Document text
1,orkers Adyleen G. srrick, Tryon, N. C.
:iubject: kary Cox, Tryon, X. C.
ateg November 28, 1938
ihAY CLX
Mary Cox, aged thirty-seven, is old. Lined, stooped,
tired. 3be talks without bitterness.
"40111 it's been hard. I ain't knowed nothinl but work
and worry since I can remember. Pa never had no boys, so
I've done a man's work from time I used to tote water to
field hands to what 'm a-doin' today. I ain't 4rusiblini.
guess OOd knows best ehichaway our paths oughta lead, but
times I et awful weary.
w1 don't envy the rich. They has trouble too. but I
hate gettin' nowhere. I've heard people say if you've ot
the wish nothin' can't stop you, but ried sissy* and
ain't ,;;c4t nowhere yet.
qf you ain't i,;ot learnin' you can't zet the kinda work
that helps you. I never got no erjucation. I always had eozos-
body to look After and no time for nothins else.
"I was t'orn on cA term in jackson County six miles from
-.4st beyond Aaheville. It was .andppy Floyd Labe's
lace in Hog ock district. There wasn't no &extol and it
took half a day to i,et to 41va and back to 'tend meetin'.
was john Cabe. le farmed with -_irandpappy and ke did
the woman's work. I it know when .lister i_atie was born.
Ale was six years older'n me and awful -,,,retty.
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4Ps and Ma wont off somowhores and left a there till
I was 'bout six years old, than he wont to tenant farm near
Orandpappyes. 44t worked hard and had little. Moraines I'd
get up before good day and lay the kitchen fire before I
went to Make Fa, he fed and tended the stock but Ma and
Kate newer seemed to take bolt much. They was both pleasurelovin, and always a-wantine to be traipaint around gain' to
dances and all. It caused a heap of rows. Vein came to the
house bringin' liquor and carryine on and before long is „!List
couldn't take no wore of it so ha left out. I stayed on and
done the best I could but seemed like after Ps let the work 'd
shorely kill mi.
I triad to plow and plant and make crop. Ca* day, I
guess I was awful tired and wore out, but me and Ma and Katie
had a awful fuss. I wont on to tho fields and whim night
come her and Eatie sent off with tha men that had caused the
aiTerance between us, and I ain't seen neither of am again
to this day.
Pa, he married again and was a-livin' in rear, -,outh
Carolina. He always was a no talk man and paaco-lovine too.
I ain't avow blamed him for quittine Ma the way she lone
"5.ame way he found I was a-livin° alone all by myself
and he come after me. 40 loaded up our all and took it to
4.1rikar and I stayed on thars. I 4;ot a job in the sill after
I was sixteen and that's how I come to meet Joe faitavar--hit
worked in the will too. Ea was awful good to look at and we
got to gain' together and it Just seam like I was e-livine in
another world. I was scared Pa'd find out about Joe so come
nd I'd slip a poke full of vittles and go off to meet Joe.
we'd put a whole day romblin' through the woods a-lookin' at
its wonders and talkin on like young folks do.
"Somehow Pa's wife Nancy found out about 5 and Joe and
sum like she just couldn't stand to see such happiness. :he
never stopped till she'd brung bad feelin's stamen me and Joe.
And he went away because of it.
1 ain't never seen him since. I boon married four times
but I ain't loved no other an. .eens like I can't, somehow.
This an I'm a-livine with now keeps pesterin' me to marry him,
but I always seez to be weitin' for Joe. hopin' he'll come
buck someday.
"After he left I worried so I took sick --it yus' looked
like I couldn't make out to live. Pa's mean old wife Nancy
kepi a-tryin' all alai knowed how to whip me down.
"I remember we was goin' to town one --.)44'dy in Po's old
car. ie and another rirl was 41-settin' in the back with a
An and I was a-holdin' Nancy's baby. Ler and Ta was up in
front, and spite of all 7a could say, Nancy, he had to do the
drivint. qe nowed she was liquored up and we was all scared.
°Jus° as we .;-ot to Yostell's covered bridge we seen a
car eosin'. :he tried to stop and couldn't, so she pulled
over too far to the aide the road and we sent flyin' down
Lill and lit in the river.
'Time we etarted Loin' over Nancy jumped out, and you
can believe it or not, when she jumpod silo took her pint of
liquor with her and before 'to could get safe she took time
bury it.
"441 was all acrambled up in the car and a-settins in water
half up to our nooks. I made out to save the baby, but after
we got out and I was a-lookin' over it, I thought whore I seen
mud was whims its guts had buoted. It scared me to doath. aut
the little thing hadn't been hurt a -tall.
°I always will believe Nancy natant to kill us. he was
that moan.
got tired vorryin' with her and it seemed like Pa was
gettin' cantank'rous too, so I run off and married a man a heap
older'n as to spits 'ma. 'Ai went to live on Factory Eill. Clyde
Bails:, was always good to as, but he jus' wasn't no count. I'd
give him my money to keep so we could save some and all the time
he was a-spendine it o. liquor and triflin' women.
'I'd had all I aimed to and of that in 'bout three
months. a-tryin' to work and save and him a-ramblin' and
bein' drunk oos' the time! I quit him. I figgerod if I had
to do all the work I'd keep all the money and get rid of such
trash. He never done me no harm, though.
"Well, towards the end of the year there was a young'un
a-comin'. I cried a heap. „7,eemod like with all I'd been through
I c,uldn't bear to be hampered with no brat. I was seared, too.
I kep' on kin' the best I could, but when my time was drawin'
close I took two of the mill girls, Alberta Jones and Froukii
Lee, to live with me. 'e lived in ono room and slop in the
same bed, but I started feelin' better and we got along right
good. I WOO VIVIA/ ay wages, $7 a week, &gin the time I'd
come down with the brat. The girls ;aid me board and I lived
on that.
*Jima before mx time come the aill shut down. Lord, I
didn't know what to dol is and the girls set out to look for
work but it seemed like everybody else was *-doin' the same.
we'd strike out come daylight and tramp till night.
Niel', we made out somehow till cotton pickine time, when
we got our chance. I couldn't keep up and had to quit the
first day. I used to sit all day and watch the others earnin'
satin' money, and choke back the tears.
%no cold night just before day I birthed my Rubin. i'ore
little thing, he seemed too little and puny to stay here and I
felt sorry I hadn't wanted him when I seen how sweet and help'
less he was. I couldn't bear the thoughts of login' him. From
then on I've stru6gled to keep a home for him and be a good ma.
Ruby's nineteen now, oat twenty. Be's been through high school
and'a got a job and helps me. He's awful *wart. I dot good
reason to be proud of him.
oon as Ruby was old enough to take from breast milk, Pa
found out and we made up, and he come and got him so I could go
to work. I got a job as spinner at the woodeide kills in Green-
ville at $9.90 a week. It was awful nice there and the folks
was kind. The will folks hired a preacher so all could learn
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the word, and we got our food and livin' quarters cheap.
There was a doctor and nurse to tend the sick and them high
up took a heap of care of the workers. 1 paid Pa to keep Ruby
and used to go r-lundays to see him. I hated awful to be away
from him. Me and kaney eot along all right 'bout that time,
seein's I was payin' for Ruby's keep.
'',About then's when I net up with gado Cox. He was a heap
older'n ma too. I didn't care much for him, but he just kepi
a-talkin' gettinl married till one day I said I would. Come
3ad'dy we want to vain and Aade bought furnit„re and pot ves-
sels and all. Than he bought some groceries and by time we'd
got to the house he'd rented the furniture had come. It was
right much fun settih, thinga to rights and afterwards gettin'
supper.
nude says to me when I'd warshed the dishes, 'You go on
back where you come from now, kry, and meet me here tomorrow
mornin'. 4011 met creakfast aml then I'll go
to marry us.'
Jell, ada as ct married that next mornin' 46114 he
jet the preacher
let ule bring Ruby home. as I glad to have my baby back aginl
I used to just bet and look at. him.
°Wade wouldn't let we work on at the mill. Le made good
money and wanted I eho4Id stay hone. But then he got sick.
4e was ailin' nigh onto three years before he had to quit work.
hen that time come we had to leave the mill. went home
to his folks and I took Ruby and went to stay at laias Rosie
7ieher's in Dark Corner till I could find work. I don't
koow what Vida acne if she hadn't took us in a while.
'I couldn't get no word from wade so I went over to
Trion one mornin' and sent him a telegram sayin" 'Sick and
no life expected.' I've always been sorry I sent it, because
by then Milo had been took reel sick, and was one, seem like,
before they knowed it. I took what little money we had and
me and Ruby vent to 3outh Carolina. I put iede away right
good for what little I had to do with.
3ein, as I was so far from Piss Rosie I thought I'd
better look for work 'steed of tryin° to get back there. The
mill folks was olohty kind and give me back my Job. I went
on ni&izt shift from 6 t.!. to 5 J. The work was awful hard
but I made out to lc it. lor. Tucker, the mill oolicemen, would
by my house at night and out Ruby to bed and tell him not
tc be scared, ,a had to work, but just tc say Lis prayers and
p:o to sleep like a good boy, Vs would be there when he woke up.
But I osed to worry.
=hen the shut -down come, the mill only kept the old hands.
11 us others d to go. I sold what few house things I hed,
iiece at a time, and etoyed on where we was, hopin' VAnge
would get better, till the dey come when me and Ruby was a-
eleopin" on a pile of straw and cookin' in the fireplace —if
there waa anitoing to eat. ofterwhile there wasn't.
'sell, I'd always oanaged to live, somehow or other. I
tcok a bucket ua went out blackberryino. I Aade me a dollar
in two days and more than that the next weak. It went on till
the berries give out. ltill ao work.
"When I got down to ay iast dollar I didn't know what else
I could do so I took it and bought a gallon of corn liquor and
by night had sold it for nigh on to five dollars. I got rations
with some of the money and bought more liquor with the rest.
used to stay scared to death i'd get caught, but I kepi on till
I'd got enough ahead so I could take Ruby, ii.nd then I lit out
for Dark Corner where the liquor was plentiful and I knowed I
could either get work or maim a livin* sellin' it.
I knowed it *ain't right. I'd ruther done honest work
U I could* got it. But I couldn't stand to hear Ruby cryin'
he was so hungry.
went back to ;Ass Rosie Find whilst was there a
ailreath cone along. You know, I been married four times, but
I ain't to say got papers for but two of 'ea. Ahen I married
a I done the worst yet. And he looked so Akely, too. He
stayed drunk all day and I anew hes the meanes' men ever lived.
I jus' left him.
"After that I married Jake Goslin. e aura did get along
good. :le was kind o* triflin' but I liked him. Ho never would
give Ma no papers *bout our marryins, though. I never thought
much about it at the time, but I come to find out he had a livin'
wife. .3o I jus' set his clothes out ia the mi3dle o' the road
and told his to go back where he come from.
Ain't I had huaband trouble?
*ae wont to stay at kr. Babe Durham's, Ma bath' a
widderman and needin somebody to tako care of his things
and all, and he promised to pay as a a we and our keep
for stoyin, there. I liked it fine. It was real protty there
at the foot of the mountains and Bobo lived god and we had
plenty to eat.
°Babe's children didn't moth like us bikini' there, and
before long words passed and there was bad feelia's. They'd
get off and side -talk about me and soy I had to go. To keep
_peace Babe built a ono -room !ratios for no and Ruby to stay in
outs this and that as he could find, and we moved there. Babe
hadn't zive as no money so he let me have a rooster and 'bout
a dozen hens so I sold eggs and done real good. SoonI had a
little money to spend.
"One day Babe had to go to aLimburg, so 1 said I be-
lieved I'd go along and got me a mahout with some of my
chicken money. we went. k and babe and Ruby was
a-travollin' home come nightfall, when i4abe's children come
upon us and blocked the road. Thily was mighty mad. Cle and
Lloyd, they got as down, Lloyd keopin' his foot on oy neck
while Ola took shears and cut every inch of hair off my head,
down to the scalp, while krchie, the oldest, halt his Pa oft
with a shotgun. They said they dons it because Bobo hadn't
never bought no hair-curlin' for their manpr, and from now
on I'd Notting loot gut. ge all had an awful row and Babe kep'
sayin0 what he'd do tomorrow.
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"well, next day asbe went to the still end while he was
gone somebody set fire to his house. I knowed ours would be
the next so I made him move us to Tryon and give his enough
things to live in the house he'd built for as end Ruby. !Ass
Holmes there give ma a little house rent free and sent word
to the Halpin' Hand that we was needy. They give us rations
and thing* till I ,-;ot money from Babe's children for not
settin' the law on 'ea. I wore a cap till my hair zrowed out
and told folks I'd had a spell of fiver, then soon as it grooved
long enough I wont back to *;!partanburg und got another perma-
nent from the mane lady I'd „,:ot the other one from. 3he let
me have it for only a dollar, she felt so sorry for my troubles.
*That year I ,ioined up with the *FA and 4ot work in the
sowin' room I like it fins except that we had to work with
nigger women. 30M411 said it was agin the law but we worked
with ter, ,:ust the same.
"I never seem to cars muc or Babe after he let his gang
of cnildren do as so bad, but as and Ruby was itttin' along
good and aabe wasn't gottine along good at all in the little
one-rcoa thing he'd built for us, so we took his to live with
us. ke hnd Ruby pay the installments on the furniture --$2.50
a month, hnd a for rent, and Bebe he pays for rations and
extrys. I get 43.25 a wesk for cloanin' out the ovin' picture
'Mao and so we get to see all the pictures free. I tiust have
to sweep and dust and porrumuate the ;alms, the fork ain't to
say hard no time, and I like eosin, all the pictures. S J./nod
44.11
up with the Free 3abtiss and I t a heap of pieurs
Qut of got& to church. But we don't go no more. Polk* got
to runnint on 'bout me and Babe not livin' right nor bein'
Christians so I suit a-goin'. I didn't feel like tamparin'
with God if I wasn't livin' rights so CCM* 4unday we just act
home end listen to the radio and sometime we get ?reachin'
thataway.
can't help wishin' I'd a -had SCAM edLcation We I
cclad get somewhere* I always did want a business of my own.
know I could* done well. I hope sometime to eet one before
J1O. And I ziht. You can't never tell.
wells we moved to the new theayter this week and Jr.
Charlie's ivin' me :1.ore ay. ao, takin' things by and largos
1 sues* I'm a-doin' all right. But I sure do wish folked
it talkin' 'bout me so much.