
~. (il.~. 1<._ L....~ .
• now aB _ dUn" make allY ootton and 4 would have to b~ the. ootton, I :t1l1ure4
we oould no' jeBt a:t:tord U th1a t1ee and oould IIaka out on What I had. I
•
don't haTe much t1... to do :tanoy' work lIuch tho caU88 tllle I ll&Ite the g1rlB
Bohool 010thes 100k after things that have \0 be tended to,ooOk three ....ls
a dB.7. it' B not muoh we. haora at dinner fer tha ohildren gone and I do cock
aoppar so aB to let tham haore er hot meu a d87,caoBe they take a Ibch to
Bchool. I try to have Bome flowera in the yard and the g1rlB 11ka to fool
with them tco but we don't haore no pU to talte oare o:t tham in the winter BO
I ean't baora lIany pot nowera.
!rh1B right lag 1B g1or1ng DB Bome trouble right now,oaoBe out
e.re you Bee all thoBe Bon-f10 er au.1.lts 1n the patch to Back BOIlS for the
ch1ck.DB and torned Jq aDkle and can har&ly 1l&Ite. it aome t1lleB.BO llr.Bland
said let the ch1ekans root. for themBelveB, OBOSe the Beeds w111 fallout, bot
I wanted to Bave BOIll8 :tor later to mu with othar tlllJlp.
1 wish ;you didn't have. to hurry off BO and woold stay to dinner with
uB,1t WOD't be much but will stB.7 your hODger,I goeBs. Bow 1:( ;you will go
by • .. )(ae I B hOOBe ;you can ge.t the old bookB ;roo are looking for, we le:tt
thell there last week. G1ad ;you oem. by and do this ..iJa wileD yOll don't
bave to hurry off. You may find Aont Clareey at hOIDB now too if you w111
stop by again.
ill ill 0 k r a. • •" •
,~ .
I 11 8 os k:indllr s 0 ,Ilae so. u t4e pict~r o s 1 i ' t ,
it'll all so veri! II ii' chillun will ust at b:o oae ole
onky-'l'o in't o e r t taken t ancing yet o.
lot.. 0 oar on • 've he s v 81 op"",,,Uons and
work ." r six OD s end it is noatl round 50/
er ,
ou s r
t.oo,Ul1.s
t no the
or
.e ,
ssionary Union.they's
ty eoo n i
80 u. cl:...
i
a coul bj
i::.1 P
ti_t ocan's
star
d t
I've 80t
in e
your
t. co 1
1
ough ora.
d
t.ar
I Joys
IIlOst13 pti t 0
ie a nice street t
ell, u
11 t 8S 0 t o l'
U.8 to id
Our iokness
er p t. r pot out.
ou y yoo ow his i ...e': 11, t's nic • e's fi e boy.
his • lth is oott he is tow.
I'm 81 d you at 0 pad by z:d sorry I could 't talk longer to you but.
you be st.opping back ao t.ime.
(http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/840 |