Document text
February 25, 1939
Mrs. Janie Bradberry Harris (White)
TaIk'assee Road
Route No. a
Athens, Georgia
WPA Project Supervisor
Sadie B. Hornsby
Mrs. Henry was sitting at her desk busy making out reports.
Are you too busy to talk to me this morning? I asked ner. "It
all depends on what it is and how long it will take you. You
know I can't take my working hours to talk personal matters. But
first tell me what is is you want to mow? I told her I would
like to get ner life history and wanted one of a WPA Project
Supervisor. "What do you wamt me to tell you." I asked her if
I could see her at her home. "Why, yes if you have a way to get
out to my _house, but I live way out on Tallassee Road? I guess I
can talk and work too. I am waiting for my head boss to come and
since I am not so busy this rainy day I expect you had better
see me now.
She is a large woman weighing about two hundred pounds, has
gray hair and wears glasses. She was wearing a one-piece black
dress, the skitt and sleeves were crepe and the body of tne waist
was cut velvet. She also wore black slippers and gray hose. AWgke.
Astkes and shows she is very much interested in her work.
She began, "I was raised right here in Clarke County and was
the oldest of seven. There were three girls and four boys in our
family. There is nothing interesting about my childhood. We
played and scrapped as Children will do; and then we were large
enough we helped in the field if there was anything for us to do.
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I dropped corn and beans many a day and picked cotton I was a
good cotton picker.
"I remember distinctly there is a big difference back when
I was a child and now. My father was an overseer for a man who
nad a large farm. We had plenty to eat and wear. We raised
everything we ate at home. My father was also a basket weaver
and made some of the dailtiest little baskets you ever saw. He
sold lots of them, the most of his income was from selling cattle,
he raised lots of them for sale.
"When my sister and I wanted a new' hat or dre4s, we sold
eggs, milk, butter, apples or anything else we could find to
sell.
"We lived hear Barnett Shoals and we could always 'dispose
of any surplus supplies we couldn't use, selling things to the
people who worked in the mill. I remember I had a cousin who
worked in the cotton mill at Barnett Shoals, whenever I went to
see her, she would save up all tne tin buckets and give them to
me to take home. de thought we were rich when we got them tin
buckets, the were rare tnings for country people to have. When
I was 14 years old I bought a sewing machine. I ordered it from
iears'and Mbuck, and paid for it sewing for Negroes.
"When tney were building the electric plaint at Barnett
Shoals my sister and I used to sell buttermilk to the men working
xxwmatit on the plant for 58 a glass. y favorite sport was horse-
back riding believe it or not. You wouldn't think it true to look
at me now.
"We attended Sundayschool in a country school house, the
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same building we went to school in. All my people are Baptist.
I was 14 years old •-nen I joined church at Oolinth Baptist church
and was baptized in Big Creek, not far from the church.
"I knew my husband all my life we were both reared in the
same neighborhood and went to school together. When we married
we didn't nave a wedding, just came to Athens and got married at
my cousin's house her husband was a preacher.
"My husband worked for the Athens Railway and Electric
Company, now the Gergia Power Company. He started to work for
tnem when he was 15 years old and was still in their service at
tne time of his death 11 years ago. He started working for them
as a errand boy until he learned what to do, than when the plant
was made built: they gave Aim a regular iltob making $90 a month.
When he was made plant manager he made Fl65 a month. My husband
didn't go to war because ne was operating the power plant. We
nad been married 11 years when he died. I have 4 children two
girls and 2 boys, The oldest a boy is 17.
"The day he was killed at the plant at Tallassee where
we were transferled from Barnett 3Aoias in 1926. We had just
returned from a 2 weeks vacation. The children were cross and
sleepy so I told him 4 would give them a bath put them to bed and
after I got the house in order I would go tOK the plant and stay
with himpas I often did. He agreed to this as the boss from
Atlanta was coming the next day on an inspection trip and my
husband wanted everything shining for them as that was the orders
his boss nere had given him. I had just gotten the children in
bed and was tying the sheet of soiled cdlothes to,be sent to the
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wash woman the next day when the telephone rang and a man at the
plant told me to come down quick my husband had been hurt. I ran
all the way he died soon after I got there. His death was caused
from a broken insylator. It probably wouldn't have killed him,
but he had been watibaing the grass and his shoes and clothes were
damp.
"After his death the company paid me $50 a month until the
workman's compensation was paid, which was about three thousand and
six hundred dollars. After that was paid, they gave me a job look-
ing after the property at Tallassee until the new plant was built
and they put men out there. Than I had to look out for myself. I
got 425A month a house to live in and lights and water furnished
free. They let me live in the house now. That is the reason I
don't move in town.
"The first year I took charge after my husband's death, and
paddling my own canoe I macLe $85 that year selling milk, butter,
cni2kens and eggs. I was out of work from December, 1937 until
March of 1938. Did I try every where to find work I asked everyone
I.knew for a job. Many a day I have gone back home wondering where
to try next. Finally one day I went to the Well,fare Office, asked
for work and they sent me to the sewing room. What a revOlation
that was to me. That was my first job on WPA and if it wasn't for
the government work I don't know what people like us- would do. In
this day and time you can't get office work to do or, even a job as
saleslady. The people employing help want young attractive people
with pep and energy.
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"My work at the se.4ing room was Very pleasent, however I
didn't stay there very long before I was transfered to another
project paying more. I was tnere from March until July. I was
sent to the Housekeeping Aid Project as an Aid and in October of
last year I was made 3upervisor of the project.
403omeone kRommkgd knocked on the office door Mrs. Henry
answered it: "Good morning, what can I do for you this morning?
,"Good morning," said the visitor. "Carson is my name I work over
here at the University at the barn, I heard about your work and
thought I would investigate about getting a_numse to wait on my
wife and son, my wife had been sick since Christmas, now my son
coma. down sick and I need some help. I went to the We;bare
Office and they sent me to you." "Where do you live?" asked
Mrs. Henry.- "Over her on Ag Hill." "What is the address?"
"Taint got none icept Ag "Well, you take this blank to
the Welifare Office and they will fill it out for you and you
bung it back tom me then I will see what I can do for you."
He left, but was mom back in a few minutes. "3ay, lady I took
this slip where you told me too. I didn't get to talk to the one
you told me too as a big head lady was coming out the office, she
took the paper, read it and told me to ive it back to you they
didn't have nothing to do with it." "All right, just give it to
me and I will look after it for you,. as there was a misunderstand-
ing on the part of the person with whom you talk d(t?o.)
He started to leave, with the door open his hand on the door
knob, he turned back and stuck his bald head through the open do09.
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"Look here lady; if you want a recommendation just call 3heriff
Jackson he will tell you all you want to know about me. I am a
depty sheriff of this county, I have a daughter working here in
town, my son has been working for the city and I have a daughter
working in Atlanta, but she has got to go back today. I have
been working all my life and married when I was 17 years old.'
This is the first time I nave ever asked for help before. We
need somebody right away. The bills ARive piled up on me so
since Christmas it has got me down, and I would appreciate
anything you can do for me." "Now, you must remember Mr. Carson
our Aids are not muumx hurses.theY do practical nursing and look
after tne home while the mother or whoever is in charge of tne
home is not able to see after it." "I understand, but I need
somebody bad and would like to have them today.
',Elie left Mrs. Henry was silent a few moments: "Now, .1 don't
see why they can't hire someone to do tne work however, when a case
is reported we have to investiga e it whether its a worthy one or
not. You know this is one way I think the government is spending
their money tnat really is worth while,, of course all the prottiti-
projects are or they wouldn't have been created. But this one
helps humanity in more ways than one. It gives us work'and in
doing this it helps othere who pre not able to help themselves.
"We have 8 workers most of the time. 3even of them are white
and we have one,Negro helper. This negro is.a-ipractical nurse. 3he
hadn't had a job in months when she was put on this project, and
was only on the job a day and a half when she got outside work to
do making 815 a week, she worked 2 weeks. When a person gets out-
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side employment to do, which we are suppose to dot they are auto,-
matticaly dropped from the project and if by any reason they lose
their 4ob than they are taken back again after the case is thorough-
ly investig tea.
"As I have all ready stated this project was created to help
those wno are not able to help themselves, and to make living
conditions in the home worth wnile. iou know' yourself when you are
in the dumps and everything goes wrong all we need is a friendly
pat on the back to help us along, and that is the objective of
WPA. We train these women on the project to go into homes where
A
the families are not able to hire help when they are sick, to have
tneir wOrk done. They do practically everything there is to be
done, except tne family washing and heavy scrub work. Of course
you know your self if you had illness in your home and no one to
help you, and there were several small children you wouldn't have
time for that sort of work. They glean house, cook, Aew or ma mend
if it is necessary, care for the chiTdren as well as cooking the
proper food for tne family and patient and they do wash the
patients clothes. Infact they do everything a nurse and housekeeper
does, but give medicine that is not allowed.
"Than after the mother is well again, before the Aieleaves
meals are plar41 by the aid mowing them how to cook it to get
the beat food value out of it. Iou know some people cook their
food all day, in tnat case tne food isn't fit to eat..- We also
teach children as well as tne grown ups how to eat at tne table,
also how to set the ta ble and serve 'a meal. As well as to keep
a clean neat house. We also encourage them to be clean with them*
selves, however, there are amp people who wont do any better no
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matter how much you takjtalk to them. After the aids leave a home,
they drop in as if for a friendly cnat just to see how their plans
are progressing. It is remarkable to find tne improvement in some
homes and very áisookging to go into the home of those litho' don't
have any p+le wrt s0 ever.
"We nave a group meeting of tne workers in my office once a
week, we get an outsider to talk to us tagmrtmg sometimes its the
nead of the Red Cross nere in town. She tells (Is how to make band-
ages, make beds and care for the sick.w We also have our Clarke
County Home Demonst-ation Agent to give us a talk o4 how to prepare
food for tne sick as well as for the children, how to set the table
nnd table manners. You would be surprishow little some people
know about such tnings. I didn't know as much as I thought I did
*self about lots of things i nave learned since I came on this
project.
"We had a group meeting one day, presided over by our Home
Demonstration Agent, talking about how to care for the home, food,
setting the table and manners. One of tne workers were so im-
pressed she home and began with the children up to her mother.
Teaching them the nice ,ways of doing in the home. Now it's attractive
as it can be considering wnat she has to do with in her home.
"The otner night I got 30 mad at my oldest. son,- he came rushing
in without washing his face and hands. He went to the table grabbed
up his cup of coffee -without setting down to the table. I abaxf said,
'3on why don't you sit down and eat like you ought to.instead of
gobbling your food up like a hog.' 'Oh, mama I ain't go no 4me
to fool with table manners hang with it, I
offhe wantenow, you know that wont the way
have got to go.' And
him to act.
for
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"One way we make money for our project, as our sponsors did
not supply any for it. I made mar4lade at night and the aids sold
it after tney got off from work. However, we didn't make a great
deal it did give us a little to carry on in our project and the money
needed could not be obtained. Tnis money was used to buy provisions
txxtammitt for demonstrations we have once a week in teaching the aids
how to prebake aiets for sick people. Most of our food is furnished
by tne commodities, but not what we use otherwise.
"We have a loan closet, most of tne linen was donated by the
aids, however, several organizations have given a fw sheets, pillow
cases and gowns. %These iings are loaned to tne sick attended by
our aids. When tne patient is well again they are taken up laundred
and out back in the closet. You know lots of people don't nave
wnat they need and these ',,nings nave to be provided for.
"One day a case was reported, so I went to investigate it.
I found a wiuow with two children, she and one of the children
were sick in bed. There was no one too anything for tnem but
a man 3ne had hanging around. 3he called him her boy frthend. We
went in that home and took the woman and child in charge. We
cleaned tne house washed tneir clothes and cook their food, the
man never left. 71e tired of him staying there doing nothing
while we waited on him too. 3ne didn't realize he didn't care
anytning for ner only to eat up whnt she had, and a place to sleep.
I put him to work cleaning yard and burning trash. So the next day
J. made him scrub floors, each day we gave him a dii erent job. He
.soon got tired of working and left.- Of course we had to get rid
of him in a nice way, so she wouldn't get mad witn us about it, and
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not let AiM know wnat we were up to.
r A.
"Tne aids wear wnite uniforms, and go quietly about their work
:7 CT. .C.
in the home just like any nurse would do. It is strictly against
,r the rules to relate anytning they see. and near other than what tney
go to do.
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"One of the most pitiful cases we nave on record, 13 a blind
woman wno lives alone, and as far as we could learn has no relatives
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living in town or anyother place. Tne house was very good, but tne
interior was terrible to see. This case was reported to us, so pne
day one of the aids went to the house and found ner in bed sick.
She did not have any food in the house and nand't nad anytning to
eat in several days. 'i'ne aid went in and did everything that was
necessary. 3ne nas been on the case two weeks. Every day before,
she leaves tne aid brings in wood to make a fire coal and put it
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in reach 30 if 3he snould nave to get Ivo in
the night she wouldn't
xxxmxtm hurt nerself or take cold going out for it. She also places
her food and water on a table by tne bed. Tne doctor told us this
one case was worth all the money alone spent in the county from this
project.
"There WP3 an old wompn who didn't have anyone but two boys
to wait on ner. They didn't even have a change of 3heets nor the
proper clothes. 3o we got clothing and food for them, as well as
to care for her a long time. We went back to tnat home to see how
tney were getting on and you wouldn't know it there was such a cnange
At first the yard was littered with everything under tne sun. When
we went back the yard and house was as neat and clean as could be.
There was clean cover on tne beds, a clean cdotn on tne eating table
and a flower pot in the center of it. Things like that makes us t
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1<dv‘..4ero-)
.taalLmalc2-3----trlittnir-our work is worth wnile. Our work is very- inter
e3Ling, but since our Project 13 not such an Old One I believe I
have told you all of any importance. I have heard 'of people in
other places having doors sia4ed in their fabe,:water-thrown on
trier as as being cursed out, but that has never haopened.to
a,
us. People- we have dedt with are only too- gibad to -have- us -g6 into
tneir homes and -help them."
Her son oar* in: "Tama;ye Will have t6 get -a new cross member
lor that car." "Tell, I can't get it fixed today." "teS'You can
and I have tO have a new-wheel'too. 'It shlmmtp so4I can't hold it
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in tne road."' Well, you ought not have rim in tne7 ditch and brbke
it." You kilt* coUldh4t help -it the road:waS slick. The garage
man said he will sell me a wheel cheap."- .I• reckdn ne-WilI, but
t- _
I need to buy a pig to faten 30 we will have s6the meat to eat next
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winter. IAN* Did you see anY pigs' this morning?"' "IkTaw,le I dtdn't
look for none." AYou had bettAr go back to school."' "I ain't
goihg to no scnool today. I wan' the car fixed44 l'HuSh!'about.
that car it will run a few days loner." asked'him where'do
you attend Achildll "At- the University High." He answered::
"I am glad you came." said his mother. "I want You to mat?
these letters." 'NI ain't going to mail no letters, leas you have
the car fixed." "Now, as soon as I can, 14111. 'I'need-it'inowin
my mr work I -have got'to go way -on the other side of town, since
it isn't raining:I will haVe to walk. No* go on I-am,busy And
can't take up anymore:time-todayI-have other thin gi to do.* The
last thing I heard as I thanked ner, saying good-bye, was. "Well
I am going, but ain't you going to have the car fixed today.?"
Hornsby
Page A-1
(Inset Interior of Doolittle Home)
As we °hatted, I glanced about the on, A sleepy
hollow Chair matohed the roomy divan, both upkolstered in a shads
of green that formed a harmonizing oontrast to the blue fabrio as
a mahogany mcasional chair. A similar shade of blue was on a
rocking chair. The books piled around the white lamp on the read-
ing table had a used appearance that gave me the impression they
weienot there, just for ornament, but more for the joy of reading
and :study. A pair of exquisite vases resposed on top of a spinet
desk. They were faithful representations in glasa of bunehs of
luscious, motuhwatoring, purple grapes. The stem form.* the mouth
of each vase. Tendrils ars the handles ask the green leaves &genet
the pamplcglass grapes tend to make the illusion more complete.
MoCune
Page 6
',One afternoon she was entertaining the Community Club. The
boy that worked for us was helping me clean Out the pool to make
it ,7,ely for a social group that had rented it for the evening.
Then -7e finished scrubbing the cement bottom of that pool I was
so tired that I sat down on the bank to r-st for a moment. Sis-
ter c5,me :alking up.
m.lhat are you doing?' she asked.
'F'.esting, for I'm really tir-d out,' I answered.
she said, 'if I hated the country as bed as you do
I'd et out of it. If you don't like this, why don't you get out
and o in business for youpself?'
"That made we In“i. I'd worked so hard to build up our busi-
ness r?nd it really belong to both of us together, But that's when
I deided to iT.et out 5nd see if I could not do better. I came to
towri, resnt-d a small place, ?nd a friend went into business. with
me. 1.1-1t made my sister mad for she had not thought I really would
take her at her word and get out.. The did everything in her power
to .top me. 3he even told the telephone company' that they could
not iii tall a phone in my name or in the name of my new shop.
"A lawyer that I oonsultd asked me if the Smith Flower Com-
pany that was the way sister and I had been listed in the direc-
tory was incorporated. I told him it was not. Then he said,
'There's no ay in the ,/orld that'she can legally prev-nt you hav-
ing a telephone in your own name.' So he called the telephone com-
pany and txplain7d. it. r.tty soon they were there to install my
phone.
Athens, Georgia
Feb. 0, 1939
Mr. C. L. butt
Olerk of Supertier Court
Blairsville, GS-erste
Dear Kr. Butts
de have not been able to oompleto our collection of feats
and legends concerning source and origin of alive -names
in Union County, about whioh we wrote you under date of
November Oth.
One reference says that Elairsvil,le was ba
rase 13
'Tes, sir,' she stated .gala. She had answered 4yesi to
$o many questions that she said it again without stopping to oon—
eider the meaning. I Put 07 Plea -before the jury. Me.
mad as fire about it. But I cleared the boy. The jury was out
only about five +Mutes before they 9ame beak with the verdict of
'Not Guilty.' Of course the victory wasn't quite as easy awl
have pictured it. It was proved that the was made with
Page 111
"They were married and left the State. I lest track of
them, but I hove heard that she lived with him until her death.
Her first divorce had taken place before I began my practioe,
but I had aotually gotten two divorces for her in a vow few.
years.
"You, may not want to hear about a rape ease. It was ridic-
ulous. The boy's father employed me to represent his son, who was
accused of raping a woman who lived in another state. The woman
was much older than the accused youth. When the ease came up for
trial, her testimony was positive and emphatic. AShe stated that
he entered her bedroom in the absence of her husband, and aissault-
ed her. Both parties were of low character:: My client had no wit-
nesses. Her statement sounded so logical and convincing that I
decided not to cross-examine her regarding the actual crime, but
to try another plan to save the boy. I had been seeing her around
the courtroom
NoCune
Pails 9
the store and phone out there for them and what do you suppose I
nearly always learn? They are usually gone fishing or hhilittimg
when I need them. They think because one of them is my own nephew
they are privileged to do pretty much as they please. They even
use my cars to make these pleasure trips in and charge the gas to
me. I ues I'm just too easy on them.
"I on my business all by myself now. I started out in a very
small place, and have had to move twice to have room for my
ess
Hornsby
Page 2
ing milk, butter, and eggs. After one year at Mercer University,
I stopped to teach school for a year, and then I enrolled at the
University of Georgia. My sister went the -Bessie Tift College at
Forsyth, Georgia, after she finished High School". She left Bes-
sie Tift to go in training at St. Joseph Infir y in Atlanta.
Her experiences as a nurse wild probably be h more colorful
than mine as a lawyer. She has nursed in At anta, in our home
town, and she was on a case in Gainesville Georgia, when that
terrible storm struck there in April 1936. That catastrophe
caused so much suffering that it was mon s before she could get
away from Gainesville. It may have bee the experiences of the
tornado and the ehergency needs that .11owed in its wake that
influenced her tio go to Washington, 0. C., for special graduate
training. Now/she is working in a )iospital in Virginia.
"Long 4fore I had the
1
Hornsby
Page 6
cities, and those of some of the suburban areas. Usually when
several lawyers here are concerned in a session of court in some
other county, they will go together in one car. Then too, proce-
dure and practice in the average county court is informal, free
and easy. Of course there are exceptions. For instance, chamber
hearings are usually held in the,SUdge's office. Lawyers, clients.
and all parties attending the 44erior Court'spegular Saturday
session are allowed to chew and smoke tobacco, and very few rules
are enforced at these particular sessions.
"The greatest troyble that lawyers in the smaller courts
have to contend with i
getting their cases to trial. If one or
the other side does not want the case tried it sometimes goes on
from term to term and from year to year until it./wears out --par-
ties die, get togspier or it is finally dismjebsed for lack of pros-
ecution. The main cause for this is that attorneys in small towns
have to dep,-nd on the good will of fel ow attorneys, and of the
judge, in orderito make a brotherho and they do not care except
in exceptional and very rare ca,se incur the displeasure of their
associates, b4tinsisting on a in the face of a motion for con-
tinuance frolithe other sidey 017 course as. procedure is being con-
stantly slmi4ifled and Istr#amlined' this objection is being over-
come by thelmodern reformS.
"As to my religigus activities, I couldn't be anything ex-
cept a Baptist, as all 'of my people have been of that denomination
and I grew up in that 'faith. An uncle of mine is pastore