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TITLr:
Approximately 3,600 iords
7iCUTI! %RC 7.71. 71.
LIF1: PISInRY
A:!:! -7711N3IJTr. 17777
Date of Firct "Iriting
Mare of Fel-sous Interviewed
Fictitious Name
Street Address
Place
Occupation
Namm of Writer
Name of Reviser
February 14, 1,f33?'
ar.8; Mrs. Tully Smith
None u6od
1100 Block, louse No.1101
Annsboro Mills, Columbia Rd.
Winnsboro Mill Village,
linnsboro, 'South Carolina
Mill Op04-ativ.) Spith runs
sides in twister room.
Lucile Clarke Ford
State Office
Essie Mae, neatly dressed in a soft green crepe, with crisp
white collar and cuffs, opened the front door to let me in. A glowing
bed of embers gave added cheer, as well as warmth, to the comfortable
living room.
*Ma's looking for you to sit with us a while tonight; Essie Mae
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vai. "She'llHbe here in about hulf an hour."
Seeing.notetooks, pencil, said paper, I toads *Perhaps you are
too buey to be interrupted. Are yoi: studying for something?"
"NO, a not studying. I Just write-off these scales end music
notes fur soigne of lyfrienda '.110 like music."
"Yoll have a. music class/1
"16, it isn't a class, I just help some of 71y friends. I can't
so muoh myselfi but learned how to write out music in my music
play
lessons at Mt. ;ion Institute and at the Everette School here in the
Winneboro Mill village. And 'hat I do know am glad to show Wers.
Se r4trly of my friends love music and want to play. Some have lelArned
to read their notes and can play hymns and songa. We don't have much
time to practiceend-study, except at night. Nearly all of my friends
work in the mill or in some store uptown. I clerk in the ten cant store,
R006 40 It's a nice:place to work, and I enjoy working there. I don't
;take so much, but it gives me plenty to buy my clothee and have my own
spending money, I help some here at home, too. I bought the furniture
in my room but I don't pay board.
"I have a savinge account at the Merchants and neatens Bank in
Winnsboro. I keep a Christmas savings account, too. And I give one
tenth of oy pay 480 to the churea, beel:les helping out when we have
ovals for sick and :needy vases among our neighbors. The mill has a
little hospital and :a nurse.. And old Dr. Lindsay goes to the people
that need a doctor. Of course, the people don't have it so wog as
they used to, and in some familios there are not enough working to
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*asp- up "family. Ihora's 44144i,-Pur Moighbor next door. Mo's crippled
with 101111' kind Of,b6MM:troUtas amdeanYt walk. I try to bring him some-
thing from uptiven to hoop him -from getting so tired of just sitting
there. Ma, oho goes over them once every day, and 1 go at night when I
get boas. If we'jnot drop in and right -out again, he says it keeps him from
biting lonesome. le do such as thatamong tho people because we enjoy it.
14 the winasbwv lls dem% lot anybody suffer. If they work and try
ate4 they can so* Along fairly won. Do you remenbor last fall when Donald
Dinkins got drowned ialatoroo Diver? Wall, there wasn't anything the mill
didn't do to help out.
"Menthol has big familios of little children do have it hard. But
plenty of tine., in ease of extra sicknesoand trouble, we get together
and pound 'a family. Nile pOople, we always pound. Our churches and church
societies do such as that, too,0"
Wester was hoard from the bask, and in a few minutes Mr. and Mee.
Smith came in. Moltie began talking as soon as eheentered the room.
-"Wahad supperfsmon after four o'clock, and, when Endo Mae return,341
from her work uptown with the oar, Tally and ma went to the farm to feed
and water our livestock and to milk the cows. Then we came back by the
'mill company's pasture to milkaaawwwwes have there. The clock has (struck
seven -thirty. Sorry you -had to wait hero for us.
"It's like this all timeline here with us," Mattie continued.
"We go to the mill at eight in -Oa morning and work eight hours. They
give us tine out to eat our luhch, which we take to the mill with us.
We come home at four o'clock and from thin to six, we do what we
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waat-te bore &Newt the plaee• Sao gebe bees from the ten
eisot.Oters with the ser*Isliy and se -lists in it and cri7es erAt here
about to rites in the edustsiso where wise get a little ftre rent -d,
There 1*-hays owe. etlekemot pigs, and a Lardsa. We hies a Negro
favdiy to lark end hop tbo Woes beet we go :,very day to sue about
thinfief
ebb You *jest to this busy life and get tired from the daily
doti4,1" l_eekedt
.410e rigied.7014. Pinning. "1 dodge all the work at the all,
let -the ether fondly Is it. Amd its the same here at home, where Mattis
old Dim and ASsielase:havit *sae what's to he dame,"
1 had slst rather be busy "perking,* Wattle rejelacd, 'thou to ho
liming nothing._ There are people that spend all their UM) at the
lommumity Souse and seplassist picture ohoss and never do ary work at home.
2 denithnO* whoa eve beam ti a pasture ohm, I car hv'.'e a better time
with the ij.nd of duties it -takes te feed up* milk, and take oere of animals.
Woo used-tiverrki 2vdso. it all my life. lk mother died when I was
twe years aid- 'even ammtho 01d, and Clyde, my 1)021 brother, wee nine months
old. Z. was eighteen NMI 1117 hther sixteen, when Pa ;Tarried the seoord tire.*
With s chiskle, she contissedelbeh he marri4 a widow wi-ei already
had oin children. .Now they have nine of theirOwn There's or dead. It
died shea's-baby. No woult-have boon ten years old row. That rakes y pa
have eleven children. lied tbe elOow with her mine J.E! ,n,-„; the six she
elreedy bad give* her fifteen* don't ittft
maioried *hen 1 was *lateen, ai,;Out the tit 1a marriAi the s oe-d
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time. They iseeor worked ia:theo Tinnithero 111144 They raised a plenty
to lost Aed-lettee eaten. 411 the hell weevil get se bad."'
Tony, idle hid listened to us very attentively. "Peke %IP; *Then,
were sewn boys in eur family. Osso brother died four years ago at the
ade sf-fiftpiene. There were three girls, and all died young. But
there's wy grand*, he lived to be adeety-five years old. His if. was
five years younger. Then she diode she hadn't been in bed but two digs.
She.eas busy all her life.- They had ten children. Six of us are still
living. Half of SS live in sale, and the other three are living in
the country. One of my brothers lives her, in itnneboro Mill village.
John lives at a pill in Ohion. Swann is at a mill in Santuck, with
Albert. MSrman, be'. all drawn with rheumatism. Can't work any more.
He has to be takemeare at and malted on like a baby. We all together
give yhat we can for hie support. Doctor's medicine don't help him atall.
ilNest geteltersi.
Men there's Pa, hes been helpless five years, paralyzed. But
I pay twenty sent' every week out of my cheek to the old age pension.
It can't go to Oh in his old age. don't understand a thing in the
world about that eld age pension money, and nobody else doss. I don't
believe the ones that made the law know anything about it. Pa has a
little land that he would mortgage if he could get in on that old age
-pension.
°Mr etepoother and the children take care of hie. He's done well,
thoUgh, to raise, help feed, and take cars of sixteen children. We all
knew hmete work. On the farm I knocked oottonotalks, cut cornstalks,
sprouted many a new pound, to got ready for the next year's planting,
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and helped get dp the veld to burn for a family of twelve.
We livid as rested laid oat of. sir lives. Pa vas a sharecropper,
moving from oait farm to *mother. Like Mattis told you, we rent the
little place we have cur sees and other stock on a few miles out hers
in the country. X never seined afoot of land, but I mean to before I
die. That** why the old_lady an* me** willing to work so steady now.
I want to have a shelter ever our -beads and not be dependent on the
ether fellow. X don't knew, though, me don't MVO a groat deal, but
we all mirk hard ell the time. We never would have left the farm if
old Mr. Boll Weevil Wet come along when he did. Why, he just eat us
out of everything. We hold on a few years. We've been hers in the
Winnsboro Mill seventeen years. Ton years in this same house. X liked
the talismans when we were making money, but, as things were, we
couldn't got along stall. like it hers in the Winnsboro Mills. X
de get blue sometimes ghat in here. Then X get out on the little place
we rent sad forget myself and the blues. It's a great thing to have
something to de en the side like that. Besides, we can have a lot of
things that we coouldn% have without our farm work. Mattis, show her
whet we have here in the house..
Mattis led the way through the hall and into the bathroom. There
we saw a long pole fastened across the bathroom from wall to wall, on
which vas hanging large hams, shoulders, and sides of meat. Mattis
said, sIveskon you will think vs are sating too much hog meat. But
it takes it when we work, and it keeps us from having bit; grocery bills.
We don't buy so much. This meat is from throe big hogs. The company
lets Us NIVO our chickens and a vegetable garden hers in the back yard.
11***fteld yea 004 like eons Mnd pig* dein in the company pastures
and the things tie have emi ea the firm. Me like milk, butter, eggs,
chickens vegistibles4 hog smndyand our own lard. There is little left
te bop
°There's IssiSliwitibe makes her money, but she buys what she
rents and eaves heirmemey* 14 don't stint her nor take her money for
beards Ihy, Tiny gives her money to go to the show or buy any little
'things the MMOU mphisia* She is not wasteful with it. She gives her
talth.t* the sherthena** de. 44 all give tan cents of every dollar
we mike tie the charektfhesides what we give here in the neighborhood
Lu sitkness and deaths.
wire send flowers to funerals When there's a death. Of course,
meybe-we oughtn't it do that, but we work hard and enjoy giving in those
ways. I 'Mak about when we are old or in trouble it would be nice to
knew *or neighbor &lauds thought that much of us. I'd hate to have a
eollection taken up for say of us, but then a body can't help getting
down end out sometimes.
nit* Dean, Telly's overseer, doss dearly love to muke up a purse
to -help any one that's sick and in used. Then the churches all help,
and the mill ceepany will de for people in case of their needing it.
The Bible -teaches vs t* help then that's in need, don't it?"
*Mores. Aisle I. working in the ten cent store, and she gives
a dine out of dory dollar she makes to our Baptist Church. But then
eke enjoys giving. Xvery day she brings home fruit, candy, or something
that gives that cripple hey living next door to us some pleasure. ale
feels that sorry for his sitting there day in day out. And she's so
8
thankful the issible to Irk, the say* he °tighter do all she can for
such people. Just today, the took her hour off at dinner time to cone
home with the ear and take her cousin, ohmeo husband was killed on the
railroad trim* by the On **slosh train Sunday, to the cemetery to make
kedak pioturet of bar husband's grave end the flowers.
"It was Mr. Sidon, wife. She is vusaasia,* Wattle said. With a
forlorn expression on her usual sailing countenance, she continued,
41hy, his *Us had just got out of the oar to go home. They live over
there on the sill hill hear the railroad track. Her husband, Olin, was
going on uptown. -There's-a sort of a hill to drive up on at the track,
*ad *hen he got up it the ear vent dead. After the train stopped, they
enandned him and found his leather jacket sleeve hudg tight to the handle
if the car doer. Anna, his wife, said she couldn't make out why he
didn't jueluti save himself.
"Poor thing, 'Ws grieving herself to death. Why, they had the
funeral two days after he gas killed. Exactly forty-eight hours after
that six O's1ook train *truck him, the sanket was being lowered in the
grave and our preacher vas saying 'ashes to ashes and dust to dust.*
Than 2 thought ppm. Anna was going crazy. We just had to hold her when
thIS train blew for that ORM° crossing at six o'clock. That was the
most mournful sound ever I heard in my life.
'There never seen so many pretty legion of flowers, and the
*AU'S:Dials are just as pretty as they were the day they were put there.
They stand the rain and tad weather and will be pretty for weeks yet."
•Ban, ten years old, was sitting on a gag in front of the firs
playing with tairim140, when a loud crash was heard on the front perch.
I expected the front deer 'to fly open. Tally laughed heartily, and
lofting at tine he naidi "hare they are, Dent Oe open the door. Don't
be 'eared. You knew Swell keep up that net*, 'til you go out."
!aryl What you doing/ Coes on int AU were laughing as they went
to the welt. Wattle explaineds "Why, this is Valentine's night. They
de this ens. a yeari ereund to the homes of frineds and them they knew
well. They keep on reeking the house the one it's being done for
somas out." There were sticks, rocks, and some pieces of timber piled
on the doorsteps.
"They don't mean no hare," Wattle said, "that's just fun they're
hawing.: have known of them throwing buckets of cold water at the doers,
bet that's been a longtime tack. That was just carrying it too far.
1. could report it to the police force and have it all stopped if they
was. doing any barn. Order is kept here all the time, and children are
not ellowed to take this village. have heard of people having trouble
about things on the outside at other This mill company don't stand
fer-nething being destroyed and bothered. Our chickens and gardens are
as safe hero as when we lived in the country.
"There,are drawbacks to everything, but we get along with our
neighbors and always have. we would miss them, tee, out on a farm, but
Tally and me say we are going bock to the farm before we die, as we have
told you before. We want to save up money enough to have a home in the
country with all conveniences. There are a lot of things about the mill
village we wad miss. Het wouldn't it be a geed feeling when we are old
to think we lived in our own house W. Just couldn't get on without the
car. It gives us a way to go out to that farm and Essie line a way to get
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Uptown to her sarklbetides going other places for pleasure. Looks
las a body nesiseons 40407nent when they've worked hard.
"Ta11104 &Imre_ done a good part by his family. He votes a straight
,democratic ticket. Me don't cars about taking part in politics, but ho
'supports the party. Of course, we don't. 'prove of this liquor bill.
UcHtany down hors don't have what they would, if the men didn't take
.Ahtir pay checks and spend it for ligeor instead of groceries and clothes.
That's ihst-askes sons of our people look 44 poor and hard...up. Money is
Jest being used the wrong Vey+
"We. couldn't waists and throw away money and do what we want to for
_thefts younguns of ours. -It's like I toll you, Tally's been a good husband
and a good-aan in his hoes, but he don't know nothing in book learning."
*net« TAW interrupted, *we had nothing but a little country
sehool whoaI grew up. Oas teacher had all the grades and a crowd of
children. I walked four miles to the school. Went early and stayed
late-. Went of ths time that school was going on, I had to be busy there
en thefetn, doing all the jobs I've already told you we did there."
"11th me it was difforont, Hattie rejoined. "I didn't do so much work
.in wiater., loved ay honks and went through seven grades. We have worked
and tried to keep Zsaie-Mies end Den in school. Eosie Mhe liked school,
and when she finished the seventh grade down here in Everette School,
shOwent on uptOwl-to Hit Zion Institute. Sho graduated there in four
years. That's liko a college, I tell her. I hop. we can just ,,;et Dan
throughAihore, too. H. don't try like Iasi. Mae. He plays and don't
got near'the good grades skis used to get."
*Rays just don't seen to care so much about books, Tally said.
wo are leing_to- iso_hiie through ilk. Una, iif ho will go on and do
:III yoU ne hes doing' dean hero. 'Awe is no use of boys and girls
grewing.:up without an:edneation now. .104140oy teach them everything.
They have cooking and sowing dowa bore in our *shoal and in the Nt. Zion
**boo/ toe. They havo'n shop for boys to learn carpentry and a regular
.little will down at Iverotto. %soh than all kinds of mill work there."
"Besiisabsing a good ottisen in the oomannity and a hard working
nanollattie "woke in behalf of her husband, "Tilly is a deacon in the
Stephen areenlisnoric3. initist Church, and a member of the Men's Bible
Clasp. Ma's bees president of it several times. Vas, we all think a lot
of Mr. Padgett, our pewter. I don't kneuruhat we'd do if it wasn't for him
harepAn our midst, Alnsys doing good wherever he goes. was baptized
*maI was about twelve yoars o14. Tally didn't join the church until he
smetwenty.ons.-110 had 110444 married a year, when he just up and skid
to noene,dzky, slianitt, 2 an going to join the church 3unday and be baptized."
I said, 'You night as till, Tally, you live a Christian life anyway.
And you Gould do a lot, of good, if you would join the church.' All of our
children:just naturally grow up i* the church, going with ue every Uuaday."
lelleard footsie**. Soon the front door opened and Eseie Mt and the
yoUng.nali she had gone out with eats .in. I learned that the young men,
Mr. Arrington, was lastrustor in the shop or manual arts room at the mill
School- Iveratte. MOrhad a violin case in his hand.
$ssie Man said4 *Bs Naps with our church music, and we have just
been practicing for Sundaes serVidea.! As the clock struck ten -thirty,
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Ir. Arrington said goodifto to all of ns• I could not refrain from
Wing, "Ns looks like a *Ise young usa, Essig Sae." She blushingly
said, "Be is nisi', hat mere just good friends."
"X must ba going," Toi4. "The time has passod so fast and pleasant,*
ly, I had no idea it gas se lato."
"Oh, that's all right," said Tally and linttie in the same breath.
"CO.. back again as soon as you can, and you'll always find our
latchstring hangs on the outside of the door.*
"Then I think I mill bs back for breakfast, to have sone of that
good has you showed ime• I have certainly enjoyed the availing and,
expect to see you again soon.*