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Approximately 3,000 words
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TITLEs
SOUTH CAROL! NA WRITERS' PROJECT
LIFE HISTORY
YOU CAN DO WH&T YOU WANT TO
Date of First Writing
Nene of Person Interviewed
Fictitious Name
Street Address
Place,
Ocoupation
Name of Writer
Name of Reviser
December 1, 1939
Mrs. Colie Craft (white)
The Crofton Family
R.F.D. 46
Columbia, S.C.
Textile Worker
Hattie T. Jones
State Office
"No, sir, I'm not the least bit interested. IS don't want to sell
at all. For $6,000? Don't list it at any price. It's simply not for
sale," Mrs. Crofton said emphatically and hung up the receiver. "That
real estate man is determined to get a7 house sold; but he just as well let
me alone about it. I've no notion of selling it. I've worked too bloomine
hard to pay for it. It's not fines but it's been home to um for ten years,
and we love every old board in it.
2.
"noun's, this living room furniture belongs to Eugenia. When the
vas a teeny bit of a thing I promiaed her a eat if tiled be the right
kind of a girl. And she had been as good by the time the was twelve
years old that I let her go up street and buy what the wanted; and I
paid for it, piano and all.
"I had to keep my promise to Kirby, too, and that cost me an auto-
mobile," the continued proudly. "NI and him agreed if he'd never ourse
nor drink nor smoke till he was teemtrione, he could have a oar. Well,
he got it all right, a brand new Chevrolet.
"But the children had a mighty hard time trying to get an educa-
tion, and neither one of 'em has ever throwed away any money. You see
these diplomas Five of 'eat on the walls. I can show you just as many
medals. Kirby won two and Eugenia, three. Besides, Eugenia was vale-
dictory of her class when she finished high school. They both finished
when they were sixteen and started in at the University of South
Carolina the next fall: They both took that ABC course or do they call
it an course? But Kirby didn't graduate. Eugenia's been teaching
in the grammar school at Gibson, North Carolina, four years. That child's
a born teacher, too. When the wasn't but eight years old she had a play
school in our back yard under a big oak tree. I mean the children would
take it in, too. She's always loved children. She's been teaching
Sunday School every since she was fifteen years old.
"I hate debt worse 'n anybody in the world, I reckon, and I was
determined not to go in debt for their education. So the child's had
to do all sorts of things to get through college. She's kept house for
people, corrected typing papers, worked in the mill, and cleaned up that
3.
barber shop right out there. She got fifty mat a day for that, but it
was awful dirty work. Soon as the raduated* she started in on her master's
degree at the university* and she'll get that this summer. And the ain't
stopping at that* either. She told se this fall, 'Don't you think I'll
quit with that. Nobody's going to block me; I'll headed straight for Colump.
bia University.' And *hell get there, too. She's pretty as a peach, and
the's got lots ol boy friends; but I don't think she's really in by, with
any of them.
"W mother's been living with me fourteen years* and the children
think the world or her. I'll call her."
"It's my job to loath all the dishes every morning*" said Mrs.
Sehaffeur* who was drying her hands on her apron as she came into the roam.
"'hen that's done* I start out visiting all our neighbor* before it's time
to start dinner. I tell tem I've worked in the field since I knowed haw
to get out there and I think I ought to have some root now. Aary* ain't it
about time for Kirby to come over?"
"He may not oame this morning* kother. You forget he has a wife
now* and she has to have some of his attention. Janie comes with him* and
I reckon she's still got on her pajamas. I'm glad Kirby's got such a fine
house to live in now. His life's been plenty hard all along. He's had
paper routes over since he's been big enough to carry papers* and he's
always turned his money over to me to take care of for him. As soon as he
was old enough* he got a job in the mill. He was soon making about twelve
dollars a week. Just after we come to Columbia, he delivered papers from
4230 to 8.30 o'clock in the morning; slept from 7 to 9; and then to school.
In the afternoon he slept from 2 till 5 o'clock and worked eleven hours in the
4.
mill. He graduated from high school at sixteen, just like Eugenia, and
entered the University of South Carolina. His expenses ran from $100
to #200 a year, mime had a pretty tough time getting it paid, but we
met all the payments somehow. In the middle of his last year, he saw
an 'ad' in The State and answered it. The Standard Oil Company vented
a sun at $75 a month. This was too great a temptation to Kirby, and he
decided to stop school and take the job. I told Ma it was providential;
for the very day Kirby started work, the first Monday in September, a
strike was called at the mill and Kirby moulder been out of murk three
weeks. Than they compromised. That was five years ago, and we ain't
had a strike since. In two years, Kirby took a notion he'd go back to
school and study law, working for the Standard in the afternoons when
he could. But he just stayed a year that time. He got in his head about
getting married, same couldn't de a thing with him."
"Hoe, Mary, you know you are the one who put a stop to him going
to school," interrupted Mrs. Sehaffeer. "You know you wanted a preacher,
instead of a lawyer, out of him. That's the reason ho quit like he did.
But he's never felt a call to preach yet. Maybe he will some day, though.
Marys put some more mood on the fire. I'm cold. Better brown a body's
logs than be cold."
"Kirby had been in love for two years with the stenographer that
marked in the same place where he worked." Mrs. Crofton continued, as
the replenished the fire. "And I reckon it was about time they were get-
ting married. It was a big afternoon wedding at Washington Street Church.
She was Janie Perdue, Mt. Robert Perdue's daughter. And she had the most
parties I ever seen, eighteen or twenty or more. or two weeks there was
a party every night, and some in the daytime too. And the most presents1
5.
Never seen such a lot of nioe presents in all my life. They vent on their
honeymoon to Washington in his oar. Brought us this plaque from Washington.
He's mighty good to take us all on trips in the Chevrolet. We've been 'most
everywhere in it, Miami and to the mountains and to Myrtle Beach, and we're
going to Greenville next Sunday to hear Reverend Johnson preach. He's the
preacher we had before this one, and we were all crazy about him. We all
belong to Whaley Street Methodist Churdh. Kirby's always been a good
ohuroh worker. Been a Sunday School superintendent, a stewards and an
usher. But he's joining Washington Street Methodist Church now. He's
making more than $100 a month, and I reckon it was the best for him to
marry. They're living with her folks, but he *ayes to see
and the nearly always tomes with him".
'I'm pretty sleepy,' Mrs. Crofton yawned.
"Didn't
us real often,
et enough sleep
last night. They called me at 7 o'clock thin earning, because we had no
much ironing to do. I go to the mill at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and
soft till midnight, but I don't get to sleep till after 1 o'clock. When
I get home every night, I wake Mother up and we kindle a fire and sit and
talk for an hour or more. We make coffee and eat something, if we can
find anything to eat. We done sat up our Christmas fruit cake, and we've
got to nabs another one before the children oame home.
*We get pretty Lammas with both children gone, but we have company
nearly all the time. Eugenia's coming home for Christmas in her car. Says
she's going to leave it here for us to enjoy a while. I can't drive, but
she says she can learn me. She says there ain't never been nothing I
couldn't learn how to do if I vented to bad enough. An' I reckon that's
the truth. Eugenia'll want to have a bridge party soon as she gets here,
6.
I know. I just as well get the emu alike ready, so I can serve refresh-
ments."
"It's funny about cards," Uri. Sohaffeur added. "I useter ley every
one I could find in the fire. Now Miry has bridge parties in her own house.
Ain't times changed?"
"I never had no time to play anything, Mather," Ars. Crofton resumed.
"I worked in the field all the time till I got married. leas sixteen and
married a manmors'n twice as old as I was. Daniel was a alone neighbor
of ours. Mum his wife died, he said he was so lonesome and the children
needed a mother no bad, that I reckon I just couldn't get rid of him. He
has a house and that we. one thiag I had always longed for, a home I could
call my own."
11114 lived on a farm two years," Mrs. Crofton oontinued, "and then, we
moved to Cayes idlers we lived thirteen years. Daniel run a little meat
narket at first, and then he was thief policeman. I was the postmistress
and kept boarders, too. I've worked everywhere you find me, but those were
the days that seem the hardest to me now.
"My salary as postmistress was #75 a month at first, and then it was
raised to #90. Camp Jackson was being built then, and I had fifteen or
twenty men boarding with me. They were carpenters. I only charged them
#5.50 a week, they vent home an Saturday afternoons.
"But we decided to novo batik to the farm, this time to live on one
hundred acres Daniel got when his father died. W. sold that farm to my
stepson four years ago, but not one cent has he paid on it. From there
we came to Coluabia ten years ago. I was discouraged with marking so
hard in the field and having nothing to show for it. Then I vas determined
7.
to edueste my Children, and that seemed the only °Ilene*. I got a job in
the spinning room at Olympia& and I've been there ever eine.. At first I
made $11; then $1900 for three yeers. But they took us women off that
shift, and now I only mks $12.20
*We've had so muth sidkness and such big doctor bills to pay.
I've never been strong. I've had three operations. Hight after me and
Daniel got married, he took blood peison from a teeny little scratch on
his band. Hie whole arm got black and swelled up till it was twice its
sise. For weeks I stayed up nearly all aidet =Acing with that hand.
The doctor was here every day for three months. Looked like Daniel mould
die in spite of all we could do.
alle has had to walk on erutebes for a long time and noshes al-
most no use of his hand. He sells at the city market* Tries to sell
produce& turkeys, Chickens& vegetables, and other things which he has
bought* He has a oat there and never some* home nights unless it's very
cold. Has to stay there to keep anybody rram taking his things, you know.
Really& he don't make expenses; but it gives him something to do and to
think about, and so we let him do it.
"Sometimes I've thought I'd start a budget, but I never have
knowed how to start. I just pay all mv bills with *Mat I gat at the
mill& and then with my rent money& usually about $75 a month, I nake in-
vestnents. I consider real estate the best one I can make.
"I built a house at Gaye* that eost me, lot and all, $2,400, and
I've sold it this week to a friend far $2,650. It is valued at $3,200.
But it certainly dreaned me to build that house* I mean it took every
oent I had to pay for it.
8.
"NV barber shop is possibly my beet investment; this one right here
by the house. I built it nine yeers ago and it oost an $600. I've rented
it every year for $20 a month; so you see I paid for it the first two years,
including interests taxless and all. The other seven years I've and. good
money an its The same man I built it for hes rented it every year and
pays his rent regularly* too. I hese a life insurance policy for $2,000,
and Daniel has one for $1,000. Air taglIM4 amount to about $60.
*Tessin have enoogh land around the house for a small gardens and
for several years I tried to have a garden* hut I find I can buy my veg-
*tables Cheap, about as °hoer as I eaa grew thea. I either had to hire
the garden waited °resift it nysattsearnIuseet able; soIput flowers
in thet epee. Ties I sold a relief than, but I didn't plant than to
sell. I planted than to enjoy ervelf and to cut for ny friends. I'm try-
ing to enjoy life a little sere nee sot think about saving all the time
like I used to. I had to save thee*
°The girl eh° brought ey sell in is a nighty sweet girl. She's a
oousin of nines just like one of my own younguns. I borrow from hers and
she borrows from no /sheave get out of money. I realize it don't pey ne
to keep one boarders but she helps with the work, kind of like home folks.
She goes home every evelo•end and just pays no $8.60 a week. She cones home
with no at midnight from the nill. It's a quarter of a mile from the mill
to our house."
"Very, did you give that nen that come here this morning the contract
for your new house at Cayce?" Mrs. Sehaffeur interrupted.
"Nos ma'am, I didn't' and he ain't likely to get it tomorrows when
he cones backs either. I smelt ehiskey on his breath; didn't you? You
9
know I don't have no patience with a thing like that, and I don't have
nobody work for me if he drinks end I know it."
*Will, I ass they are making plans to inaugurate our new governor,*
Mess Crofton continued, as She *pond the morning paper. We liked the old
governor, and we like the new one just a little better. Like President
Roosevelt bettor and better all tbe time, too. Everybody in my family
voted for both of theme
"No, Miry" explained Mrs. Sebeffeur, 'You have forgot I didn't vote
this time. Not that I'm opposed to women voting, even if it yes oonsidered
disgraceful when I yes growing up. But somehow I didn't feel like I wanted
to vote this time, and I Just &Nadel I'd stay at home and pray and ask the
Lord to manage the election. I thought that He could do more about it than
I could."
"Oh, Qbteenie, are you oold?* Mrs. Crofton exclaimed, as a Chinese
Chow humbly sought admittanes to the room.. "I plumb forgot to let ny
doggie in this morning. She's a beauty, but let me thaw you her pups.
They're prettier than the is. COMO around to the side yard. Ain't they
the sweetest things you ever sew? These two brown ones especially. They're
just six weeks old, and I can sell then for ten dollars apiece. But I've
already promised to give them, to some friends. I'm so orasy about them,
though, I don't see how I'm ever to let them go. Those dogs and my flowers
are all the recreation I have. When I get plumb 'worried down, these puppies
and my flowers help to pull no up.*
"Miry, is my breakfast ready?" a frail..looking man asked as he washed
his hands on the beak porch.
*Laney me, yes, I guess Mother's keeping it warm for you. I haven't
had nine either, though I should have been ironing long ago. It's after ten
o'clock, ain't it?"