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SOUTH CAROLINA WRITERS, PROJECT
LIFE HISTORY
TITLES Iti;.71, 11411NIS DIALIONi. RING,
Date of First Wilting
Name of Farman Intarriam
Fictitioue Name
Street Addrees
Place
Occupation
Name of Writer
Name of Reviser
Aldo of Revision
byTiriter
December 8, 1958
Bre. &vie Jones (White)
Uh3. Bette Brown
04 King Street
Charleston, S. C.
Dressmaker
Roe e D. Workman
Ante Office
25, 1.939
Project 1655
Roe* 14 Workman
Charleston, 5, C.
Sept. 25, 1959
msa. BpowNI3 DIAMOND nApo.
A neat little card stood in the window of the shabby wooden houses but
the house itself was below alonk Streets and cards that reads
olDressreking and Alterations*
arc not often seen in windows in that aristocratic section of the city.
The entrance as is coramm in Old Town, was at the aids, looking over a
rambling flower garden. There were three bells in a row, each with its card.
One bore the inscriptions
Oatte Brown, Dressmaker, First Floor.
*Come in," called a briskly pleasant voice. I pushed open the door and
met Mrs. Drown.
"Wby yeas" she said with a lift of her neatly plucked eyebrows. "I'll
be to tell you something about myself. I can start ri7ht now if you like.
I've caught -up with all my work until Dare one comes in at five for a fitting."
She etr-ack a match smartly on the under far race of the table on which her
lay, and started a ciarettes
"What shall I tell you?" She sr)olte if to herself. "T krICIN. tell
you about my diamccid ring.
"flit first, before I start on that, I'll tell you about my early life,
and some of the things that led to my coming here to live.
"I MB born in St. John's County, Florida. Hy people w -re of Spanish
descent, althooigh you'd never ,--.:aess it with my blond coloring," she said.
"red was superintendent of the county schools, and although we weren't
rich, we always had plenty of everything.
Projeot 1065
Ross D. Workman
Chsrlesto,. S. C.
lepto 25. 2939
F4iiCt?
"Led had about four hundred acres planted in mow. =las potatoes, oranges
and such. Then there was a big banana ,ITove right back of the hose.
"Playing lady was py favorite ttmis4. I'd be perfectly happy for houre at
a tine sten.l.eg the bright leaves from the meet LTum trees to make dresses far
myself, or weaving the 131.g palmetto leaves into hats ter myself or little slaters.
"I loved to pretend that the banana trees were people," she attie with a
"Imid I can hear myself right now swing* qicto.47-dee. Um. Drown.' to
the big tmes, and chilchsents to the little meet'
"It wasn't all play though." She enubbed out her cigarette and picked up
her sewing. "40 led a busy lift on the. fare. I got up at eirmthirty and helped
Uothor get breakfaet, drew, the kids there were eleven of us and wash and
dry the broahfast dishes before I started on the two and t half :Ale walk to the
conty school.
had just about he oillth grade 7!1en the fanily moved into
t. Icestainly was happy about it. but before J. 'let throwTh the
first term at id.:214I had a had spell of tonnilitie. After that had a lot of
troulle with my oyes. The dotter sald there yims ao'iothinjg wrong with my optic
nerve am: that I had already lost the sigirt of one eye completely.
ffLiether of Airy, i was scared; I never went back tc school a single day
alter he told me that. I could just see myeelf :JcinT around with a stick and a
cup, begging.
"artI needn't have wcrried. The ether eye is perfectly all right. when
ry lasse I can see to thread the smallest needle. and ,-,7o the finest 'rind
of ving." e swiftly sot tiny stitches in a sheer crepe blouse.
Project le55
Rees Do Workmen
Charlestee.S• C.
Sept. 25$ 1959
rf4
"Yeal, they --ioy trouble never acme singly. I know it never has with eft
et then Oad cane clown with diabetes. It ems up to no to eo to works and help
out with the yeuneer kids. I -,:et a job as cashier at 'The Oldest HOW° in the
In-tod jtates.' tly duties inre tc take the admission charges, anf:' to take r7
tnrn at shouinz people over the place.
"I liked it. The old house is armee with all ;-Jorta of Let/ezesting eelice,
slch as handearved bodetoads, and ancient costume of all kinds. There's a
vie inerwell, too, in the yard, VIA tourists zo =Ay over.
kept that job for abolt a year. It lino easy work, and I had plenty
oE time on 74 404,84, I just can't be content to be 1.411s, though, and if you
over 7c) to the °Meet wes you'll see a gorgeous pair of shell portieres
atinz the Lrent roems• I :ode them in qy *vireo tine.
rir..!yel 7ot a better job as LLdO in old Fort 7,;arion, or .L'ortro83 n
%arc°, 3111C eall it. The na awfully hard for no at ftrst, heraqse didn't
,ave the proper education to tell the toeristo all the interet.itin etories about
the fort.
"The Lii.storical .crimission ran the gu.de service thee* and the lady in
cher'e3 was very particular about the 4aelish her le -des wed. Ate wrote a long
ep'el fir no about ter, or twave pejo& an$2 made me leern it all by heart.
It tool' no three weeks to merioriae it, Int after a while I ,7r,te Sc) I =al just
rattle _t f. They eai Iwas one of the best -video they aver lead."
L. .rown bit o.T a lenth of :silk thread witi her lar-e white teeth
4U1; nett on rth her atcxy•
that talk..n me awfully hard on nor vocal cords theuch. I kept
Trojoct 1055
'-oee Worknan
Charleston, Sft C.
RS.131vJai;13 DIAMA,i1 71INcia.
OM
having sore throat so bed that the doctor said I had better quA and telt WM-
thing else to do. I hated like poison to 7ive up ey twenty five bucks a misty
but didn't want to 'o 312mbl, I was already half handl
1130 r rother said I could help him in his little jewelry stores
although he couldn't pay me much. Sevon dollars a week was all got there,
and i gave five of them to Mother. Dad was gutting worse al, the time, and she
needed every cent she could get to make ends meet.
11Then I mot the man I married. We net at a dance. There weren't any
automobiles in at. Augustine them, and four of us milked home together. It
was early, and we stopped at a little store and bought some douelnats. After
we had eaten all le minted, we amused ourselves trying to throw them over the
door knobs of the houses we passed an the way home. le had a lot :')f fun.
*Jim was learnlng his trade at the m*chino shops. L s gave no a
beautiful orcaement ring, and we agreed that as soon as he had saved one
hundred dollars we would be married.
"line he was savta I rimo my trousseau, buying all the matoriale out
of the two dollars i had loft from my seven dollar salary. I made everything
I wore at rvi, wadding myself. LV-wedding dross was gold and brown taffeta. I
even trimed r wed( Lag hat. It was brawn with ostrich tips, Imre brown
_eve and had a corsare of yell= roses. I thought I was the oat's whiskery,
all right.
fitaa
lad a landeau with a oair of eh to horses to take -us to the
Cathedral, whore t:e r-uple who had wal!oad home with us fran our first Aance
iire sa-ting for us. They wore to be our only attendants.
"'before we loft on our wedding trip to Ashevolle, North Carolina, enr1
Project 2655
Charlecton, So
Rees D. Workmen
eiapt. 2$ 1939
glYs Pa UMW at IL
Knoxville, Tennessee, vle paid fifteen dollars in advance on a little furnished
apartnente itwas lucky wu had sense enough to do ths4.2 for when wo stepped
off the train in 3t.
Audustine two meek:, lateri we had exactly fifty cents left
out of the hundred dollars Jim had saved. And we hadn't had to pgy railroad
faro e!thor, for Jim got passes o account of his wurki::c for the railroad.
nhwo ware happy a. danty =nape!. Insidc of two ye we had
zavo to hAndred dollars1 vie maf:!n the first putywuat on a five hundrod dollar
lots ctne alin-:..rn-.;tod :or the buil:Ina of an eighteen htuadrind enThur 1-rviase. I
the plans for tho house nyselfs copying one I had coon and Med on our
Ain -7 trip.
the hotoc ira3fi rtinllacl we f•arnialrr7 two rows an 11.vod in then.
;t3 roated. the other throe lIntayalzhoi• 2)oewt T:'0 had the cara•-e chanced into a
throe r,',•4un co
d moved out there ourselvos. The !bon Vian ons rd we rented
:m1 dx. hmered Jollare for the lenaacn
W:41 MVO': Z:)*t that imieh kAin. 714 atd,11 ntle enowt in throe years
tho7.1o•-.30 ad l. oon rte had a °Immo o cell its and wo invested
or o.•.. the noney in a lot iu a good rosidoutial part of town; put the root of
It L the bank; ank: rentoc: a little house to ltve in tamporaeay."
!tn. Drown saapped off a throad with a jerk.
"Thom wor baby was born," she said. *All my troubles seemed to date from
then,for little Jimaie was an 'instrument baby.' lie mos so badly injured at
birth the doctor told ma he didn't think he had a chance. I cov.1.! sagroc3y
believe himtecause JIrmy-was such a tie, hutkr-loakin,7 ktrle nevryr far a
Project lai5
Rtxxl D. WOrki=
Charleston, S. C.
AWL. M. 1=
j,es, 141 Is yr kv
admits realized that the tmiblo irar, in hie 'main;
".P. sick baby *atm up mmey, e-70. our bank aecomt, ben to dwindle. Aa
if we didrot have trouble 3noj already,ny huatiad, alone with sale or the
others in he 1-,'ent on ;$tr-1.13s. i-;maebot, had to brg 1.n oricaoy. ,00
..,tartod to trl:m in aow.
There wits, keepe.ng house; rtnc.in a sickly baby; 1.-T.011.4.1'"- 1_7'011114 and
drossia%ing to cet u s somothin: to eat. I ma's about Imolai,-
rive elollavcd a weak. Ln.rt r_t the anti of six illontha Iik-as rt nerve= wreck.
tr..routve ij.crt to 5Jo out a. -.1d .47ind am -lathing to do." T. told un. **1 tt
hoop is up.
0:x3..nod. a 'oicycla aep. emoved into the rooms at tko 7.2ao!::. I
hlia with the boolai, and or a while thinga :41.;re better.
irEd.e .oc-;s.n to get worse. le was allost :our ytic.re ale and ha
could yr..7..k or tlk. I boan to r14.11.ze that sorattl,f.k: 1171.!3 ba.7 17ro.ng.
s,..,I -sant in to a sc".00l Icr 'leeward children in Jacl_ztorrville. That coat a
plenty. too.
ni
13(i-xn to L;et slack in the bigyale shop. I had mm
with Jim.lo away. no I operd p the 'Blue 1;oose friary.' I 1:‘,.un.'.-
skardies of çray and blue; villas dishes, and blue martains.
pretty WO lls when aza be an to drink.
hard tine risking expenses.
"On top o:L' ev,7rytark: also the aiutr at the school whore J-7Trulo was wrote
that he bad started to have fainting sponse Mother of God. I ine worried to
death. I wont ri ht over and took hin out at school. I carried him to a baby
of °aurae that ran custmors
tire now
Od it all
I was doing
ay. I
Project 1655
Rose D. Workman
Charleston, S. C.
Sept. 25, 1959
Mp. BRUIN'S DIAMOND
specialist in Jacksonville. Then for two years I made that trip twice a weak,
and each time it cost just about ten dollars, counting railroad fare, doctor's
bill, and medicine. The doctor didn't seem to understand the case though, and
Jimmie kept getting 'Prete instead of better. He would drag his feet and
et imble and fall when he tried to walk.
'10f course by this tine had had to aive up the dinarys because I had
to be nrrsira Jimmie all the tine. So next I tot* him to Atlanta to a foot
specialist. He tole ne it was brain trouble that caused him to stumble, and
su7Tested that he wear specially built shoes. They cost seven dollars a pair,
and he wore them out awfully fast on account of the way he dragged his feet.
lr.rt this tine I was plumb discus -tad with specialists they eat up all
your monoy and don't tell you anythine:, So T. decided to take Jimmie to one of
our on St. A 7astine doctors. Right away he said the 'Child had epilepsy.
.fle!,r Gods Ti orettr near killed me!
this tine Biz, jim hnd been drinkin7 harder and harder. Be hadn't
rmrod f'17 .71 lon,7 time now. He was out so much that it just happened he never
had seen the child in a fainting spell, and he thoaaht I imalined moat of his
Fb eay*n: Iwa3 era7„gcrat.71.ng -everytbAnzs and when Jirnmy would
cet int-- one of his tempers Di c7 Jim would want to whip him; said he would teach
him to control his temper. Imagine beating an epileptic Child!
"I couldn't stand that, so I left hint, and aot a divorce. It only takes
three menthe in Florida, you know. Then I took Jimmie to my nothor's„ and went
to Atlanta to hunt work.
Project 15
Rase Do workman
Charleston, S. Co
Sept. 25„ 1939
U4S. atlyo pmwom .GA
41111(31111
"I never had had any taw le 710M4iwz a job. I'm not like some people
who turn up their noses at everything. I take what I can get. So when the
lamagar of a big department atom said he would take me in the fitting depart-
ment if I could furnish proper referencia, I told him I would work for a week
far nothing to show what I could do. I ooUldn't give him any references, you
see, because I had only done private sewing. I had never worked in a store
before.
"I worked for that week without pay, than vent on the payroll at twel476-
five a week. Soon I was raised to thirty. Dut pr had luck wasn't over.
nether wrote me that Jimmie was sick and needed no.
went back to 'amide and opened up a little arming establishment of
my own. I did well, and I managed to look after Jimie and myeelfwitho7.tt any
trouble, although hls sickness kept me from ever getting ahead. Jirtlie was
avtng so many convulsions now that finally the doctor said mnyte a spinal
operation miht help.
"50 I in rtgaged my four hundred and fifty dollar ongagemeat ring for
two hundrod dollars to pgy for the uppuration.
"That ring has been the big-est hel to me," she said. "L*.er since
Jimmie 's father and I separted live used it to borrow on. Okommer things went
bad and I felt Cod wnon't troating me just right, I'd go down town and get a few
dollars on it. The:1st= things picked vs I'd go ,;et it back agal.n. And that
be that until next time.
Miens I cortain1;; hated to risk Jimmie 's life with an operation, for he
was all I had. nut I couldn't afford net to give him every Chance I could. 30
I mortgaged the ring, like I aaid, and told the doctor to !7:0 ahead. !irt it
Project 1055
Rees Dip •Workman
Charleetcn, S. C.
Sept. 258 1929
01.9.11P
ruan't any use. The opersittmme a failnrc.
igily this tine anti.° vmm having as many as four convulsions a day. Some.
tines he'd have me in the street, and the boys would gather round and team hia4
lield most go wild he'd get so mad. You know how boys are. Nasty little fiends;
"At last I decided to leave 3t. Augustine and come up hare, where I had
friends, and where I thought the boys might be kinder. I'd been coxing here on
visits off and an for years. 3eme of my friends here have done well, and the
season is longer than it is in Florida. So I decided to get a house, rent out
roev, an take in sewing. -Letween the two things I'd make a living.
nuiells I finally made the break and crime aim. When I reached this town
I had exactly five dollars in cash and my difemnel ring."
les, aroma stopped_ for a moment. :he looked down at her left hand.
The disarmd ring was missing.
"A friend bro:.Oht me in her car," she continued, *and I stayed at her
hem or a while.
"I ww; seared -.7eon at what I muz plarrning to do." 'Ate. Urown laid dam
her sewing and lit another cigarette. "Suppose i didn't make a rTo of it? I
know eons people here, all right, but they weren't the real old residents
natives, we call them dawn home 47 friends mere nratly new people, and I
knoi or what pd. hear about this place that I had t make a hit with the
rttvoc if I MS going to be successful. 3uppeee they didn't like py sewing?
"All tho way up I'd keep laying to myselfs 'Don't be n fool, Jett° Drain.
You've nothine to loee but your ring, and you can do withovt that.'
laell, I IA here and sold the rina outright this time. Olt one hundred
and ei'hty dive dollars or it. I rentet: this house, and started round to theseeend
Project WS
Ron D. Workman
Charleston, S. e•
3opt, 25, 1959
IX. UMW'S LIAMOND RING.
40
hand shape to furnish it. I bought the stoves and frigidaires an time.
"The house has fourteen rooms. et the third floor I've got one three..
roan apart:mats and a single 'efficiency apartment,' I think they call it.
The secomd floor is arranged just like the third, and on this floor Dive .1!*t
one two -roan apartment, and this roan that I've kept far wear."
Co directed attention to her 'efficiency apartment.' Items its length
ran a hamaspun curtain, made in sections, and upped together for greater ease
in launderinc. Thie cut off the receiving, fitting, and sowing room from the
livin: and aleepLe=r,. quarters. ct ono side was a full length mirror in which the
c,latoncrs mijit see themselvom as others 381, them. Here vas the tranin7 board
aml the electric iron; here =V the electric weir machine. On neat pace hung
maw vari-colored and vari-etyled garments.
On the other side of the curtain (the side an which we eat), was a 77
little :Teen table; a dm; bed covered with a brightly patterned chintz; several
low wicker chairs a..d a ruc: or two. Nrn Brown parted still another pair of
eztains In a corner to show the ammll electric stove, provisions„ 801 dishes of
her culinary A:inert:lent
"Cone and have sm7per with me sometime," she invIted. "I hate to eat
alone. I'll .ake 3rA: sone biscuits.
'e all the curtains for the house myself," she uant on proudly. wI
hate the sli-ey things you buy. ready-made. I selected unbleached homespun for
them all, because it wears like iron. Its crHap7 tones blend so roll with the
bri ht chintz ovordrapes.
Project 1655
Reee de Workman
Charleston, re, 719
eve. 25, 1959
IL ereelle km;a.
41-
maeo bedspreads with colored tianew to match the curtains and drapes,
and the table covers and searves matah up too. I stained ana polished the floors
and chinked up some or the worst cracks. Then I covered them with bright
lineoleum rues and if I do say it, you wouldn't know it ior th' same place.
Inside a month and a half I had every apartment rented. Ilenie eat ahead a bit
goine to take the back apartment on this floor for nine. I'd like te
a real place to entertain py friends amine
"And speaking of friends," she snuffed out her ci.jerette stub in the
dena aah ems already brimmine over. "Dv° mat acmo of the loveliest people
since I've been here. Before 1 moved to this tywe people told met Ipen't you
go there to live. They've the eamneat, upp1est people that you've over seen.'
mit tey seray made a mistake.
"I never know people could be so nice. I just placed that little card
in the etneow -m she waved bar cigarette towarde the cien which had first attract-
ed my attention -."put a little ad in the paper, and customers started to come.
I do know how to sews i. I do say. it. .-410 pereon tell& another, and I'm getting
all the wore I can do. I'm tryine to live entirely ofi ey oawinee and put the
apart -cut money back into the house. That way I'll get abed.
"Lem, take a look at my customer boat:" hnatch1ne a large blanebook
from a teble drawer with one of her swift reevereents, she flicked over the pages,
re-eie out ewe& as she rapidly treed the luvio.
Idoriiy see stopped speakine rose abruptly, aed made eeveral vice(
tripe back and forth across the room. The silence was unbroken save for the
quick staccato rhythm of the footatepe an the bright lineoleum floor.
*eject 1855
Uwe D. liorkman
Charleston, 3, C.
3ept. 25„ 1059
glr3.
Presently she repeated hersel4 and began to talk again. "Now 1111 tell
you what happened to Jimmie. I told yea his sickness often comes on him in
terrible temper spells. We had ben here just about a month when ho had one
of them, lle jumped an me, and I thoueht he was going to strangle me. Then he
rushed out of the houses aerate) the street, and broke down the nants fence
oppositie. Of couree, it was pretty rickety anyway, or Jimmie couldn't have done
itj but it goee to show that he's getting dangerous now he's growing so biz and
strong. ie's seventeen and large for hie ace.
"Of course, a =owe of people :Athered right away, and one of them was a
doctor who llves next door.
"That nillt I talked to Jimmie and told him has awful it well have been
if he had killed hU other, and he broke down and cried like a baby. Alt next
day the doctor came aver and told me he thoujit -immie had better -,To to a hospital
for a while.
"Ohl what a horror I had of his goinc to a place wil,Dre I wee1cIn't be able
to see him. hn awfall;, nervous." L)le lit anothor ciarette. "And I've been
under a terrible
rain .or a lon time now, what with Jimmie 's father drInuing
the WE;ir he did, anl Jimmie having these epileptic spells, ad the boys teasing
Am and all. LAlt like 1 couldn't stand it if they put him acme place where
he'd be cruell:i -rested and unhappy.
"nut when we took him up to the hospital the buildinim and ;:lreands wore
so lovely and everyone was so kind, that my horror just molted away.
"I had a nice letter tram him yesterday. re said he had only had one tem..
per spell since he :7et there but he pretty -nearly -broke a man's nose that time.
PrOoot 1665
Rose Ds 17calcan
QZ'lOetCCSs C.
Sopt. 25,
A
IS
!qt.%
:Alla! tLcr tot hrmay rind r=c1 stay by himself that nights but the next
day they 2.ct hir. ro back with the others kyins
frEart do you like this little atilt Dye ju.st finished far TV901.?" alhe
(11:132c1 brht3, rraddenly noncint; the subject. "I redo it out of a mit of
Jimmie is: o =Lied teasinzly as she rAserked
"Thaz TIVAT, yext talk jurt like a customer I had Utat week. ahils Ives
fittia2 her elch a lovI7 dress it Trani tog, lavender taffeta with little
hoops to nako it stand away* ad
'Teen sash she told no a story about
sax, people hal net at a party. he eidi
'Those people she tly nue ha been -1•Links kno you hnlys ye:, have to drink
re (rr.; -tom laulhs..xl amino az she enilained the points "She
called it I'vrt, Is not beer 1) t ot ',funks And they parked their eyah right
in the ,7a:41on.."
The onrat! lrlftort on to the (portion o.? 77olitios•
'tad: halo.," 3h0 :laid, a Iltt34 boastA13.37, "I lino a nerneratic Comittee
the. woo Viten I trto rnrrtects ?kw Pm not csriecrially intarested in
polities b ca' -e a ,vvkin,-- we -Ian has no ript to fool maw her tine like that.
If I ha e a nice ioarle and a hucf5and to surnort ney I walli then t...ke an interest
ii er..tice."
he lawi oot a skip and miss rellAon. Setestim-s I -Po to
church; noert Mime I dentt. I1m a Raman Latholic myself, but I have friends
of every faith.
'Tar arwocciant? Ohs I ,11, drivinc with ray friendo. Pux1 I like to read
Project 1655
e .:;nrinan
Charleatont 3. C.
,-opt. :Ms 1030
_ 141a, 14
about pooplo. I „Ionet 1.127c fction. I've no ti3 for thing that arm% true.
1171 really llko to have a Lec xnacman friend. particular though
about the kind of manI L -c %ith. Ina a man who koopc not. I like
a 211-3a7.7,- ,:ncr, and I lie man le.10 mpendm amoy. I don't like a tisliti.
wad.
NT lihn
that kin,1of i
an.1 nay."
o re3ta4rantm for dinner, and to dance a4teroard. But
to rind. I havonit :ound ono yet. 3o I ztay at home
rvwnopono the door for the ClIStatlIT who had como for her Ave
o'clock fittina.