| Summary: | Folder contains 2 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.A I'OLI: TALI: COBTIlIUED AS TOLD BY I'AlflIIJ: RILEY, RODon:, ALalAlU, Iii HJ:R on WOllD8
I ALSO no I'OLI: S S~ R~" 1-4J.!-' i!<J.
Charlee lIoClendon wa. mulatto. When Charlee wa. born hh
mother .tained hh faoe and 11lllb. with weak walnut leaf tea to • .cape
th....engeanoe of he r m1.tre.e who deep1eed lIUlat1ioe.. The rue. worked
and Charlee eerved hh lIlaeter in LaGrange, Georg1a 10111 hh freedom.
Pap Joeh Benton ea1d, ·Freedom oum by fa1th and not by e1ght.· Pap
Henry Gray and Henry BUlingeler ea1d. ·God wrote it on de rook and
ferb1d de rook to grow.· Bro. Bugge ea1d, ·110 oUlll by futh and hope
whioh joined together fomed de anker to de .oul.· WhU. the•• men
pr88Dhed, .000.cne in th. audieno. would make poetry of the1r expr•••10n.
even whU. they pr88Dhed .0 that when the • eDSon ended and the
preaoher aeked who w111 .ing, on. or ......ral would .tand and .ing hh
line. 10111 all the oongregat10n j01n.d in to Bing and .hout.
I eaw thllll ehout, I hea.rd thllll e1ng. I held to my mother's dr..e
whUe sh. ehout ed up and down the a18le. When they sang, • I never w111
turn baok whUeet the hea...en'e 1n my ...1ew,· and many other songs wh10h
were oalled old fogey, ·Jaok fer11010ns,· afterwards by eOlle, but be11eve
me, when you were there 110 would aak. you laf and mek ~ou ory, to
ea.... your soul, you oan't tell why.
lire. Lizze Wh1te went to the bush arbor meeting with Laura Gilmor••
When they began to Bing and ehout, lli88 Lizzi. sa1d Laura held her peaoe
awhUe for fea.r ehe would friten the ohU., but ae th. song went on the
ep1rit waxed wam and ehe felt the wa...ee of .piritual IIIlOt ion peDSea.t ing
her whole being and tea.re whioh eh. oould not reetrain flowed 10111 the
eervioe ended. She &aid the aprese of that bueh arbor eervioe would
ne...er lea...e her IIl1nd.
When a ela...e got religion, he longed and prayed for freedOll. Granny
lIilly eaid ehe oouldn't e.e but one way and that wae by death juet before
you enter the ·prosus lan.· She wanted to li.... to eee Jeeu. 0011. with
Hi. lJew Hea...en and Hew krth for death wa. a ·turrible thing· that took
your e1ght and made you deef, it took all your feeling. frOll head to f.et.
Such thoughts were eo boUdering, ehe left the oaee with God whUe ehe
hoped He would find eOlle way to bring ue to the ·prOllue lan.·
·Oh Lord lIo...e Away·
God, e gwineter mo...e way
lie hinderin 0811ee
He walke by futh and
Rot by e1ght
What lIlake. de ohrieUan
walk eo light.
·B. Ready When H. Co...•
You oan't oroee Jordan
an you oan't go round
He'e oam1n again eo eoon
Ef you ainI t got J eeue
your. ehor. gwin. drown
He'. OOllin agin eoon.
\
To be oontinued.
·Oh Lord lIo... e AwaY·
Jeet watoh dat sun
how et ead)' ehe run I
Fer God'e gwinter mo...e way
de hinderin'oause.
Don't let her ketoh you
wid your work not done
Lordy mo.... erway
God'e gw1~er mO'9'oay
d. hinderin oau•••
·Be Ready When He COIIee·
God told 1J0ah by d. rainbow
eign,
He'. oo.in agin eo .oon
liot by wat er but de fire
next t1me,
H.'. oo.in &gin .0 .oon.
S19n•........,,.....-t..=::l..
Local 1'1814 Worker
• tI'
J
o
The first paper published in Roanoke was by Bob Burton. After
sometime Rowland and Faucett pUblish~ a paper known as "The
Roanoke Herald". Later Mr. Hooper came into possession and
published a paper called "The Outlook". During 1899 O. H.
Stevenson and brothers became the owners and since that time
O. H. Stevenson has edited and published "The Roanoke Leader".
(The above information was taken from an old writing of B. F.
weathers.) Address: Roanoke, Alabama.
First Forges S - 2:30 ". t
• :c
The early settlers were very congenial. They often met at
some place in the community in which they had settled to discuss
plans for the future. In almost all the communities some one
owned a forge or shop as they were termed. All the farmers in
the settlement would lend a helping hand in burning coal for
the shop. Each taking turns sitting up at night to see that
the coal heaps were not burned up. It took five to eight days
for the wood to burn ipto coals.
( The above was told by my grandfather who was born December
10, 1817)
As I understand,most of the men sharpened their own plows.
A competent mechanic was employed to do the other blacksmith
work that necessarily had 0 be done.
Folkways , S - 240
The people of these early settlements were devout church goers.
The first chnrches were built of logs., some had dirt floors.
No provision was made for beating purposes. The windows had
wooden shutters; but for the sake of light these were left
open summer and winter. Some who were not very robust carried
a heated rock to church to keep their feet warm. No church
had services more than once a month, but they had preaching
on both Saturday and Sunday.
All the slaves who so desired attended church and occupied the
back seats.
People would ride for miles on horseback, and sit through a
sermon two hours long never thinking of complaining.
The preacher and very few of the members had hymn books.
were unnecessary for those who could sing. The preacher
out" the hymn and they followed.
They
"lined
Always in front of the preacher's stand was a pine table on
which was a cedar bucket of water and a tin dipper. It was
not considered impolite , nor was it ai all disturbing to go
up for a drink of water during the sermon: In fact this was
pastime for the children. Mothers brought quilts and spread
pallet. for the small children who became sleepy.
Before "meeting day" the members who lived near the church
would kill a shoat or beef and sometimes both, for it was not
unusual for them to have twent~ to thirty guests for Sunday
dinner. ( Information obhained from Mrs. Belt White, Ro noke, Ala.)
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