Document text
October 10, 1939
Tames Peak (Colored Laborer)
Route 1,
Columbus, N. C.
Adyleen G. Merrick, Writer
Dudley W. Crawford, Reviser
Original Names: Changed Names:
Tames Peak George Bill
Mr. Tones Mr. Smith
Columbus Cabot
Judy Tane
Jane Liza
Cebe Harris Sam Coleman
Rmily Harris Mary Coleman
help you Uncle George? 'Course I is; three gals and a grand-
son livin' right here with me, but I ain't lookin' ter them
fer help ner the gals husbands either, I'm an able bodied
tax payer myself, I don't need no help frum nobody, if folks
would only gimme my jestice and look at the sittation frum
the same side I do. I scrimp and save workin' an hour here
and another there, till I gits me five dollars. When I do,
I goes over to Cabot and pays the man at the Court House.
He say, 'That's fine Uncle George, you jest about caught
up on your taxes; but when I ax him how much more do I me
yet, he say to me, 'Well, I ain't got time right now to
look it up, but I'll tell you next time you come. Shucks,
I'm too old in the head jest to keep on pourin' water in a
rat hole, I ain't fooled, I ain't never goin' ter git paid
up, that's the way hit looks ter me. Do hit look so ter
you?
"Not long ago I had to send for my gal ter come all the
way down frum up thar mongst the Yankees to see could she
find the difference !bout them taxes. She come, and I dunno
jest what took place, but everything got fixed up all right.
Jane's quick talkin' and she's got learnin'. I spec she
knowed a better way than I do ter git things straightened
out. Any how she did.
"Now, low and beholst, 'bout the time we got that one
fixed here come another tax bill right on top of the last
eun. What in the round world is I ter do?"
Old George looked up from his seat on a packing box
with an expression of deep concern on his old wrinkled face.
His mouth opened and shut as if he had more to say, but
thought better of it. He bowed his head and moaned audibly,
his old hands were clasped tight across his knees, he patted
his foot impatiently.
"It ain't no secret, he continued after so long a time,
'I shore wouldn't tell you no lie 'bout that mule money, I
never made no bones 'bout telline hit to the lady what runs
that there office in Cabot fer the pore folks. She knows.
I asked her in the fust place ter gimme work instid of rations
and sich, but she say, 'You too old Uncle,' and gimme 'bout
enough rations to have done me fur one good meal in my young
days. 'Course now I ain't got no teeth, all I kin do is gum
my vittles and spit out to the chickens what I can't make
out to swaller.
"I can't live on what the county gives me, no main, no
body kin. Iese got to have work to settle taxes and sich,
you know that your self. All this is turnine over in my
mind.
"That's whut make me say, thank God I is knowed
better times. I'm shore glad me and Liza made out to do
well by the chilluns. I'm gittint along now, I don't need
much besides jest creature comforts, but I'm glad they all
had a plenty when they was lookint to me fer they care. I
ain't goin' to have even creature comforts lessen I kin git
this tax question settled some way ter 'nother. Why, I kin
remember when we fust come into these parts a body could
'bout pay their taxes with a couple of sacks of meal, or if
it suited 'em better, work hit out on the roads. That ain't
so now. County got all sorts of high priced road machines
to do niggers work. When I quarrel 'bout this, boss man
say ter me !Keep up with the times Uncle, this ain't still
the dark ages) Then he laugh like he done made a joke, tain't
funny ter me though. Ilse lookin' fer work! Lewd, these
is wearisome days.
"Do I remember when I was a little chap? Why to De sure
I do. Yes main, I come to life on old Marse Sam Coleman's
plantation, down yonder in Spartanburg County. Pap worked
in the fields and Ma was Miss Mary Coleman's house woman.
We had a good cabin and a great big garden too, ttwern't
no hungry niggers then. Marse Coleman was a rich man, he
done well by all his niggers, same as he did his own family.
Ma tuck on when we got home :9
Here Uncle George paused in his story and, bent double
with mirth. His old body shook with laughter, he patted his
knees to emphasize his enjoyment, as his mind went back to
the days of his courtship and marriage to Liza.
"MA's eyes jest bugged out with tstonishment, she
flung up her hands and hollerd,'God-amighty boy, what is you
done done. I believe youlse gone crazy! Haw old you reckon
this here Liza is?' I felt sort of sheepish like, Liza did
too. Time we sot down quiet like and got hit all figgered
Out it seem like Liza were about fifteen years older'n me.
But that didn't make no difference to me then, hit never
did, me and her got along frum that day till time come fer
her ter die. I ain't never seed no better woman, she was
smart too, ftwarn't nothint much Liza couldn't do. Ma
allers said the same. They got along together frum the
fust, ef I so much as crossed Liza MA took a hickory to me
and 'bout wore me out! We lived there with Ma three years
atter we got married, and never had a cross word with her.
Tain't no tellin' how long this woulda gone on, only Ma died.
Liza tuck on same as if hit were her own down right kin.
"No main, we ain't allers lived in this house. The fust
one I built was awful shabby. W. Foster hop me set up
the framint then me and Liza done the rest of the work.
'Course we thought hit were awful nice when we fust set up
house keepint. Hit were new and done pretty good fer a while,
but that house was feeble. We stayed there till one cold
winter night the wind got up pretty brash and blawed the top
off. Wa got out all right, but me and Liza was scared most
to death. I allers knowed that house was flimpsy.
"Then we bought an acre of ground here where we're at
now and got started building this here house, but nobody
finished it, because we've lived here nigh on to fifty years
and it ain't finished yit. I'm allers aimint to, but I ain't
got around to it some haw. Now that Lizats gone, seems like
I don't keer ef it gits finished or not.
"Liza died, lenme see, hit'll be three years ago come
Christmus week. Doctor never would tell me her trouble, but
I knowed she was goint ter leave here. That night she tuck
sick we'd been saint wood most all day and gittint hit in
out of the weather. Liza seemed all right but in the night
she say 'George, Itse hurtint.' I got up and lit the lamp.
I hollered up my grandson. He COMB runnint out pullint up
his galluses as he come. I say 'Go fur the Doctor, boy, and
don't you lose no time.'
"I drapped down by Liza's bed and 'gun ter rubbin,
her side and prayed best I knowed how. 3a say 'Don't
keep a prayin' fer me George, you're jest a holdint me back.
God's done called me, Honey, I'm agoin' home.' Then she'd
pat my hand and say, 'Don't grieve Honey, I'll be waitin'
fer you in Heaven.' I don't fergit what she promised me.
I try to live humble and peacable sots when I die I can
go where Liza's at. I try to keep up her flowers and look
atter her possessions the best I know how. I even worry
with her chickens 'though I don't eat no chicken meat, nor
eggs. I'm goin' ter hafto give up mindin, them chickens
though, its come to the point where I'm jest tendin'
chickens fer thieves. I don't more'n git a flock of biddies
ter fryin' size before marauders comes and makes way with
tem. 'Course I gits my Tbaccer money outen tradin' eggs
at the store, but I'm jest wore out tryin' to battle off
them thieves.
"I'm shore gettin, agable, but I ain't never been sick
a day in my life, though Itse been in the hospital, yes Diam
I is! It come about thisTaway: It was a widenin' wen side
of my head, hit bothered me a heap. Doctor Palmer he say,
'Better git hit off George, 'fore hit gives you trouble.'
I went on over to the hospital jest like he say do. I
ain't know nuthin, 'bout sick places. Doctor -surgeon he
tuck me into a quare smellin' room and made me lie down
on the hardest doggone bed ever I hopes to see in all my
life. Why I wouldn't give a nickle fur a row of 'em fur
as frum here ter Cabot.
"There was a nice lookin, lady all dressed in white.
She stood long side ter the bed and helt my hand and smile
down at me jest as kind. Then she lay out fust one Curious
lookin' tool then another. Doc, he washed and washed his
hands like he aimed to make that one job do fer always.
Then when he got everything jest ter suit him he come over
to where I was at and he say to me, 'George, how 'bout your
will, is you made one yit?' I looked at him sort of istonished
and I say, 'I God if that the way things is goint ter turn
out, let me up frum here, there ain't a goin, ter be no
cuttin' at all, fer Itse gone frum here.' Well, Doc and
the nurse talk me out of leavin'. Doc say he jest runnin'
on 'bout that will. He got a long needle (it looked jest
like one er Liza's quiltin' needles) and he stuck hit into
the wen. I squinched up powerful, but I helt on jest the
same. Then Doc say to the lady in white, 'Han me that white
handle razor.' Time he say that, I shore got scared! I made
10
sure the man aimed ter cut my throat and I wished ter
goodness I'd never tuck that wen ter be cut off. Doc,
he tuck the razor though and he whittled and sawed till
he made way with that wen. I don't reckon Itse ever been
scared so bad before. When he got all done he study me
and then he say, 'George, I bet you could claim kin to a
rhinoceros, you got the damdest toughest hide ever I tried
ter cut on in all my day and time! Shucks, that's jest
the way white folks makes sport of us niggers! But let me
tell you sumthin, Honey, that's the last cuttin, airy
doctor'll ever git to do on old George frum now on.
"Ef youl'42headin, towards Cabot any time soon I do
wish you'd please mam drap by and see if you can make out
what's gone wrong 'bout my taxes."