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TITLE:
SOUR emoLINA .;AIrxhs' PR9J.,i;?
LIY HISTORY
IN-LA4S AND T.3.'S
Date of First writing March 9, 1939
Name of Person Interviewed Carrie Johnson
Fictitious Name Juno Oarrol
Street Address House No. 1400f (known
just as 1400 Block)
Place Winnsboro Mills
linnsboro 3. C.
Occupation dinnsooro Mills Rune
sides in Cardroom
WILMO of Writer Lucile Clarke Ford
Name of Reviser State Office
"Good morning! Come inside: I was just sitting here on the Ooor-
stepe minding Jacqueline to keep her out of the street. 3he's just four
years old and wants to e out of doors all the time. On rai:iy days, we
have to keep her in. You say you just as soon sit here as to go inside?
This is where I sit all the time in good weather. You can sit here on
this porch in the sun all the winter in the mornias. In sam,,r, it
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is shady and ool in the afternoons. Here's where our no boys at when
they CO by."
Jane get up from the stops and took one of the chairs close to where
I ens tested. The porch, about eight feet across and five feet deep, with
a substantial banister railing around it, woo exactly like the one en the
opposite side of the duplex house. The sage -green weetherbourded porch
mall gavestaileaningbankground for Jane% golden blonde heir, blue yeyes,
and Aar, naturally pink co#plexion. he wore a flowered ootton print,
orioply stachad and ironed.
"I have been here lith-Thelmh, sister, a week," Jane contihued.
"I eleays stay °war hero with her and her huaDand, Touoy, when ill 'ii gone*
goos about a let. Be's not satiefied long seywhere. I know he oughter
go on buck to the "tato Perk and stay till he is cured. Hut he don't went
to stay there. B. just stayed five months and left there on his own. They
wanted him to stay eighteen months, or just as long as it would take to cure
him. They are trying to got him buck. The aura us tell me it 'ii hard to get
them back shun they leave like that. .They want you to sign up for eighteen
months. If you are not cured in that time, you sign again for another eith,a
teen months* Mio, it wasn't that he was mistreated* Bill said they waited
on him end done for him sale as if he 4u$ a baby. He just didn't lila
to stay there*
"Dill's Ma is the owe way. Dr. Bryson and the healti: ;Iursoe sent her
to 3tate Park. They told her she'd oughter etay eighteen months anybibe.
You want to know how long she was there? It was three or four weeks*
04remember which. They have all moved to a farm in Butch Fork, Lexington
County. I reckonitbe•thought the people there didn't know nor care if she
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had thelf•B.'s or not. So she up and left
she don't care nothing atoll about herself
swots to go and then didn't stay.
"Bill's family always lived on farms.
just rented. They were born and raised in
Perk sestion. It is a good farming county
the:Cato:to Park. Lofts like
She had all sorts of eneourago.
They didn't own their land,
LexinOon County, the Dutch
They moved to Winnsboro Will
village about eight or nine years ego. While they lived here, they moved
three timee that I know of.
"They lived on the hill once, then moved into the little house on the
edge of the mill village. That house belongs to Dr. McGants. There's
where they stayed three or four years. They moved over into the Mexico
settlement and lived there for several years. It's hard to rent a house
here when a family that has had T. B. 'a has lived in it. Frew, the house
Mang gave that house to three different families before anybody lived in it.
The ones that moved in fumigated it theirsolves. But tho outside mill
hands had already cleaned it up good. A body never knows shen they are moving
from place to plows those been in that house and what they have died of.
°I wish I Gould get rooms here on the hill where I could have a
bathroom, lights, and voter. We have a sanitary privy outside there in
Mexico. There is a home* near us that, has a faucet in the back yard. I
.have to get my water from there. I do enjoy the bathroom here at Thelma's*
The houses over in MOK100 belongs to different men uptown. They ain't mush
houses, and nothing', around than like tho grass and shrubbery the mill
houses have amend them. I just rent two rooms, and it costs as $1.25 a
week. They ain't big enough to cuss a cat in. Usok like they ain't never
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'tined up I have to sleep in one room, and we cook, eat, and sit in
the other. Thelma and Tansy Jun* pay fifty cents every week for **oh room.
She has two room:, and the bathroom and this porch. Thelma can have a
garden here in her back lot, but the don't have one. All of as go to the
mill. Then we do all, the work here together. 'When I stay hers, help
with Jacqueline and tho work in the house, too. I don't pay any board.
There's plenty of room in the bedroom for Thelma and Toney and Jacqueline.
it"a cool in the 'summer.
"I have to be at the mill at four o'clock every afternoon and stay
there till twelve at night. We can buy a supper at the mill. eat some.
where batman's six.wthirty and eight o'clock it night. Sometimes, when
go to bed at twelve, I don't get up next morning till ten -thirty. I do
get up at six some mornings, because I like to eat breakfast with the rest.
It tastes better, and I oat more. But I hardly ever go back to bed after
get up that early. At night, I get a glass of milk, some crackers, and
maybe candy;
"I don't mind the work at night. can't go to the picture show.
The church don't like for us to go to pictures. do hate to miss the
)(other4s Club, though. That's such a help to the people. They have good
times when they meet and sew. When a body that is down and out has a
boy, they will send them clothes. have known than to give a whole out-
fit for a baby, when a family was in had. Seems like all women not
'Forking at night would go to the Mother's Club. But they don't care so
much about going, and those that work at night have to give up such as that.
"There's the Community House, guess it's more for men. If women
visit the sick and do for the people that need them, it vill give them
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plenty to de. Mill has always had a good job, and I've been lucky, too.
InA last year, mhen Bill was so sick and our little baby took sick and
died so suddenly, the mill was laying off hands, and couldn't get noth*.
ing to do. There vas plenty that didn't have work in the mill. I signed
up and get some of the Government work.
!First thing., I got a notice to go to the MA. We. Ford MAO foreman.
A *lewd of girls, most of than younger than me, sewed every day. We worked
by the Government hours. That was the easiest work ever I did. We could
*ow en whatever materials Mrs. Ford could get for us. Just as luck would
have it, We. Wright, they called her attendance officer for the schools,
brought bolts and bolts of the prettiest soft cotton cloth. It was pink,
blue, peach, and lavender. She wanted baby clothes made. She said that
after shot would get clothes enoughtto go around in a big family, there
mould generally be a new baby and no clothes and no money to spare for it..
"Did I enjoy seeing on them baby clothes? Well 1 gusset Loan like
after my baby had died, I couldn't have sewed on baby clothes. But I enjoyed
making up all kinds of little dresses, sacks, wrappers, and everything.
Trouble was, I didn't wake but five dollars and twenty-five cents a week,
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and we couldn t work straight time. Had to work a meek and lay off a week.
That gave no ten dollars and fifty cents a month to live on. Then Bill
left the State Park. When the nurses come to see me, I promised them we
would sleep in separate rooms. They said I would catch T.B.'s from him and
that maybe another baby would cone and be sickly and die like our little boy
did. We couldn't hardly get oh with Bill not marking. NV people helped us
some. His people couldn't do much for us. So many of them are sick about
all the time. Sickliest people ever you saw. NY folks, the Waters, ain't
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that may.
"The Governmont workers helped to get me on WPA. I was put to work
at the Potato Nam, they called it. We sewed there, making rugs and quilts.
2 nolo twentyaano dollars a month. They sent for no to come back to the
mill, when they started up full tine in August. make ten dollars a week.
That's more than I could make at Govornment work. Bank when I first learned
to run sides, X aould nuke as mob as fourteen dollar, a shook. With the new
strotoh..out spasm and lotting several work on the sane job, ten dollars is
as much as I over mak* now. Mill and as both have to got on with that.
It takes it, too, when Immo rant is paid and groceries and medicine is
bought. I don't have a coat left to buy clothes or furniture or anything
for the house. I do hums to buOi;thes and a suit once in awhile. I
always buy on the installment plan and pay as I can. I have learned I can
got on without buying clothes. I used to get a now dress about evorytine
1 got a chock. I have boon wearing my old dresses two years.
"If the rest of the people didn t buy no more than we do, Ur. 8.1k 'a
and all the other dry goods stores in Winnsboro would close up, me. Propet
did close in the hard tInes. They said he went into bankrupt. None of us
hero at the mills dress like we used to. You can see woman wearing a plain
cotton print out around the neighborhood now, even down to wives of boss
man. Bofors the hard times, we wouldn't go nowhere without a good silk or
satin dress on, summer and winter. But en thankful 1 have my health and
can work. We never have had a collec:tIon taken for us. Everybody was
having it hard when our baby died. don't know what we would have done
along about then if hadn't had that Government work. Of course, they do
say there is always a way, ut sure have been thankful for that work and
IT
MY *maths
71 Wm to sot, and r want my three meals a day. We just about have
the seas kind of breakfast every day. Most of the time it's grits, eggs,
toast, and soffee.-tionetimes we have bacon or ham, if we feel like we can
afford it. Once in a while we get steak for our dinner. When I stayed in
that,bouse in.lianieo and took care of Bill, I couldn't eat any breaRfast.
Th'h,s been making as stay here, and we fix up and eat all kinds of good
things. But you can los& at her and see she gets plenty to eat. Our people,
the Walters, always had a plenty to eat and didn't have much sickness.
,ply folk. lived here about nine years. This where I met Bill. We
were married bore. Pt marked in the cerdroom. He got sick just when they
were laying off bands, and he was not taken back on his work after he got
well. He got thirteen weeks"' pay from insurance the mill gives people when
they are sick. That thirteen weeks he got about seven dollars and fifty cents
a week. That WA a help, but not what he needed. He is not but fifty-five
or fifty-six years old, but he's about done for in the mill. Now he's try..
ing to learn eemmthigg else. He's moved to a farm near Lancaster. Ha thinks
he will like it.
91111 work is all I know, and I don't believe could do anything else.
I like my job and try to run it the best can. I can't stand to be without
work, and, even when I don't get so much, 1 like my regular pay check coming.
If I tried it out in the country, know I'd die.
lonely. I like to see people going and coming and
myself. Here we have nice yards with green grass,
/t seems so quiet and
to heve some4here to go
shrubbery, flowers and
trees, all planted by tho mill oompany, and they keep it up. Thelma don't
try te have a garden and chickens, but she does have a cow and pigs. They
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killed a pig net long ago. it's a lot of help.
"Hone of us have a car. There's so many accidents and so many people
"setting killed, I don't even want one. couldn't haver pay for a car out
of what I mike. Some people that have them and drive so nuch, I don't see
how they make it on their pay. You can get en here without one. Can get
a taxi uptown for ten cents. it's twenty cents a round trip. But I don't
mind walking, never expect to own a home, either. know we will always
have to rent. But my people haA always rented, and all of Bill's people,
toe, and they always got on.
"Bill's people have so much sickness all the time, I don't visit there.
I'd rather b., with my own folks. His mother coughs and spits up all the
time. But She goes right on about the house work, cooking and everything.
Sill's father is named Charlie Johnson. He has a brother, Clyde, about
forty years old. He was sent to State Park, but wouldn't stay. His wife
is dead. She got right weakly and died after she had been married to him
a few years. I ain't kept up with them. I don't know whother any of her
children are living yet or not. There's Pat's family, he is Bill's brother
living at Rockton. The health nurses tested them and say none of them
have T.B.'s. He has work here in the mill. There's another brother,
Harry, about sixteen years old. He is at hone.
"Bill's sister, Edna, is fourteen years old. She h a T.B.'s and
is the only one of that family that stays at State Park. She's been
there a year on March the 19. When she went there last year, she weighed
eighty-five pounds. Looked just like a bar of soap after a day's washing.
You just oughter see her now. Thelma and me got a chance to go to see her
Sunday. She weighs ohA hundred and five pounds now. She didn't cough
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beers She west there* but shams bad to have colds and was thin. She
wouldn't set rotaiage either. Slow she eats. I wish you could see the
tray full et vittles_she eat 44eday while we was there. Shit says they
have geed stare Wm that all the time. She had chicken and ice cream.
Sometime* they hews ham and steak. And she drinks milk three tines a
day. ?hey don't give her modisineeten. kit wnen they do have to give
it taker, she says they put it in her vittles and she don't know she's
taking it. She told us about having to take gas. It's put in with a big
needle. I don't know ghat it memo. You may know. It has 200 c.c. on it.
She says it don't hurt. She hi, to take it about 'twice a week.
-"They wear pajamas st State Park. She took hers with her. She also
took a oolhla brush, a tooth brush, a house coat, and bedroom slippers.
The State Park furnishes all the sheets, cover, towels, and soap. Mr.
Turner, the superintondent of the school here, has been such a help to her.
Rs had to go to a place called Oteen, in North Carolina, after he was gassed
in the war. He stayed there until he vas cured. He told Edna that still
and get he goes to Led *ad rests when he gets home every day. Edna says she
is going to stay at State Park till she is cured.
"Bill didn't look thin and bad when they took him to the state Park.
He's tall and fine looking, about three inches taller than I am. He lied
about his age. He wasn't but seventeen when we married two years ago. I
was nineteen. He say. he was afraid I wouldn't have married him if I had
known his age. He ain't but nineteen now.
"I can vote this year, being as I am twenty-one. I don't care nothing
about it, but it might help somebody else if I vote. That's one thing wy
pa never talked. He voted, and never have heard him say a time who
he *41.0 going to vote for.
Illimberg preaches at the Holiness Baptist Church. And I never
hear him say a thing against semen voting. 1 like to go to church, but
r don't pay much to the church. ain't able to.