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AWINIScr.NCE Of A NEGRO PREACHER
Written By:
Mrs. Ina B. Rawkes
Research Field Worker
Georgia Writers' Project
Athens
Edited By:
Mrs. Maggie B. Freeman
Editor
Georgia Writers' Project
Athens
WPA Area 6
November 7, 1939
October 31, 1939
Alonzo Power (Negro)
Danielsville, Road
Route 1
Athens, Georgia
Preacher
IA. Hawke'
REMINISCENCE OF A NEGRO PREACHER
In talking to the owner of a tourist camp one day,
I asked the whereabouts of a negro by the name of Lonnie
Pondly. The owner replied, "Yes, he lives the third house
down that lane. You know he is a preacher'?,
I answered that I didn't and then added that I
would be glad to have the chance to talk to a colored
preacher.
I went down the white sandy lane and found a two
room house. It had no front yard at all, no grass or trees
for shade and no porch. I knocked on the door and a man
answered.
*Who do you want to see?" he asked. I told him that
I wanted to see Lonnie Pondly. In a short time I heard a
door shut and I looked around and saw an old man walking
around the house. "Yee Ma'am, this is Lonnie Pondly." He
volunteered. 'Good morning!' Good morning Uncle!' I said.
"Do you have a little time to spare this morning?" 'Yes
ma'am,' he said, with a broad smile.
It was a cool day although the sun was shining very
bright. I asked him to sit in the sun so we could talk better.
I found that Uncle Lonnie had a very good education for a
negro of his type and thRt his Wglish was fairly good. He
seemed to know what I came for because he said:
Hawkes
Page 2
Well, 1 was born in Madison County, eix miles
from Danielsville about eighty years ago in 1859. I
was a slave, Vies, but a happy one. NY Young Nlmteoe
end Marster's names were Nancy and John Lester. My
father's Narster's name was Jimmie Munn. lb lived on
the Denieleville Road. My father would have to get s
pass from Mr. Jimmie to comg to see my motiv'r. You see
they were on different plantations. He got to come to
see my mother twice a week. If he slipped out without
the pass the patterollers got after him in if he out ran
them end got bock to his Marster he was safe, but if he didn't
he got a whipping. Twenty-five licks was what he would get.
liks far back as ORA remember is when us little
niggers was just big enough to run around. listens would
be so good to us. She would alweye pay us in some wP,Y to
help her. She would say, 'Bring me some water; git me some
on the north side of the spring so it will be cool' cr'piok
up 461,M0 bark for me nnA I will mlce some candy for my little
niggers.' Lewd Miss, you ought to have seen us little nigger'
scramble after tbrt water and pick up those chips. My Mistime
would not let anyone whin us, not even my mother or father.
Sometimes her daughter, Miss Sallie, would get mad with us
for to trifle and start to whip us. You ought to have heard
us yell, Old Vistoes, Old Mietess, cut she would come. Her
eurte word was 'Drat your infernal soul. You just went to
beat my little nigger* to death.' she Sould say. Then Miss
Sallie would leave armnning.
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*Oh, we were the happiest little souls in the
world. Old Miss would never consult a dooter. She was
as good as any of then. When we got sick we didn't say
stem/Wk. We would holler Old Mistess and the would come
running and ask, 'What is the matter with my little
nigger* new?' ft belly hurts. I'd day. She always kept sone
medicine nade of chinaberry roots. 'Now take this and
Mistess will give you sone candy.'
'my grandma was the cook she would throw on a ten foot
pole and let it burn to ashes and then make pones of bread.
Ilhe would then put then in the ashes and when they cooked a
while she took the shovel and threw ashes over them. When
they were done oho taken 'ea out washed them and greased them.
Tee Was, they was good. We would go to the bottoms and find
mussel Shells, That is where we got our moons that we ate
with. We had plenty to oat; you see, Aistess:and young Ureter
wanted their niggers to grow up healthy like our father. He
was a big healthy nigger. They would say it aint no trouble
for a big healthy nigger to get married.
"I remember one time they was sending us out to he*
cotton. I decided I didn't want to go, so I pitched a big
fit. Instead of hoeing the cotton I laid down and started
grabtdmg it with my teeth. Ureter cane out and sent ne to
thOhouse. Re said I never would amount to nothing. Re didn't
let me o to the field no sore that year. He thought I was
sick
"There was plenty of petasoes, corn, wheat and everything
Hawke*
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petterollers, as I heve told you before, and they would
watch and coild tell when one of the negroes didn't have
a pass; his feet just se)uld not sty on the ground, cause
he was so nervous.
*When we had big dances the patterollers would be in
the middle, us slaves would be on eeeh end, in if the patterolle]
msde e start to arrest one of the negroee for dielbedience we
would always have a fire and one of us vululd dip up a shovel
of hot goals and throw it at then. Ay the time they got throqgb
dodging the hot cols we would be gone home to our white fat*.
*Some of out happy days was when we hauled up the corn
and we **mid swing on the wagons. They IMP 6110 happy dayb. You
know, Wise, in slevery tine if any of the *laves was disobedient
their owner's would hold them 'till the speculators cane around.
Then they wee sold. If the women had children it mede no differ,-
enee they had to lerve them if the nnn heel q wife he had
to go just the s -Ale. I remember when the Yankees came through,
one big Yenkee some up to n7 pa and said, 'I will give you my
horse and blanket if you will show me all the old rieh bugs.' Pa
said, 'wait let me get my shoes.' Instead of :Nutting on his !hoes
he run through the house and yelled, erTerybod7 turn loose the
horses.' All the Yankees horses were old broke down horses and
they would take ours.
*If man wore a vest the Yenkel,,s thought he NIA a watch.
One lag Yankee walked up to Uncle Marry and said, 'Take off that
vest. 'Another ome maid, 'Let the dam fool alone, con't you
see he has no wateh., All the time Uncle Harry had it hid
under the wood pile. Just as soon as Uncle Harry got a chance
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Pege 6
he threw his vest in the swamp. One Yankee walked up
to Nisteee and said, 'How come you got such a big bosom,
give me all that money.' Nistess said, 'I heven't got
any money.' The Yankee took his knife and out Nistess'
dress open and gold and silver went everywhere. It was
awful.
lb. Franklin was my Warster's older brother. The
Yankees got him and hung bin up by his toes. Ne would
not tell where his money was. Then they hung him up by
his neck; he could hardly whisper, still he would not
tell then where his money was. The Yankees yelled at one
of his men to bring him the auger. He got poor old Mr.
Franklin down and started boring in his head. Yr. Franklin
said, 'Please don't kill me, I will tell, it is under a
pile of rocks in the garden in am old trunk.' They got all
of poor old Hr. Franklin's money.
'Yes ma'am, Wise, we stuck to our Narster and Vistas*.
When they trusted their niggere they would give them all their
valuables to keep or hide for them. I can see one of the niggers
on the plass now.Urster gave his his watch to keep for his.
Re put it in his vest pocket. The chain stretched across his
stommeh. He walked out where the other nigger* was, pretending
they was Yankee's. He rared bask and put his finger* on his
vest and said, 'sow take it away from me like you would old
Narster.4 le was so proud to get to wear his larster's watch.
'The Yankees M6de my mother cook fifteen bushels of peas
and three middlins of meat. They didn't wait for them to get
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Par) 7
done. The peas just got hot and swilled. They taken then
and left with all the good horses they could catch of ours
and all the money they could find.
'If our Marster and litotes* saw a big healthy "digger
it won't no trouble to get his married for they would urge
it on, Teo masan, I know you have heard about when people
got married a saying of jump the broom. I will tell you
about thrt. It didn't sake no difference, white or colored,
if there was a wedding you could heer'it all 'round. 'Are
you going to the broom jurping tonight?' !Everybody would go.
You see, lies, we had straw broom, back in those days. One
was fixed about the size around my 'rot, end five feet long.
It was laid down on the floor. everybody would gather around.
The nan and woman that was going to marry would stand by the
broom. The preaoher would say tc the ean,'de you take this
women to be your wife.° He says, 'Yes.' 'Well jump the twoon,'
After he jumped the preacher woulA sey the PPUO to the wonan.
When she jumped the preacher said, q pronounce you man and
wife.' That's how all marriage ceremories were then.
My young Marster went to wrr to substitute for Mr.
Franklin. Wisp, it seems as if I can see his now. He called
me, fling. He said, 'Hero Ding, take thie big red apple and if
you don't ever pee Mareter again renemter me by it. I never did
se* h206 no sore. He got killed fighting. *totes. got forty
dollar*, but it was no good bedause we lost young Warstor.
noboy called old John in to pray for Varster, he was a
tag niggler. His prayer was, 'God bless young Marston* in the
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Page 8
war and give then their victory end bless old Ureter
and Rotes* at hone.'
'Going home, his wife Nary said, 'Jean, how in
the devil do you ever expect to be set free and you
praying like that?' Old John looked at Nary and said,
taod know'. whet I mean."
Uncle( Lonnie sat very quiet for a moment as it he
were seeing everything over again. Re took a kong breath
and smiled.
'Lord Wises them was some days.
"Row old were you Uncle Lonnie at the time or the
surrender,' I asked.
Mats where I began another life, Ries. was ten
yeere old, my father sent me to re,eral different schools.
We stayed on at the old plantetion though, my father and
mother oould stay together now and they worked snd we had
plenty. Lots of the old niggere were left without anything.
My father wnuld 'raise a bunch of hogs and put them in the
cellar and sell them et a very high price. I can remember'
his selling wheat et sixty dollere a bushel. Be made a pair
of raw hide shoes one time and sold then for one huh4red dollars
to Mr. Ledbetter. This is something else I want to tell you.
Ny father out down maple trees and let then dry. Then he made
little pegs and used them for nails to make his shoes. He was
a very mart man.
kept going to school walking fourteen miles every
day, but I liked it and I finally got my license and taught
for several years.
Rawkss
Page 9
*I net a girl than and fell in love rith her. Mr.
Bob !Selby married Julia Johnson ,,nd we. We lived at New
grove, Georgia. decided tht I nted to give my eork
and soul to God. So I worked in the field by myself and
picked three hunired peunde of cotton every day. T could
chop three acres a 'lay end made twelve levies of cotton and
all the food I needed for my mule nd cows I taken this
snd went to see about my sturliee for e preacher.
*I studied Theologey under Dr. Ilona -nd Dr. Clark.
I ePn*t rememLer when I oned tht church, but it was over
fif%, years have lived in Clarke County sll my lifer
execeet ten years and 'aere been a peetor for over twenty
churches: Atlente, areen, Oglethorp(, 7edieen, Oconee, Jackson,
Banks, leinett Counties. I hire bectiped over three thousand
people. Goe help me how many knotr hPve I tied.
*I lived on et Ner Grove. Julie and me teed fourteen
children all good heolthy ehile'ren. rt yed oe 'till all
the children died but five -ne ehen Julie died I left New
Grove. The ohild-en vas grown -nye-.y. I cc:me to Athens, but I
was p!:tter at Home-, Grgi. Willie, 9ue, end Ophella went
to Pichnond, Irirginie. My clCert s me died in Johnstown, Penn.
eylria during the World
*Uncle Lonnie, how about yür other son. 'here is he?'
I (-eked.
*He lives here with me. He is a preacher, too. HIS church
if at Alleneville. Even ti.:ou,eh he is ny PQM, nee, I don't want
to brag, but he is a very intelligent boy. As I have said I
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Page... 10
Ra still pastor at Romer. failed in health some and I
asked them to get another rreacher, but they never have.
still go and preach when can I preached yesterday
and my text was the eighth Chapter the Psalm of David.
aTes 'Wan, Miss, T heve been a great msn. When
walk in a church now men draw up in blots. God brenthed 1
life in nostrils of man so we could do greet things for
Him.
'Yes ma'am, Miss, I used to go to Mr. Walter Jones'
home on willedge Avenue one time a yeer and preach him a
sermon ee long as he lived. I am going there Christmas and
preach e serman for his son if I am living. All his kin
folks from Baltimore are cowing.
train all the bird dogs for then. You know they
like to hunt and I do, too. Young Mr. Jones takes me now to
the plantation for a week to hunt and train his dogs. He
always peys my board to soar of the tenants out there.
have a time with them dogs.
Sometimes Mr. Jones's friend comes out on week -ends
end hunts. This friend always brings his dogs with him. He
had one great big dog. One of ours was email. These two dogs
got to fighting one dPy and ours whipped. This man seids 'How
is it your little dog oen always whip my big dog?' I told him
it wasn't always the size thnt whirped.
'Not long ago I was preachimr in Green County. After
the meeting was over the boys alllwanted to go hunting. They
insisted that I go with them. Well, 1 thought it would be good
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Page 11
sport so I went. We hunted all around and finally spotted
a 'possum on a limb way out over a river. Well, it we
night you know, Miss, how scary it looks out on a
river bank at night. everybody wanted to know who was go-
ing out after the poems. The big nigger said he would go,
so he gave a big jump and caught the limb..
Uncle Lonnie was holding his hands up to show me how
he did and laughing co he could hardly tell me.
oWell, he hung on there and saw he could not get down
without falling in the wrter. He began to yell for some of
us to come out ane, help him. We told him it was impossible
for we could not go out there. 'Please c.:46e out and help me,'
he cried. No we can't. 'Well,' he said, tell Nancy to meet
me in heaven' that's bin wife. He began to prey, 'Oh Lord,
please save me.' About that time the limb broke and he grabbed
the one below. He kept on praying, 'Lord, have mercy.' The
limb he was holding broke then, end into the water he went.
It struck him just above the waist, he looked all around and
said, 'Nell, it wasn't tr deep as T thought it was.' It is all
through life like tt.!r.t, Vies. T p.m old now, but the white
folks Ere good to me though. God bless you.