Document text
Federal iipiterst Project
1,u1 Diggs
Lkel,nd, Floriva
February .„;4,1, 09
Patience Flucber &Family
11S W.5th ,treet
Lakel _ads Florida
kATIEWE FLUCHER.6 FAkILY
tiell,c4) lived in NoSiaa Lakeland, known as “Teaspoon liiU
at U4 W,5th Street, in a ten roo* two story weather -board house
that s unainted. There are two long front Eorches lower and
uppere On the lower porch there are few rusty flower pots. A
swing land a chair are on the upper porch,
the house is typical of few that are located in this part
of th4 colored section. There are located in this section lots
of ol4 'Uwe settlers who owns their homes.
tatiencets family groui, with the e-ception of the two algid.
rest 4rk out in service, The women are in domestic service, and
the in uo cowmen labor w_rk. Patience is not able to work, She
stays It home and looks out for the general welfare of the home,
liatiencess family group cinsists of three mown, three mini
and to childrem4 Through their employment they try to pool their
iucoia towrd the maintanonce of the bone, The members f the
ra1Ail4 are very congenial to ards eaeh other, They are considered
to be es_ectable and conduct themselves with respect in the neigh..
borbo4d,
iatiense said, I sit near this window all of the tie, It
is to4 cold to sit there, today. I bad to get near this fire pl.ce
to keip the wind off of me, I b-lieve this is the coldest day we
have JOad this year. She was sitting on a small woouen stool
tweenithe fire pl,xe and the bed. On entering the room she was
busy igureing o a tablet, she immediate4 put the tablet under
a pi
ow, ..n,4 opened her pocket book and put away her pencil,
26017
P. tience is medzun in weight, five feet 4 five inches in
height,' and uark brown in complexion. Lhe wore a light Cream
color weater, her dress was blue, The shoes were old and cut
on the siues. All in all her aake up was clean,
The room she ocilui.ied was very small. There waz. an ol, iron
bed with clean bedding on it, a rocking ch,,ir, one chair filled
with books, an old time dru ser with a clock on it, a lamp, several
dream books and other trinkets,
We.,..1 I am trained to talk to goverment people. Lots of
white 1.dies have called and they asked me everything about my
life an that of the family. I know it by heart now, I even
sent home and got a record of the fE.ailAes birth dates, I have
them in mr Bible,* She walked over to the dresser and brought
forth& small Bible. Turning to the section where the family
s recorded. Now I can tell you when every one was barn, Ay
brothers green Johnson, born 1897; A-rk Johnson, born 1901; My
siiter Fiat Johnson, APer0L190111t, aleen has two children, Lauvina„
born 1W..'„ and W.J. Born 1A16, They were all bola at Jasper, le'loriaae
I was born December 190 1006 at Jasper,Florida. I lived there
until was twenty two years old, My p -rents were Sam -ma Carrie
Johwon. P,...ther died January Z, 1966 t the age of sixty six
years old, .ilother died Decewber 1918 at the age of forty two
ye rs old, 4y i:,.rents were sharecroppers near Jasper, I was
brought u, on the tame_ I learned how to work and do lots os things.
I can do bard work and it don't hurt me. I used to hoe and pick
cotton. Before I left the farm I learned Go work for .hite fo.Lksy
When I left th farm I went to ee, ilorida. I remnee
these untli iwi9. Coming to letkitliart in eeember of ‘that is
I have been married twice, my first husbanu asTho,,,as
ROux, we Married in. Jasoir. We ka.ve been Api/erated twenty
years, The last 4 heard of ails his was surkosed.to be liVing in
anatees Florida, I hai a white.man to toil me when 1 w -s married
to Thomas to ieev,1 him. At that time be was so cruel to me,
lie said, If I stayed I woulOnt be fit ior any OM Gibe -wale
w -s yQungy I ltar isioried Ois rge Fulober it, Manatee. I hAre
blown sekeratea from him but fourteen years, I didint do any be ter
with has. Mon buck .auring them ties had a habit of beating uk,
*9 en, They used to saylvu have to beat them to make them love
y u. BUt I was the wrong woman for that, Y u dont% iiAN, to beat
as to make me love you, binoe that time I hare tried to m,ae it
roma: tbr h lit*. The road bas been kreLty hard at times, but L,
have been b,s to ,oull throwh 114M0 bard -4,1Alewiell
B1 having ay famiiy together1 we have beAa able tt do the
best we knew how, E11.0woriL out in service war doing days work.
41-iming tbt sbe,ma,...as more uoing days work, boa* time she z,vurages
,rauaa five ,nd sii. doll-rs a week Evelyn, woras out in sery co
so,boir Wistes tour ii ars a eeek, brother GT- ualworia on the
bar: road. Some time that wok is hot regul-re Mark works for
the City a_ imkelaid, caretaker for the Oak Hill Burial kark, Mark
meats two dpIL-rs anti fifty ocutb a _ay, Loutima goe:_ to h.
ingt-n i-ark•HighSati,x)1, she is in the eighth grade, 1 think ia•
in -ax fifth gra-0. That W,J4, ib sues by. It is hard to keeio
him be at nights. Bib 1 tb,,, wbs nal, hetll go just the same.
I am giu be is tutting uk., bdouting, maybe that will be to Itirti
labm b,ommtbing His teacher said be is ait.;oh_evi,um in school,
It looks like the mere you beat him the more .he ties to2doi The
other night, be vtarted out with the Scout Boys and slipped away.
His fath or went to the Park where the boys met and there was no
W.J. The next morning I beard his fathr asking him bow w. s he
Scout meeting. Be twisted round and round, Finally be asked him
who m...de the first flag in the United States 6 VA:i. saiu, George
Washington. Everybody down. stairs screamed. After W.J lied and
lied ,,thea his father tolu him he was at the Scout Meeting. Wan,
he full _ut, so surprihed. Then he tells ,his father that he
off from the boys an. want to the basketball Game. Olen
is on the N Y A. recieves a check every two weeks for five
dollars or more, I have never seen 1L..s c..Jeck a Be secures odds
Jobs when off duty, and likes to wear good clothes. Now and then,
be gives me _something towards the rent and food. That's the way
we try. to live."
*When I was in Manatee I used to work in the celery field
picking celery,. 4 made as high as twelve dollars and fifty cents
a week. When I first mugs to Laxeland I worked out in service
andtbe highest I made as eight dollars. The last lilac. I worked
was at Dra6R.bullivan, who lives at Sal S.Boulevard, Be was a
S004 wan to ',Jork fore".
When I wAl taken sick I was working for Drebuillvan. He
did everything in his power to cure me. Is nurse and the D ctor
examinA me good, took blood test and gave me meuicine of all
kinds and that did not do me any 600d )0, finally gave up. The
sore you see on my leg starteu from an itch and it would go ail
over my body.. At night I would scratch all over. Than it started
to skread. All this ha,rpened six years ore. I had t. stop work
and come home•s Ihave used every thing that people tell me to use,
been to root workers, Some of them said that I was rooted by some
OW, °one times I tnink that my old man had me rooted,*
*I haVe some one working on me mow.* Patience reached under
the pillow and produced a card stgaings this is the lady who sends
ma treatment for my leg.* Quoted as follows: You can win belths
Loves Success, and Happiness. Madam JacksAis Pamisters
A..abama, R 40s Box On, Is my wife true? Is is best to make a
change Will I have better health? Is my sickness natural
Mil I travel Am I being wLtched? Is there a treatAent?Should
I gamble? Haw can I succeed in business? How can I make 4' home
happy? .Row can I conquer enties? Mow can I ma:cry the one I love?
How soon can I marry? How can I make any one love me? Is my invest.
ment safe? How should I invest my money? Will I win or lose my
case?. Have I any enemy? How can I control my friend.? What is the
OW1210 of my illness? Are my partner hay? Am I in danger? J..11 I
ever have any chiAren? The outcome of the courts? Is my husband
true? See this palmister at once and have these and many other
questions answered for you, Look fok hbe large hand on the side
of the 11Juse. Davis Ave Altier Lane,* Patience said this is
the treatment that I am getting aw it is gett.,ng me well, She
sends me tre4ment_every weak, The .big sore you see is healing
slow4s-it still hurts when I walk or stand on it a long time,
When y -u have tried every things you have to believe in somebody.
Another root worker pUt me in touch with Madame Jackson**
During -Lhis conversation Olen came into the house and came
directly to his mothers:, room. He said, I am cold and the lady
said it was too cold to wk today, I have to go 'down to the W P A
°Mee to see the Y A Supervisor He went to nLs room and
returned, ,Art,stieu nedtiy IL ow trousers with i„ata on, g».13L1 a
aouLle breasted blue co.:.t with sc,rf .roialki his neck. I
bought LAy sutts from as rs „Aid ,outAack Ci..44-ny, tisk* cuat as
forty -Line estate, they Wiwi, iour analua
noticed lots
of berth rn t ,lt wear ng the4A ound• ,be TJurist Ct_uter.11
katiemoe sa-d, white xi t t lehig:a wanted to take
him North, Lut he boulu not go becaust, be wt&ute4 to stay at i'Lme
so he soul. look L.ftOr meg*,
ottended school _t ther, ri, I only went os fur
L. tAss fourth grade. sq first techer was Lish iley. I 4111
morwr forgtt him. IsInt it fulivi you maIR:r forgtt your first
ttacher. -e went to a litt_e one r_om built bak in the
,ines. I will -never forut the tihys it I eau btle 4y little old
wild self running arouni now.. The children sheuld by 41,44 new,
they have guot.i sckEul3 goo. i tuachk,rs. The twAhar.,, INA* there
aia not Wire to kn...,w as Juuoh as they au now. It was somethang
to be a teacher then. The whole oaskauaLty ltakeu to bits. I 0417
wish I had the ohms the boys 4a irIS live Iic, I tell my
Oollaren they beftr iet,a11 t1wiacatit4i they oan they ,re
.y..va,g. They will nee, it aloh they griJw older. Now ail -they have
en their beAs iv a good time. I hdeli sone girl Orelyn, who• won't
stay home at h.ght. siou h, ten to arivaing, don't see where
she ,Jek,....1 it uw, it don't run th.tiak faziJiiyiL-13d- no one L. the
dr_laksi Since -they' started this Jut* buiAns„ its r1 to
teil wh t thee iresh giriv wi_l now days. She bad uu bsiss
quitting school. A alother.seus nard ttie ret,rin4,•uhlIdren now.
Yu tali. abAi a ilo4.46, that is out of th. question, bes1s trying
to raise,the..-e children, all I owl is this Iitie furniture.
Grecr. hes an oid *piece f car n th.Als U.
I have deoid d not to itcrry bUtit vy thing, 1 just
uit heroL end to giy eLsimuu Va look out f tau -itcaCW
who tGJIeeo, o .141. o,.rs go ty."
I it worry but gulag to crsuchip a the tU.y goes
to Bethel -A NI It loeutod Ikkot_joragge, Licce I
Av zica I ,soot bt to give to th.. ohuxel. 0 i 14, vt to
erne, te* ktoULAtb Lg to Luy t,o4.ota unu
ic.he for wy leg* .to tho ph6
top.all1-t.biskopen in erch whoa ;;.he o.o. I :Ace
the stor arive by sowe ti7Los0 be never utou* .1416:n you ,;et
.-tue ev,ybo-y forgets y,A** -yo tr.ve Aoney for ti -44. L;nurchip
you ure ,,nowh au goou sister, Italsister thfu _nil ulster L.h..1*
both6j.ng li-Lo the oluen tiaes* Ivery ..aelaber of the churola would
...,r,und to soo you, try to ti y, 14. You c u1.1 be aeL.41
burled, they wou1,1 hevor eflow uny.,hing-bout It. I Ja hot
t the church, but I think tkft thL ebureh is ...ot trying
VO SLAV.. utils• they _re try-.t.L% to uee Auw•-iuch aJney they c n
ruiLe* Thtlis the way *t itiO4S to :Jew Lliery time I turn ...ruf‘.:
trot:re
011. Wthall thel-o 1-401.5; b i a thola ,g*IN
iAtLcolit:U 6' ..pea to bore J. of lier tic.o UDLatil JAVJ kl IOW
uric,r itsA gzi UM Ur 1,;.1: it;
no.cve.,
,r0u bruugilt out
clgo.lettet.0 sti.ting0 me
ge
it ,io.Ljku
4,‘Lting the eigt.L.etto fl t oot
11. Ow 3:;-61.14 NiV,kb Ler* I rAve lots of be..k gi,-s
tn44 ok.A.Jking for we uma th.Lieki* c ro bettor C.'.41.6 then
othk-.ruip I a Ot-e:At very .,:tich 1 only Lr_Leii, 1:rosh tutteicAlk 0
use Lo ..Atet0 no eoid food, klenty of vegeteLles• eArld ,,iigh4 little
uvvetu* be rest of the t3 .y sft4A lots of ae-U ,mod ev,„ry.tn.aig
else, That boy W,J, can _ut awi4 some food. Be runs all dy L,n4J.
night, ana no wonder be is so hungry when be comes home, 8me
times the girls bring gaod things home frcu where tiiey w4kko
the only time I get a little dessert, 'Al tried to have a garden
to grow some Vegetables but the soil was too boor and the, mt:n
folk too lazy, We bavelnt tried any more,"
No, no one votes in Jur house, oy brothers donyt think
along that line, '..here we acme from a colore man better had not
1,Jok like be wanted to vote, so naturally they do not think
about such a thing down hereon
Eliza came in from her days work and sat down like she was
tired. WheL,questioned about her work, she said, Mister please
it me rest cause I have been through somethimg today," Finally
she said, N I 1014 out today ,.every time I turned around Ole Miss
had something for me to do. Believe -me she got all the grease out
of me toa.Ly, I was xlppy when the taxi rolled ul„, '145 they pay
my taxi fre, We woUdint make very much if they did not pay
our fare to work* I iostly, get two dollars a day at some plaeello
I have regular keople to go to. I can gct all the work I want, the
white ,eokle kno.. me, I happen to put out a good days work, so they
tell their friend a and they try to get me_ to wurk for them, ill I
want the b tell me what to do, and I do it. Every body Clontt know
how to cleAm house, You can't take any old thing ,ma clean furni.1
ture ario rugs, You have to know bow, then you don't have trouble
bolding down your job, .4 white folks are very nlce to. me, some of
them I have been working for nearly three ybars. They stay here the-
year round. I don't worry about wori„ing for tourist, I have to
live through the summary
We hav- to here uniforms. I wear this blue uniform trImul,-d in
white.. It keeps you from soiling 14 so many clothes. I -usually go
to wy work at 7:bu and 2. am through ,4y. i iek on one lob by three
ocloOk• The one that I go to tomorrOw Aosilt get off until seven
(*lock. Sometimes they bring me home. I like that-b,cause you.
loose lots of .time waiting for a taxi, they don't come when you
call them.'
Eiiza ,said that she had to go to work for hLrtlt now.
have a w‘oks :,,ashing to kut out.
,-The i'ront room of this house is very craci us. It has a
8.4No,
fire place in the North-East corner, an old victro_a,Ardres_er,
sat# /n the Soutb,saA corner. One long bench given Ly sue of
their white friends, anu cou,le of wicker chairs with a wicker
t ble sitting ia the center of the roam. There was
the fioor.
heSt to this r,Aom was the caning room with
table in the w4ddie of the floor. is small stand was
waa i.ibh books and tennis rackets on it. A bongo
wes
are located in the dining room.
Lip a small bed -room next to the dining room which
z O covering on
a large dining
next to the
without strings
imaging en the wall. The steps leading to the ,-econd floor
Th, re
occu Jed by Green. In it was a double iron bed, one chair,
and his clothes bung' on nails on the wail. There was no covering
on this fl,for.
The kitchen was very small, the- big stove nearly took
u, all of the floor space. Over the stove were shelves for the
rots and raps, the dillbee were ,4n an olo closet. The wails were.
covered with seat from the wood stove.
The rooms on the secone floor were very sail, the doubie beds
in them to up neorly ell of the floor skece. In sooe of them the
wails were coiled. In the hallcway sat a sewine wachive with a
magezines on it. u these magaAnes are given to slj by the
white ,eo,le she works for, The chil'en read teem sowetimewu
The house as clean throughout.
It k es me bustling to keey our reet money together,.
I key my rent to ar, Oates a white man 0 who is the agent for
Rev, Rhodes the owner of this house. h astor a eaetiet Church
in Tamea, Florida. We key three dollar:, a.week rut, arid that is
,to much for this old big house. you see for yourself we have no
conveniences, We have to use that old ramshackle out heuse, end
the uii is broeen, They wili not fix it ue, we use iojis of uater
f -r washing. Our washing is bevy, the men have to have cieen
overalls eine that takes lot of water to k,ee them clean. I have
to take turns when we bathe, ther, is only three wash tubs eut
in the back yare. I want to .:ut a cover ever that beech viberL, 1'
wesh. on hot day I have to do all of the %welling out in the het
sun.
In the back yard, there was a wire enclosure for the chickens
and an old oelayidated hen house, Two large 5,aniel dogs lay lazily
in the yard. They were very friemdly. The whole back yard was wired
in, There was lots of debris lying_eround in the yard. Clothes were
hangine on the wavy clothe lines stretched across the yard and
flakeing in the wind.
u I. wish I cbuld get well, dawned on Patience AJed as she
led me around he house, If I bad some bull maybe I eoule get
into the hosyital ape have my leg treated. Poor ymoele see 'a a
to
tkult6 so. w-
a‘vt-frUt
gVu thif:Ao uev„
wtth,and thaU iM5 't Aucth,=.aver.
thpLy ixeve tiss electeie
li
lishers, rt luug t, ui-sh
olacei I &U to get down y4.uvcsil 4t:ikeve
tockew U&ss,.ectrie w-cbittes s ;vul =,t.Ack
wucil ek,sier it yck4 are Luck4 V.) t 1 tilt nuo
o*. swaJA. faL,iites ycu hime r* w_rk d fr— ei‘iasing
to‘ ,Anktw4ta. binge Ijust tb.;:nit ed t...4k is
he marries co.C*rw, wo,uh,iA4;ats A.te, AA.s4s.
tio0A onu "matt womufl. Yet sLAJ of CAL*
b-tiof.1,0%A• if they Ik-A t Ut I.J.kalt1 .a60 ;.2f t
I ay w...vuxi be siitted,
tu.
4:=
fl
sh-1.• That w uld bt.-bk,ut 1.
Aseiai il,re not
1*
L'Aie bk-
-lb
zg with. It ta.;u1A be L tvt, (1.4-uge Lia wut i:rom
tslaii :L. -1 -AX* I sit 4i t. tl* Lk, vircry day. it is se..,
Sit d 1 (UT -ore. YtIc.,Au t,,f more t!ibtO
oro cairks utA t doe Orcen tLey 1i tu b t
ur..usui at 'rout ut suule f Lu.storts Lis•44ma
get 14 cwsi,ie
_iza who is ful.. of 4%.=ius 0 1 tams isy out in
t ii.tx my by .utio take =.4e 'Pace
tAxl, la"3 p 1.AotilL ooltOoy oturt,:a uil that
eh fcai 0.0m. LJ1 1Wuohip
rthserazig
1 60 tO UV4r4 U. tbia
rIA-Vii64.100$u, aL,Lit to ,,,Axit L.t ttuver.
8trn1i I think this relic.f busfm=1; h.=s, keCies
X't s!_rv:.cas, i.Alt st_
it xe.s beLordMS. Th-1.ee1Q- out; -Irstr forget t‘i,iotitit,
lio.,stevelto lie has kis, ,ALirwã UO3o ea.§ but 1. to, rast.,-A s
eV rle W.OL t y u vrurta. Tke.ley lok, tau...r
r Lbs in§ L.14,1 s s s‹,rt yvu iL1 thrum out taidy 4.;0014 L wgisLip
Zttr.411t. I hav et.41 it., I oust. gut
,elre ass, ;Da ttLZef.,‘ (moo. '01lftt.1U kr,
tsfaeh SL tb.121 Jim§ shLr. Urriblo bee 1-40
S Vtlark herfie t ta_lt titu5/.11 ...SIC Int ihrt cr.
thiA they gavt: tk ,,g4;
r. J.y. ik t thk. -sy
dirs.s.I 4,Auve stkn it, I.t,
try I
"Guiti:x.ft..1. for 6;yluit e (to f6 -.o .41. Loy jett. is
ealo
Lattur1 tA.b ths41 ok. usio.ftwout oh th*;
atovt., miLz ti f,r tiJA 6, es.,..Le 6.fti..sch.Jelo
ihx.yA3A4svur it.4Aach ..unch 1 litattugry.
u 11 first§ kkve tu t .t.ca 4 tut:xi i,alidits ‘Lusai tit ateks.
ct §,ut tcki iti414.: .4 144 c.4.- 1 ,Apc-tibaisu.s...rs los
tikA. »1346
V trr tbs trrit 4r Is on 6124L y -u *silt tiktkolf,
rt I r11.1 b glad
ts_tsi yu. C bye.
with :4- Ai•
kr,t.
y1/4:s I MIT*