Document text
Ap roximately 1800 ords
SOUT CAROLINA WRITERSt ROJECT
LIFE YISTORY
TITLE: BEN ADAMS.
Date of First Writin6 March 22, 1939
Name .'erson Interviewed Ned Fort
Race White
Fictitious rame Ben Adana
Address Awendaw, S. C.
Occupation Farmer aand Cattleman
Name of Writer Charles A. Von Ohsen
Magi of Reviser State Office.
Code No.1858
Charles A. Von Macon
NoClialanville 8. Cs
BEN ADA148.
LIFE HISTORY
Ben Adams was born in a little shack, an the Jamestown High-
way, He doesn't know the exact years for when the house burned,
some years later the family Bible was burned in it. There were
two sisters and two brothers in the family, but they are all dead
now.
His father was quite well-off. He was a cattleman, owning
six or seven hundred hoed of cows and several hundred Acres of
land. But one of his slaves killed him and unfortunately his
widow and children lost the cattle and property.
There were very few schools in this part of the country when
"Uncle Bees as he is called, was a child, and so he got very lit-
tle education. He attended a school in Kingstree for about two
years. His teacher was a Mr. Epps.
When a young mans Uncle Ben was quite a sport. He went with
the girls, danced and drank. He says that the young people
frolicked in the winters for in the summer they had to work.
Besides the weather was too hot. At the dances, which lasted for
several days, he says that they were fed the best of food and
plenty of it.
The year of his marriage has been forgotten, but Ben believes
that he was about twenty years of age. He married Eugenia Butler.
His family did not approve of the match, so he has lived apart from
the other members of his family, except in oases of illness or death.
He and his wife raised nine children, all of whom are now living.
Cods NO. 1855
aligarles A. Von Ohs=
NoClellanville, 5. C.
BEN ADAMS.
Page 2
The oldest is sixty. -two years of age. His wife has been dead for
three or four years.
The house is a onei.story„ whitewashed, frame structure with
a front porch running the entire length. The porch is filled with
stove wood, deer horns and a wildcat hide. There are no curtains
nor shades to the windows. In the living...roam is a bed, sewing..
machine and one or two Chairs. The walls are practically lined with
enlarged photographs, deer heads, doer horns, turkey feet and beard
and tobacco sacks filled with seed. Besides the livingftroom, there
are two bedrooms and a kitchen, used also as a dining roam. The en-
tire house is very clean, but poorly furnished. The yard surrounds.
Lag the house, however, is very unkempt. It is strewn with tin cans,
buckets and all sorts of rubbish. The outwhouses are all in need of
repairs. They afford the cows, pigs and thickens better protection.
When he was first married he says that the most of the money he
made was from killing and selling wild game. Although there is
double or triple the amount of money in circulation now, he says
that he could buy much more for a dollar then.
3petkinz of his earlier years he says, "I can remember away
back yonder, there were no conveniences at all, not even a lamp.
For lights we had to mold tallow in the shapes of candles. The cook.,
ing had to be done in the Chimneys, for there were no stoves. There
weren't even any plows, harrows or anything in that line except hand...
Code No. 1655
Charles A. Von Mason
ftehilliant1111,33. C.
BEN ADAMS.
Page 3 4.
made turn -plows. Now and then you'd see a buggy* but very
seldom* never a wagon and even ox carts were soiree. It took
two days to go to Charleston.
He recalls that when he came home drunk* his wife sensed
his state afar off by the way he whooped. She would says
"Children get your hats and got for Manigault Bay for the old
man is drunk again* They would stay out of the way until they
knew he was sober.
None of the children* except the youngest boy* received an
education. There were no schools im walking distance.
His children are all living near him* and one boy and one
girl live with his. The boys are all either farming or working
on WPA projects.
He has this to say about educations suppose children
should get an education* but I don't see where it does them any
good for most of them don't use it and they ain't worth the
powder and shot it takes to kill them. Now of course it's dif-
ferent when a child wants to be a lawyer* doctor* schoolteacher
or preacher, they use their education."
Uncle Ben has never lift home since he got married* except
to go to some nearby village or to Charleston on business. Be-
fore his marriage* he wont to Mississippi and worked for a year.
He not only does not believe in birth control* but he thinks
it is a great sin.
Code Me. 1655
Charles A. Von Ohsen
S. C.
BEN ADAMS.
Page 4
He is satisfied with his past life for he loves the farm
and cattle* but he is eery dissatisfied wtth life at present
for having always been a hardoworking man and one whose chief
pleasure was found in his work, it goes very hard with him not
to be able to do anything. He is too feeble to work hard now
and his eyesight is very bad. So he has to get someone else to
look after his cattle and to plant his little crop of corn* peas
and potatoes.
Uncle Ben says* "When the sunrise catches me in the bed*
there's something wrong* for I get up early and do whatever work
I can; but that is very little now for I have to stop and rest
so often•N
He has spent very little on doctor bills, for the doctor
who always attendedhim.and his family never made a charge, just
took whatever they gave him, ruch as, hams, turkeys, corn or
hogs.
Knowing nothing about a balanced diet and oaring less, he
eats whatever he has, which is mostly the staple foods, such as,
rice* hominy, corn bread vegetables* pork or wild game, and
occasionally some beef.
He is not a member of any church, but used to attend the
Methodist Church sometimes.
When asked about politics he said: "I have always voted
the Democratic ticket, for the man as best I know* is best fitted
Code No. 1655
Charles A. Von Qhsen
MoClellanvilles 3. C.
BEN ADAMS,
Page 5
for the office. Nobody ever did come around me at the poles to
try and persuade me to vote their way. I Always said that they
could vote to suit themselves and I intended to suit myself."
There are no pleasures for Uncle Ben now. He goes to the
store for tobacco and comes right back home. He can't even hunt
any more for his eye -sight is too bad.
He has worked very hard all of his life and has worked and
hunted in the worst kind of weather. But he has been very lucky,
and is in good health now, for a man of eightr.seven. Although
he is feeble and his eye.sight is bad, he never has eveh a head-
ache. His teeth are his own and can eat anything that his ap.
petite calls for, without ill effects.
He says that he could live very comfortable on ten dollars
a week, but he makes much' lees than this. His only form of in..
come is from his cattle.