Document text
February 9, 1939.
'nary i4ller (Negro),
97 Blackston street,
Asheville, N. C.
Bootlegger
Douglas Carter, writer.
THE CLUBHOUSE
Original Names Changed Names
Mary Miller Liza
THE CLIA3HDIES
"Hello, Liza, bow's the juice today?" I used her term
for the "doreilaisky that she sells, made from meal and
sugar, illegally.
"fpu ain't never got anything bad in my house, is you?"
olio, Liza, I haven't, but I've noticed that sore days
it's better than others."
"Well" (prolonged), "you know how it is, ikr. Douglas,
I can't always get from tne same man. aolLetimea he runs
short, and I has to got what I can, but I always sample it
first, and I don't serve nothing that ain't good; you know
that. Wasn't you here one day I sent back sowe bad stuff?
What hize can I serve you?"
"Nothing, right now, Liza; I'm working today."
"Working?" (with emphasis) "Then what you doing here?"
"I want your story."
"I ain't got no story. what you mean)"
"The story of your life, Liza, and your business."
Tim Oltabbouipe
-2-
mast row,
*won, jt pert or isx job. Pm writing life histories."
"I don't see *tat you want mine for."
*Because Pm sure it will be interest
And besides,
I've got my job to look after. Uy boss wants stories, and
I have to set'em4"
The buzzer. 4 trip to the door, a lone look, a string
pulled, a click of the look, and a wellmdr,ssed white man
enters, coming up the specially built back steps, across
the enolosed beck wrap and into the kitchen, where our *on*
vacation los been taking place.
"Ur„ Thames, X didn't know you at first. You was standing
so X c)illdn't see your fee* just your test."
"That's all right, Liza, flow are you?"
"Just fine, thank you sir; what steel' you have"
"A dime, I believe, Lisa."
It is a fivewroom house, in a Negro residential section,
and the street is unpeved which accounts for the back eau.
trance. Liza got tired of eustomicio tracking mud all over
her livingioromm floor. The kitchen, in which eustomers are
received and served, is spotless: one could eat off of the
expensive linoleum -covered floor, except for the customers'
tracks.
The floor of the adjoining dining room is also linoleum
covered, but less .xpensively. The furniture in this room
is rethar now, but the pictures, all framed, ere otained with
The ubhouse .030.
age. Thereprints exhibiting fruit, and a fins 19th
century steel engraving, A owner china eabinet is filled
with good glassware and silver plate; another, in the Oppeft
site *ornery is masked with an assortment of attreetive
plates and dishes.
The living room, at on, of the front corners of the howls,
he some now furniture, some old, The davenport end a matoh•
ing easy chair ere of late design. On the floor is a hand's
rug, oorreetly placed. The radio in one corner is rather
but plays beautifully. on the wall nearby is an original
oil painting, now very Um, showing en old.fashioned gristmill
in a pleasing landscape. The it frame is very wide and heavy.
Am Gibson girls adorn the space over the door (=mooting the
dining room, and on the other side of the door is a round mIrrer,
hung very high. A ime ler door leads into the hall giving
*mess to the bedrooms and both doors aro hung with heavy
maroon drepes, The brick fireplace, with high mantle, has been
closed, and the entire house is now heated with a Dipole's, hot,.
air fumes, the outlet being in the doorway between the dining
and living rooms. The upper part of the mantle eneloses a ree*
tengular mirror, and for adornments ttore are several vases and
mull plaster busts, the whole surmounted with an ancient 010014
The front and side window eurtains and drapes are clean and
*harry, and the long, narrow table is attrastively 4eok4.
In a oorner is an old phonograph, diem** and probably broken,
tooled with two vases Jr artificial flowers. Behind the
davenport is a framed print showinn a traditions] Negro mammy
reading tea leaves (or perhaps ooffee grounds) for a summery*
looking you., girl tn the dress or the sixties, There are
misoellaneoue °hairs, a drop -list table, mad two whatnot,*
There Is plenty of light for reading, and the chairs are oam-
fortable, Ash receivers aro plentiful and plaoed oonveniently
A few of Limos oustomers maks full use of this room and its
faolIities (but they must not have mud on their *hose). roma
or there affectionately refer to the establishment as The Club..
house, and on oomeion spend the whole afternoon there.
Most of the oustomers, however, make their purchases and
depart immedistely. Lima doe., not sell anything to 3egroes„
but she eomettmee gives drinks to Negro friends who drop in.
be ow:mot endure sniggers", and will not have them around
her. ',They small," mho says. "Z can't stand that old
fnigger, amell• X went in that house aoross the street yelp.
terday, and it seemed to me like I could smell it all night
long." There is no unplessant din? about Lisate house; a
fact in which she takes great pride, and one of the reasons
why she has been able to retain her extensive whits clientele
The %,Uubhouse
for 30 years or
Drinks may be bo
for 50 up the "dime" being moat
populart nearly 2 OUttees, A "bat wing" (8 °uncles in a
some
bottle) may be Ued for 350f if one desires to take/home with
Aim* ?ItIl pints sell for 654. Inoidentally, these prioes
ere slightly higher than elsewhere .in town*
There is seldom more than a gellon of "jute*" in the house
at any time, deliveries of fresh supplier being lade as re
quiret Whatever is on hand at the moment is kept in an enaMel
vessel on one end of the kitchen sink, whioh arranement has
two purposes t the whisky afty be quiekly lisposed of in the event
oi a raid, and it is handy to the eaamel..topped table on which
the drinks are served. Fr -71 the vessel an the sink, the whisky
is dipped out with a smell glass pttoher and then the required
amount is poured into an ordinary drinkio4 close* At the same
time, a ;l' as of lore wter is served, '\;hen the customer finishes
his drink both 1asses are immediately washed in hot water with
steep, rinsed with cold water, and returned to their plaoes in
the adjoining eitbint*
Liss was born on a term, st4out 12 miles away, end was the
Dimond of eight ohildren. When she was quite young he fsmilY.
moved neer town (the looat• on is within the oorporate limits
now), and continued farming,- Liza helped. ho tells about
The Clubhouse
her father hauling wood to town from the r4nton
He hal a fine teem or young mules, of which he was very proud,
A10. 4.:ring the cold season, when farm work was slack, he would
drive out rive ',Alen to the ,•stesA$ for wood to sell in town.
A whie Plan who lived near Liza also heeled wood to town from
the sass source. ae had a team of handsome horsee. To reach
the pert of the iiatato where the wood was available, it was
neeesoary to cross the river by lean of a ferry, aul if a °rose
ing woe miesed, tho're would be a long wait for the next. in,
root, in t11,-, uerly tornin6 the operator of the ferry wolld wait
on thu far side for th rot!rn trip of a vegan which had alone
for a load of atad, and the rival teems would often race to
the ferry for the eIvenWe. Liza says tht, her father won
the race mor4 often than not, en a son or the white men con.*
firma it. I tal:led to him not long ago, rliel he silos broadly
over his recolleetiona of t'e races, in many of vitaeh he took
part hi stilt, to a youngster. Ile Ilk a to toll, to I. els
dier,uet, or hitt 4.nacK of hIttla6 hr the h ad with rotten
ap los, or other mAssilea, whenever she teased his. No is
a custoaer, taAt lives in another county now, and sppaara
frequently, buying n quart at a time.
At the tico of sixteen Liatarried, aad her husband is
still her hero, thouh hu c!led about 1,00. They bo one
The j ubhoune
.1.70
duughter, who in turn h4 a sans :eke this gra.daon of
Lizeta WAS her alter egO until his doett. several 7are ego.
The daughter having aLo4, Lisa th4ught o jAke es bar own
non, atv often roferrod to him as Su* Arum her huabsa4,
died, 1.17a wulll om.loyea as a maid by 0 It* fatal' In tole.
ANM nho wee thr caok Afterwras, she oks fox other
familla.
"How did yu 4 velling liquor,
"You wtilt ,moople dons. It. iinon X wan worklaei for you
ally y: kept tonal:I,: me out tter souot,ng to dank elver
the town went dry, tt t Is ft and after while t to Inking,
I wo's wurkIne ror .14 a1t t4anir Hor huebeAd 4W1 tor brothor
:lwayi wantint sons later. Ned I had t o i,Att Its May
new re It west but they must've boon neared to st It the*"
selves. May told no where to ftoo end -Ivo the lotto, and
wont bnl got it. Than I got to 441mIcie Z sale and I
eot a rellow to br ng no in *ono on a fretAht train, and gnat
it in my room, Thoed b ea 6iving no 'Of to get it for lea,
but after that t%ey was tVti% O1 and
omphntio4117,1 "Moy knew it wee mines I told 1014 But
they 4tdi't cwro abolat th!A it was good likkarl bettor than
thi4 Jul** I *fella tliire Then I got to t4 nking win 41, tr loom
tots of P'aa.P1* wentod Atm,
lubhouse
"Well, I quit Mix nen, rind got to keeping good likker
to sell. I we living on Mart Ctreet then, and I made real
money. Mr. Iolt and Mt Hows brother, Mrs :4tms, kept rigUt
on buying from mo till they moved away from hare ab-ut ten
years ago. They wen always my friends.
"After the 14ar the Dig War, I mein I moved to Tabb
t.r-et, one started handlin white Jule., etT well ea bottled
in -bond stuff. Why, used to fet 501 for the drink bell
for a di-, noel The bonded likker brought $P, to 410 a quart,
an,,. cost no t'd, Then bou6ht thie lee°. Itve never handled
local likker bore; t:wrets more profit in tho other, now. And
bev-ides, all I want now is just 4 email, quiet little business.*
tiu ,.nowto like I ot I ain't took much heart in thing./ sines
Jake died. y niece, Normas"got 34 to take her to Now York
1 at summer, and we glover sto2ped .0 we wee thre ten days I
got kin thtlrf en' we saw everything but t ditintt like It.
The exterior of Lizafs houou to more attraetivo than the
inside. Thu white pant looks fresh, en l thre till a aloe
lawn, well tended. She hue flower beds cla both lidos, and
a garden in the beck. Lntering the house by the roar door,
one ftnds a orishedwetone driveway loadin from the paved
oidewalk to the beck, where an outside stairway, enolosed
wit lattice, to prot%eted by a Polevy door in which a cies*
panel i set. :me announces hip arrival by eoundiner the Weser,
"Thu tubouso
th,a button to V-41ch is beside the door. He ie InePeeted
fr,nm the door at the hi,a4 of the stairway, and if he is
reeognized atn woloome cAltoner, the spring look is °per.
ated by a ,;onceeled striae, rinnin.,z rrom the uT,T r door to
the lower, wtioreupon ash enter. 1r the visitor Is not
reoognized as a olstomer, or is undesirable, h.. is politely
turned away. Liss any say, orry, mister, but I*set do
rlu no good today." J'ibla This is azy howo today.
einit got a tUng. I'm sorry.
tr the visitor ehould
happen to be "the low" (oleo imown s 0the booger", or
nboogernan"), Liza will say, °Tun a minute", return to the
kitchen, pour the whisky into the fink„ flush it down return
to door, open It, end say, all totiloe, 4,ome in." This
reqAires from 1, to 20 secondelp and when the police seareh
Taw house they find not!ling unlawful. The kitchen is just
lt aay other, or.toept that it is cleaner than the average.
There er,3 no whisky gleams nothirw to indieste any illegal
giotivity•
The open hJurs ar fita about six in thy morning to about
ulna at nit, seldom Inter, often earlier. ize live° alone
aow„ but employs a leer° iui, ‘Ascar, we comes in about seven
or eight in th o'rUA anremains until $31eln time, or
eh rtly bfore. no assists in 11 the work, end is nearly as
Jibbouse
2cpular with the everek: fro omor as 1.1- hereelf, in
addition, h4 drives the oar, a Aulca sedan, l8 model,
1.17a „%nis a ram a0out t mi 441 fr .ioi sho
r-xlte to w1 faally, and whim thv rnt is due alio usu-
ally to:oe taa 'II part T4s afternoon ut t.:) visit the
retlrniza about four tc tate oare o Inte..aftctr-
nen tmde, cocasion she (awes tho blukte tn or to
vlait the shopping dAst et, but Is .:iever on mor- than
two h ors sc, She rarely leaves ,Jsciar alone at the
LA4se, tad if she cat it is only for s feu minutes, Liza
likaa to look vrtor-ner own business, ThI it two meals
breakfast at about tons dinner at about four*
.aace a y or Liza givls a *rty, nd that is on the occasion
ort time ago, and
to htlr celebration.
or her birthday van sin
Invitod seven or bar "egro
The';Teparati'›se 'ed zed days, and
afrorts, She ,a very good ct-Jokli
aable surtLy before to guests r
food that vas lator surveil by Uscfa•
trAployed ror the Alrposs, Lisa vas
La
Liza tt orV,1 Ler ,..:oest
sew t uL17 tut dinnor
vad, a inc7.!cted the
tad a id uto had boon
ustue tr best china,
silver, sal 61.Asseare„ and the table vas tastefully cad
attractively tot talc! decorated tiv:e ta not forgotten the
thinwl shop laerael while ampWed yoers IWO y cultured white
families,
ma :lona: baked ham, :oat tqrkey en,* dre,F,alnil garden peas,
3e replied, *Ma wt drinkima *owe Lini; VT* quit*
Heveuft had a drop in two yes Just ***0 b7 to
you,
e• told Ac later th t he is one or the two hindermost
an who ever came to her place*
,snot.:Asr ti3a„ E.Iraso li dentist, .ro:)ped in Hjt,
0 aLow Liza my nelw auleko ,agew cheld be interested in
ta 1939 acdel she has a 1938 ualel =rse f* Uotit:-wak Yea*
don't cf*refor s drink1, it a little too early- or as**
I a &sewer to eaother aaztooer who had Ireeted hins To
*ma on out ad look at xy avw aoick It'll
You sick at your anelent trap,
Lives crastomere- include wealthy atn, poor
lawyers, doctors, mechanles, railroad men, sole
tore, truek drivT,rs, and many other** Elle 40u9 not extend
credit as a mle, bt one of ter (mato:tore Nuls his bill
Aonth.4* ;aniline her a aLack keeps t account himself
she does not it to be both,* en4 she truststLe hi**
th.lezt, other oil e:e re =kg, email ;airahnses on
sad e few times Liza hos loaned slall alount, of
wasy to eartaAt at her patrons ktntil tomorrow or n3ntil
peky4are bqt she dale Got like to d* ha has few woen
clatozerst b..tt thin** are revaral wives *to rrsc-tently drop
their husbands off at The return far them later.
5onstimes these wives cams La wttL tetrhusbands ad have
drinks themselves. other Gactau they come In sails their
husbands dr,ak and await them*
'ima does not like crowds in r houva. Almost ell or her
customers coma 13 their own automobiles, endefts there are olx
or seven of them 2arked in front of her 13, she begins to cot.
nervous. If any veers arrive, ohe tactfully mone4es to c.:It rid
or the earlier mos .'hio very rarely hts rouble with drunk*
t;nee in a lo itile, she says, on. of her customers will got
a little bit too titt,IV ?erhaps„ without her knowing it, he in
nearly intosi tad wloan he arrive* 41. whareu'on oh* willrot
someone to drive him hams in his cm' if he hes one; otherwise,
she will sand him home la a taxi. tlrus Away those who seem
drunk when they a,ply for edmision.
yfm ever been arrested, Liza?'
*Us, a few times.*
*What did they do to Toni!"
*I hiAd to 2ey a fine. qot Po very much. But they haven't
hared me lately.
"That if lagel liquor stores ,re ablished tore?*
"Then I'll 431t. *Ain't go on if the7 bring legal lifter
nhat will
iksw will ou Ulmer
I've got a little s4mtlthinG."