Document text
karch 23,1936
kadsworth i1eon, (lhite)
Watchman and Caretaker,
Adyleen G.L.errick, Writer.
Dudley m.Crawford, 1ievisers
Crixtp4 .0,awes
Yoadsworth
Spartanburg
George Deam
lir.wialker
Cris Cannon
Laurie
Algie
Tryon
Lake Lanier
S•C•
.0 -anal. NIAPa
Thaddeus ,hilkes
Sparta, S.C.
Jim seam
aVilson
Cid Crosson
Lula
Alton
Tyden
Lake Lance
Behind his house along the railroad tracks
Thad Wilkes was planting a garden. Neat rows of
cabbage plants and spring onions were already set
and beginning to grow. While open furrows had been
made further planting*
"Good morning," he greeted as he pushed his
old garden hat far back on his head and mopped at
the moisture gathered on his forehead and face*
"Have you cowe to poke fun at me too about this
garden making? Well set there on the wheel barroW
if you are going to stay a spell, while I cover
up these peas before the birds get them. 7iet you
are laughing at me for trying another garden this
year and the bad luck I had with it last season.
It just seems like I get the urge to plant. I do,
birds or not.
"Last year, fast as I'd put in the sweet corn
and it got about three inches high something cut
it off right to the ground. I came to find out it
was the brown thrushes, and what in time do you
think they was doing with my blades of corn? Made
a nestl durned if they didn't* It beat all, with
grass and thins aplenty, those birds took a notion
to take sweet corn blades for nest building. First
one bird then another took notion to dig up or eat
everything I planted, 'till finally I sent for a
boy to come and shoot birds for a spell.
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"The lady across the way found out about this
and hero she camo,00h kr. Wilkes, please don't
kill the birds, they are such a joy to me, especially
the brown thrushes, their morning and evening song
is just beautiful. Just now they are building nests;
one pair in the shrub just outside my window. Please,
please don't have theyboy shoot and frighten them
away, will you?'
"Well, I just scratched my head and I guess
3.12 kliow already the birds weren't shot and I never
got no garden, to speak of either. Ain't women folks
queer anyway? And now when I'm right 'ousy trAalg to
get ahead of the birds, while the winter visitors
are still feeding them, you come to ask questions.
"No I wasn't born here, I didn't come until 1914*
I was born on frm just outside of 3parta S.C.
in the spring of 1876, and I lived thre with my Pa
and f4a until I was nineteen. 4e had a reel nice farm
too. Pa :1•I'd me cared for it. Fair th4a, when we were
working in the bottom land near the river Ma would
pack lunch for us and when noon ca.tie, we'd knock off
and eat, then fish awhile and rest. Pa was in the
Civil War, and he'd tell me all about his experiencps
while we were sitting on the river bank waiting for
the fish to bite. 1,4a was an invalid and when she died
it just looked like Pa didn't have the wish to live
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clean up good before I went to bed. Well I did. After
I got in bed I lay there a long time thinking things
over before I finally fell asleep. I don't believe
many folks know just how a boy feels with his folks
all gone and him facing the world alone. I reckon they'd
be more helpful if they did. Sheriff Beam wanted me
to come and live with them but Fa always said, 'make
your own way boy, when I'm gone, don't never be be-
holding to anybody as long as you can help it.' I've
had a heap of ups and downs but I've always tried to
follow his plan. Can't pay I've ever set the world
on fire, but I've always made an honest living for
xe and Line and got along without asking for help.
"When morning came and tals. 4ilson called me,
seems like I couldn'tAlocated at first. She just
laughed and pretended nct to notice my bewilderment
and she says to melsboy if you mean to eat grits and
pt
gravy before you go outIsthat job you said you were
going to lookk for, you had better light out of that
bed.'
"After breakfast I started out across the back
lots towards where I could see the mill village and
beyond it the stacks of the mills. The sun was just
coming up and I felt right cheerful after a night's
rest and a good breakfast. Seems like I'd sure get a
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job. I wanted to get one awful bad and not h eve to
stay with Sheriff Beam. I didn't know exactly wheK a
guardian was, but I did know it was something like a
boss over you till you got to be a man for yourself,
and I was afraid of him some how. I thought maybe
if I could find work he wouldn't bother ma, so when I
to the mill I talked mighty hard to the man they
sent me to see. He said, 'boy, did you ever work in
the mill before,' and I hod to tell him no air, but I
1#"--
ain't afraid to try. The he set back in his chair and
laughed. 'Joe' he hollered,' come here and get this
green horn and see can he work, he says be aint
afraid to tril.
°I was getting along all right too, when Sheriff
Beam found me he said I could stay on at the mill if
I wanted to but he'd rather I came hose to live with
them, said he felt responsible til I come of age, long
as Pa had seen fit to have appointed my guardian and
wanted I should be under his care. Sheriff was mighty
good to me all the time I stayed with him. He treated
me just like I was his own child. I helped him carry
provisions from his farm, about three miles out of
Sparta, to the jail-- and to feed the prisoners twice
a day. Sheriff gave me four dollars a month and my
board. iirst time I got my money he asked me what I
planned to do with my money, well I dinst know exactly,
there wasn't much to spend it for. Zaleriff said,
'Now put your money in the bank son against a rainy
day' and he took we to the First National Bank,
and I started a saving account. I've always been
grateful to him for teaching me to save.
"Soon after I went to live with Sheriff 2eam,
he made me a peace officer under him and I worked
on that until I was elected to the Police force in
sparta i, 1905. It was while I was staying with
Sheriff Beam that the Mayor of 3parta was murdered
by a negro rrImed Cid Crosson. It caused an awful up-
roar too. lleriff scattered his men and we searched
for that boy till we finally found hLm late that night
headed for the mountains across the state line into
North Carolina. We kept him hid out because all n*ght
long a mob of people stayed around the jail waiting for
us to bring hiL. in. next ILorning Sheriff had me to
help stretch a hemp rope from the rafters in his barn
and weight it down with a big rock. kie let it hang there
about three days to take all the give out of it. Then
he told ew to take it down, that it was ready to hang
Cid with. I begged him to let 1e see thw. hanging which
was going to take place at ten o'clock that day.
Sheriff just studied me for awhile, than he told me,
'come on if you want to, hangings ain't no pleasant
sights and by the time you've seen as Any as I have
.7.
you'll be begging 104 to send you in another direction.'
I don't ever remember beinq as scared in all my life,
before or since, nor any sicker. I've seen tYgree men
hang since then but nothing ever seemed as horrible
to me as when they hung poor Cid. Sheriff felt mighty
bad too when he saw how I took the hanging, but he
said if I wanted tc be an officer of the law I'd
have to lern to take the bitter with the sweet.
m I got married along about that time. Lula
was a mihty sweet, pretty girl, she still is to my
notion. we had a little girl firstithen a little
bey came along three years later. Lula named him
Alton part from fancy and part for me. He comes home
every once in awhile and brings the family. He's got
a girl and a boy as same as we had. I'd better make a
garden and a good one too, Mother does herself proud
when the boy comes home for a visit.
"In 1914 they sent for me to come here to Tyden
ns Chief of Police. I hated to leave Sparta, but a
fellow hes to better himself anytime he can. 18d
saved enough money by then to by this place end
we've lived here ever since. I did all right till
the night the County Sheriff asked me to help him
run down a negro he was after. It was an awful cold
night, ground all frozen, I didn't much want to go,
but I always figure to be obliging when I can. lie
-8.
went over to the negro church near the cemetery
where we'd been tipped off we'd find him, and sure
enough met him fair. Then the negro saw me he started
to run enA I struck out after him. I stepped in a hole
and broke my ankle. That put me in the hospital for
six weeks. fter I went back to work I couldn't get
around so ood my ankle was awful weak. Cue day the
doctor says to me,1Thad, eou better hunt you another
job, VAG being on your feet so much ain't good for
that ankle, besides folks are beginning to talk
about the town keeping you on now that you can't
get about good.'
Well I had to suit. The town never did anything
for me but I drew three hundred dollars compensation
an I stayed at home all the suemer just raising
chickens and workine in this same garden.
"When fall came I got a job as caretaker and
watchman at Lake Lance and I seen on thet job ever
since, about four years or more. Its pretty easy on
ale most of the time. I at right lonely night staying
alone in that big old club house, but fishing is good
erre I have lots of time I can spend out on the lake.
In the sumeler I hele ;fly hands full thoueh, for about
three months I don't see much rest. Le and the young
life guards really put in time watching out for fools
and drunks. Some drys I make a raid with the revenue
.9.
men when a still is on the Lake property. dut shucksl
You can't stop these mountain people from stilling.
There is going to be liquor made as long as branches
run down hills& I've fought liquor all my life and all
the officers in the world can't keep it down, long
as folks craves their drink, any more than I can raise
a garden with all these birds to eat it up."