Document text
Federal ';:riterst Propject
Paul Diggs
Eakeland,Florida
January, ..711939
Kellum, Robert and Ruby
1164 N. Florida. ',venue
Lakelend,Florida
ROBERT AND RUBY KiLI,LITL CITRUS 'riOBJT13.,
Sittin,eon the back door stooe with his youngest son, Nelson in
his la, playing tags at his knee was his other son Robert,Jr.
Robert stated that he had just come from the United '-tate Era
,107. dent Office, He piroduced a. card with his identification
number on it- showing that he had to report Tuesday if still
uneleeoyed. He said,” I have been picking fruit regularly since
,he beginning of the season, but due to prices, nearly all of
the crew have been laid off. If I am out of work three weeks,
this office will give me half of what I would earn if I ere
workin
!T
Ruby, his wife, came to the door and stood 'near a chair
that was iaced crosswaye in the door to keep little helson
frDm crawling oat while she attended her househeld duties. She
was full of smiles on knowing that, her husband had received his
card.
Robert is a young man, was dressed in overalls and wore
heavy soled ehoeslone slashed. Ruby's dress was clean but in
lots of p _aces where it had been se,eed together showed patching.
Her shoes 'ere run ever. he was bare legged and bad an old hat
on. Her hair was not groomed. The little boys dressed in overalls
were not clean, fro-od playing in the sand and crawling on the floor.
itte Lelson had a cold and his nose was continually running,
d
,e it ith the tac.;L of his hand. He is teething and
c erred to be very fretful, Little E. beat was full of life and
jum el ound w h glee.
26039
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Robert said," there is not much to life, only hard work
from a youngster up to now. You are some time up and some time
down, Here I have my little family and out of work." Robert
was somewhat downhearted from being layed off for a short period.
0
He said, fl I was born in Macon, Georgia. October 2.8,1912. My
parents were Emma and Allen Freeman, My. father I do not know
very much about him. I now have •a step -father Sim KeiluM, who
lives at 637 Silver Street, Lakeland, Florida. We have a pretty
large family -my sisters ,Elsie Lee ,age 21, Nettie Lee, age 19;
and Maudine, age 16, my brothers, L.J. McCarthy, a half brother,
A
The last time I saw or heard of him was back in 1937. Booker,
age 23; Jac, age 26; melvin, age 28, and Marion, age 10. All of
my brothers are working at common labor.
Ruby said, I was born at Cocoa,Florida, June 15,1915.
My parents left there when I was real small and settled in
Monticello, Florida. My father Jeryy and mother Rosa Glenn.
Father is nearly sixty two years old, I don't remember the age
of my mother. I have two sisters and two brothers. Rosetta 'Atdte,
age 40, she lives at 601 Silver Street,Lakeland, Florida, Elizabeth
Bells, age 30. My brothers Robert, age 381 he has three children
Dorthina, Robbie:Mhe, and Doloris. I don't know their ages.
Charlie Glenn, lives at Healthville, Virginia. I have been away
froi;, home near_y five years. Robert and I married here in Lakeland,
February 16,1935, Little Robert Jr, was born 5-31-36 and Nelson
3-17-38.”
Robert said, II I didtnt stay in Macon, Georgia. My parents
moved to Dublin, Georgia. We came to Lakeland in 1925. I think I
was twelve years old and we have remained here ever since.
Ruby was fond of her children, she said," I want my boys
to be good men, not 4ike some of the sorry one's I see walking
up and down the street," Robert said, yes I have started al-
ready to give them muscle. I want them to be strong."
"I hope they will learn more than I did in schGol. I attended
the sixth grade in Monticello, Florida, Said Ruby." Robert said,
I only went as far as the second grade in Dublin, Georgia. Whom
I came to Lakeland I attended the Washington Park Elementary School
jutt a few days. I had to atop school to go to work. I always
wanted to go to school, now I see what I have missed. Well along
that time I had to obey my mother, we had to live. Now I see how
other people lives, they have property and owns cars. I have
neil,her one.
I started doing hard work when I was small, that is all
L know how to do. I will never forget the first job I had. I
carried water for the McDonald Construction Company ,in 1925.
made 9,C0 a week, Later I worked for the Atlantic Coast Line
railroad, on this job I made 15,00 a week. This job I held
down until 1932, After tht I had to pick up odd jobs and later
found work et Polk City saw -mill. There I was assistance fire-
man, I made 15,00 a week on this job, When I lost out, I caddied
for a while at the Cleveland Height Golf Course, until I began
cutting fruit for the Highland City Association, They are loctted
about eight miles from Lakeland. I have been making good up until
a few weeks ago when they cut the crew off. I would average from
222,00 to V25,00 a week when we had plenty of fruit to cut."
Noofruit cutting is not hard after you get use to it. The
greatest thing is learning how to handle your ladder and cut with-
out harming the fruit, you know they are pretty strict now about
cutting fruit, The biggest thing thLt you have to watch is
the exposure. It will knock a man out if you follow'it'down,
The early morning dew affects yu. We pick every day when
workings and -31,1nday also, I pick around 120 boxes of grapefrtit
a day, oranges 65to 70 boxes a day2 and tangerines from 25 to
ZO boxes a day. They pay us for grapefruit 40'a box, oranges
60. a box, and tangerine 100 a box, The -price[ ranges according
to the size of fruit you pick. We work in crews of 14 or
more. There is one foreman to each crew. The section where we
pick mostly is the IT Highland section."
This section is near Lakeland, and is thickly. planted with
fruit trees. We pick by the sixe,. caor2 and grades. We are ex-
perienced enough to know what to do after instructed by our
foreman,"
Ruby spoke up and said, I have become Holy Sanctified.
I am saved like the preacher. I ain't got all of the understand-
ing, but I have to pray for wisdom. My mind is on nothing but
the Lord. Satan is nothing but a common and evil mind. I fast
when I received the Holy Ghost, you got to live the life. I go
to church every night so far. The first time the Holy Ghost struck
me 2 It put me on the floor, and I rolled over and over. It is
like electricity in the electric iron if you happen to touch
the wire, it will shock you. You don't know a thing until ,it is
all over, I wish I had a Bible to read 2 that would help to make
me strongervyt this point she was promised one.
Hebert said, I am not anything now in the spiritual
affairs but I have a. desire to be sanctified like my wife,
I once jined the. Bethel A M E Church, on North Dakota Avenue.
I didint a.ttend regular, sometil,es I go now,but not often.
You know if I was fixed up like some people, maybe I
would do better, that is 2 have nice things like they have.
Now look I am out of work now. SUADose I wanted things and had
to buy them on time, I would lose them now. That causes me
not to go out as much as I would like to."
I wish I had a job like I had on the railroad, then I
could do more, I have a nice bossman but he can only go so far.
He is in the same filK that I am in. He has no one to boss
when we are cut off, so that puts him out ofa. job."
While in his gloomy atti,tude about work, he was asked if
he ever voted, He said," I never voted, never had the opportunity
,to vote, I would'not know how to vote. I think that we are better
off now than we was during Hoovers time. Times were tough then,
but now we do have something to'do, This Preeident.beleives in
givin peolae something to do. So far I have not had to go on
relief- with this card I don't think I will ever go on.
I have never been sick a day in my life), and as long
as I keep my good health I'don't think -I will go on relief.
have had a cold, but soon got rid of it. All of our health
is good. We never have had a doctor. When the children were
born we hired a mid -wife."
Ruby had left us, and began scrubbing her floors. She
opened the front door to allow the air to enter so the floor
would dry quickly. Their little howe is small, it once was
used for a store. It is weather -boarded, onced painted yellow,
now greatly in need of a paint job. The roof is covered with
galvanized tin. The front porch is flshed with the street with
a long wooden shed over it, There is nothing on the pprch.
In the back yard about forty feet from theshouse is the de-
lapidated out house. Their water has to be carried from the
next door neighbor's house at a distance of fifty feet. They
pay 250 a month for the use of the water.
The interior is simple. There are two double beds in
the main room that is partitioned off. In this room also was
two dressers, one covered with dishes. A small table covered
with trinkets. The closet was built out from the wall and
covered with cretonne. Four chairs were in places in the
room. The furniture needed painting and was old fashion.
The cut off kitchen contained a thrdb hole burner, A few boxes
nailed to the wail to hold the kitchen untensils and dishes.
A small table was near the window. The curtain hanging at the
1
windows wrre full. of holes -rd looked soiled. The walls needed
1DaintingAThe floors_ were: bare, but kept clean by scrubbing.
Ruby said, We have to take our bath in the tubs that I
wash out of ,but it is better than nothing. I wouldint mind
it if our landlord would turn on the water. It ls lots of trouble
to carry water for four people to wash, with, My husband has to
have his tub full of Tater every night when he comes in from
work."
"We have to pay 1.00 for our house every week. We rent•
from Mr. Emory Bryant. If we could afford it we would move to
some other Ilace, but good houses are hard to find here in Lake-
land."
Little Robert was, still playing around the knees of his
father. He looked up and begged for a piece -of bread, Saying,
"daddy piece of bread, daddy piece of bread." He called •to his
wife to to bring the children bread. Robert stated, I like any-
thing exce,t vegetablesjlike green and tomatoes.";'
Ruby said, I like greens and plenty of meat. Semetimes
I cook corn bread. We are not able to get the food we need.
In the summer we barely live. Now it is about the same. My
children don't get the proper food, but the little rascals they
keep fat."
Robert yes asked why he did not plant a garden. He stated
that there wcs no fence around the place, and the neighbors chickens
would distroy everything that you would plalit.
"When I am off from work I like to ,22y- checker, I like to
see them play football, and baseball, I am not swift enough to
play any of them myself. I like to see other people play gams.
I would read some if I had hooks to read. That would help me
to learn some. Ruby said,.la get my pleasure in the house of the
Lord. After a hard days work .I feel better after going to church."
In leaving Robertfs spirit was much better, and he asked
that If there was any place where he could get books, he was
referred to the Colored Library. The Little ones, said g odbye
.n leaving.