Document text
December 1938
Sectional description of
florid& Squatter*
Barbara Berry Darsey, writer
Stetson Kennedfo revise
PLORIDA SqUATTSRS
Where the lower end of the florid& Ridge Section slopes
rapidly to meet the sombre 'everglades, there is a region
where squatters, both native Floridians and emigrants from
ether States, have settled with their families. None of the
squatters seem to know to wham the land belongs, and they
are never required to pay rent. Some remain more or less
permanently in one place, while others continually move about0
or soon leave for other sections. The social and *commie
status of these squatters is *onion to small population pook•
etc scattered throughout the State.
To the families choosing this section for home sites 41
variety of soil types is available. Fart of the area is
coarse white sand with a covering of scrub palmettoes, black
jack oaks, and a tangle of vines, Other parts are hammook
land, and support growths of pine and hardwoods; still otior
parts are swamps and bayheads around mnall lakes and streams.
Cf these three chief land types, the white sandy soil is
lesst fertile. The hammock soil is rich in organic matter
and supports good crops, and the dense growth of hammook
troops affords shelter for the shacks of the squatters. The
swamp lands or their edges seem to be preferred by most of
the squatters, perhaps because of the ease with which water
may be procured. This Land produces fair crops, and is well
adapted to growing cabbage, Which is the general crop favorite.
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Vast of the men and some of the women are excellent
marksmen, and can shoot the head oft of a rattlesnake without
injuring the skin, which has a small market value.' It is no
feat for them to "bark" a squirrel to shoot the limb upon
which the squirrel is stretched, killing It by concussion.
Minting is an event in which the older boys also take
part. ?hey think nothing a remaining away from school to
"go a..hunting with Pa." :.lon„; with shot guns and rifles,
the hunters carry burlap bags in which to carry the game.
They hunt through the hammockz and swamp edges, and sometimes
go deep into the heart of a svamp.in search of raccoons and
opossums. :he hides of these animals are tacked upon the
outer wall of the cabin to dry, and when prime they bring a
fair prise. This is a negligible source of income, however,
as fur.bearing animals are becoming more scarce. Uoreover„
lie squatters only occasionally have money for ammunition.
"hen they go "rattlesnakini a slender light pole of cons.
siderable length is used for probing the large clumps of
palmettoes and deep gopher holes. lAot even the larger boys
are allowed to take part in these hunts.
ViehinG, like hunting, is a necessity rather then a
sport, and is usually a family affair. They go in their old
cars, aro lackik, these, tramp through the woods to some pond
or sluggish stream. "f,till-fishing" is *he favorite metho.d.
.-ong slender branches are cut for poles, and set firmly at
the waterte edge. The fishermen doze on the bank and wait
for a bobbing cork to announce a bite. It is said that summer
3
is the best time for fishing, and that the "trout" (fresh
water bass) bite best when the red birds sing.
The homes of the squatters are usually from one to ten
miles from the highways, and oan be reached by a rough dirt
"grade", or by dim woods' trails or footpaths. rathough
geographically near a few excellent highways and fair—siled
towns, the lack of means of transportation effectively isla
bates those people, who live as remote from each other and
other settlements as If they were separated by great distances,
nost of their dwellings are flimsy oneroom shanties
with heavy wooden shutters taking the place of windav glass.
Sometimes a small shed or lean-to adjoins the main In
some cases, especially near the swamps, the habitations are
moray palmetto...thatched, huts with floors of routri boards
or hard packed dirt. As a general rule lit:le attempt is
°made at cleanliness abd sanitations the hence are filthy,
and the yards or clearings are littered with an assortment
of trash and tin cans.
There are some cases where nn attempt to raise flowers
has boon made, and a few scraggly *Innise and marigolds
bloom dejectedly. The fence of one squatter tears a
a
glory vine with huge blue blossoms, and a trash pile in an.
other yard is covered with a luxuriant gourd vine to which
the squatter points with pride and says: It jus come up
there by itself and don't need no care a.tall."
Almoet every family, no matter how poverty-stricken,
Owns a shotgun which is kept loaded and hung upon the wall
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out of reach of the children. !ideate, occasional bears,
and numerous rattlesnakes fall prey to the squatters' guns.
Mile the sustaining occupation is agriculture, it rarely
progresses beyond the garden patch stace, and is pursued
without enthusiasm in a haphazard manner.
Sometimes the squatter men are seen tramping villageward
clad in faded overalls and patched blue shirts, their heavy
brogane kicking up a fine dust. Tiuge sacks of cabbages or
other vegetablee are slung over their shoulders, to be offer..
ed for salo or trade at the country stores. t times a squat..
tor woman Is seen walking thrcuo the woods on her way to some
farm to work in the fields. Usually there is u baby in her
arms and several children pattering along at her heels, or
clinging to her skirts• ..gle occasionally receives from fifty
coLts to a dollar for her labor, though more often she is
paid in food and given a little extra to take home. Some
squatters have tried sharecropping with nedliglble results.
Other than the vegetables raised, their diet includes rabbits,
fish, gophers, cabbage palm !:uds, and white bacon and flour
when they are able to purchase it.
e squatters living near the swamp lands seldom have
wells, for it is an easy matter to dip the warm and reddish
water from the pools nearby. The ::.0con or tho older Clildren
usually take this task upon themselves, and, with large wooden
buckets and long handled dippers or saucepans, walk barefooted
to the swanp pools. hen the bucket is filled it is carried
to a bench which usually stands outsido the rear kitchen door
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of the cabin.
Clothes to be washed are carried with tubs and board
to the swamp's edge. athe are also taken in the wimp peels.
In the sandy soil and hammocks there are *elle!, driven wells
topped with rusty pitcher pumps thieh make n welline canna
when the handles are worked. A leege tin cup or can in ale
,:lays kept filled with water nearby for prinine the pump, and
it is a strict rule that whoever punps must.alweys refill the
primin6 cup:
:foet families live so far from roads that an automobile
could e useless to them, even if they could afeord one. The
men who are employed on public works walk to the hig!iwnys
there they are picked up by trucks. fer7 families possess
old dilapidated automebiles, which enable them to gether
wood and sell it in neighLoritie eommunitier.
Out &mono the pines of a hemmock an entir fTeily may
be son ranging in soardh of fire 4food, with their old ram-
shackle ear parked near at hand. These automobiles, are,
old..faohioned touring care with rusted topless ")odiee and no
back seat. Trequently the front sent is replaeed with boards
or small boxes fastened securely to the ear body. The squat..
pere Belden Co many miles fron Ileac on these tripe, for the
woods trails are risky for the old care and gas is always a
problem. The various members of the fenny aleays wear dingy
vorn clothes and so barefooted.
saw is not a part of the weedakunting equipment. The
squatters find "IlOnter knots" and fallen brendhes, of trees.
4
They take along an axe for the larger limbs, partly rotted,
that are eaeily broken up with severta blo*e. ,s the dine
knots hnd broken branchee_ore found they are thrown into the
bauk of the car. Alen c. Load is gathered, tiw children
climb inte the bock z.-14 aTrange theassivea me best they can
rAlung the knots and limbs. /other and mother and 1;orhape
come of the youngest cnildren take their places in front and
the ho;neward trip is started.
atmosphere of lethargy permeates the 'action and its
people. The various fu4iillee seldom visit ei-" other. They
occL,oionally attend churon eervicue vhan they are combined
.t1-, picnic .Annereo Yarents seem to enjoSr the school ax.
circlet's in which their children partJeipate. cost of the
squattors are suspicious of strangers wia resent interference
and offere of aid, vhon government relief Xi -a first Altered
them, many refused it, believinG the relAof x.cre naa some
ulterior motive,
Iherc Jo little veaucl immorraity", and iUegitinate
cLildron are rare. The greatest vice soma to b ettin
likkered upTM, Many mall boys che totacco, and the ;iris
and women use snuff.
Vedioal aura to almost totally un;cnovn, na squatters
-use patent medicines and primitive rawedies. Wounds, sores,
and (stings are bound with 6. piece of stilt pork "to draw out
the poisonTM, Headaches, which are prevalent c-mon‘ young and
old, aro treated by bif.dinc the head tightly v!itil clothe,
She 7MRA temporarily made medieal attention available to many
8
`everal men vhe are considered 'exerts" supervise the
barbocusing of the meats. ?rendhes, or "pits" as they Ire
(milled, are prepared in adv':Inee, so that fires may Le start*
ad July 3rd. lhe fires arc ziade of oak and Illekory„ are
mpl'niehad until a naeL of 61ciain coals is obtained.
c.. meats are then pierced with long pointed poles of
hickory and oak, out green fedm livin treos eo they 0.11
rlot burn. The ends of the coley rest upen the top of the pit,
leavIni.; the noat suspended in the center over the male.
Me meats are turned elc=ly and batted at, intervals with a
special sauce, the recelpe of MCh is je,louely guarded as
the secret of the men in char. This hot, flavorful cause
aPPlio wit'l a %lop made' or cloth tlee to the end. of a
stick.)
ittin fixed for the rally and barbecne requires several
dayNa or hectic wataing, starehin, ironing, and dq.rning.
Uloee arc vorn bj all, if poe ible, even thoudi they may be
reaove before the day. le ove:e. The night before the big day
the children 'are scrUblmd un.11 their ,faces shinG„ And the
little girle have their hair 4lione in tight stiff bride
rA dawn, after u breakfast or fried bread and side meat,
the start for the 'cirove* one families walk, alwaye in sin*
.lo file, with the man leading and the woman bringln up the
roar. ,emetImos a youn6or ctilJ beomes too tined to continue,
and the father sling hli-;„ 3ver his dLieulder like a sack of
meal* The ehilren are o SCPUboW hnd starcled that tLey are
or ao„ 1n4 the tatior, who wears a buttonee and
9
nce%tio, ocr infputt;ons his ,o114. n.nd 7.)oetr, thn tie.
'rove t II:,
baraziwa:1-11:triej tbc num tirc nt -;•noo
ter, .7,..nd numb
farthest
LIG .:ov3 ilLora no; ait t oric-ur ,3roups
rcor tf.rtC.1 tho volutle
1,,n6o o 'c oIttc trtc to co ttor, out. t noon
t2,0 ;Ica brim: m r:,17
sqa-.ttore tra t3 11to rittontively to the polit4e,t1
epece:loa. T!ut icrtecmc moot ox.citod tn poltt1t1 ctrrrnte
each 3.1.1(r. drrite ror..tivit•es. t
tLo -44,ovt, 1c 1tto ith huge bonrires, rtni ft
f.ilourk,„ weivono dr.parv.:3 to 1c/w. re:Atte-a erndlartes
tLoir iriondr ofcr to -"Irivc t2. erra-Itt!'irr tf..)
zw.ds or"or Ir, or ,,1%,2.1.y T -y tlao
wor..ry fi.1111cs