Document text
August 28,1939
Dolph Parsons, Textile worker,
%Annapolis, N.C.
Ethel Dail, ,r1ter
Dudley W.Crawford,Reviser.
Original Names Changsd names
Lannapolis Cannonvills
Eva Parson Ila Perkins
Charlotte Riverton
Salisbury Slater.
"I'm thirty years old. I was raised up in the
mountains, and my people was just as poor 5$ mountain
people get. Mother was a widow and had such a hard
time getting along with three children to support,
I stayed with my grandparents.
"I got no educaLion, just a few days now and then
when granddaady could spare me from digging on them
rocky hills, lie was old and needed help; I was young
and resented it. I tried to reason with myself, but
I wanted to get away.
"I finally made the break when I was sixteen
years old. They were building a new road through
the c‘untains. I took the bull by the horns and asked
for a job. The boss man gave me one carrying water.
This was hard work, but I had grit. Digging in them
mountains hadn't been for nothing. As water boy they
paid me a dollar a day. Granddaddy couldn't believe
iti A dollar a day looked as big to him as a wagon
wheel. It looked even bigger to me.
"This increased my bitterness for the mountains
and made me more detirmined than ever to leave. I
knew once I •ot away I could find something to do.
I also knew uly educatiori would be a drawback;
for that reason I hunted up my old school books and
would lay by the hour at night flat of my belly by a
big log fire and pore over the pages. Granddaddy would
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scold and tell me I had enough book learning to farm.
Granny would set by the fire knitting socks and smile
to herself. I think she understood lots of things that
was going on in my mind.
Then the road was finished, I had ninety six
dollars in cash; besides what ad given my "iandpasents
I bought me a couple of suit cases and packed my things
One night when the rest was asleep, I slipped away and
left no word where I was going. I guess you think I
was awful selfish; I was, but I couldn't stay there
and I knew if they found out where I was they would
make me go back. That's been over thirteen years ago.
I've been in Cannonsville ever sixes. I took
a job scrubbing, the lowest job in the mill with the
lowest pay. I made a dollar
kept my eyes open. I had no
job long. I was promoted to
then spare hand where I did
and sixty cents a day.
idea of staying on that
sweeper in six months,
anything they asked me
to do, anu ot two dollars a day.
'Then c'me the chance I hi been looking for. I
wanted to weave. I had odd moments in Ahich to learn
and in six months more I h.:a a set of looms; drawi g
over forty dollars every two weeks.
I worked four years before I was married. I
dressed well;boarded at a -ice i,lace and saved money.
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I didn't waste any though. I had such a little in the
mountains, I Just gloritil in having some now. I put
my money in the building and loan. When Ile and I were
married I had twenty four hundred dollars. In all that
time I didn't so horn* or even writs my people. I guess
the Lord has His way of punishing sinners.
se I was twenty one and lie sixteen when we were
married. I don't suppose many people were as happy as
was. I'd learned to mix with the crowd and be social. I
bought lie two diamond rings by cutting out pleasure
for myself. Nothing was too good for her; for weal! I
didn't mind.
”Our first baby was born in a hospital a year and
a half after vs were married. Ile was having convulsions
as a result of high blood pressure. The doctor held
little hope for her. He claimed tha only way he could
save her was by an operation, but finally docided against
it. After three days of suffering a six pound girl was
born, and two years later another.
"About a year later lie got it in her head she
wanted to work. ky savings had increased and I had
four thousand dollars in the building and loan. I op-
posed her working4 she didn't have to. I could sake a
living; but the insisted, and I finally consitnted. She
put her money on a car, we had never owned one and it
was nice to be able to run around like the rest of our
friends.
"we hsd trouble getting a housekeeper at first,
but at last we found a settled negro woman. She was a
splendid cook, and took good cre of the children. le
gave her a room in our home.
In the spring I began to feel. bad and ..4ciied to
goA a doctor. After he examined me he asked a lot of
questions.,alsn he was througn he told me I had a bad cads
of syphilis. I couldn't believe it, but he said it was
true. I was stunned. I wondered what Ila would say. 1
loved my wife anu had been true to 'er, and had no idea
where I got such a dreadfu., disease. I sat there, time
for me had stopped. I knew the octor thought I was
guilty, but I didn't mind that. I was wondering how
I was goin to explain to my wife; she'd never believe
me. Then another damning tholktht entered my mind, was
my wife guilty eni had I caught it from her. I kd
heard her compLain.
"Finally the doctor suggested that I begin treat-
ment at once; he also advised me to have my wife examined.
I took a shot then and there. I went home, told my wife
I had the sick headache and went to bed. 4hon Ile went to
bed the told me she ought to see a doctor, she thought
she had female trouble. My worst fears was confirmed.
The next morning I insisted on her going to the doctor.
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When I got off in the afternoon I went by the doctor's
office, he told me my wife had been and she was worse
than I was; that he had given her a shot.
"That was the beginning of the hell on earth for
ma. I thought of my old granddaddy plowing up there on
the steep hills, and wished I'd died there. e got worse
and worse /la was just a shadow of her former self.
"My nerves got to the point I had to take a couple
of shots of dope to relieve them. The relief was so great.
I bought me a needle and gave myself dope. This was dons
secretly. [la decided to go to Riverton to the hospital
I did every thing I could to keep her from going, for I
knew they would tell her the truth; but she went any
way. 4hen she came back she looked at me in scorn and
asked me why I didn't tell her the truth. That hurt me.
I tried in vain to explain.
wife had fired the cook because we had heard she
had syphilis, and that is where the doctor said we
caught it.
°From then on we went to Riverton for treatment
and it was very expensive. That was five years ago and
we are still taking it.
"Ila left me a number of times, but she always
come back. I was almost crazy. One night I decided I
couldn't stand any more, so I took three shots of dope.
I got as far as the bed and fell across I la.I waked
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up two days later in a hospital; a coward's way out
but I wanted to die.
"Then came that awful day when ay money gave out.
I.got off from my work, and the next thing 1 knew I was
in Slater charged with burning up my car. I might have done
it I don't know. I refused bond and stayed in jail
throe months. ha went back home. -hen my Dial come off
I got a sentence of eighteen months at nerd labor.
mother and granddaddy come .t.1 see we, but no one could
help. The county gave me my treatments anu I -la's daddy
paia for hers. lglaybe you think I didn't suffer. ell,
you're mistaken. It was hell to do without the dope
I'd learned to love. I had plenty of friends that would
have cowe to my aid, but I knew the only way to bresk
myself from the habit was to stay where I couldn't -;et it.
"Ile came to see ze often whea I was on the road,
but I'd heard she was oir to eat a divorce. 3he admitted
to me she wns seeing a good bit of another mun while
was away.
"The day. I left prison I promised ;od, with His
help I'd serve him and do right, regardless of how black
things looked for me. I was broke, aidn't have a dollar;
the furniture all gone. The first person 1 went to see
was lie's father, he wa the whitest riln I -ever knew.
Although he thought I was guilty he could be just.
He advised we to go away, that I had cuazed him enough
trouble. I begged him to let me see his just once and
he Aid I could if I wouldn't persuade her in anyway I
would be welcoae to see her. I promised. That was three
years a6o and we are happier today than .e were years
ago.
"I still say no wman aho ld go in public work
unless it ausciutely neci,s,3ary. ..he never khowSwho she
is leavin, LIE children with, ir; cur case it robbei, us
first of au i several years of "appiness, besides the
how.* we tiad planned and saved for through years of
our married life.