Document text
September 26,1939
Blanch Gibion,Textile Worker.
Buntorsville, N.C.
vary T.Alson, Iriter
Dudley W.Crawford, Reviser.
Orixinal Nate g Cheaged Name*
Blanch Gibson
Jean Gibson
R.S.Gibson
Sic Gibson
George Gibson
Uncle Tom
Charlie Gibson
Bertie Gold
Joan Gold
J.B.Gold
Pig Gold
Jim Gold
Uncle Bill
Chris Gold
It was five o clock. The small kitchen at Bertie
Gold's house was like a bee hive. The smallest member of
the household, a boy, was busily smoking a cigarette and try-
ing to hurry his mamma in her bread making. His school age
sister, Joan, was following him around begging for the 'duck'
from the cigarette.
"Leave J.B. alone, Joan, looks like you ought to
be satisfied with that teaspoonful of snuff. Get busy and
help Figiget some water for in the morning. Supper will soon
be read and the night work xon't be done."
A girl of ten, a picture of her mother,except for
the difference in years, came in carrying two large pails of
water, "Leave her alone, mamma, she'll be only too glad to
help when she wants something."
"I guess you're right, Pig," her mother replied.
"She can work up a storm when she wants a dip of snuff. Fix
the table, Jim will be here in a few minutes and hell be
wanting to eat."
"Can I wake Uncle Bill up, mammal" J.B.asked. "I
want to ask him for fifteen cents."
"Go ahead and call him, but you better not ask
for any money, he's still mad at you for taking some out
of his pocket the other day." Bertie Gold seemed to have lost
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controls of her irresponsible brood. "I don't know what will
become of you children. I have to be gone off all day, working
in the mill; your grandpa don't try to make you mind. It don't
do no good to beat on you or talk to you at night after he's
let you do as you please all day.
"What's that you're saying about grandpa?" An old
man come into the kitchen, his cane making irregular taps on
the worn boards of the floor.
"Oh, sit down and eat your supper, grandpa. Pig
said. "You wouldn't have heard a word if we had wanted you to.
I wish uncle Bill would come on, I'm hungry. We always have to
wait for him since he rorks in the mill at night and spends
most all day talking tc that new girl of his. kamma,do we have
to wait for Jim?"
"No, he's just come in the front door." Her mother
replied."Now sit down and let's see if the house will fall in
if we eat in peace for once."
After supper was over, Pig and Joan were left to
quarrel over the dish -washing while Bertie invited me into
the living room, where she began her story.
"I was born here in this county some thirty -odd years
ago. My mother died when I was quite young and papa married again.
My step -mother was right good to us but she didn't live long
after she married my father, she had two children of her own
and they had no legal father. She died of T.B. and left them
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with usia boy and a girl.
'I've been married twice. These four children I have
belong to my first husband. I married Chris Gold the last time.
He only stayed with me a short waile 'till he got tired of me.
I'm mighty glad didn't have any children by him because it
would have made it lots harder for me.
"I've been in the mill since I was old enough to
work. I tell you. I have my hands full. I keep my yonngest
brother snd my father all the time. Brother Bill could help
me lot if he would leave whiskey alone and work, but that's
what he won't do. He's got a pretty good Job in the mill at
night now but if he does like he's been doing, he won't have
it long.
"I've got asters and brothers who could lighten
my burdens if they would do it, but they don't bother to ask
bow I make ends meet. My oldest boy,Jim, works in the store
after school and on Saturdays. He hasn't had this Job long,
but believe me it sure helps out. Pigoioan and J.B. aren't
old enough to know how to earn a penny. They'll have to hurry
and start because I'st getting mighty near wore out. Some people
advise me to marry again but I don't need a husband. It would be
impossible to jet one who was willinc to provide for this crowd
I've got swinging on to me; I've tried it onse, that's enough.
"Oh no, I'm not a man hater.; I have dates with
them. I get gossiped about too, but I don't care; as long as
they are talking about me they are giving someone else a rest.
If I don't live right poverty ie the cause of it.Necessity
has caused many a poor woman to sin. I'm not going to sit
on the Bible and let my family want for anything; not ac
long as I am able to put one foot in rront of the other
and et it for them."
"What's that you are saying, Bertie?" Her father
had came in from the kitchen and was peering over his
glasses at no, Ono of his forefingers was stiff and straight
and he pointed it at ne."Ain't you got nothing no better to
do than listen to other people's troubles?"
"Ilush papa. She's not hurting anybody." Berne
got up from her chair and went to sit with her father on
the settee. "Don't mind what he says; he's getting old and
childish. If you'd get him started, I'm sure he could tell
samethi.ng interesting about the old days. I guess you're
like myself, interested in the world of today and the
meana to get along.
"You were living here when our policeman got
killed weren't you? That has been nearly two years ago
and the la asn't captured the murderer yet. One man
was tried for the crime but was released. I alwaye will
think i was local :an wo col:witted tir) cri 0,
I like to live hero because rrç family is here
and I've never lived anywhere else. Sometimes, I get the
blues and would like to leave it all but I'm sure I wouldn't
be satified among strangers, It's hard to transplant an
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old tree.I'll just plug along and do the beat I can 'till my
children grow up; then I hope they will work for me.
"I don't mind the mill so much, guess I've got used to
it; not knowing how to do anything else. No, we don't get very good
pay* but it's better than we could get anywhere else, You hear a
lot ot kicking about wages, the hard work and the stretch -out
system and stuff like that, but some folks would kick if they
was tasters in a pie factory at ten dollars a day.
"A feller come through here a couple of years back
and tried to Get us all dissatisfied with our jobs, and a lot
of the hands listened to him --not me. He kept abusing the *Ill
owners, and said the workers ought to run the mills. Huh, I'd
like to see that crowd o' hands trying to run a mill. Most of
'em' just like me--ain1 t got education nor sense enough to run
a peanut roaster, much less a cotton mill.
"I ain't never asked for charity ner special favors
from nobody and I don t mean to as long as I can work. The way
I figure it, some people are born to work and be poor."ftu're
educated, don't the Bible say something about some folks are
supposed to cut the wood and draw the water --how else would
the world get along?"