Document text
Federal ariterse t-roject
Paul Jiggs
Lakeland, FloriLa
Arch 10,1939
Robinson, Charlie and Lucinaa
406 W,5th S treat
Lakeland, Floriaa
CHARLIE AND LUCINDA HOBINSON-PLOaaa AND COOK.
The home of Charlie and Lucinda is located in thenTeaspoon
Hills section of Lakeland, Florida, This sandy street is thickly
pokiel,4ted with colored pole who live in good and bad hisses,
,Some are home owneri and others renters, Chkrlit havpens to be
oiCwho is trying to purchase his home from Oxford and Word
:Att+rney. His purchase price for the home was 5014,uo. His monthm
ly iayments are 4 6,00 ker month which he has kept up to Oats.
Charlie skecializes in preparing tracts of land far planting.
Be is one of the few who owns a mule and an old Aodel T Ford*
andiwho makes a living doing this kind of work in :..nd around the
comlitunity,• With a scareity of men who can plow up small tracts
and who own a.horse or mule* he is in demand for this type of
wor*. His wife Lucinda, works out in service, cooking for Mr.
Bag4n on South Floria Avenue, She recieves 4.00 a aeek for
heriservice,
Charlie is _ hustling tall raw-boned an, very talk-tivo,
abilbrown in clinklexion. Having come in froat plowing uk a tract
of 4and„ he was dressed in his work clothes, with a wide brim
str4w hat with a back border n his head.
Lucinaa,is five feet -five inches in height* light brown
in 4omklexion, and very friendly. She had on her bowie drkais
whith was very clean. She said," I'was born in A,ggins, Georgia*
May l8 lo90.
Charlie, after resting on htt, beak steps, arose and said*
moo s'in, 14e ara hard working folks. Lucinda i gettimcmy
26076 din4er. Done you smel them good fish coOking. We will have
1
some good old King fishi Hew you ever eaten any fish like' that_?
Lucin.cia knows bow to..eook them good a.nd brown too, just crisp9.
and the bones and all go with the fish when he cooks them,"
Ws walked to the front rooLii. in the houses and the odor from
the fish frying permeated all through your nostrils* Cherlie
sdid be was like the ant, n The an will consider his ways, but
will work all his day
cams to Lakeland ,September 15, 1V-19, from a saw mill -camp
at McClinney, Georgia, I was ,bern in asilington County, Georgia,
May 6, 18,66, I practically lived there all of my life* 4
parents were Josh and Susan Robinsen, Father has been deaa
eighteen years, and mother twenty years. There were sixt en
children in allin the fAmily„ Only five of'us re still living.
Boyers he Aves in SandersViae„ Georgia, and Reser, I
donq know where they are. I havint heard from them in years•
My sister Anna lives in Warthen, Georgia, The older a fellow
gets the more forgetful he is. I .uSed:to-have good memory, but
I have o set arid study now. Plenty happened ,when I live- in
Georgia, I have to dig it up bit by tit. I used to cut woodi
and attend cows, I remembered when I w.uld help ma.bi, every
Wedneso.ay with her work, When I wis,twenty years old, I left
home and want to Devisboro, Georgia, to live with .4 father's,
sister* I only stayed there three weeks. I was alays considered
a mother's boy because I loved ,Liy. mother, and would often listen
to her talking about blavery, he saidin that she was fourteen
years old when freedola %ail declared* She woulu tell bow they
sold and whipped the slaves and how she bad to sleep' on moss
placed on 'the hard clay floors, I imagine those were some hard
times, And just 'Welk* she lived through it al1 U untel
my mother died I would send her eert of lay eernings,fl
U I had to work to make a living because my kerents wt_re
eoorand I didint have such time to go to school, I only went
to school three weeks in my life. Ay first wife tAight me how
to.reau and write* Some bow or another she was smi.xter than I
was, Last year I went to the W P A Auult cheol in the ieiace
Casena, I didint learn very mach because the yeung Lu-n. weo
teught me wae not too f,ea adVance'hieseif„ So I quit this scheolvw
w I think education is mucheneeded„. If it was not so* one'
could not get into big jobs, ,In feet* I believe mother wit is
good* but give me education.
Children arid grown people are not
taking advantage of education today. No that they helve the
priviledge to do these things* they won't ecceet it. We have
teachers toeay who really are not fit* who are not taking care
of the children, If we could learn to. be obedient to one another
we celled CvAte out atIright4:- my 014 mule must listen to me.
I use ey old Alba T I, Ford Soeetiees, It h s to be kept right
to run. It is like people viho if they are right* can make the
grade, 'When a man gets his education* he ieust refeesh hieself.n
w I make good ese of that old Ford, I use it to eull out
stumps, I.recall the first money I wede back in Georgia eee 750
a day, Thetevas way back in 111,9. I worked* too for the
Southern Rallr-ad Company at litehell* Georgia* for three yers,
I,guess I wen around testy three or four ye-rs old. The next
job I bad wes with the Grit L; at Warthen* GeorgL, On this
job I wed* e 7,50 a week, I held this job until I got tiv,d of
it. After teat I went to sawing wood. I Worked up to 1450
a day* When I cane to -Florida, I worked for CuMmer Luaber
Amiber Comaanya at MCClinaiy, Florida. The work I did was piece
work making ties at 10# a tie, Some days I made as high as
5.00* I foil wed that work until I came to Lae -land* I worked
for the aaeric6A Exkress Coaaancy for five years making alla,40
a month, Afterwards I worked for the 'atlantic Coast Linea
aacking boxes and later they transferred me fram there to the
road house with the machinist as a hel er at a0a an hour. Later
I was aromated to a fireman at a 210.0a a. wonth* I fired until
they roiled moo Roiling meHns to be cut off from your work,
That's what they call it on the railroad* And I have ben r, led
every since. They kekt me on the extra board for a _Long tiae„
They have a board where they lit your nawo for turns out an a
run, I Lever dia get aany turns out after that, I hat to do saaa_
thing a so I began to bAndlimg horse& and auleso Talay I am
satisfied behind my aid mule Beck, With Beck I maae a living
some how, I manage to average around eight aria ten doliars a
week owing uk lots for aeaale. I like it very well, I am my
on boss.fi
fridy aule Beoka is fourteen years old rat a god worker,
keokle obeyed like Beck, they would be O.K. You have to
watch a mule though,. They will stoa on you when you least exact,
If yau work a horse against a auLles the horse will fag out,
The mule, if you will notice som,tiaesa have wider nostrils than
a horse, arid can aull.aore due to having greater wind,"
I used to be Vorte* shot. Today I Was near the'lace
where they slaughter cows, The white man out there 'ailed me
over to the ken and said, n uncle, canyon shoot a rifle?
He clid.!nt know I was once considered good back in Gertja.
They use to bar me at some of the shooting matches artAind
home, I kicked up the rifle and walked back About-thirty:feet
and shot the bull right in the middle of his head. He rushed
ul) andstuckhia Atha knife soon as he fell. He sad" uncle
you are a good shot, too good for words, L learned that frost
hunting when I was a boy, I use to roa the woods and cou.d
bring home game any time, They don't bunt down here in iloriva
like they did in Georgia, During my days, most any one of Aly
size could shoot a rifle, What they call sport don here is
skin and shoot crew. They donut know what the woods is,'
if I believe in u-cency. I was carried away vAth that s each
Igao.se bethune made, .he said, you have to be accent, k
clean4,and &Are a clean ,1-‘,.ce to live." I take bath every
day I live, I believe a 1,erson should be decent in everything.
In rei.igion more so, I belong to the Freewill 1:6-ptist L;hurch,
pastored by Rev, Williams, over on Fourth Street, A whole lot
of fogyism is going on amongst our A-4 pie, I feel if I 1€ ye
Jesus Christ out I will do the Wrong :thing. I don't believe in
gutting the monkey with religion, in can weight; you down, You
can get so far down you cant rite, It I know aa (Wing wrung,
I shoultnt.do it, A man or a wom n aught to use ctmon ense,
aany,keol,ie donttbeligte in religion,A aanfUght.to be strong
and go on his .,ay like David,. I feel like the Lord is Aiy shepherd
and I shall not want."
W I.have never voted in may life. I alw y6 figured if I cast
a vote tow man that is w_rth while be ought to do the
right thing. I have seen tiaes when things were better. In may
fathors time, if a man did what be said, 111 w,;uld be keet in
office* Ti,,AL:). have changed now, A lamer, lock in LAy fathers
time would go to tbenext farm aid bele ,be other farmer., if
they killed a hog or crm they would give some of it to their
neighbors* You see if they do that now,
n There has. been so many changes, I think our prent
form of goverment is good, exce,t ne thing, that commouity
part, I believe if the ee,Jkle w:re•givon money it w-utl help,
out better* Some peokle I Snow get so .luch of the same thing
they exchange it with other .0141* Maybe I am talking too
much* But that's the truth,- Overybody is not like me, I like
to work, ani will work Work is hourable A an lives long
when he works h4r
n I 4ffi baepy with what little I 6ct now, when I look
4round and sue how swam eeokle live* I am tharild'ulp.too* I
have a g- od Are, that's something to be thankfUl for.
married in artow, Florida, 19.27* My fir t wife I was te..ling
you ab‘Jut died ih Sandersville, Georgia. She was a kiattie
Jackson, One chiLi was born and d.4ed three weeks after child
birth*"
Lucinda had left the kitchen, und came into the room*
She sat on the edge of the -beds and told her husbaLu that his
dinner was ready* She asked, n what is all of this forV?
Charlie said, n never _And, be is taking census of us* I have
nothing to hide about my life* I mean to tell all I know about'
myLielf oatki you too. n
Charlie joined his wife at the tabie where she had cooked
a 1,,reir platter of Ugh, piled high* Sw,.-et kotatoGs, strLwberl'y
jam, but, r corn bread, and coffee wade up the rest of their
Charl e said, N I like to eat most anything, but can't.
do so on account of some of my teeth being out.' Lueinth said,
ft I can eat anything. I like. to cook, and after I gel, through
cook-ng for white fs:aks, I have to come home and cook for
Charlie." CharAe likes to drink his cufee out of 1Lrge bowl,
and soon ca.Llea for another filltr. up of the bowl.
ft We both en4oy good health. We hardly ever have •a doctor
to come; to our how*, Lucinda stated that she works everyday
rd never lay off on account of iilness. Charlie said, ft work
hard ano et goodo'that wiA_ keep you fitV
,tter Charl-e had finished h s dinner and called again
for another bowl of coffee, he said, ft this is part of my life,
to drink coffee. Good coffee is toe lifi of you,' He retired
to the front room where he Lit the lamp, as it was getting dark.
Be h. s no eiectricty in his home. Lamps was the ALT source of
Light. He stated that a g ilon of keros ne would run him all
the Leek for his lamps. He s id that be wanted to im,rove his
home when he has finished paying for it.
This wook_er, built housk consists of four rooms. It is
unpainted with a small porch extending the width of the front
On the ,orchi turned against the hAise were two dela,idated
wicker chairs. Anotner wicker chair was undir onet of, the
or_nge trees in the fr nt yar. A wail box was nailed to a
1-rge pok;t st%nding in front of the h use, That was shaded
by a tail cedar tree that towered over the building. There
are five medium sized orange trees on his lot, filed with
oranges. Um the east stie of the yard lies a pile of iCong logs,
to be cut for fir* wood,
There are five crudely buL.t out houses raise off the
ground on wooden 14s* used for his pets and chickens, In one
were two large r.,labLts,'Part of b:„,,ck yard is given over
to garden space where he ha. Adapted collards* mustaAs* corn*,
anh onions, A small calf is fenced in beside the shed used for
his mule Beek, In frAlt or his she,. is a rile of iy 41 the
e —t side isia wired enclosure for his few chickens, _L jet
black cat roams _round anu occassiomtly rubs her fur against
y.u. Beck st nus ,.;erf,)ctly stifl and flickers her ears
now and then, Beck is chestnut light brown in color* and v%-xy
1.1age in sie, The wagon is home built a -nu cruuely Be
used it to carry his farm iwiements back i_nd forth to his jobs.
Under one of the orange treePIT a bench on which we re three
A
lare wash tubs. Near .this is a ;rusk with a sink ;laced on legs*
very rusty from outdoor e:kkoure, The out -house sits far bock.'
in the yard, Charlie has no sewer connection ,to his ,roperty,
i.00doan olu oil burner* ice box* and o-...;ds and ems are stacked
on the i/orch,
Lntering the kitchen fr m -this koreh* there is a large
round table sitting in the center ,f the fi or*a ioot stove
in the Soutisest corner a large new ice refrigerator* and
chiha coset where the dishes and kitchen utensils are stored.
The fl or is bare of coveting*
°There is a wide *,artitition ov,r which fklIgs two white
curtains, This room is used for the front room and bed -room.
A fire lace is on the est side, In one corner there is a
small table* two old trunks* and a two deck book rck filled
with old bakso A three quarter bed ,:;as near the partition*
with clean covering on it. A few cheirs,amd an olu rug wade
14 the rest of the furnisUmg, The next room n the Mast side
of the house was their bed room, where a curtain hueg over the
door, In this roow was a -double bed, a dressers a wash stand, and
two_ehairs, On the floor was an old rug. All of the windows
had shades to them, s ,we were worn with a few holes in them4.and
the wails in the two front rooms were coiled,
Charlie was inclined to ta_As more about his work, if I am
now cleaning ap a large track of land for a white man, from
the north,. De ha_ a large orange grove in the Leuth section of
Lakeland. Jy white folks are good to me. They give we plenty
of Ifirk, I have bargain to klow a ten acre tract f -r half of what
I raise, w th'Seatibas the .grocery -man an Lorth kiorida AMMO.
I hew* considered it, but will have to wait unt 1 I finish the
resent contract. I have asked the owner for several lots near -ay
which I w±li•plow up and kut ime sweet kototoes, There is
'lent of 4,1_nting skace aroumd in this section, if folks would
only get out into tho un-114 raise souething we would be better
off, The soil is getting just right for skriug 0.astilogip I have
worked the soil so long that I know whon'it is right to plant
seeds, Turn the soil over now and iet it lay for about a week
to take the souring out of it. If you -.follow the Ladies Birthday
Alwriac you wili miNer.go wrong Beek homevf,lls would be busy
getting Alwanac's the first of the year, That's was their Bible
through crok times, When you art. foling with gardens and doing
a little faring, you have to know what to do, when to klant,
any old time will not do, .2 always tell my white folas when to
put -their seed in the 841, lest knew I balk them, that he,,Aos
Lucinda works alleleys and we try hard to ave whet little
little we wake. !either one' of es is getting any younger and
we eest look out for a roof over our bead."
"'When I am not working outs. I work arounte the bout*,
I au klannamg to eut in another rooe tete also want to pet wire
feece around the place. I read the newspapers once in a while,
I just reciter* tee 'Advocates church eaper it is all rigets
but I don't like the idea of raising money td educate peopee
away from Your home. They have a fund to educate boys in a
ze:theol tte in Ak;rth earelinas when I think we should take care
cf the boys here at ha me."
wee should helve a colored paper in this section so we
coule red about Ole another. Christ told John to hole fast.
until I *owe again, to see the morning star. I mean we should
need fest to s,,.me ,f the things needea at bows, W
114 greatest habit is seeking cigarettes, I don't drink
liker
Luc:.nde stated that she usually work ereuna the heuse
and hoe in the gareen weep she co ,es home from work. Cbarile
laughlying sae. on when I can keep ..etir home fro u the neighbors,"
This time he callee her n Coot" finding this after noon when
another viset wesuedes that tbey hed run short. of coffees I
will go' to the stues eed eet you e dime worth Coct)be
Yee ween he _antt.. be nice he always say (Soot .to me, eben out..
in ceue-ny he sees eucinea.
Charlie grabed his large strew hat 0 ene hasteneo to
the store for his favorite ariek. On the way he exeress
aeereciation in being considered for a story. n I know now that
ey life, has been worth while, It eays for a fell°, to live right.
ft