Document text
February 1, 1939
Sarah Hill l (Negro)
157 Church Street
Athens, Georgia
Wasn Woman.
Sadie B. Hornsby
DEEJ T7'.E TA37 ",TOY1AN
I reached Sarah's house, and knocked at the front door,
three vOlices greet me. "Here we is come 'round to tne back." I
made my ny to the back yard, jumping a -mud hole in the walk,
the grass that mired down every step I took. It had
been ra i g lots that week, however, tne sun was shining on tnat
partiU*r ternoon.
Li the back yard two nearo k,.irls were bending over oId
:asnion asn uubs wasninp:,. _nere were four lines filled with
clothe's r,ling in the sun. )8ran was siting on tne porch talking
to anot r Tegro wom n, I neprd her say: "It's too bad e had to
get 1n il." When she saw Ee, she said: "Lawdy T'istess, II I
had kno d it was a wnite lady I would nave let you come tnrougn
the hou 30 you wouldn't gIt your shoes middy." She called to one
of her
ughters who was washing. "CalLine Fit that clean pot
rag ba4ing on that cnair, and come nere and wipe mistessess shoes
off fortier." I told her that was quite all right I didn't mind
a littl1 mud. "Well, tnat's all right than, but come here and
git tilepady a chair. 'cuse me for not getting un I has been sick
in bed 4ith the flues, tnis is he first day I la3 been up, and I
is po ful weak. But I couldn't sway in no longer 'cause I had
to see- t tne cAillren wasael-,clothes clean.
is about five feet tall and is very black, he was
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wearing a. black and =ite dress of some tnin material, a red waist
aver this, a knee-length Olpok. wool coat, a white cloth wound turban
fa3niony pround her heed, black shoes and gray cotton stockings.
"Yestum, when U3 13 out here in tne yard wasning I gatm
ain't Fwine let Negroes come tnro° my nouse in bed weather tracking
un my house." What 13 your name I asked tne woman? “My name 13
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3arah Hill, but tney calls me Be for short." TErrw; how long
nave you been washing for the wnite folks? "Oh, my gracious lastess,
gwine on tnirty-five years I am sno! 'bout tnat." Well, would you
mind telling me about your e-xperiences as a washwoman? "Now, Mistess,
what in tne name of tne Lord do you want to know that for?" I
stated my mission, she laugned- "Well, if you want a history of my
life i can tell you what I knows. Yet and still, I am sho' you
can find somebody else wnet had a better story than me to tell.
'Clause what I knows ain't no 'count you know cullud folks don't
nave money to do things like white iolks does, leastwise us don't.
"I nave been working every 3ince I knowed what work was. I
maided end cooked befo' I married, I melded a. wnile and cooked a
while. After I married end suarted neving cnillun I couldn't do no
good at working out. 3o I stayed nome end tuk in washing." Mirah
stooped talking to me to give orders to the girls washing. "Look
nere sister taat sneet belongs in tnat white sack. Just look at
that dirt you got on trat man's shirt tail, rub it out beim' it
gets dry. Ce'line, git uo off tnem steps and git back to that
wasn tub. If I don't come out here and stay in behind you you
wouldn't finish ashing to day."
"Well, Ma, I am hungry and you \A/CI KIT"-
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cook us no dinner.". "You finish tnat washing tnan you oan cook
sonetning Lo eat yourself. that's wnat i done wnen you won't big
enough to nelp me."
":11sliess, I use to Fit good money for washing. I nave made
about ten dollars neap of weeks way back yonder. i XECTOEX nad a
heap of wasnings tnan, now don't git near as much for tnem as
I use to. And folks are lots narder to please. iOW I am ready
to put tnem down.
"I am getLing too old to do 7amily wasnings any more. Both
of my girls :dad good jobs, but I won't able to do all my work, 30
they nad to stop, so tney could nelp me. Tne last wnite woman
sister worked for was a good. lady. I done her wasning too. I
told sister sne loved tnat wnite lady and ner chillun as well 83
sne did us.
"I wasned for a. family of Jew's -Iho paid. me F4.00 a week.
how
You -mow knem kind of foiks 13 'bout wanting you to do their work
for notning. Well, tile lady kept cutting me down 2 at a time
until sne got to $o I put ner wasning down. I won't tnink-
ing 'pout washing for for that little. The had ten and twelve
sheets in Irasn xmr every week. lventy and tnirty towels, twenty-
four pillow cases tnree and four table clotnes and no end to shirts
and otner things."
She stonped talking to watch two roosters figntning in tne yard,
while the. girls Gnr:ew rocks at tnem. She yelled at hem: Catlin/1,
sister, get back to your waalting. Ca'line come in the kitchen and
OA, that starton off tne stove and tnin it down and stir it good 30
it wont be lumpy. 3ister bring me Professor Yank's socks here and
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let me turn tnem. J-ou are Fvd_le to let 'em git mixed with tnem
other loLkses clothes tnan :le will rU33 if tney lost.
"Once I was washing for a family, wno I naa washed for a
long time. After they were ready to be sent nome, sister took
them. 2he lady sont me word one of the little aoy's shirts was
not in the laundry I had sent nome. Well, we asked every body
we washed for if tney nad a shirt what didn't belong to unem no
body naa seen it. I reckon sister lost It 'cause she was working
ior tne lady and knowed the sairt was in tne wash wnen ne lady
got 'em up. 3o sister -ea to uake -_er money wnat te lady nnid
her for woring and buy the liu,tie boy a new snirt.
That didn't
look right in a way, yet and still sister WR3 Isnonsible for them
clothes from tne house to be wasned and tuk 'em back.
mam, I have been working all my life. Ly mammy and
daddy diea when I was about tnree year old. I went to live with
my brotner and sister-in-lpw and nursed their chillun. My sister-
in-law was a mighty good tralaer, she learned me now to clean up
good and cook. I knowed beuter than to leave any cat faces in
the clothes when I ironed them. She whupped me many a time 'cause
it didn't wash tne clotes clean. 'Course I am speaking 'bout
when I got big enough to do them tnings.
"I was Domed in Elberton, and nave several aunts living there
now. ITy mammy didn't work out none, she s-Layed home and kent tne
cnildren. 3e had a nenn of nogs and cows to look after. 2,y Pa
was a blacksmith. They lived in Tignall befo' they moved to
Elberton. Afuer tney died I went back to Tignall to live with
mybrotner. main, I wont big enough to work in the rield I
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when I first went to live witn nim, I jest worked 'round une house
doing what little I could.
"I jest have two girls and two boys one is tne cook at tne
Varsity and uhe owner one 13 an in.surance agent in Flint, Lichigan.
'fle come to see me Christmas. Ey girls maids when I am,well enough
to do tne washings i 8,ke in. I don't nave but two big family
washings and I was for two studen6s. 1 nave been washing for
Professor4rlong befo' he married nis wife. I don't wash for her,
the cook does ner wasning.
A man came by selling produce, tne girl Saran sister asked
her mother: "Lets buy some turnip greens I want some boiled
victuals." "You :now I ain't got no money, today 13 Wednesday and
I wont nave none befo' 3adday wnen I gets my wash money." "Tell,
I m F7oing to tell Aim to cn.arge it. I want a cake too." "No you
aon't jest get me a nalt pound of butter." ?ne negress yelled:
"Say 1,:r. waters does you nave any turnip greens?" "!'o" "Well
das you got o- cake?" "::o," "Well whnt nas you got?" "Us has
been washing nard all day and we is hUngrY."!I just have potatoes
today." Huh," said Sarah, "He just wanted me to know he was still
selling tnings and come by nere in a empty wagon. That white man
knows I will pay him when I gets my money 3adday, I ain't never
failed to pay him yet 8nd ne has been coming 'round have a long
time.
fier husband is a preacner, he came about tnis time, "Mama,"
ne said in a. cieep voice to nis wife: "I was hoping you nad dinner
ready. I have got to go to a deacons meeting to night, and I want
to go down to tne courthouse to the trial, thereto' I wanted to eat
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befo11) left." "Papa, you know I aon't feel like cooking and if
I con't sit out here and keep sister and Ca'line over that wasn-
tub L.aey won' ever git tarough."
reckon I had better go on down the
you know sne ain't been well for a
"All right, all right, than I
street and see sister Lary Jones
long ti me. I am mignty un-easy
'bout her, I am afraid sne won't last Each longer. She sho' will
be missed out of my congregation at tne church."
Ey second visit to
when I reached her house
walk up to tne hou pe is
Sarah's was made in t.,T.e Pouving rain,
whica is perched on a nigh hill. The
red clay. I knocked on the door and a_
young black girl invited me in. "Come in mistess." she invited.
_
asked if Saran was at nome, before sne could answer, Sarah Eialled
"ere I am in here come in to the fire." I entered tne room from
P. narrow hall that had .two red scatter rugs on tne floor, and a
hall stand with a red umbrella resting on it. In the bed,room4.---
Sarah sat parching. There was an old style wood bed,
an iron bed, dresser, several chakrs a table, trunk and curtains
that needed laundoring, a much worn rug almost covered the floor.
u
Have ta' chair in front of tne fire and dry your foots,
sister take mistess coat and spread it over tnat chair to dry."
I asked her if sae was ready to finisn telling me about herself.
"Lawdy, ristess, I nave taougnt and tnought. I was .sick when you
was aere befo' my brother had jest died and I have had a house
full of company up 'til last Sunday. I have had 30 much expense
trying to buy something for them to eat and it has been ..aa.ining'so
mucn I couldn't do no good at wasa.ing, everything I had taought to
tell you aas left me. Sister do you reccomember what I told you
to keep with 30 I could tell ner3 "I cain't remember you told me
30 much.
"I ain't collected much money here lately and it takes all I
make to pay nouse rent, and a liutle something to eat. 'Taint
notaing left to buy even a oair of cotton stockings :sith. I did
want to have a 3upper for tne church but its been too bad for that.
I buy tne food and cook it then I let the folks know about it and
they come ana buy their ;upper. Sometimes I has a fish -fry, -than
a -1.11 I has a oyster sunper. I gets 25c/. for every plate sold.
After I pay for tae food I buy, I turn the rest over to the church.
If I don't Fit to washing I will nave to have a supper to Fit some
money for ourselves -it looks like.
"I told sister and Ca'line today looks like I will have to
hire them out instead of keeping tAem home to help me. Sister had
a cnnnce to work for a lady wno :las jest come to Atnens and gone in
business of some:kind for herself, but she lived so far from my
hou se I knowed 3he couldn't Fit there on time tnese winter days.
Looks like I don't know wAat I am gwine do for money. Whitt has
:one out to find a job, but ain't nobody gwine have no cprpenter
work done 'til spring 'less taey has to. He ought to fix the leak
in the kitchen, but tne house don't belong to us. Looks like the
man waat owns it woht fix it no now.
"Sister show ,he lady the house if she wants to see it." Oh,
mama tne lady don't want to see tae house, she come here to git your
story about washing." I would like to see your house. "See there
told you 30, Fox on and it will Five me a chance to tnink about
what I went to say. Right now I can't get my mind off tnat tub of
clothes on the back porch."
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I followed the girl through g the hall to tne livingroom. There
was a three piece jackard valour livingroom suit, a studio couch,
dresser, organ, a mahogany libruy t.able witn a coal oil lamp, books
and magazines on it, another table of golden oak with a crocnet cover
and radio on IL. The table was placed back of the divan, pictures'
of ,_ne family as well as otners were scattered about on tne wall.
A heater and rug on tne floor completed the furnishings of this
room also red draperies with ball fringe and cream scrim curtains
at tne two windows. "7fly brother g.ive us tnat table with the lamp
on it when he was here two years ago. We don't clay tne organ
any more since we got out battery set radio, unless we have comnany
and they want to °lay and sing.
"Come in here this is our diningroom." There was a golden
oak suit in this room. Round table with a white cloth on it and
a cneap glass fruit bowl. On the sideboard were several pieces
of glass ware and a vase filled with ,rtificial daisies reflecting
in tne mirror in the sideboard. Curtains at the window are of scrim
a fruit 7T)icture on tne wall and a curtain stretohed across one corner
of tne room for a closet.
"I nate to take you in the kitcnen." said the girl. "It
leaks so you might get your feets wet." 'i'nere was a bueket under
the leak in tne kitchen. In the small room, was a wood stove, an
old dresser u sed as a. cabinet, in large glass jars on the makeshift
cabinet, was filled with flower, sugar, meal and lard there was a
eating table and over tni3 hung two huge hams and a middling of meaj,,
The girl Said: "I 31101 wish papa would let us cut one of tnem hams,
but he said we couldn't because tney are not to be cut until summer."
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whitt came in tne back door as we were talking about the hams.
"Good evening i3S, how do you like tne looks of them hams?" Oh,
tney lood good to me I replied. "Yes, mam, tney sho' oes, they
wouldn't be nere now if I let tne old woman and the girls rave
tneir way. I told them tne other day wnen they wanted to cut one.
I won't thinking 'pout it. ?ney had all ready run away with it too
fast now." by "LAPt time we haa one on tne back porch entered into
anotner bedroom w.,icn was furnished very much like tne otner. Bed,
Pilled witn clothes to be waned as well as a folding couch, dresser,
a few cnairs and curtains at the windows. TIMXi it 13 a five -room
house ceiled witn wide boards. l'ae framed nouse was at one time
painted gray. ?here was a swing on tne porch and a cra_alce-r sack to
wine muddy feet on. e only shrubbery in tne yard was a few bushes
of privet negge planted near the porch. "te sodded tne yard in
BeEuda grass to keep it from wasning." the girl told me.
Acnin I went into tne room mere 3aran sat still patcning tne
pants. AOW did you lir.ce tnem nams?" I think they pre fi ne.
Whitt interrupted, "3arah when we cuts tnem nams I am going to send
Miss a nice thin sltce." mere are three of Us I told Aim. "Than
I will send you taree nice thin slices."
"We naverlucky about getting washings, its tne weather tnat
reises us up. 1 get gl.50 for a family washing and 75 for one
person
wnen I started washing look like I was afraid to start, I
was shol I couldn't please Lne wnitefolks. 'i'han I started at it
and I must nave pleased tne folks 'cause tney come to me when I
won't exPecting t -em too. That's wnat I tell Calline 'bout get-
ting a job, sne is sk:]ert the folks went be pleased with her work.
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"In bad weatner folks don't realize you don't have no way of
boiling clothes, 'cxxxexxxxxAm course we do wash in tile house, and
r'nse tne clothes as good as we can, they does git dingy in the
winter and you can't nelp it.
""re use to ray out and nave a little left wnen I made good
money. low don't pay out and nave nothing left eitner. This
house we live in cost U3 g8.50 a month., but we nas to nay it by the
week wnicn cost us more in tne end. I pay q2.25 every week and
L,:tat makes g9.00 with 5u0hicluded for tne water.
3ne spit a moutnful of snuff spiddle into tne fireplace.
"Cailine go cut off tat radio, I done forgot wnat I did tL_ink
of telling tile lady go on nut tnat dream book down. All you t_ink
about 13 tnat dream book and tne radio,
'The worst trouble I ever got in was wnen we lived cross the
river on the totner side of town. I had my wasn out on the line and
tney didn't git dry, 30 I.left them on the line tnat night to dry
when I got up next morning every lasting piece of.taem clotnes was
gone. .;e11 sir I didn't know what to do, so I ported it to tne
police. 7 -Le searcned every nouse on tnat side of town, and all tie
time it was us next door neighbor wnat took tnem and tnat was tne
last nouse tne police seirtIcned. I washed tnem clotnes and tuk them
to tne wnitefolks, and_as soon as I found a house on this side to
town I left that place and I don't tnink I has ever been back to
stay no time.
"c) mistess, silo' don't like these fire places wnat has grates
in them. Long !Deft), folks got to sticAing 'em in every room, I could
clean my hath (hearth) nice and sot my irons in front of tne fire
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and iron all day witnout stopping 30 long as had a neap of oak
hickory and ash wood to burn, 'twon't no need to put a iron by tne
fire if you didn't nave tat kind of wood 'cause tney dida't neat
and jest it tne irons lull of smut and one taing I jest nate is
to iron with a nasty iron. I nave cooked on a fireplace many a
,ime befol stoves come in fasnion, and iron at tne same time i have
sot up ma ny a night 'til twelve and one o'clock ironing. l'nat is
what's tne ma ter 7fitn my eyes now. Come here sister and tnread
my needle. I don't do 1,nat no mo', wnat I don't do in tne day time
I leave it alone, unless I ut sister and Ca'line to work on tnem.
I wisn I nad electric lignts, 'cause you cpn't do no good at iron-
ing tne wrinkles out of clotes by iamn light.
"Since tne lolks wnat rents nouses stopped up tne fireplaces
rvitn tnem grates, us dad to use cnarcoal buckets. I recon tnat is
what tney done it ior. Let and still Gne buckets don't cost as much
as tney use to. The first bucket I bougnt coat a ls-1.25 that SI-10t
was a neap of money. now I can git one for 75d and 50d. It takes
about a ousnel of cnarcoal to do tne ironing I has now. It cost
20q', a bushel but I use to pay 25d, cents for it. Charcoal is like
everytainF else tnere is good and bad. An cnarcoal is nealls
better 'bout holding head taan nine. I don't use pine if I can
nein it. The buckets nave been in use about fifteen years.
"No, listess, us wasn women (1.on't make good money no mot
since the whitefolks nat-use to pay good, all got wasning macnines
and tnese laundries nave open up. 'Bout the onliest folkses what has
washings done now is tnem wnat ain't got no macnine and can't pay
tne laundry t eir price tney 13 tne ones what brings their clothes
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to and we nave to do it for mighty near notning or stop work.
It is bad on us what is trying to make an honest living and
rat our cnillunk right.
"All my chillun has fairly good school notning to brag about,
but ney talks a neap better tnan some of tne folks do round here.
We all members of tne Baptist chum:i. sister nere. sings in the
cnu h choir. Whitt is a Preacner, 30 we do try to live good
ch tian lives. I would like to nire my girls out on good job,
but, olks don't want to Pay notning for your work no mo' if they
did 'flan I wouldn't nave to work no mol.
mic have thouFnt of lots more to tell you, but since my brother
(A.e my mind na3 been crossed up so I cain't remember what I use
to ow."
I Fot up to leave, and Whitt began about the hams. "Hiss
cia, tell you tnem nams weins 33 pounds a piece. If you know of
an dy that wants carpenter work done, I wish you would pint them
out o me. And sent tne old lady a wasning. Times is might
I got to go aown to Arnoldsville and get some of my good
wiif. friends to sign a paper for me 3013 I °pig it the old
ag ension. I reckon they is living, yet and still I xainit
be brck there in 40 years."
“Well Yisti-ss I nave told you all I know about washing I