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Approximately 2100 words
SOUTH CAROLINA RUMS' PROM?
LINN HISTORY
Titles A HILL HOU FARM
Unto fir ?trot Writing Nareh 31, 1939
Name or Person interviewed Hr. "hinny Haselten
Rae' White
rietitious lame Jimmie Ore..
Address aulerrills, S. C.
Ooeupation Farmer
Name or iritor Charles A. You Oh...
Name or Revisor State Wise
Project 1655
Charles A. Von Ohsen
MoClellanville, S. C.
A HELL HOLE FARMER
Life History
Hell Hole Swamp lies between MOClellanville and Monoks Corner, South
Carolina. This swamp divides into many branches which cross the road many
tines. The tall cypress trees and water oaks cluster together as though each
one was trying to get it's full share of tho water. The water is blaok in
color and runs in a meandering trail over old logs and cypress knees. On the
outer edges of the swamp are little patches of cleared land that breaks the
solid masses of pines.
There are many old roads that wander around in every direction, eventually
leading to a little store, where every one in the community makes hi i weekly
purchases. These people seldom see each other except when they meet at the
store. Of course there are a few who visit outside of this sestion, but most
of them have never been further than Charleston. Many have never been to a
movie and have never seen nor ridden On a train. There is no bus line through
this section so most of the people have to be contented just to stay at home
sines they have no automobiles to travel in. This isolation has a tendency to
make them live as their fore -fathers did. Mr. Jimmie Green, who is seventy-six
years of age, was born in the Hell Hole region and unlike many of the people
of this community gets a great deal of amusement out of the name,
if. lives in a four roam frame house. The living room floor is covered
with a congoleum rug. The furniture consists of a buffet, suing machine, a
Project 1855
Charles A. Von °hem
MoClollanville, S. C.
A WILL HOLE FARMER
Page 2
vietrola on a table, and five or six chairs. On the walls are many enlarged
photographs, with snapshots stuck in the corners. Over the door are two helmets
whioh two of the sons wore in the World War. Besides the living room there are
three bed rooms in the main part of the house and on a wing, a combination
kitchen and dining room. The house though poorly furnished is immaoulato.
In the yard is an old grindstone suspended between two oak trees, and
an old-fashioned well with the curb made of a hollowed -out log. Thor, are a
few rose bushes, but no other shrubbery.
This is the story Mr. alga* told mos
I likt to live here. I am not bothered with any of the evils that you
find out in the rest of the world. here we are away from the cities and high•
ways, with their gambling joints, liquor atom's and such. We Ur* a peaceful
life hero, where all of the families are good, honest, poor pimple. 14 still
have to use oil lamps and bathe in wash tubs, but we don't mind that for we
tumor have had anything else. We don't haw" fine houses and oars, but none of
us have them, so it doesn't worry us at all. We visit each other on Sundays
and help eaoh other in time of trouble or siokness, and to ir mind that is a
sight bitter than not even knowing who your next door neighbor is.
Now I am seventy•six years old and in bad healthy so I'm not able to
work, but there was a time when I worked from sun to sun. The first money I
ever made was for chipping boxes. I got fifty oents per thousand, and I could
Project 1865
Charles A. Von Ohsen
MeClellanville, S. C.
A HELL HOLE FARMER
Page 3
chip eight or ten thousand a week. I got along pretty good in those days
for you could buy so much more for a dollar then, than you can now. After
I got older I started farming, planting cotton mostly. There was money in
cotton then. I cleared seven or eight hundred dollars a year then. It was
during this time that I put three thousand dollar* in the bank for mine and
Alioe's old age, but the bank closed and I lost it all.
I used to hunt deer, turkeys, and wild hogs a lot, but now I'm not
even able to do that. There's no telling how many deer I have killed during
my lifetime. Ono. I started cutting notches on my hunting horn for each one
that killed, but I traded that horn off and I never bothered to out notches
on the other one.
Even when I was a young man, I never was one to frolic muoh. I used
to go to dances, but somehow I never could get dance in ny feet. In those days
a wedding was really something to talk about. The merrymaking sometimes lasted
for several days, They were different from most of the weddings now. In the
old days, a boy asked a girl's father for her, then they had a big wadding to
which the whole countryside were invited. But now a boy tolls a girl, 'Let's
try marriage and see if we like it'. Then they hop into an automobile, go to
a preacher or more often a Justine of the Peace, and get married.
My mother died when I was six days old and from then until I was 'six or
seven years old, I wust from one home to smother living with whatever kind neighbor
Project 1655
Charkes A. Von Ohsen
Melellenville, S. C.
A HELL HOLE FARMER
Bags 4
was willing to keep as for my father was 'jack of all trades'. My wife
called him a 'piddle'''. When I was eight years old my father went to
Mississippi and took as with him. We lived there for two years and that
is the only time that I ever went away from here. Sine, then I ain't never
been on either a business nor a pleasure trip, ain't never had any desire
to go away.
I've been married twice. The first time I married Mary Mills. We
had one son, but she only lived three years after we were married. After she
died I stayed single six months and then married Alice Somerset. We had eight
ohildren, but we lost four of them when they were just babies.
There was no school in this oomeunity, so I got no education. However,
I think an eduoation is a good thing to have, but it's not all. There's got
to be a little work along with the education. I sent all my ohildren to school
long enough for them to learn to read and write their names, but none of then
graduated. I needed them at home to help Alice and as with the work. They are
all married now and have femilies of their own, but they live right here on my
place not one is too far away to hear me holler if I want him.
I never awned an automobile and don't want one. If you were to bring
the best automobile that's made and say, 'take it and drive it yourself', I'd say,
'much obliged but take it back'.
You know when I was a boy fourteen years old I helped my father build a
Projeot 1865
Charles A. Von Ohsen
MoClellsovillo, S. C.
A HELL HOLE FARMER
Page 5
bank for a water mill. Of course I didn't get any pay, but then it did as
good, for as long as a boy is working he's not likely to get in any trouble.
The first job that I ever had for which I was paid was working in the turpentine
woods.
We own our own home and two hundred and sixty-five acres of land and
we wouldn't sell any of it for any price, for we've got just enough land for
each of the boys to have a nice home, and what on earth would they do with all
those children and no land? 1ty advice to any and everybody is to own a home
for there's nothing like a plaeo to call your own when you get old.
You might not believe it, but during the past five years, I have only
earned nine dollars and sixty cents i# cash. The government gives as five
dollars a month. With this I have to buy what few groceries I don't raise,
tobacco and medicine. Somehow though I manage to save back some to pay doctor
bills. The doctor is mighty good though. He knows I ain't got no money and he
charges me accordingly. I never had but very few doctor bills to pay for the
children, for they were all healthy, but my wife and myself have been sick a groat
deal. The nearest doctor lives fifteen miles away at NoClellanville. One of
my sons has an automobile though, and he takes us to the doctor when the need
arises.
We have it mighty tough now. I don't make any money and sometimes we
Projeot 1665
Charles A. Von Ohsen
MoClellanville, S. C.
A HELL HOLE FARMER
p 6
are in need of the neeessities. If I could have an income of thirty dollars
a month, I could live comfortably and have no worries.
People these days do things just backwards, according to my opinion.
They want to sleep all the morning and stay up all night, but old as I am I
get up at daylight. Soon as I get up, I feed the mule, chickens, and my two
cows, then about seven o'clook we have breakfast. After tkis I do whatever
work I am able to do around the plan., and at twelve o'clock we have dinner.
Sometimes I take a rest after dinner. The remainder of the afternoon I piddle
around doing first one thing and then another. About five o'clock feed and
water the stock. We have supper at six o'clock. If I'm not too tired I sit
up until eicht o'clock, but if I'm real tired I ;LI) to bed at dusk dark."