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Alba: Willed Roberts
inlet Amid and coat Arent
MUM' Florida
asvaiber 1.4, 1040
%MAN* at.
41%-a
iii.Saa .liassi/..
W.Uouv Aulsesri RObarte le 64 year* olO1 oatarAstis have rendered AM
aiLhticse, sna he gropes its way cautiously with a rod and white
found hln Arrised in olean Shall trousers -and a taded.green shirt*
*Mini; anAer the &Made of a mango tree. als /mu:as:white hair woa oovered
with a brond.lorlm Rama strew hat, whieh ha wife wavy Jane had In4A
tor Um.
*coos aNt uet ou tale sore bonen .4..4;1 40 433r0 isan tulk. ghint
them Alelk71041 ntee I Saint sea em bat I,Gan X eel Lasir shade. Lana° sold
icor •nnd; OAM -talk bettor tnat auty. Use J44it 1/4nd no sLLrd woris.ma
lades 44al,
'Also lai )aLat it eons too. Lilo sun is ht=iya 4pod, %o J41d seathor
tote "4, no stor4e. i. tools tine. l ain't ase the SUA. T.or tile water,
nor notait. Jut 1 itnowe itss thus*, and that soloi• 04 sure ,14141
*I was bunted o'er to tne banayarbee, 4rost 1,.rbor abuse Inland, Ytalf
lebtie raost-34 aye, 2 ueotet aould nee, but not no more, 441r ayes sue
dons or*. The doctors sive it's oatataatail but there haint no arener
ter a noperstien. .no soon as the wure wor4ar Glt aok doctor, than
1011 see Ii
wad overytlinc, will Oa ull 'i%AoriI 14141L t‘ Ullsic
to the juha,ysneee fUr a visit, not to stay.
tlev ;:erT? Jan el wh'iAw Ulm youaLune awe in ..441 souse. ZAID 4411
le me Lr;nandealtirensl Aftry Jane sheseiui• Zneee ull troUble, ut
I levee e unyweyell The naw trouble is I'saint ulve sa the thine,. they
26075
needs .,orstio on haeeount et my eyes.
oThe covtirmint, they mist ,;ive as no oar% nolther, onus* ros is
still sujeets of the Cram LAndo ana es *met get no Amerlean oitissom
ship par-rs cause us *&t rood nor write. It naint tele saues Joet at
tug effored to fill for t'ilerlea in the last mr. The eanno,Aty station
dons 711* tie Bono taaq and °lathes. "0 001i ,,ou please Le ase the
rellet of.?Aae for usl so my gni Oarlies van xfs in the eaain rear* 141
t It)oure is noodin ?Ionty.
04y soo.in.luvre Lerniesss susband4 sofa ste4s _et vloors of the
itumnisk4 ain't _et na176 zet that eay in the ear; so ems visaed.
sise 00.74risanip uarhed An Indians". That maboa als Ads Aworieens toe,
but aerates, she's Corned to.hane, over in the Bahvwees,. There mas a
law pansod in. 1012 eljn that if you married an Jima:leen *Alan, that
antcx-vitio1e t a oitisen to, Jut uoroles nes married before 101*
so of* owlet flt relief works
,T,ettin amok to -lhere I was bornod and elj aneestarso they afts
.7reat toU:e. ..17 folio en both sides efts boned and raised in the Daher.
nee*. y NWT, fis name see James Prederiek 4oborts; my ::iotbor before
ohs inrried aim Tee nened Auseell. .rinne alseelkothitue0011.
01 rcnombor QJgrandparents. esiolLj ny JvAndpe an 4g dai4yss
e4s, yot I never Awed sim more than enet or talc*. 1 dr60;led at sin
a*dlanty.seen fin in ml 4 op. si40 ems a fins feller, as tall and
stralht. Usname user. iieuerts a. oaf" romeraber his Ctrs%
two, but all the islanders galled fin t6. Aeberte Aliso °SI Same nut
4.nciland ahem so ass a Luile. 0as Wee a au*, arta a geed aft too.
eV!, pt aertain lands wain to ne in the iirltien Illes, it l
Gould net to eris ewes Ilia one at 'is heirs. Let Ion too poor to cot 0
go Lill
lever no I cup make arj
0Artar bein horned in °root umbor &am s1tad, Lr4r stayed
thoi' titli: *sus becinlin to ',row, thon .A0 aortal to a islund Gulled
vodberps Amstar's' In them days there wasn't many Co ks llvin in the
*Ian WO Minted tO go rinitln, '-Je had tA-L row :roll one island
to ml.”11r• PlInten tho Imy Dtborqc. 7,artc:rs rmsj nt ovori ot
14) soli 41 licru That's the renzola Eit lanrnol to rci-d
..Ttcr that Imo ltve4t. on first ono iold cne ton anoth
r, -171en
rotv to be a .Ann 7so movod to Snot Aumh 0,r4or Zalund. That va0 oro I
.ary Jane and marriod her, I dian't ..nirrb, tor :4403 1 firit.
hor; it .7..ina Cw years later.
nv the ti mo I cots to jarth Itzter I owl .46.42 learned
from mv so 1.-.nood tlow to fish r4M irU.o and e -ono. „Aurae
tero monst to ler.411, beim III been brim& ON its 1 hnd gun
s4ff.
Ttor lives in r elltor for t unit", pack° Lanza (dr t0
roy nst, rJere fotayod tro yearn. 1 0038 ba04 to rsh efitor then, and
at Jed iolartoon months then I =A book to row:act und otved ansther
Acre The lazt time I oome b-ok to latreh -eiA)r I triarriodury IRVI/ Zoy;
T wnmen -then; 7ie boon ,:interied 4P yof;,rs ncr4
etenvla Wry Jane after ::ottla r pettiod, I 452ont most of my time
on the oft. Tod ocre tome 4,-TrIr few weeks to .visit. I sent cv. time
fishin nnd Wrtlin and con In. I soon all the ii,NNooes and Dtba f..md
0oNw joutnunil its$ ell oorned to tiarsh trxbaro JLne s:* led i:or,
three ,akis and one in. iiernise, the t, 6.1018 one now, Tamils
nor kilo „Ina seen a ainute coo, e oi Iloys ,):tt Ult at tila,,,ara
Gee at .4e others is 'in the Nort4. e t -that ono Le in WAAL.
holot seal Van tar a.tokl .J.me* a0 i4tcran4oLtildrau, I ;..Aft Aeoty- at
stoi 0:LAtuen 3randohlldreo *ha foLlr oreGt-r,randoi4ldren*
SAO IS .7„114Ut 44 9-ra tige 0.1.tobi oti..es, 01140o ttloro iit
Liu‘4 to Live .or .Ja tho islmodoi oivryboad'a 30 our Aw1 tos unrI; 4t aG*
hurd•
vizht StIAin *Lout 04t *r.4240,1X.121 iictaste mod A do
loUt its LtIba4t0 L otkO ornaito e;ut don't as1;: it ,en I
0 ie0 tri P44
Anorieells•
,out *.he avki Urea arlt.shers trAts us* i4crii !iniat
,raorieuus 'Ctrs t4oir ours rout tAem oritl*oors tae5 j.on'ts
vle,y9re 4A74'oystiathhat. nueo Oetter Vsej 3r° 464 getke Atac UO,
ton, tiulait 40 t4630 t0 441 464,
44,4K.4,160 WO ootter in the Le/antis thee *sot it 04,0 to be, out lt
4tilA sun't 00:4 tO vilat Ao Let 9,Jre. You t..143 Van i'104G011 t74ot
.n .44.wIdsstjo oovor24 *v_ta tauten routs aule Argo our
SuOokii*e 44114 A1.04 4 4A4CM 00404 L44.4 tue seas io Gnaw
4 olnAtur• Zhen a*Aerals ever ue
U4 .4:: Oast oZ it.
A •,4t.i.aret "aAps, out qoii wok. ibey foral4s as to
hesoodt .rui* tuo 494,441 WO* .:“Claf 4ault treat 44 rtubta USA'S
ta0 rouo:4a r
islols• *a
V1 CO*
saln cui,I Ube lido Jai:at es Loo4 9oro as In 4no
„4._4uuj .?Wà 041414 but ere wma
flah Jo Lazo oaurAs 4o so m.o. ;00 r°19t
fr,07.2
t3 -'that as
"no eou16. 4011
0.4s
tutdiy ,et 4d, It ttLi !vul4o9t 46 60 b*.d If
4:Loh ::411 taiga drioemft-U4t we auvu to mai '1
the ii% LO tAa .22% lou Am, 2r tao.; 41.1n1 'We ..04411 Obrild
otts
wiJLt. js our eutales for oioot 4ataia, Gad
thimo Seeelle es et higti irises' Ws terrible* we go humtry teen ito
Mist to get baok, to as story and the days as I wee don% Men end
'sst lift tory 4ms be Ammo in Sareh- 'Arbor, At that times en I MIA be.
farts 1 wird my won beat end en ems trip I look I want mlaost halt emp
to South Amens* and basks I "melted 1400 ales. I Aad ieureriot SS
as and as rode this sere little 'Avow, anima &Wm se, is this 41,
end tine Ita young ma vas to make trip like that ho mmuld be risk/
diem iiathergpi diciest ibis ne deader itho ghat I tmced on .that trip. I
didet have no nesigatien inetriammsal; on, a notopnes. but I Meowed WI
the time 'hare I was and Ame I was eosin baoko; Ao was rlablhe
meet 'wells and 04yengino amass the sijkte. %bah araatain as Pdt-s
dingy ever the side at the sehoensr with two men in It. coo Oft sails
whtleLtbe ether bootie the sombre* Sponges is booked with a pole were
*ere trem ten to tertyistire teat lend* To tied the spokes they leek
threegh a heneemede glass bottom wooden esedy beehoto
saes the dingy is tell op with epee/see tNey back to the milimar
end tbes aboard* Later they builds big peas in the groillwes near
*bore end pets the *cogles in to soak. The seakin-140sons op the blank
skins at the sponges MOW it emu be wan ett, 'Llionces must be allows
ed to leak nom tsar or five dayso.also they'll rot tron their own heat,
omen is 'the tool sea enter. ahem they is dens **Ain they is tttAon ant
beaten with beards till ell that skin and stmelis,anA ‘Dra oasis, is bombs
en mato They theytme dried eel reedy tor sale. There helot nethin like
that for uS to Is 94144
elbil tertian 400 to bring,us geed in tee, That ass a sichissd
MOOR tortilla. The kind me took was sailed a semahills turtle* They hese
lite shells ghat *nibs and.the like ave made at. meneed to weessmant us
tolled Mbollys0 to oateh thma in. It's a mind of a oast net woven ergs
U' thread twine mod fastened to a °irate of uire and Loadod withdiout
ZO pounds of lead* first vs goots the reptile wAit our Glass*botton
buebet, and if osis rostin on %h. *mean floor Ws /fits the bully down be.
hind *LI, then bring it up quiok and ricAt over qa* Then afore Is Some
whet "apponod* wo at "in all messed ad in that twine and is hoolin
*board*. 4 hotohes turtles in water from ton. to nineti foot deep*
04e make auk; n4th 'in, and *Loan the onoll and dry it. ..M000times
we eon trade the oest for frost% veGotmblells 40100tIMOO vs %Atilt Give it
$way* If vele oiost onouGa to a Lowa maybe we sells it.
%thee ways for oakin a livin woe Aentiful too* boo:ides our little
Gardens* the is/ands ems fall of wild arld ooms 'ad foss* others lad
"%Mos and so on. Qa some islands where not many folks livod* the birds
nested by the thousauds. ZW4 ooulti va/dm a,isaj with a etiek and 411 all
,ou wanted by just evanGin the stiok*
44 Snowed one island ahore Uwe was oal, one or two fsoiiies Alvin;
it vas one of then ivIrren Lolands +there there halatno soil--nothin but bars
rooms* The birds nested there so till.* there veins% no Amos Cos them
to build their nest's* This here or sounds lime On tibia. Lot it's
the troth* lom birds was so thiok they had to Itv their oat,s acovhOra*
Alai the ,veple Alvin there umald open their boom door in the kllornin* and
before they multi Got their fire built to soak brea4fasts *null of thee
birds moos throuch that door and laid oc„s hoe a good breamtast*
0411 then days is Gene, -ds oan't du notain lime all that %re* Ay
halnt sot to boots* nor eats, nor i;as net notain* i*ve, if ue hod on I
doubts if we could make Low& away*
IOU
"We oeme to the Veiled States in 1915.
40 Gene from the Bahapeee
in sty ovin little boat, and leaded in Miami. I sold my boat there wise
we had to have some mooch We eons on north then. to Singer's Island in
Lake Werth aeroset from as lam. We already "ad friends from the Behar.
noes there. My kids was pretty Small them4 but we built up on the old
inlet, the real one, about a mile and a half north of where the inlet in
now.
301 stayed there a number of pars till a feller from Labe Worth
Qom' and mlained owned the land. 02 told as if vieg all pay 'La a
dollar a pies* for baok rent, o'd lot us stay. Moll, that haint mush
money, so we paid 'tin and te let ultimo. NI sone bzek in a month or two,
and this tine 'a 'ad papers *begin that the land was his. 'S t14 us if
we wanted to stay weld 'aye to pay 'in 420 a :Ionth. That was too muoh
for poor fisherfolk like ,us to pay, so we moved. "We moved right here to
Rimier*. e found out afterwards that es didn't own the land at first.
but when we give 'in the dollar, that was %bat give 'tin a legal slain.
*I bought my land right where I is 12014 I payed 4600 for it. The
United States haint fair in a lot of way* though; after I had done paid
4600 for me lot, they went and °barged me 4750 for street assessment
tax. Now to.'ome in the Bahayeses there bait no taxes. And when you
buy land it's all yours and your ohildreas for generation* an.
fla.00erso we heint got maid% of a 'me, 'ere, but it's a shelter jest
the same. I'll be happy when the relief gets me eyes fixed to where I
san moo. Then leant' to go baok to the Bahaynees for just one more trip.
I haint never bean able to get bask sinst I eons aorosst. I sure wish
you mould go with mith•I