26022

[January 27, 1939?] 
Rich and Lula Gray (Negro) 
[South?] Florida Turpentine Corporation 
Carters, Florida (Near Lakeland ) 
Negro Turpentine Foreman 
[Paul?] Diggs, writer (Negro) 
Veronica [?]. [Russ?], revisor. {Begin handwritten} [?] {End handwritten} 
[RICH AND LULA GRAY?] 
A small Coca-cola sign, tacked to a shack at Carters, Florida, and bearing the name of
 Lula Gray, led me to the quarter house of the Negro camp foreman, Rich Gray. 
Rich works for the South Florida Turpentine Corporation. 
Lula is his wife. Their small home once served as a home and store combined.
 It is reached from the main highway by planks over a ditch. 
Rich was not at home, but Lula invited me to come up on the little vine covered 
porch and wait for him. [She?] 
told me that he came in from the wood every day for his noon meal,
 and as it was near that time, I accepted the 
invitation. I sat in the swing and shoved the one rocker on the porch with 
the toe of my shoe. Lula was busy in the kitchen cooking, so I didn't have much
 time to talk with her, but I managed to ask her where she was from. 
["I'se?] from [Hanna?], South Carolina," she said, and I'm 37 years old. 
[But?] of course this yere age what 
I jest give you haint what my [insurance?] age is!" 
I asked her to explain. 
"Well, the reason is that hit doon cost us so much if we's younger." 
The shack housing the Gray's is one of 40 dilapidated quarter houses 
furnished turpentine laborers. Situated 
on old highway [17?], seven miles from Lakeland , the camp is one 
of the oldest in the vicinity. 
Weather-beaten and almost black, the majority of these pine-board shacks are 
not even equipped with shutters and porches. They are built on the low flat lands beneath
 tall pines, and the spacious yards are flooded during 
the rainy season. The sandy streets of the settlement are deeply grated 
on either side, to aid in drainage during wet weather. 
Lula showed me their three room house. The interior was not ceiled but
it was clean and neatly kept. Pretty curtains hung at the few windows and the cheap
furniture was well arranged. The kitchen was also 
clean and I noticed a bright oil cloth on the table. 
In the backyard there were a few chickens running about.
 The out-house, about thirty feet back of the house, 
was crudely built of old lumber. Next to it was a chicken coop built
 of rough pine boards. There was no fence around the place. 
Rich Gray, astride a light-brown, high-stepping horse, came toward the house through 
the pines. A tall, 
lean man in his early fifties, he was warmly dressed in heavy work clothes,
 with hickory-striped trousers tucked into high-top boots. His slouch sombrero shaded his 
stern features. He spied me immediately, 
as I came down off the porch, and spurred his horse on to meet me. 
"Who are you?" he snapped, as he brought his mount to a standstill before the cabin door,
 and swung to the ground. 
I told him my name, but before I could make further explanations, he questioned:
 "And what's your business! 
We have rules and regulations in this yere camp, and bein as how I'se foremen,
 I have to know all the business what comes around here!" 
After this sudden outburst I explained my presence as best I could and
 asked his cooperation. For the time 
being he seemed [appeased?]. Lula had come to the door by this 
time and was watching interestedly. I noticed 
then that she was much younger than her husband, and had a rich
 ginger-cake color and straight black hair. 
"So you're another of them government fellers?" continued Rich. "One come here 
jest last week about that Social Security business. 
He was a government inspector checking,and asked all kinds of questions; now you 
come along and want to know about my life. I had to answer enough questions last week." 
He went in the house, after tying his horse to a nearby post. But he came right out 
again, dragging a chair 
behind him. He told me to sit down on it, while Lula sat in the rocker and he made 
himself comfortable on the steps. 
In an effort to break the tension I ask Rich where he obtained the fine 
looking horse he was riding. He said:
 "Joe? He belong to the company, but I'se been ridin him for the whole 
five years I'se been yere. He's one good hoss." 
Joe, on hearing his name, pawed the earth with one forefoot and whinnied. 
"That's a good lookin saddle he's got on too!" 
'Yep, it ain't bad. Hit's called a 12 inch saddle." 
"About how much territory do you cover each day?" 
"I [kivers?] from 20 to 30 acre a day", he said. "I watch out for fires,
 and see that the cup doan run ova. 
I also checks locations for supplies of turpentine what's ready for dippin. 
"We works aroun 40 peoples on this still. Some is shippers, and they work in 
the woods. We only uses trees what's nine inches in diameter. The life of a 
tree is from four to five year, in this business. 
"Clay cups is used on the tress, and they holds anywhar from one quart to 
one-half gallon. We tries to empty 
them nigh-on to ever three week, when the sap is runnin. There ain't vera much 
to do in winter, but work picks 
up in spring and summa." 
Amazed at his own sudden willingness to discuss his every-day life, he stopped
 as quickly aa he had started. 
His former attitude returned, and again he questioned me on the reasons for my visit.
 But I soon reassured 
him and he continued: "I see thet the men chip and dip properly in the woods.
 Some of them receives anywhar from $1.25 to $1.50 a day; it's all accordin to price
 received for the turpentine on the market. Some of my
 mens, dip by the thousand, they get 90 a thousand. The good ones averages 1500 a day. 
"The turpentine is brought from the woods in barrels. After it reaches the still,
 its loaded on the platform you sees over yonder, and dumped into the still under heat. 
Do ya see thet pipe runnin into the vat? Well, 
this is run off into the barrels; we don't waste nothin.
 After hit run into the barrel, it gits hard. The barrels holds 5-15 and 5-20." 
I asked him what he meant by 5-15 and 5-20 and he told me: "Green barrels weigh 
from 40 to 50 pounds, and after this weight has been deducted from full barrels, 
then they will run from 450 to 500 pounds of turpentine. 
We kin go over there to the still after I eats and take a look at hit. Wanna?" 
I admitted that I would be only too glad to go. Then he and Lula retired indoors for
 their noon meal. They invited me to join them, but I declined. 
Later I asked Rich what foodstuffs he favored most. He told me he 
preferred meat and vegetables, and added that there was plenty of wild game in the 
vicinity which he obtained while riding the woods. 
When he returned from his meal, we walked the few yards down the 
settlement road to the turpentine still. 
It was located near the main highway. [Nearby?] were numbers of galvanized
 barrels used for shipping the turpentine.
 The still was substantially built, having a large kiln and condensing vat.
 The water supply came from a tall water-tower operated by an electric pump. Near the kiln,
 on a raised platform, were many barrels used 
in the transportation of the turpentine from woods to still. A long shed,
 connected with the still, was used 
for the tool house and storage place for machinery. A small, open shed opposite 
the barrel stand is used for the distribution of the turpentine. On another side of the 
still [were?] the refining works and a large pair o
f scales for weighing the barrels. 
On our way back to Rich's shack, we stopped at the little
 weather-beaten school and church combined. 
It was of the same construction as the houses and appeared to be poorly equipped.
 Addie Webb, the teacher, reported an averahe average attendance of 20 pupils.
 On Sundays, the little school is converted into a church.
 The Baptists use it one Sunday and the Methodists the next. 
When we arrived at the house and seated ourselves comfortably on the
 front porch, he told me his life history. 
"I was borned to Mac and Betty Gray in Robertsville, South Carolina,
 March 8, 1888. My parents is now dead. 
I had eight brothers and six sisters; some of them is older than I is, and 
I haint seen none of them in years. 
I attended school in Robertsville, but I had to stop when I reached the tenth grade. 
"I useter live in Lakelan, and I still owns nearly a half block there on Quincy 
Street, with houses on it too. I haint gonna tell ya nothin about thet though, my boss done 
tole me I doan hafter tell nobody thet; nor how much I makes offen them neither." 
With this, Rich rose and went inside again and when he came out he carried a piece
 of carbon paper in his hand. 
"Here," he said, "take this yere piece of paper and put hit 'tween them papers 
you'se written on. I still doan take much stock in what you're doin and I want proof
 about hit when I tells my boss-man. You gimme the other 
copy fer to keep. "I shore would be up agin hit iffen I couldn't read nor
 write on this yere job, cause I have to report everthing;
 my boss man tells me not to talk. "I been workin in this camp for five year, but I been 
in the turpentine biz all my life, follered hit from camp 
to camp. I now keeps all the records belongin to the company and make
 out my report to the boss-man. "Mentionin turpentine camps though, makes me think a Lakelan,
 a-way back yonder. I can remember when hit warn't
 nary thing but jest a turpentine camp itself, and how they come
 out yere to this section and cut and toted away the pines fer to build thet town. 
"No, we doan own our house yere, we's only allowed to stay yere as long as we
 work for this company. But we gets to stay free of charge. None of us folks pays any rent. 
Some of them fellers has been workin here fer a long time, ever since hit
 first started. "I prefers livin out yere, as to bein in town. We's free out yere,
 and bein as how I haves what I want, 
why not? Why worry about town? Some folks kin worry about
 the funniest things I ever heard about. Besides, 
they haint nothin in town. I has regular work here and makes aroun 
$2.50 a day and sometimes more. "As fer votin, thet's another thing 
I haint up to neither. No man! I dont do no votin. A man has to know 
what he's doin when he goes votin of dealin with pollytics. Lots of fool 
folks goes votin and don't know 
what they're votin fer. I aint aimin to fool with hit myself.
 Uncle Sam knowed what everybody is a-doin, 
and if you stick your finger in the fire, yor shore to git burned. 
"We all goes to church here. I am a Missionary Baptist, but I doan go 
as often as the rest of the folks.
 I doan hold no office in the church neither. The folks here goes pretty 
regular, but not me. 
That's all there is to do here, is go to church and drink shine. 
"But drinkin shine keeps the men well, especially when they gotta work out 
in them woods in the water,
 they just gotta have somethin hot in them. Hit seems to keep them from gittin
 sick too. Of course iffen 
any of us'uns gits sick, the company pays fer hit and we kin call whatever 
doctor we wants. This here is checked out of a special fund we carry. But this place 
is pretty healthy, in spite of the low land. 
I guess hit's on account of the high pines all aroun us.
 There's few of the workers what's ever sick, includin me and Lula. I haint
 been sick in years. Of course some gits sick now and then, but not often. 
"Well I reckons hit's about time fer me to be goin on, Joe and me
 gotta lot of work to do this afternoon. 
How about comin back when we gits to distillin the turpentine? You'll like thet." 

26039
Federal Writers' [Propject?]
Paul Diggs
Lakeland, Florida
January, [27?], 1939 
Kellum, Robert and Ruby 
1134 N. Florida Avenue 
Lakeland, Florida
ROBERT AND RUBY KELLUM, CITRUS WORKER. 
Sitting on the back door stoop with his youngest son, Nelson in his lap,
 playing tags at his knee was his other son 
Robert, Jr. Robert stated that he had just come from the United State 
Employment Office. He produced a card with 
his identification number on it- showing that he had to report Tuesday 
if still unemployed. He said, 
"I have been picking fruit regularly since [the?] beginning of the season,
 but due to prices, nearly all 
of the crew have been laid off." If I am out of work three weeks, this 
office will give me half of what I would earn if I were working.
Ruby, his wife, came to the door and stood near a chair 
that was placed crossways in the door to keep 
little Nelson from crawling out while she attended her household duties.
 She was full of smiles on knowing that her husband had received his card. 
Robert is a young man, was dressed in overalls and wore heavy soled shoes,
 one slashed. Ruby's dress was clean but in lots of [places?] where it
 had been sewed together showed patching. Her shoes were run over.
 She was bare legged and had an old hat on. Her hair was not groomed.
 The little boys dressed in overalls 
were not clean, from playing in the sand and crawling on the floor.
 Little Nelson had a cold and his nose 
was continually running, he would wipe it with the back of his hand.
 He is teething and appeared to be very fretful. 
Little Robert was full of life and jumped around with glee. Robert said,
 "there is not much to life, only hard work from a youngster up to now. You are some 
time up and some time down. Here I have my 
little family and out of work." Robert was somewhat downhearted
 from being layed off for a short period.He said, "I was born in Macon, Georgia. October 28, 1912.
 My parents were Emma and Allen Freeman. My father I do not know very much about him.
 I now have a step-father Sim Kellum, who lives at 637 Silver Street,
 Lakeland, Florida . We have a pretty large family-my sisters,
 Elsie Lee age 21; Nettle Lee, age 19; and Maudine, 
age 16. My brothers, E.J. McCarthy, a half brother, The last 
time I saw or heard of him was back in 1937. Booker, age 23; Jac, age 26;
 Melvin, age 28, and Marion, age 10. All of my brothers are working at common labor. 
Ruby said, " I was born at Cocoa, Florida , June 15, 1915.
 My parents left there when I was real small and 
settled in Monticello, Florida. My father Jerry and mother Rosa Glenn.
 Father is nearly sixty two years old, 
I don't remember the age of my mother. I have two sisters ind two brothers.
 Rosetta White, age 40, she lives at 
601 Silver Street, Lakeland, Florida . Elizabeth Bells, age 30. My brothers
 Robert, age 38, he has three children 
Dorthina, Robbie Mae, and Doloris. I don't know their ages. Charlie Glenn,
 lives at Healthville, Virginia. I have been away from home nearly five years.
 Robert and I married here in Lakeland, February 16, 1935.
 Little Robert Jr. was born 5-31-36 and Nelson 3-17-38." 
Robert said, "I did'nt stay in Macon, Georgia. My parents moved
 to Dublin, Georgia. We came to Lakeland in 1925.
 I think I was twelve years old and we have remained here ever since.
Ruby was fond of her children, she said," I want my boys to be good men,
 not like some of the sorry one's I see walking up and down the Street.
" Robert said, "yes I have started already to give them muscle. 
I want them to be strong.I hope they will learn more than I did in school,
 I attended the sixth grade in Monticello, Florida . Said Ruby.
" Robert said, "I only went as far as the second grade in Dublin,
 Georgia. When I came to Lakeland I attended 
the Washington Park Elementary School just a few days. I had to stop school
 to go to work, I always wanted to go 
to school, now I see what I have missed. Well along that time 
I had to obey my mother, we had to live. 
Now I see how other people lives, they have property and owns cars.
 I have neither one.I started doing hard work when I was small, that is all
 I know how to do. I will never forget the first job I had.
 I carried water for the McDonald Construction Company in [1925?].
 I made $ 9,00 a week. Later I worked for the 
Atlantic Coast Line railroad, on this job I made $ 15,00 a week.
 This job I held down until 1932. After that 
I had to pick up odd jobs and later found work at Polk City saw-mill.
 There I was assistance fireman, 
I made $ 15,00 a week on this job. When I lost out, I caddied for
 a while at the Cleveland Height Golf Course, 
until I began cutting fruit for the Highland City Association.
 They are located about eight miles from Lakeland.
 I have been making good up until a few weeks ago when they cut the crew off.
 I would average from $22,00 to
 $25,00 a week when we had plenty of fruit to cut.
No, fruit cutting is not hard after you get use to it.
 The greatest thing is learning how to handle your ladder
 and cut without harming the fruit, you know they are pretty
 strict now about cutting fruit. The biggest thing 
that you have to watch is the exposure. It will knock a man out
 if you follow it down. The early morning 
dew affects you. We pick every day when working and Sunday also.
 I pick around 120 boxes of grapefruit a day,
 oranges 65to 70 boxes a day, and tangerines from 25 to 30 boxes a day.
 They pay us for grapefruit 4 a box,
 oranges 8 a box, and tangerine 10 a box. The prices ranges according
 to the size of fruit you pick.
 We work in crews of 14 or more. There is one foreman to each crew.
 The section where we pick mostly is the "Highland section.
"This section is near Lakeland, and is thickly planted with fruit trees.
 We pick by the size, color, and grades.
 We are experienced enough to know what to do after instructed by our foreman. 
Ruby spoke up and said, "I have become Holy Sanctified. 
I am saved like the preacher. I ain't got all of the understanding, but I have
 to pray for wisdom. My mind is on nothing but the Lord. 
Satan is nothing but a common and evil mind. I fast when
 I received the Holy Ghost, you got to live the life. 
I go to church every night so far. The first time the Holy Ghost struck me,
 It put me on the floor, and I rolled over and over. It is like electricity in the
 electric iron if you happen to touch the wire, 
it will shock you. You don't know a thing until it is all over.
 I wish I had a Bible to read, that would 
help to make me stronger." At this point she was promised one.
Robert said, "I am not anything now in the spiritual affairs,
 but I have a desire to be sanctified like my wife.
 I once joined the Bethel A M E Church, on North Dakota Avenue.
 I did'nt attend regular, sometimes I go now but not often.
You know if I was fixed up like some people, maybe I would do better,
 that is, have nice things like they have.
 Now look I am out of work now. Suppose I wanted things and had to 
buy them on time, I would lose them now. 
That causes me not to go out as much as I would like to.
I Wish I had a job like I had on the railroad, then I could do more.
 I have a nice bossman but he can only go so far.
 He is in the same fix that I am in. He has no one to boss when we are cut off,
 so that puts him out of a job.
While in his gloomy attitude about work, he was asked if he ever voted.
 He said, "I never voted, never 
had the opportunity to vote. I would not know how to vote. I think that 
we are better off now than we was 
during Hoovers time. Times were tough then, but now we do have something to do.
 This President beleives in giving people something to do. So far I have not had to 
go on relief- with this card I don't think I will ever go on.
I have never been sick a day in my life, and as long as I keep my
 good health I don't think I will go on relief. 
I have had a cold, but soon got rid of it. All of our health is good.
 We never have had a doctor. When the children were born we hired a mid-wife." 
Ruby had left us, and began scrubbing her floors. 
She opened the front door to allow the air to enter 
so the floor would dry quickly. Their little house is small,
 it once was used for a store. 
It is weather-boarded, onced painted yellow, now greatly in need of
 a paint job. The roof is covered with galvanized tin. 
The front porch is flushed with the street with a long wooden shed over it.
 There is nothing on the porch. In the back yard about 
forty feet from the house is the delapidated out house.
 Their water has to be carried from the next door neighbor's
 house at a distance of fifty feet. They pay 25 a month for the use of the water. 
The interior is simple. There are two double beds in the main room that is 
partitioned off. In this room also was two dressers, one covered with dishes.
 A small table covered with trinkets. 
The closet was built out from the wall and covered with cretonne. 
Four chairs were in places in the room. 
The furniture needed painting and was old fashion.
 The cut off kitchen contained a three hole burner. 
A few boxes nailed to the wall to hold the kitchen untensils and dishes. 
A small table was near the window.The curtain hanging at the windows were full
 of holes and looked soiled. The walls needed painting. The floors were bare, but kept 
clean by scrubbing. "Ruby said, We have to take our bath in the tubs that I wash out of 
but it is better than nothing.
 I would'nt mind it if our landlord would turn on the water.
 It is lots of trouble to carry water for 
four people to wash with. My husband had to have his tub full of
 water every night when he comes in from work.
We have to pay $ 1.00 for our house every week. We rent from Mr. Emory Bryant.
 If we could afford it we would 
move to some other place, but good houses are hard to find here in Lakeland." 
Little Robert was still playing around the knees of his father.
 He looked up and begged for a piece of bread,
 Saying, "daddy piece of bread, daddy piece of bread." He called to his wife 
to bring the children bread.
 Robert stated, I like anything except vegetables green and tomatoes."."
Ruby said, "I like greens and plenty of meat. Sometimes I cook corn bread. 
We are not able to get the food we need. 
In the summer we barely live. Now it is about the same. My children don't
 get the proper food, but the little rascals they keep fat." 
Robert was asked why he did not plant a garden. 
He stated that there was no fence around the place, 
and the neighbors chickens would distroy everything that you would plant.
When I am off from work I like to play checker, I like to see them play football,
and baseball,I am not swift enough to play any of them myself.
I like to see other people play games. 
I would read some if I had books to read. That would help me to learn some.
 Ruby said, "I get my pleasure in the house of the Lord. After a hard days
 work I feel better after going to church.
In leaving Robert's spirit was much better, and he asked that
 If there was any place where he could get books,
 he was referred to the Colored Library. The Little ones, said goodbye on leaving. 

February 8, 1939 
Willard and Cornelia Mitchell (white) 
Commerce Street 
[Sebring?], Florida
Citrus grove laborer, chiefly a duster and pruner. [Woman?]: Citrus canner. 
Barbara Berry Darsey, writer 
Veronica [? Huss?], revisor. 
FRANK [AND ELLA MERRYVALE?] 
"Come in, why do you stand there knockin?!" exclaimed a pleasant voice as I knocked
 on the first of three doors of the small apartment. 
Then, as I hesitated, the door was flung open and a flustered young woman apologized. 
"My goodness! Please do excuse me, I thought you were my little boy Jamie,
 and I wondered why he was a-knockin 
on the door. Do come in. 
This is my kitchen, but we'll go right through to the other room. 
This small, stout, pleasant faced woman proved to be Mrs. Merryvale.
 She was neat and clean, though her clothes 
were rather worn and faded. 
[As?] we passed through the kitchen where she had been shelling peas, 
I noticed that the place was sparkling clean. 
Two chairs stood near a large window where a number of flowering plants grew.
 On one chair was a large pan of fresh
 english peas, a basket beside the other chair held the empty hulls. 
Mrs. Merryvale was so concerned over the manner of her first greeting 
that she became quite offusive. 
"Take this chair right here by the window, it's cool and comfortable here.
 I declare I am sorry if you thought me rude.
 I reckon you were surprised the way I yelled at you to come in." 
I hastened to assure her that it was all right and that she hadn't hurt my feelings.
 With this she became more at ease.
[As?] I had obviously interrupted the shelling of the peas I suggested that I help her.
 She accepted my offer 
and hurried into the kitchen to obtain them, when she returned she placed them 
on a small table near at hand. 
Her friendliness had increased with my offer. As we worked she explained by a certain time, 
therefore she was glad of my help. 
"Frank isn't working today for he's on the grove dustin crew tonight.
 When he works at night he rests most of the day.
 He just went downtown a few minutes ago, but he'll be back soon for he 
likes his supper early. He will want to rest
 a little more before he starts his work. 
He doesn't mind the night work as it pays five cents an hour more that day labor.
 We are mighty glad to get it. 
We are a-trying to get our farm land fixed up so we can move down there and 
be real farmers like our daddies are." 
[Ella?] arose and went to a map tacked to the far wall, it was the kind 
distributed by the oil companies. 
Here she pointed with pride to a location in the lower end of the county 
near lake [Istokpega?] "Right here is 
our farm and it sure is good land." When she had resumed her seat she launched 
into the relation of her life story. 
"I am a real Florida Cracker and all my people are Floridians," she said.
 "I was born in Lakeland 26 years ago, but 
I was just a little girl when my father moved to Avon Park where I was raised on a farm.
 "My daddy was born over in 
Polk County, and my mother, who was a [able?], was born in Lake County near Umatilla.
 My daddy is Ben Wilkins. 
All our family has lived in Florida for a long time. My great-great-grandfather
 Wilkins is said to have come to 
Virginia from England, but he soon come to Florida after that, and here we have
 been ever since. My mother's 
folks is all of English stock, too, and we have heard that they come from a place 
call Birmingham." She sighed 
deeply and sifted the bright green peas through her fingers.
 "I sure wish we had a record of the families, 
it would be so interesting. I've always wondered so much about us all,
 but don't none of us know anything definite.
 All we know is what others tells us. If we had the money and the ability,
 I would have family history made up for us,
 but I hear they cost a lot of money and take a lot of time. 
"Frank's people are all Georgians. He was born up near Oakland,
 but he has been raised here in Florida.
 His family now lives near Stonewood, Georgia, where his daddy is 
superintendant of a peach orchard. He also has half interest in a large farm. 
Frank says that he's thinking of taking us up there for a while, 
so he can help his daddy with the work, but I don't want to go. 
We have plenty to do here, and we have our 
own farm to work. "Frank's mother was a Dolly, they use to be real 
rich and prominent folks up there in Georgia. 
Several of her uncles had one of the largest stock farms in the state years ago."
As the peas were shelled by this time, she excused herself for a few minutes
 and went into the kitchen with them.
 As my eyes followed her I was again impressed with the spotless order of her home.
 The kitchen and dining room were combined. An alcove in this long narrow room hold
 the sink, some shelves, a cabinet, and a three-burner 
oil stove. A large square table covered with a white cloth 
stood near the back door. The bare floors were nicely
 painted and had recently been polished. There were flowers growing 
in the large windows, and a bouquet placed on 
the table lent a cherry aspect to the room. Mrs. Merryvale returned 
and continued her conversation. 
"I often get little odd jobs like shelling peas, and though they don't 
pay much I'm always mighty glad to get the work.
 It sure helps a lot. Not long ago I made a lot of artificial flowers
 for the Girl Scout Minstrel.
 At Christmas I helped a florist make a lot of tiny pine wreaths.
 That's the first work of that kind that 
I have ever done. But I have always been nimble with my fingers,
 so it wasn't a bit hard to learn. 
The florist said I did well right from the start and that's something,
 because most folks found it mighty difficult at first." 
Rising once more she went into the bedroom. This room was long and
 narrow like the kitchen and contained two beds,
 a large bed and a single bed; the latter was placed cross-wise at 
the foot of the large bed. The floor 
was painted and there were a number of bright rag rugs scattered about.
 A small tall table at the end of the 
room had several books and magazines on it, while a set of shelves on 
one wall held a large collection of 
Federal and State agricultural bulletins. Drawing a box from beneath the 
double bed she exclaimed[!?] "Just see this here little quilt I finished for a baby!" 
She carefully unfolded and [shock?] out the small
 bundle for me to see. "A neighbor put the top together,
 than ask me to finish it for her. I been a-workin 
on it for two weeks now. I have to do it off and on, for I don't have much 
time to spend with these spare jobs."
The quilt proved to be a dainty piece of work with a top of figured 
lawn in pastel shades and lined in blue. 
It was quilted with blue and pink threads. Taking note of my interest, 
she reached further under the bed and
 "Mama says is the pease ready? She has to get them to market and can't wait.
 Here's the 25 cents she promised you.
 I hoper you got them all ready, cause she's in a hurry." 
This rush of words come all in one breath. 
Mrs. Merryvale accepted the 25 cents the boy held out to her and in
 return handed him two large paper sacks 
containing the peas. She admonished him to be careful and not spill 
them and closed the door as he left. 
She returned laughing and continued: "Like I said before I get a few 
odd jobs this way, and I don't never 
refuse nothing I'm able to do, even if it only pay a dime.
 "I use to work in the orange and grapefruit 
canning factory, but lately there hasn't been much work like that.
 Beside I would have to go so far away form home and Frank don't like that, he also don't
 want me to take it up again anyway. "I quit school 
in the sixth grade to take up the canning plant work. 
My daddy's health failed and he lost what money 
he had so my eldest brother and me started to work.
 "The canning plant work isn't so bad once you get use to it,
 but at first it took all the skin off my fingers. You know, the acid
 is so bad. Then I got to wearing finger
 [stalls?] of rubber; somehow I never could get use to rubber gloves
 like some of the workers use. For some reason 
I couldn't never explain I jest felt I had to have my palms bare so 
that's the reason I just used the [stalls?]."I made around a dollar a day
 when I first started, but I worked hard and did my best to learn just right,
 so it wasn't long before I was making $2 a day. It takes a right fast worker
 to make more than that, cause
 I reckon $2.50 is the limit, but I was making that much
 before I was done. "The juicers and pealers get
 paid by the hour, mostly it's about 25 per hour, but I 
[sectionized?] and that's piece work." 
Once more the kitchen door opened, but quietly this time and 
a timid little fellow entered and hurried 
toward his mother. Filled with the importance of his news he forgot 
his shyness as he advanced. 
"Just look here, Mother," he burst, "but I didn't get to finish it yet!"
He placed a red and white paper valentine in his Mother's lap. 
"See! I got all but the legs done. Look at the arms, they is made of
 little hearts too, just like his face.
 It's for you, only teacher said we must finish it at home and bring
 them back for her to see." He looked eagerly around the room. 
"You get any white paper Mother?" His inquiry was serious.
 "Teacher gived me the red paper to make the hearts 
for his legs." On being assured that the white paper was available 
he immediately retired to the kitchen, obtained a cold
 biscuit and went out on the back steps to eat it. 
"That's my Jamie," said Mrs. Merryvale with pride. 
"He's just six, but he's going to school. I try to help
 him all I can for I want him to get a good education. I want 
to keep him interested too, so that he'll be 
eager for learning. I realize so often what I missed by not being
 able to finish school." She sighed wistfully. 
"Well I started to tell you about my work in the canning plant, didn't 
I? I will try and explain about the 
sectionizing, it's gonna be hard, but I'll try and make it so you can
 understand. In sectionizing you have to [cut?] out the pulp of the fruit
 without gettin any skin, membrane, or seeds in it. It sounds hard to do 
but it really is easy when you get the knack of it. 
"When doing piece work we get paid according to trays. There are four 
different can sizes. One size is the
 number 0 can, these is the tiny cans, and come 24 on a tray. This size 
only holds a whole section, and two 
half ones on either side. Number 1 cans run 13 on a tray and brings 9 per tray. 
Then there are the number 2 
cans with 12 on a tray, and which brings us 12 1/3 per tray. The gallon cans 
run to four on a tray and they
 bring us [10?]. 
She paused to reminisse, then resumed the detailed account of her life
 in the canning factory. "We had to be 
real careful and pack the cans according to a schedule or plan, 
and we never knew when the [forewoman?] would 
come around and test our packing. If it wasn't done just right, 
it was marked against us, and we had to do it all over. 
"In all but the number 0 cans, we had to use only whole sections.
 In every can we had to mighty careful and not let
 any seeds slip by.
We were allowed one can for broken sections on every tray of perfect packs.
 These cans were rushed with a broad 
black stripe. As I just mentioned we was allowed one black stripe can
 to a tray, but of course the fewer black 
stripes we had, the better our standing.
In reply to my questions concerning the packing of the sections, she said: 
"The sections as I told you before, must be whole and perfect. These are
 placed in the can with the grain of 
the plug toward the can side, all must be evenly packed. There is always 
a little syrup already in the can when 
the tray comes to us. We don't put no juice in, only the plugs. 
"Just let me get my sectionizer knife and show you what I mean."
 She hurried out to her kitchen and returned as
 quickly with an odd looking knife. It had a broad short handle and 
a thick blade of medium length with sharp edges. 
"When we get work in the canning plant we are charged [75] for these knives.
 When we leave if we want to keep them 
it's all right, but if we turn them in we get our money back. I wanted to
 keep mine so I paid the [75?]." 
Again she paused and sighed [pausively?], then she reached out absently 
and pinched a withered leaf from one of her window plants. 
"They had nighty strict orders in the cannery too.
 No one was allowed to smoke or use snuff, or any tobacco at all.
 We was made to wear clean starched uniforms every day. The uniforms 
was blue with whiteheads band and cost us $1 each.
 We couldn't return them when we finished work. Usually they was worn 
pretty bad anyway, from acid spattering on them. 
"Sometimes the girls cut the sleeves out for coolness, and just as soon 
as the foreman caught them, they had to 
stop and buy a new uniform and put it on, or be discharged.
 Over the fronts of our uniforms we usually wore rubber
 aprons with a smaller cloth one over it. This was done 
because the juice is so bad. 
"We also wore low heel shoes, and socks or stockings. 
I used white socks, and I had a clean pair everyday. 
I also had uniforms which I kept neat and clean, although 
I could usually wear one two days." 
She leaned forward and there was a twinkle in her big blue eyes. 
"I never did work in the bull pen," she half whispered. 
I ask her what this was and she smiled. 
"Well you see, the sectionizing room is usually divided into
 three parts. Six large tables are placed down the 
room, and at the end of each two, large conveyor belts run. 
This makes an enclosure where some of the women have
 to stand in order to work at the tables. They work on both sides 
of the tables, but the part inside with the
 belts is called the bull pen. In order to get in there, they have to 
walk up six steps and over the belts,
 then down six steps again to the floor. Of course there ain't much 
difference working in there than elsewhere,
 except it gets warmer in there and in case of an accident or fire,
 it would be [harder?] to get out. 
I was always glad cause I got to work on the outside of the belts." 
In regard to working conditions, Mrs. Merryvale continued: 
["We?] went to work at seven in the morning and worked until six;
 that is if we had a full run of fruit. 
"The foremen are strict, but they were kind, so we hardly ever had any trouble.
 We always had an hour off 
for lunch, and a comfortable wash room to [rest and ? in]." 
"Mother," yelled Jamie, "can I go down to the corner and watch for daddy.
 Please mam, can I?" 
"Will you be real careful and not get in the street if I let you go?"
 His mother asked hesitantly. 
"Yes, I'll stay right on the sidewalk. Please can I go?" 
"Alright, but don't you stay long if daddy doesn't come. Also, you stay 
near where mother can call you." Jamie departed with a bang of the door. 
His mother looked after him with reluctance. 
"That child and this upstairs apartment make quite a problem. He doesn't
 like to stay up here all the time, 
and I can's always be going down with him. I don't want to make
 a sissy out of him by making him stay near
 me all the time, so I let him go out, but I always worry while he's gone." 
With Jamie gone his mother reverted to the discussion of living conditions. 
'The rent here in this little place is only $8 month, and though it's up [steep?]
 stairs and is pretty hot in summer,
 we have made the best of it. We're trying to save all we can for our farm.
 We do have a nice big bathroom here though,
 and you can't usually get that with cheap rent.' [As?] she talked she walked 
restlessly around the room, casting
 an occasional glance through the open window, to see if she could see Jamie. 
I have lost three babies since he came, they all died at birth. Sometimes 
I'm afraid I ain't agonna have no more.
 It's been a little over a year since the last one come. When I was
 a real young girl a [fortune?] teller at a
 carnival said I would have nine children, and I had sure hoped it
 would come true. But I'm afraid it won't.
 I love children so, and Jamie is such a comfort to me.
Of course children are a responsibility and sometimes lots of trouble,
 but life is made up of responsibilities 
and troubles," she added philosophically. 
[Heavy?] but firm [step?] was [loud?] [ascending?] the stairs,
 [intermingled?] wit [childish rattle?].
 [?] Frank came in with Jamie clinging to his hand. 
[See Mother!?]" the little fellow shouted gleefully, "I found him." 
[?] short and [?] blue eyes and fair hair, and was as thin as his wife was stout.
 His manner was pleasant
 but diffident. After extending his greeting by shacking hands, 
he sat down in a chair near a table and 
listened to our conversation. Jamie climbed up into his lap and the 
[newness?] of his grimy little overalls
 and blue shirt made a sharp contrast against the worn and patched ones of his father's. 
As our conversation continued he grew more alert and joined in to tell us of his work. 
"I am off today," he said, "for I'm gonna work tonight in the dew-dustin.
 I am just a common grove laborer,
 but I been a-workin at it for most five years now. 
"It ain't ever laborer that can dust like Frank can!" exclaimed Ella with pride.
 So they always send for 
him when it comes to that. It does take some skill and the foreman says Frank 
is a real specialist in it." 
Now, now Ella, I wouldn't say that, but it is a different work from most labor. 
I like it better too for it's cooler in the groves at night and [somehow?]
 the work is [easier?]. Workin on 
moonlight nights specially, seems like there is kind of a [?] to it," he added softly. 
The night work pays 25 and hour and the day labor only 20. So that's another 
reason I like dustin better,
 for that extra five cents sure mounts up. We need it too bein we're tryin to
 get our farm ready to move to. 
I guess Ella's done, told you about that, though; she's usually so proud she 
has to talk." He [put?] a fond 
glance toward his wife. 
We have 40 acres of good farmin land down south of here in this county.
 We also have some lumber toward
 buildin our house. I'd like to have a big stock farm like one of my 
uncles use to have up in Georgia one time,
 but I can't do that as [we?] start. I aim to raise vegetables and hogs, 
we already got three fine hogs to get us goin.
 We sure is aimin to make some money one of these days[!]" he exclaimed. 
He paused to roll a cigarette and after lighting it [resumed?]. 
I 'ave been with this [?] Company and the Sebring [?] from the time I stared citrus work. 
I reckon they are 
the best company there is to work for. When they's workin us as day labor,
 they give us 20 an hour for a ten 
hour day, but only works us nine hours. That means we get one hour for
 [lunch?] on company time. Most of 
the companies don't do that, neither, and the men don't like it so well.
We meet at the office every morning and company trucks carries us to the groves.
 When we get there our work 
begins at seven and ends at five. We ain't paid for the time we are being 
carried to the grove, but if we finish 
one grove and they send us to another, they pay us for the time it takes to transport us. 
"The night work is a little different and the hours ain't so regular. When we're
 pruning it's the same way; we 
[get?] so interested in it that we won't take a full hour for dinner." 
He stopped again for Jamie had fallen asleep. He shifted the child gently and rising,
 stepped into the adjoining
 room and deposited the lad on the smaller bed. When he returned he [admonished?] his wife. 
[Ellen?] look at that pink geranium! What makes it so [?] up? It looks like you ain't
 put no water in it lately. 
[Ella?] rose [?] and went the her flowers, only to discover that the [?] had slipped 
from the bottom and let 
the moisture drain away. She excused herself while she remedied the matter, and 
[Frank?] and I continued our [discourse?]. 
"She sure does think a lot of her flowers," he said, "and I think they're right 
pretty, too, but I never could 
mess around with them like she does. "But gettin back to my work. When it 
[rains?] the company always [sends?]
 for us in their big trucks covered with tarpaulins, but of course
 we're out then as out time stops. 
We got a mighty good foreman too, he is [?] and doesn't drive us 
all the time like some men do. But you know,
 there ain't no money in workin for the other guy, I found that out 
a long time ago, so that's the reason 
I'm so anxious to get out on my own place. 
When I first went to work I was just a boy; I ain't but 24 now. 
I useter make one dollar a day hoeing grass,
 and I usually worked three days a week. Gee, was I proud! I never was 
on the relief but once and that was for one day.
 I made $1.50. Later I did go to CCC camp, but they sent me way out to western
 Louisiana and I got homesick, 
so I quit and come back after six weeks. I've been married so long now that the
 homesickness don't bother me no more.
 My folks are up in Georgia now. My pa, he's a supervisor of a peach orchard.
The homesick statement brought a note of derision from Ella. 
You'd think he was a real old married man, from the way he talks, now wouldn't you?"
She laughed heartily, while Frank answered. 
Well, we been married seven years now, and ain't that a long time, especially
 when I was only 17 to start with.
 But really," he added earnestly, "I'm mighty glad I married so young because
 I'd already started to be a mighty 
bad fellow. Even when I wasn't much bigger than my little fellow, I started
 to smokin and chewin, and it wasn't 
long before I was drinkin too. I was also bad at fighting and [caronsin?]. 
Sometimes I tease Ella about bein a little older than me, but I sure am glad
 I got her, for it wasn't long after
 we married that I quit all my bad habits. She didn't never fuss at me, but was 
just good and kind to me, and when
 I seen it went agin her I quit. 
"I ain't a church member, but she's a Baptist and a good worker too. All I believe 
is to live the best I know how.
 Anyway I [wanta?] be real sure I know how to behave before I goin a church.
 I see so many folks in church who
 don't seem to be livin right in most ways, and I just ain't got no hankerin 
to be like them.I expect I'll join in time to come through, and of course
 I'll go with Ella. Getting up, he tiptoed toward the bedroom. 
"I got somethin I wanta show you." 
He returned in a few minutes his arms filled with agricultural bulletins. 
"Just look at all these Gover'ment bulletins that Ella gets.
 They tell her how to raise flowers and how to
 cook right and what to cook. 
She's always sending for them and she reads every one what comes too.
 She ain't had much education in school,
 and I haven't neither, but she's always improvin herself by readin.
 I don't take to readin though, seems 
like I can't never get my mind to it. 
"Ella has even fixed out a budget. It's a thing that lets you live on so
 much, so you can save the rest. 
Of course we don't stick to it much, but it seems we can't cause there ain't 
never enough money to go around.
 Then things is gettin so costly all the time. But it helps some and Ella
 has sure tried hard to make it work,
 for she's like me, she's aimin to get that farm as soon as she can." 
Frank beamed with pride at his wife; she seemed pleased but a trifle embarrassed. 
"In my work I average around $15 a week. Sometimes though when the citrus 
is slack I haul wood and sell it.
 That don't bring much neither, cause I have to hire a feller, what has a truck,
 to help me. I have a small car I use in my work sometimes, especially when
 I'm sent out on a job alone and the company ain't got time 
to take me, but it ain't no good to me in haulin wood. 
"I don't know just how much it would take for us to have a good livin.
 Of course our food don't cost us much, 
then our daddies sends stuff from their farms ever now and then."
At this Ella went in to the kitchen and returned with a pan of smooth 
yams which her father had sent her. 
Then she brought out a palatable looking section of white bacon to show me;
 this come from one of Frank's uncles in Georgia. 
"I have figured out expenses a lot," Ella said, "and if we consider
 the improvements we want to make on the 
farm so that we could live there, it would take around $150 a month 
for sometime. After that we might be independent.
"I sure hope we can get out on that farm before long, even if we can't 
build nothin but a little shack. 
Farm life seems so much better than here in town. Believe me I'd sure 
never want to live in no city on the 
little that Frank makes, and us not havin no more education that we got. 
"But I'd sure love to be in the city when they have those big political
 meetings. Gee it must be a lot of
 excitement and fun!" [her?] eyes sparkled with the idea. 
"Now there you go gettin yourself in politics again," her husband laughed. 
"I don't take much stock in those things," Frank continued. "But I wouldn't
 mind goin to a big meetin myself.
 We have one at Oak Grove near Venus on the 4th of July, and it's always the
 start of the Democratic campaign.
 But Ella, she really wants to attend a honest-to-goodness big meetin. 
I tell her she oughta try and get herself
 elected to the state and national committees, if she wants to see that sort 
of thing in a big way. 
"We are both Democrats but I don't usually vote. Ella always does, she says
 it's a great privilege, but it seems like a responsibility to me. Anyway, 
how do we know that the people we help elect will 
do the right thing by us? Then if they go wrong,
 all we can do is blame ourselves and it just don't suit me."
"Now Frank," Ella scolded, "you know it ain't right to look at
 it in that way. We all have to vote in order to 
be good American citizens. 
Suppose we lived in one of them there countries where they have
 dictators, and you were made to vote a certain way.
 Wouldn't that be awful? 
Here in [our?] good, free country things are so different, and we
 gotta do all we can to keep it that way. 
"Of course we all make mistakes in that, just like we make them 
in other things, but I still think we should try.
 It ain't always that the folks we vote for, does us wrong. 
Suppose everybody hadda felt like that in the last 
national election. Where would we be now? Well, there ain't no tellin.
 I think folks did a mighty wise thing
 when they elected President Roosevelt to office again. And I hope 
I have the privilege of votin for him to
get a third term. Yes, I sure do!" Her eyes gleamed with the [?] of her argument. 
Frank laughed heartily and arose.
"Well, it ain't exactly polite to fight before company, so I reckon
 I better get out. I've got to find Bill 
anyway and see if he wants to help me go for wood tomorrow."
After bidding me good day, he turned to Ella and kissed her, then he 
tiptoed in to the little one and ran his fingers through the [?] curly [head?]. 
When the sound of his footsteps died away as he went down the stairs,
 Ella resumed her discussion of politics
 and the country in general."Now, what other country has ever showed 
so much help for its poor folks? And it's 
only been since Mr. Roosevelt went in to office. I often wonder what 
will happen if he doesn't go on with the work,
 but surely someone else will take it up and go on. It would be all
 right to stop it if the poor folks could help
 themselves, but they can't, and they ain't poor through no fault of their's. 
"Now you take this here examination that Jamie and me took the other day 
for tuberculosis, we never could have done
 it if it hadn't been for the State Board of Health and the Gover'ment, 
I reckon. We went to the schoolhouse 
and had the tests made. Jamie showed negative, and that surprised me 
for a doctor once told me that he had
 mighty weak lungs. I have always worried about him, and I was sure glad 
to get the chance to find out for sure. 
"My test showed positive, but the man said that didn't mean an active case.
 I might have had it years ago and got
 over it, but the test would show the scar wouldn't it? I wasn't
 surprised when they told me I had it,
 for my grandpa, my father's daddy, lived with us when 
I was a little girl and for ten years before he died 
he was sick with slow consumption. So I reckon I got it from him. 
"I'm [fat?] I know, in fact I'm a lot overweight for my height,
 but the nurse said that didn't mean anything, 
because you can have tuberculosis just the same." 
As she talked, she kept glancing in a mirrow trying to reassure herself. 
"They come back this week and took X-rays of me, but said it would be 
two months before I heard from them. 
If I have consumption, they'll give me free treatment, that is
 if I ain't able to pay for it myself."

26076
Federal Writers' Project 
Paul [Diggs?] 
Lakeland , Florida 
March 10, 1939 
Robinson, Charlie and Lucinda 
408 W. 5th Street 
Lakeland , Florida 
CHARLIE AND LUCINDA ROBINSON - PLOWMAN AND COOK. 
The home of Charlie and Lucinda is located in the "Teaspoon Hill" section of Lakeland,
 Florida. This sandy street 
is thickly populated with colored people who live in good and bad houses. Some are home 
owners and others renters. 
Charlie happens to be one who is trying to purchase his home from Oxford and Oxford Attorney. 
His purchase price for the home was [$ 350.00?]. His monthly payments are $ 6.00 per month
 which he has kept up to date. 
Charlie specializes in preparing tracts of land for planting. He is one
 of the few who owns a mule and 
an old Model T Ford, and who makes a living doing this kind 
of work in and around the community. 
With a [scarcity?] of men who can plow up small tracts and who
 own a horse or mule, he is in demand for this 
type of work. His wife Lucinda, works out in service, cooking for 
Mr. Bogan, on South Florida Avenue. She receives $ 4.00 a week for her service. 
Charlie is a hustling tall raw-boned man, very talkative,
 and brown in complexion. Having come in from plowing 
up a tract of land, he was dressed in his work clothes with a 
wide brim straw hat with a black border on his head. 
Lucinda, is five feet-five inches in height, light brown in
 complexion, and very friendly. She had on her house 
dress which was very clean. [She?] said, "I was born in Wiggins,
 Georgia, May 18, 1890. 
Charlie, after resting on his back steps, arose and said, "come in. 
We are hard working folks.
 Lucinda is getting my dinner. Don' you [smell?] them good 
fish cooking. We will have some good old King fish,
 Have you ever eaten any fish like that? Lucinda knows how to 
cook them good and brown too, just crisp, 
and the bones and all go with the fish when she cooks them." 
We walked to the front room in the house, and the odor from the fish 
frying permeated all through your nostrils.
 Charlie said he was like the ant, "The ant will consider his ways,
 but will work all his day." 
"I came to Lakeland , September 15, 1919, from a saw mill camp at
 McClinney, Georgia. I was born in Washington County,
 Georgia, May 3, 1886. I practically lived there all of my life.
 My parents were Josh and Susan Robinson. 
Father has been dead eighteen years, and mother twenty years.
 There were sixteen children in all in the family.
 Only five of us are still living. Boyer, he lives in Sandersville,
 Georgia. [Willie?] and Reser, I don't 
know where they are. I havn't heard from them in years. My sister 
Anna lives in Warthen, Georgia. The older a fellow gets the more forgetful he is.
 I used to have good memory, but I have to set and study now. 
Plenty happened when I lived in Georgia, I have to dig it up bit by bit.
 I used to cut wood, and attend cows.
 I remembered when I would help mama every Wednesday with her work.
 When I was twenty years old, I left home 
and went to Davisboro, Georgia, to live with my father's sister.
 I only stayed there three weeks. I was always considered a mother's boy because
 I loved my mother, and would often listen to her talking about slavery.
 She said, "that she was fourteen years old when freedom was declared.
 She would tell how they sold and whipped 
the slaves and how she had to sleep on moss placed on the hard clay floors.
 I imagine those were some hard times.
 And just think, she lived through it all. Up until my mother died 
I would send her part of my earnings." 
" I had to work to make a living because my parents were poor and I
 didn't have much time to go to school.
 I only went to school three weeks in my life. My first wife taught me 
how to read and write. Some how or 
another she was smarter than I was. Last year, I went to the WPA Adult 
School in the Palace Casena. 
I didn't learn very much because the young man who taught me was 
not too far advance himself. So I quit this school." 
" I think education is much needed. If it was not so, 
one could not get into big jobs. In fact, 
I believe mother wit is good, but give me education. 
Children and grown people are not taking advantage of 
education today. Now that they have the priviledge to do these things,
 they won't accept it. We have teachers 
today who really are not fit, who are not taking care of the children.
 If we could learn to be obedient 
to one another we could come out alright. My old mule must listen to me.
 I use my old Model T. Ford sometimes. 
It has to be kept right to run. It is like people who if they are right,
 can make the grade. When a man gets his education, he must refresh himself." 
" I make good use of that old Ford. I use it to pull out stumps.
 I recall the first money I made back in Georgia 
was 75 a day. That was way back in [1809?]. I worked, too, for the
 Southern Railroad Company at Mitchell, Georgia,
 for three years. I guess I was around twenty three or four years old. 
The next job I had was with the Grits Mill 
at Warthen, Georgia. On this job I made $ 7.50 a week. I held this job
 until I got tired of it. After that 
I went to sawing wood. I worked up to $ 1.50 a day. When I came to Florida,
 I worked for Cummer Lumber Lumber Company, 
at McClinney, Florida. The work I did was piece work making ties at 10 a tie.
 some days I made as high as [$?] 5.00. I followed that work until I came to Lakeland .
 I worked for the American Express Company for five years
 making $113.40 a month. Afterwards, I worked for the Atlantic
 Coast Line, packing boxes and later they transferred 
me from there to the road house with the machinist as a helper at 
40 an hour. Later I was promoted to a fireman at 
$ 210.00 a month. I fired until they rolled me. Rolling means to be
 cut off from your work. That's what they call 
it on the railroad. And I have been rolled every since. They kept me 
on the extra board for a long time. 
They have a board where they list your name for turns out on a run.
 I never did get many turns out after that.
 I had to do something, so I began to handling horses and mules.
 Today I am satisfied behind my old mule 
" [Beck".?] With Beck I make a living some how. I manage to average
 around eight and ten dollars a week
 plowing up lots for people. I like it very well. I am my own boss." 
"My mule, Beck, is fourteen years old and a good worker. If people 
obeyed like Beck, they would be O.K. 
You have to watch a mule though. They will stop on you when you least expect.
 If you work a horse against a mule,
 the horse will fag out. The mule, if you will notice sometimes, 
have wider nostrils than a horse, 
and can pull more due to having greater wind." 
" I used to be a crack shot. Today I was near the place where they 
slaughter cows. The white man out there 
called me over to the pen and said, " uncle, can you shoot a rifle? " 
He didn't know I was once considered good back in Georgia. They used
 to bar me at some of the shooting matches
 around home. I picked up the rifle and walked back about thirty feet 
and shot the bull right in the middle 
of his head. He rushed up and stuck him with a knife soon as he fell.
 He said, " uncle you are a good shot, 
too good for words. L learned that from hunting when I was a boy, 
I use to roam the woods and could bring 
home game any time. They don't hunt down here in Florida like they
 did in Georgia. During my days, most
 any one of any size could shoot a rifle. What they call sport down 
here is skin and shoot crap. They don't 
know what the woods is." 
" I believe in decency. I was carried away with that speech Madame Bethune made.
 She said, "you have to be decent,
 keep clean, and have a clean place to live." I take a bath every day I live. 
I believe a person should be 
decent in everything. In religion more so. I belong to the Freewill Baptist 
Church, pastored by Rev. Williams, 
over on Fourth Street. A whole lot of fogyism is going on amongst our people.
 I feel if I leave Jesus Christ 
out I will do the wrong thing. I don't believe in cutting the monkey with religion.
 Sin can weight you down.
 You can get so far down you can't ride. If I know I am doing wrong,
 I shouldn't do it. a man or a woman aught 
to use common sense. Many people don't believe in religion. A man ought to
 be strong and go on his way like David.
 I feel like the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want." 
" I have never voted in my life. I always figured if I cast a vote, to
 a man that is worthwhile, he ought to do 
the right thing. I have seen times when things were better. In my fathers time, 
if a man did what he said, 
he would be kept in office. Times have changed now. A farmer, back
 in my fathers time would go to the next 
farm and help the other farmer. If they killed a hog or cow they
 would give some of it to their neighbors.
 You see if they do that now." 
" There has been so many changes, I think our present form of goverment 
is good, except one thing, that commodity part.
 I believe if the people were given money it would help out better.
 Some people I [know?] now get so much of 
the same thing they exchange it with other people. Maybe I am talking 
too much. But that's the truth. Everybody 
is not like me, I like to work, and will work. Work is honorable.
 A man lives long when he works [hard?]. " 
" I am happy with what little I get now, when I look around and see
 how some people live. I am thankful, too. 
I have a good wife, that's something to be thankful for. We married
 in Bartow, Florida, 1927. My first wife 
I was telling you about died in Sandersville, Georgia. She was a Hattie Jackson.
 One child was born and died three weeks after child birth." 
Lucinda had left the kitchen, and came in to the room.
 She sat on the edge of the bed, and told her husband 
that his dinner was ready. She asked, "what is all of this for"? Charlie said,
 "never mind, he is taking census of us. I have nothing to hide about my life.
 I mean to tell all I know about myself and you too. " 
Charlie joined his wife at the table where she had 
cooked a large platter of fish, piled high. Sweet potatoes,
 strawberry jam, butter, corn bread, and coffee made up the rest 
of their meal. Charlie said, " I like to eat 
most anything, but can't do so on account of some of my teeth being out.
" Lucinda said, " I can eat anything.
 I like to cook, and after I get through cooking for white folks, 
I have to come home and cook for Charlie."
 Charlie likes to drink his coffee out of large bowl, and soon 
called for another filling up of the bowl. 
" We both enjoy good health. We hardly ever have a doctor to come 
to our home. Lucinda stated that she works 
everyday and never lay off on account of illness. Charlie said, " 
work hard and eat good, that will keep you fit." 
After Charlie had finished his dinner and called again for another 
bowl of coffee, he said, "this is part of my life,
 to drink coffee. Good coffee is the life of you." He retired to
 the front room where he lit the lamp, as it
 was getting dark. He has no electricty in his home. Lamps was 
the only source of light. He stated that a 
gallon of kerosene would run him all the week for his lamps.
 He said that he wanted to improve his home when 
he has finished paying for it. 
This wooden built house consists of four rooms. 
It is unpainted with a small porch extending the width of the front.
 On the porch, turned against the house, were two delapidated wicker
 chairs. Another wicker chair was under 
one of the orange trees in the front yard. A mail box was nailed 
to a large post standing in front of the house. 
That was shaded by a tall cedar tree that towered over the building.
 There are five medium sized orange trees 
on his lot, filled with oranges. On the east side of the yard lies
 a pile of long logs, to be cut for fire wood. 
There are five crudely built out houses raised off the ground on
 wooden logs, used for his pets and chickens. 
In one were two large rabbits. Part of the back yard is given over 
to garden space where he has planted collards,
 mustards, corn, and onions. A small calf is fenced in beside the 
shed used for his mule Beck. In front of his 
shed is a pile of hay. On the [east?] side is a wired enclosure for 
his few chickens. A jet black cat roams 
around and occassionally rubs her fur against you. And Beck stands perfectly 
still and flickers her ears now and then.
 Beck is chestnut light brown in color, and very large in size. 
The wagon is home built and crudely made. 
He used it to carry his farm [implements?] back and forth to his jobs.
 Under one of the orange trees there is 
a bench on which were three large wash tubs. Near this is a pump with 
a sink placed on legs, very rusty from 
outdoor exposure. The out-house sits far back in the yard.
 Charlie has no sewer connection to his property. 
Wood, an old oil burner, ice box, and odds and ends are stacked on the porch. 
Entering the kitchen from this porch, there is a large round table 
sitting in the center of the floor, 
a wood stove in the South-West corner, a large new Ice refrigerator,
 and china closet, where the dishes 
and kitchen utensils are stored. The floor is bare of covering. 
There is a wide partition over which hangs two white curtains. 
This room is used for the front room and 
bed-rooms. A fire place is on the West side. In one corner there is a small table,
 two old trunks, and a 
two deck book rack filled with old books. A three quarter bed was near
 the partition, with clean covering on it.
 A few chairs and an old rug made up the rest of the furnishing.
 The next room on the East side of the house was 
their bed room, where a curtain hung over the door. In this room was
 a double bed, a dresser, a wash stand, and 
two chairs. On the floor was an old rug. All of the windows had shades
 to them, some were worn with a few holes 
in them, and the walls in the two front rooms were ceiled. 
Charlie was inclined to talk more about his work, " I am now cleaning 
up a large track of land for a white man, 
from the north. He has a large orange grove in the South 
section of Lakeland. [?]y white folks are good to me. 
They give me plenty of work. I have bargain to plow a ten acre 
tract for half of what I raise, with Katiba, 
the grocery-man on North Florida Avenue. I have considered it,
 but will have to wait until
 I finish the present contract. I have asked the owner for several
 lots near-by which I will plow up and put 
into sweet potatoes. There is plenty of planting space around in this section.
 If folks would only get out into 
the sun and raise something we would be better off. The soil is
 getting just right for spring planting.
 I have worked the soil so long that I know when it is right to plant seeds.
 Turn the soil over now and 
let it lay for about a week to take the souring out of it. 
If you follow the Ladies Birthday Almanac you
 will never go wrong. Back home, folks would be busy getting 
Almanac's the first of the year. That's was
 their Bible through crop times. When you are fooling with gardens 
and doing a little farming, you have
 to know what to do, when to plant, any old time will not do.
 I always tell my white folks when to put 
their seed in the soil. You know I help them, that helps me. 
Lucinda works all day, and we try hard to save what little little we make.
 Neither one of us is getting any 
younger and we must look out for a roof over our head." 
"When I am not working out, I work around the house. I am planning
 to put in another room and also want to put 
wire fence around the place. I read the newspapers once in a while.
 I just receive the Advocate, a church paper.
 It is all right, but I don't like the idea of raising money to educate
 people away from your home. They have a 
fund to educate boys in a school up in North Carolina, when 
I think we should take care of the boys here at home." 
"[We?] should have a colored paper in this section so we could
 read about one another. Christ told John to hold 
fast until I come again, to see the morning star. I mean we should
 hold fast to some of the things needed at home. " 
"My greatest habit is smoking cigarettes, I don't drink liker " 
Lucinda stated that she usually work around the house and hoe in the 
garden when she comes home from work. Charlie 
laughlying said, "when I can keep her home from the neighbors." This time he
 called her "Coot" finding this after 
noon when another visit was made, that they had run short of coffee,
 I will go to the store and get you a dime worth 
Coot, he said. Yes when he want to be nice he always say Coot to me. 
When out in company he says Lucinda. 
Charlie, grabed his large straw hat, and hastened to the store for his
 favorite drink. On the way he express 
his appreciation in being considered for a story. "I know now that
 my life has been worth while. It pays for a 
fellow to live right. 

26079 
Federal Writers ' Project 
Paul Diggs 
Lakeland , Florida 
[Scout?] , Robert 
Combee, Florida 
Robert and Rosa Lee Scout 
Robert lives in a Negro community called Combee, located three
 and one-half miles on State road [#?] 17 between 
Lakeland and Six Mile Creek. [Delapidated?] houses, built of pine
 and cypress, are scattered through these quarters. 
they are unpainted and black from exposure to the sun and weather.
 There are no electric lights no radio, and no 
running water. The site is considered low land and after a heavy rain 
it is covered with water. At this season of 
the year all of the available [planting?] space is set out in strawberries.
 Around some of the homes, there is a 
little space set aside for vegetables . The soil in this section is very
 rich, and is known [as?] "muck land." 
Robert's little farm is located on the left hand side of the State road,
 #17 sitting back about on quarter mile
 from the main highway. The oddity of this home, and the crudeness of 
its construction [makes?] is unique in its 
appearence. 
[Here?] in this humble existence he tries to earn a livlihood for himself
 and his wife Rosa Lee. He was sitting 
on a bench in front of the house beside a tub basking in the sunshine.
 Down the [lane?] he pointed out his wife coming.
 At my entrance through the gate Robert arose and said, "come in" 
and went into the house returning with a rocking chair. With the
 dignity of a Prince he asked me to be seated. 
Robert is five feet and ten inches in height, very dark in complexion,
 ball headed with a little patch of gray hair 
on each side of his head. His long black mustache hangs over the side
 of his mouth. When he laughs his missing 
tooth in the front of his mouth stands out. He keeps his pipe in his
 mouth all of the time, stating that it was 
his best friend. His pants were patched and resembled a quilt. His [hat?] 
was [slutched?] on the side of his head,
 pulled in the direction of the [?] . Rosa Lee, his wife, reached the house.
 She had on glasses, and she to 
had a pipe in her mouth. Rosa said thatshe was fifty two years old andwas 
neatly dress in a mixed colored 
gingham dress. Her shoes were full of holes to give comfort to her sore feet. 
They rested themselves on a board 
on two boxes with logs under each end. A tub was on the other end. 
This bench was used for the family's washing. 
Robert said, "I was born in Richmond County, South Carolina, and the second
 year after freedom. I remained in 
South Carolina, until 1901. There I engaged in farming and doing other odd jobs.
 My parents were Steven and 
Susan Scott, who were slaves. Their slave [masters?] were [Kellum?] and Scribner.
 There were five in my family. " 
Robert stated that he came to Florida in [1901?], and was a grown man when he 
reached Florida. He worked in the
 [turpentine?] stills from place to place. He lived in [Homassa?], Dekota county,
 seven miles from Arcadia until 
he moved to his present location in 1926. 
Robert stated that he married twice. His first wife was Rosa [Spanish?].
 They were married in Arcadia, Florida, 
in 1914. There was one child born during their wedlock. This child died 
with the influenza. His second marriage 
was to Rosa Lee Jupiter. They were married in their present home by Rev. Mitchell,
 of Lake Wales, March 11th, 1936.
 He had lived the life of a bachelor [up?] until that time. Before he married,
 his neice, Annie Graham, make here
 home with Robert. 
He has no recollection of any other member of his family, stating that
 he had not seen them in years. Rosa [spoke?] 
up and said that she had three sisters, Hattie Jones, Valdosta, Georgia;
 Eunice Walker, Moultrie, Georgia;
 and Rachel , who lives in Savannah, Georgia." Rosa was born in Richmond, Virginia. 
" Robert said, " we have farmed all of our lives, all I know has been following 
a mule behind a plow." " You see I only had a little schooling, I can 
only write my [name?] and that is all. They had no grades when
 I went to school I was raised by my grandmother Caroline Bryant, 
and when her eyesight [failed?], I had to stop
 [school?]; she was and old slave hoe-hand. I stop school to try to 
make her some bread. The book that I studied 
[was?] the Blue Back Webster, I went [as?] far as the syllables called Baker. 
The other part I took up in my head;
 learning from time to time. An education is something that every man should have,
 it keeps him from getting cheated.
 In the olden times a man would get a letter and stick it in the band of his hat,
 or in the pocket of his shirt, 
and tote'it until he could find somebody to read it. When he did, the sweat 
from his body had made the writing 
so [bad?] you could hardly make it out. [About?] this time I began to study 
[about?] womens and that settled it." 
" I always wanted a home of my own, and tried hard to have a good [farm?]. 
I am happy with something growing 
around me, and some animals to care for. [At?] present I have a few around me,
 see those fine cows out there 
in the field. There is three cows and one [fine?] bull, we have a [few?] 
chicken in the back, and four hogs,
 thats why I think a fellow should have something of his own.
 I am always gwine to have something. 
The good Lord said [that?] he would take care of me,
 and I am going to see that he does." 
"I pray hard all of the time, and believe that he [?] my prayers. 
I [am?] a member of the Baptist Church, 
I joined [because?] the spirit led me there. That little church
 you see standing over [yonder?],
 I am the pastor of it. I have [about?] ten members when they
 all are present. God called me to reach 
way back in [1923?]. 
" I [believe?] that [every?] man should be govern by his own [mind?]. 
When I was young I worked on the farm 
[and sometime hired myself?] out doing odd jobs. I remembered once working 
[for?] a man all the week, digging 
[ditches?], we knocked off [a turday at?] twelve oclock. He had hired us
 at One dollar and seventy five 
cents [a day?]. He took our [names and said that?] he had to go to the
 [bank?] in town to get our [money?],
 we set along [side?] of the road [and?] waited, [and?] waited; but no man 
[came?] back, finally a white man 
came along and asked us what we boys we waiting for. We [explained?]
 to him why we were [waiting?], he said, 
"that he saw that man in Plant City, fixing his car at [a?] filling station. 
There we was, we had promised [cap?]
 at the store that we would pay him for [his rations?], [and?] we were left in 
[the?] ditch. This has happen to me
 more than once, folks, [promise?] to pay you and leave you with out [any?] grits." 
"When the [boom?] was on I [made?] from [Three?] to [Four?] dollars a day.
 Now I [make?] nothin' but 
[what little food?] I can raise and sell off my [place?],
 we [can?] hardly sell our vegetables in 
[Lakeland ?], there is so many doing the same thing. 
I received some assistance [from?] the [old?] age 
[Assistance?], fifteen dollars a month, which I stretch as 
far [as I?] can. Through the help 
of the good Lord I [manage?] to live [some?] how. I manage
 to keep my little [farm here?], if the 
[freeze comes?] I will [be?] ruined, I [am?] expecting to
 [have?] a good strawberry [crop?]. 
While talking, all of a sudden Robert said to his wife,
 "say sister lets make a bargian- ain't 
we gwine to cook today ? With a smile beaming all over her
 face, she answered, sure I is honey." 
Rosa arose from the bench and went into the house. 
After filling his pipe with some Hi-Plane Tobacco. Robert said,
 " I voted in South Carolina, and I
 never voted in Florida. Once I started to vote, and was told that
 a nigger could not vote in a cracker election. 
So I stayed [from?] the poles every since. I think the government is 
[picking] up in places like soda when mixed with cornmeal." 
" I am not able to do hard work, except what I do [here?] 
on my little farm, I was ruptured some years ago, and 
I can't lift anything heavy. I feel good otherwise.
 When I feel bad I take my sassafras tea, and that brings me around.
 Over dar' in that shed I keep plenty on hand. 
Robert arose and went in the direction of the shed to show me his 
sassafras herbs. Here he started to explain 
how he came in posession of his present site. "This land was given
 to me by Mrs. Graham. Before I lived 
on the other side of the creek at Castle. I could not raise
 very [much there?]. The land bein' low and
 when a heavy rain would come it would drown out all of my crops. 
After homesteading and paying four 
dollars a year taxes, she gave me the deeds. I have ten acres-
 two of htem are cle red, and the rest are 
woods and swampland. This old peice of house [that?] you see here was built
 from an old house given tome in Carter. 
I hauled the lumber one half mile in a whellbarrow and built it myself." 
The house was weather-[bearded?], with no [windows?], only board shutters.
 Laughing hearidly Robert said, 
" If that house had glasses it would [fall?] down. 
It would'nt stand [any?] glasses." 
The weather boarding on the out side was rough and 
the ends [was?] not evenly nailed on, some protruding 
beyond the end of the house. The top was covered with some old 
second hand galvanized tin. It was badly 
bent and [looked?] to be leak proof. The chimney on the east side
 was very crudely built. It looked like 
it was ready to fall down. There [was?] a little shed about twenty 
feet from the house, where he kept his farm tools.
 It was shackly built with plenty of space between the boarding.
 The front [was wide?] open, and hanging on the 
rafters were dried seed and peas used for cooking. In front of the house 
a well cultivated strawberry patch 
was in bloom. A crudely built cypress [fence seperated?] 
the strawberry field from the house. 
Along side of the shed was a stack of wood obtained from his land.
 His whole cleared site was fenced in with 
cypress poles, cut from the timber land. In the rear of the
 house there was another acre cleared and part of 
it was set out in vegetables. In the east corner there was 
a crudely built enclosure out of cypress poles used 
to quarter his four hogs. Near this enclosure was the out house with 
no roof over it. On the north side of the 
field was a chicken yard, and next to the chicken yard was Robert's 
rickety built barn. Rosa Lee said " her chicken was given to them for 
[part payment?] for washing, she did at some of the white folks homes.
 "The [barn?] was built out of cypress poles and covered with old tin, and boards.
 The yard space was fenced in. There was [a?] wide gate with space enough for a car 
or wagon to [pass?] through. In this unsanitary [arrangement?] the [cows?] were milked once a day. 
In the interior of their house there [was?] found some home built furniture.
 In the front room a large fire place was the only [means of?] {Begin deleted text} 
obtaing {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} 
{Begin handwritten} obtaining {End handwritten} 
{End inserted text} heat. In front of it was irons, Rosa said, 
" the fire place was used to heat the irons when she ironed.
 The walls were covered with newspaper and magazines.
 The floors were bare, with only a small rug on the front room floor.
 The [boards?] was unevenly matched on the 
floor and left cracks in between them, you could see the ground
 and feel the air coming up through them. 
In this room was a long table without any covering on it, and
 an old type singer sewing machine. Hanging 
in the middle of the room from a rafter was a bunch of oranges. 
The bed rooms were very crowed, with no way of letting air or 
light in, except opening the shudders,
 although there was plenty of air from the [cracks?] in the walls
 and floor. A shed covered the open space 
[entering?] the kitchen which set apart from the rest of the house.
 It was very small, and was crowded with
 a small wood stove, a wood box, old trunk, [and?] a table filled with dishes. 
Everything was very clean and orderly arranged in this crude home.
 They had two barrels near the kitchen 
with a large [galvanized?] [pipe?] running from the roof to catch 
the rain water. On top of the barrel 
was a bag that was used as a filter for the water, and another pipe 
joined the second barrel with a fine 
mesh screen and rag over one end. Out of this barrel the water was used.
 It was clear and clean, 
and around it was lots of trinkets used in and [around?] the house.
 Two old time iron pots were close by. 
With pride he showed me his wagon, which was a wheelbarrow, stating 
that the horse was not able to pull very 
much (meaning himself.) 
Suddenly the small [bull?] came walking up to the fence that surrounded
 the house, and they immediately
 grabbed the long rope dragging behind him, and pulled him away.
 He [was?] considered to very dangerous. 
He was very fat, [having?] the advantage of the good grazing 
land around the little farm. 
In the delapidated shed was a pile of straw, and under it was sweet potatoes.
 Robert said " that they were 
kept there to be protected from the frost bite. [I?] have always saved 
vegetables, when I was in the Spanish 
American War it saved me from hungry. A many day by knowing what to do
 with dried vegetable seeds I was able to eat, 
I enlisted as a soldier in the Spanish American War when I was thirty years
 old at Summerville, N.C. I was a member 
of Major Young's Company. We went up from Savannah, Georgia, and started to
 Cuba, after [landing?] about two oclock.
 While out to sea about midnight the boat turned around and headed back 
to Savannah. There we learned that the war
 was over, then we were mustered out. We left the dock singing and shouting,
 and every [one?] was on their [way?] home.
 Lawdy [ussy?] there was [plenty?] of trouble during dem' times, only 
folks did'nt argue overthings as long as 
they do now. " Rosa Lee, came back to the yard with a smile, letting her 
husband know that his meal was ready. 
He entered the small kitchen and after saying the blessing with reverance, 
Robert said, " that old lady of mine 
can cook up a mess. She can do more with fat bacon than a monkey can with 
[peanuts?]. I like fat meat, pork, 
collard greens, peas, cabbage, grits, and good corn bread. Now and then 
I kill a chicken when one of the breatherns 
[comes?] around. We have plenty of eggs during laying seasons. Our meat
 supply comes from the hogs that
 we butcher and salt down, when we run out of green vegetables we fall
 back on the dried vegetables we [have?]
 stored away." Robert's appetite was very good, he asked for the second helping.
 The syrup that he was
 using was his own make, [apparently?] he liked it, from the [way?]
 he soaked his corn bread in it. Rosa said, 
" we usually have two meals a day when they are able. she also related
 [that?] she was a member of the prayer
 band, they would [meet from?] house to house each week. "
 I walk all over this place, we have no other way to 
get around, some time my old man he walks to Lakeland, 
he spends his time working on the farm, and keeping 
busy with his church program. When not working you can find 
him and that old [stinking?] pipe sitting out
 front of the house when the weather is good. When it gets cold
 he comes [inside?] by the fire place. 
You see by our [wood?] that we are ready for the cold weather.
 [Some?] time my neighbors come over and talk.
" My old lady Robert said, " goes around more than I do. Ha! Ha 
! she is a busy body. Rosa's eyes 
flashed and she went on with her work. In leaving he invited me 
back, stating that he liked good company

26088 
Federal Writers' Project 
Paul Diggs 
Lakeland , Florida 
December 29, 1938 
Stembridge, Will & Julia 
807 Florence Ave 
Lakeland , Florida 
Will and Julia Stembridge 
At the and of this sandy street lives Will and Julia Stembridge, 
807 North Florence Avenue, in a weather-boarded 
house that is unpainted - The steps entering the house are out of 
line and are badly in need of repairing.
 The front porch was covered with running vines, and there were pots 
of flowers sitting around the edges,
 with several large ferns in standing vessels. A swing was on the north 
end and a green rocking chair on 
the south end. The flooring on the porch was old and very loose. 
On knocking, Will answered from the kitchen where he was eating. He said,
 "come in brother, come back and
 have something to eat." Through an apology this courtesy was declined; 
and the purpose of the visit was explained.
 Will laughed and said," if I can see it in print I will tell all about 
myself if it will be of any use.
 Well he said," as long as it is you I will try to satisfy you." 
"You see I am just camping in this ranche (meaning his house). Good houses
 are scarce here in Lakeland ,
 and I don't know when I will be able to own one through these hard times." 
You have to pass through the front room which is expensively furnished. 
A large fire place sits in the center of the housed painted white,
 which separates the front room from the kitchen. The same 
flue is used for the large wood stove. There was a bed room adjoin-the 
front room with a lovely suit of furniture in it.
 The windows all had shades and curtains to them, they were neatly arranged and clean. 
The kitchen was very large. It served two purposes, to cook, and [his?] dining room.
 The furniture in the kitchen was not modern [as?] that in the front
 room and bedroom. Entering from the kitchen was another bed 
[room?] which contained one double bed, and [a?] single bed.
 The rest of the furniture was modern, with [a?] 
new late model oil burner sitting in the middle of the floor.
 His stepdaughter Annie [was?] asleep in bed in this room. 
Will [was?] dressed in the uniform of the Firestone Company for whom he works.
 It was greasy from the many cars he serviced during the day.
 His wife came in from out of the yard and spoke very plesently.
 She took a seat and listened while will continued to talk.
 Noticing the [well?] laundred shirts on the 
sofa when I came in, Julia was asked who did the nice work,
 she replied that she did. Stating that she 
takes in laundry in order to assist her husband, "I have been doing that for years." 
"Will continued, "well I know that Christmas was good to you, 
I had [a?] nice time working, and riding 
around seeing my friends. I was proud that I was living." 
"Well I know it means business when ever you call, what's
 big about me that you want to know where 
I come from and about my people. I ain't nothing but a poor working man,
been with on company ten years. "Will talks with a pleasant smile [at?] all time.
 At this point Julia said, "tell him what you know 
it may be worth something to us." 
He stated that he was five feet and eleven inches in height,
 weighted two hundred and nine pounds. 
Light brown in complexion, and forty years old.
 "I was born in a log cabin two miles out from Fort Valley,
 Georgia. The log cabin only had four rooms, there were five of us in the family.
 My parents were John and [Leathy?] Stembridge. My mother has been married
 four times since the death of my father.She is now a Candy." 
" I lived in Georgia until I was twenty years old. My parents were sharecroppers.
 They had charge of [a?] thirty acre farm with fourteen mules on it.
 While on this farm I worked hard with my brother James, 
the only one who stayed on the old place. My other brother 
ran around from place to place. My two sisters, 
Mary and Mattie died. My father later moved to Fort Valley and opened 
a merchandise store, this store he 
fran for three years. Later he died, and my mother married again.
 My step daddy made me git' it on this farm. 
I did everything a man was big enough to do. Hoe, plowing ditches,
 plant cotton, pick it, built fences, and 
looked after the animals. My step daddy did not believe in any thing but work." 
" I never knew what money was during them times.
 I left there and came to Lakeland , Florida in [1918]. 
You see I have only lived two places in my life up there and down here.
 When I first came to Lakeland, I found a job with the [Standard oil?] Company,
 on [Lake?] Weir Drive, I stayed with them until 1919. 
I was getting three dollars and fifty cents [a day?] unloading large
 tank cars filled with gasoline and oil." [??] 
"I left thiscompany and went to work for Mr. [B.M.] Coniber, 
who was at that time located on Main Street,
 near Tennessee avenue. I stayed with him until [1935?], there 
I changed tires. While working for 
Mr. Coniber I married to my wife sitting over there.
 She was Julia Hall. She has three children- James,
 who lives in Washington, D.C. and works at the Pennsylvania Railroad Station;
 Marian, works at Futch Funeral Home,
 [?], S. Florida avenue, and Annie, works at the Paramount [?] 
Cleaners -8 [?] S. Florida Avenue. 
" I left Mr. Coniber and worked for Hendrick and Nicholson Tire Company. 
I held this job down until 1928." 
" I left this job and started working for the Firestone Company in 1925.
 My boss man is Mr. Joe Daniels. 
He gives me thirteen dollars a week since they cut our salary.
 I go to work at seven oclock in the morning 
and quit at eight oclock at night I have seen many men come and go since 
I have been on this job. One good 
thing I don't owe anybody, all of my furniture is paid for. 
" What I have learned has been from having good [compections?].
 You see my people only allowed me to go as 
far as the second grade in school. I have picked up more since that time. 
I hardly ever forget anything. 
I check all of the tires around the place and keep tabs on everything
 that comes my way. They trust me with my work. 
Will was asked if he owned his home. He said, "that he rented the house
 from Mr.G.O.Conack, paying [one?] dollar and one half per week. 
He further stated that people will take your money, but they [?] not fix up the 
[property?]. He hopes to buy a house some day. He said he ownes his car. 
It was a [19?] Ford, and it was sitting 
in the back yard and looked to be in farily good condition.
 There was a [del picated?] shed built to house it not
 far from the back door. Banked around the back door were many potted flowers.
 In the yard were lots of lumber. There was no fence around their yard.
 It [eaten ed?] out to the [alley?]. [When?] approached about voting.
 Will stated that he has never voted in his life. " But I do think it [is?] half 
way right to vote. One can get what he ask for if he votes. 
I did'nt have to [chance?] when I was on the farm to [learn anything?] 
about this thing called politics. 
I would vote for President if I had the chance. A few weeks ago 
I paid [one dollar?] to the Red Cross. You see I have my cross [in?] the front window. 
A fellow never knows when he [will? holy?]. [When?] 
I am on the job I hear my white [folks?] talking about who is a good man and who is not.
 I pick up a lot by listening. 
" When I was in Georgia I was a member of the missionary Baptist Church, since 
I have been in Florida I ain't nothing. 
It is a shame to say it, but I don't even go to church. I live [a pretty good?]
 life, never been in any trouble 
in my life. Thats a pretty good record don't you think.
 I think it is about time [that I?] make my peace with the Lord.
 He don't like ugly." 
" I am pretty healthy now but a fellow never knows when he will get sick. 
I never [had a?] doctor to me in my live.
 My old lady has had one. I think she [washing?] too much. 
Julia said that the washing don't worry her much anymore.
 When she first started it cause [pulis?] in her wrist and arms.
 Some time I get a scratch or bruise from changing 
tires [ar un the?] place. When [I ? cars?] I always wear boots.
 I know lots of boys who suffer from rheumatism 
from not [taking care of?] themselves. Some time I work around 
the battery department and the acid from them 
cause me to cough. [?] [from?] that nothing hurts me. 
In this home whose furnishings [was?] modern, there was evidence 
of [cleanliness?] all around. Julia takes 
lots of pride in keeping a good home. Although the [? hid?]
 the beauty of the furniture. The [beds?] were made [
up?] except the one Annie [was?] [sleeping?] in. The [spreads?]
 were of [loud?] colors and clean. Julia she 
[was?] neatly dressed in a gingham dress. Will is above the average
 in his line of work, and delights to talk
 about what he can do around cars. he has lived in this community for a number
 of years and is well liked by both races. 
" Will said, " I am able to get what I want, with the assistance of
 my wife's children who gives [a?] little [of?]
 their earning towards food. [We send?] around five dollars a week for food.
 You see I have a good cook in my old lady.
 She [knows?] how [to?] make them biscuits and corn bread like a [fellow?] likes them. 
"That brought a smile to 
Julia's face. She stated that she like to cook. And [??] of the good
 things she prepares for the [family?]. 
Saying that they all come home hungry, and they always find good hot food on the stove." 
" Will said, " that his greatest trouble was [eating?] too much [sweets?],
 [?? my coney?]. Home time I like 
my tardy too. But I never drink on the job. 
" Well it is time for me to get back on the job, when I get a [place?]
 of my own where I can have things like 
I use to [on?] the farm, I want you to come to see us. In riding around 
I see lots of places I would like to own 
if I [had?] the money. Thats the biggest thing I [do?] when [on?] the job.
 I [find a?] friend [amd to ride to 
[some small?] town and take a [nip?] (he meant a drink) and I get 
lots of pleasure out of that. " Well I wish I could tell you [more?] about myself
 and the family this time. [One?] thing [?] of my [people?]
 here are grown and able to [look out?] for themselves. We get along nicley together. 
[And?] thats the way people should live. He [laughed?] and said, "Well after 
all I believe I will amount to something. 

26095 
Federal Writers' Project 
Paul Diggs 
Lakeland , Florida 
January 6th, 1939 
Threet, Dan and Amelia 
Washington Park Lakeland, Florida 
DAN AND AMELIA THREET 
(Commonly known as Doc Threet) 
Located on the West side of "Washington Park" lying between 7th St, in North Lakeland , (commonly known as Teaspoon Hill) is located Dan and Amelia Threet. He is known by all as Doc Threet. They live in a four room house that was once set aside for a community house in the Park. Some years ago this plot of ground was donated to the City by Mr. Vinc Stephenson, who is known as Judge, he was once a Justice of Peace in Lakeland . This white gentleman deeded this track of land to the City of Lakeland to be used as a Park for Negroes. In 1910 the City of Lakeland accepted it. In 1926, Louise Rochelle (now Louise Diggs) organized a group called, "The Civic Improvement League" saw fit to improve it. In making their plea to the City Fathers, they were granted the necessary funds to make the necessary improvements. At that time in 1926, they erected a band stand, layed cement walks, and built tennis courtswith lights for night playing. A sun dial was placed east of the band stand, and a building to the west side for a community house. The park has numerous water oaks scattered in it, which makes it a very desirable place to relax. During the year of 1934 the F E R A remodeled the band stand. In the mean time through the popularity of this beautiful park, there was need for someone to care for it. L.B. Brown was first given the priviledge to live in this cottage. After he left in 1935. Doc, was given the job as care taker. This position he holds today along with the responsibility of taking care of other City owned property built for Negroes in Lakeland , Florida. The Colored Auditorium, and the Colored Library. Doc, was approached for an interview. He was sitting on the porch smoking. He said, "come in and have seat." "Well I am nothing but a hard working man, and there is not much that I can tell, But I have seen plenty go on here in Lakeland . This conspicuous character is seen daily around, and is known by all of the older citizens, and boys and girls who visit the Park. He is very pleasant and obliging at all times. Doc is five feet and six inches in height, weigh on hundred and thirty five pounds, dark brown in complexion, with a few gray hairs visible in his head. " I was born in Valdosta, Georgia. My parents were [Wash?] and and Hattie Winn. After the death of my father, my mothered again to Nero Threet There were share-croppers on a large farm, and I remained [on?] the farm [nd?] worked part of the time. Doc's family only consisted of his two sister, Viola and [rosa?], (deceased) " I remained on the farm until I was ten years old, during that time I attended school. I was taken to Florida by my uncle Charlie Williams. They settled in Layfette County. I married my wife Amelia Roberson, August 18, 1898 and later came to Lakeland , Florida, in December 1914." "I recall the first jail, which was a one story wooden building located in front of the Adair Atheletic Field, on North Florida Avenue, near Third Street. This spot is now the home training ground for the Detroit Tigers. And is considered one of the best training grounds in Florida." "There were only three houses located this side of Pear St. They were located in groves and woodland. One of the houses I " " While in Georgia I learned my A B C's. We studied out of the Blue Back Webster. I lived in a town called Luraville, where I was made to attend school four months out of the year. I went to school often and on for sixteen years. I went as far in the Arithmetic as the United States Money. At that time that was considered good. Prof. W.A.Rochelle, the principal of the Elementary Department at Washington Park High School taught me for a couple of years in Lauraville. He was considered a fine teacher at that time. Through my schooling, what little I had, it has made me see what I could do for my childrens Some have finished the High School, and [om?] the grades. All of them are able to know right from wrong." "Lottie Mae and Farabelle live with me, they both have finished the Washington Park High School. Lottie Mae works on the N Y A, assisting in the recreation department. Farabelle remains at home and takes care of her mother who has a stroke in December, 1937. Farabelle is not a very well girl, at times she suffers with her heart." Farabelle was sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair. She is very [pleasant?] and seems to be very dutiful around the house. Lottie Mae was sitting in her mother's bed room talking to her mother. Both girls were neatly dressed. Lottie Mae asked how the people liked the Pageant that was held at Bethel A M E Church. She was one of the participants in the play. Those away from home are Nero, ( who is married and lives in [?], a colored section of Lakeland .) Alice, ( she is married and lives on 8th St,) K. C. Hattie and Rosa are away from home and are still single. " When I was sixteen I began working in the gin mill, ginning cotton. I stayed on this job until I became boss man. At that time there was plenty of cotton growing in the northern part of the State. My first job in Lakeland was with the American Express company. I was a helper during the Christmas Holidays. Afterward they kept me because I was a good worker. Later they cut help [and?] kept the old helpers. I looked [around?] and found a job with the Lakeland Manufacturing Company, hauling lumber. On this job I received $ 1.50 per day. " " After working for several years, I began carpenter work, and taking contracts for grubbing. This I followed until I accepted a job with [the?] [Washington?] Park High School, as janitor. I began working on this job in 1930, and remained until [1935?]. They paid me $60.00 a month. I learned a great deal on this job by coming in contact with the teachers. Of course I lost out on this job due to colored folks mouth. A lie was told on me, and I could never straighten it out." " During this time I became ill, and nearly lost my health, after going [?] [relief?]. You remember whenyou put me on relief ,when you [had?] charge at the Old Colored Hospital. Well soon afterwards they sent you away, and the treatments I took put me [back?] on my feet. After I was able to work again, the City gave me more work taking [care?] of the grounds and the building for our people." " I clean up the Auditorium and the Library [and?] take care of the grounds. They pay me $44.00 a month. Of course this amount is not enough to take care of my family. What little bit Lottie Mae makes goes for her clothes. You see she is young, and needs pretty things like other girls to wear. I try hard to look after everything in connection with my work. What I am [thankful?] is that I have a good boss [man Mr. derman?] is the Director of the Recreation Department of the City of Lakeland, Florida. " Speaking of voting- thats something that a man has to know what he is doing.I use to vote regular in the City [elections?], but of late I have only registered. I workedfor the city folks and if I go messing in politic I might vote for the wrong man, and off goes my head. No Siree! I don't fool with voting. You know a half loaf of bread is better than no loaf. I [mean?] it is better for folks to be satisfied with what they have sometime than to be grabbing ,and miss out. You know what them old one's will do, but you have no guarantee on them [ne?] one when they get in office." " I need my job now, with my wife sick in there. She is helpless and we have to tote ' her from place to place. Now what would I look like fooling around now. Huh! all I can do is to attend to my own business." " All of my life I have had good jobs, and made a living for my family." Amelia, who can hardly talk, expressed herself at this remark, and [said?], "he certainly has taken care of his family and is doing a man's part now." Amelia [sits?] in a rocking chair during the day time, when the weather is good she [i?] moved to the front porch, and allowed to sit in the sun. " [You know?] I thought I was a goner when I was stricken down with [rhumatism in 1933?]." Doc said. " I worried more than I should, but thanks the good Lord I am still able to work and take care of my wife." "That's the reason why I try to keep faith with [God?]. I have always been religious. I have been a member of Bethel [A M E?] Church ,located on North Dakota Avenue[,?] for twenty seven years. My whole family belongs to this church. I have [served?] in every office in this church. I have been Sunday School Superintendent for thirteen years . I don't go to church as regular as I should. I hate to say it, but if you don't have money [now?] there is no need of going to church, you don't get that old time religion any more." " I need all the money I can rake and scrape. My medical bills is awful high. Every time you call a Doctor it takes your weekly salary; to say nothing about the cost of the prescription. I still [feel?] the effects from my rhumatism, and take some little pills now and [then?]. Farabelle,hasto [have?] medicine too. All of this expenses [fall on?] me." The little cottage contains four rooms, very badly in need of painting on the exterior, the rooms are very small and the walls are [?] with beaver board, two of the rooms are used [for?] bed rooms, kitchen [and?] a bath room that is modernly equipped. They have [the?] use of electricity furnished by the City free, and their rent is likewise. Doc has built on the north side of the house a small stand from which he sells snowballs, candy, soft drinks, and etc. This priviledge is granted by the City. In front of the [house?] there are benches scattered around under the water oak that give shade to the place. There are flowers and shrubbery growing in front of the house. In the back of his house he has wired in a large [space used?] for chickens. Penned up in a small box was a coon, that was [captured?] when he was small. Doc has tamed him, on taking him out of the box he climbed all over his head and shoulders. Doc, in talking drifted back to his childrens, stating that one [was?] drowned while swimming in a clay hole, nother was accidently shot by a boy [playing?] with a gun. The rest died natural deaths [from?] illness. Amelia said, " that she was a good women when she was well. I was a mother of thirteen childrens, only seven living now. If all of my children [had?] married I don't know what would have happened to me. Since I got [in?] this fix." Amelia is very small and her [lower?] limbs [look?] like they have wasted away since she has been unable to walk. Amelia said, " that her appetite was very good, and she like plenty of chicken." The general appearence of the interior was clean. the bed rooms were furnished with inexpensive furniture. Lottie Mae begged to be excused, and [ent?] into the kitchen to prepare dinner. She was asked what good things she was preparing. She said, "my mother has to have some special things cooked. But we like most anything. My father is a great meat eater, but we don't give him very much since he had that sick spell, We use a plenty of vegetables with corn bread and biscuits. We eat very little sweets because we can't afford them. I studied home economics while in [High?] School, and I understand what is good for people to eat. I am a pretty good cook if I must say so. Ha! Ha!. Maybe I will get a good husband some day. Doc said, "you aught to get a good husband." Lottie Mae replied, " Changing her attitude about a good husband, what for? to starve to death. Men now of days can hardly take care of them selves. Muchless trying to take care of a wife." As the conversation ran on about marrying, Doc said, " all [young?] girls should marry before it is too late." Doc is very handy around the house, most of the article built [around?] his [place?] was made by him. He showed me a chair that was built, which [was?] durable and well built. He is considered a home man. When not busy round the park attending to the lawns and shrubbery, he can be found sitting on the front porch near his little shop chatting with friends who constantly visit the place. Farabelle is considered a good tennis player, and she makes use of the tennis court that is about fifty feet form the house. Lottie mae is musical and has a nice voice, and some what interested in [dramatics?]. She recently assisted with a WPA play This seems to be the way that they find pleasure in their liesure time activities. 

26102 
Life Histories 
Complete 
2,500 words 
History of R. W. Wishart 
[1206 14th Avenue?]
Tampa, Florida
[August 22, 1939?] 
Lindsay M. [Bryan?] 
LIFE HISTORY OF C. W. WIMSTER, TURPENTINE MAN 
"Yeah, man. I was bawn in a turpentine camp, spent near about
 forty years in the business, and woulda been in 
it yet if the bottom hadn't-a dropped out of it. 
I've soaked up so much turpentine in my life that if you run 
me through a still right now, I reckon you'd git about ten gallon outa me." 
The speaker, a 40-year old veteran of the turpentine woods, chuckled 
at this jest as he sat on the front porch 
of his weathered one-story home in an old residential part of Tampa.
 He stretched his long wiry frame in the 
porch rocker, ran long fingers through a shock of wavy brown hair,
 and his level gray eyes took on a [reminescent?]
 look as though gasing back through the endless vistas of [gum-exuding?]
 pines that had been the scene of his life.He went on! 
"When I say I was bawn in a turpentine camp I mean jist that.
 My father was manager of a 20-crop naval stores place,
 an we lived in the camp near Eastman, Georgia, an I was bawn right in
 the camp in 1899. There was six children of us,
 an as soon as us boys was old enough we shore had to work, helpin around 
the still or the commissary, or work as water boys. When I was about two years 
old my folks moved to another camp at Bay Lake, Florida .
"I started to school there when I was six, in a little one-room
 log schoolhouse in the woods. I started in 
the turpentine business as a water boy when I was eight,
 an finally worked myself up to manager of eight camps at [$230?] a month. 
"My folks believed in education, an I was sent to school regular when 
I was a boy, but worked in the summers. 
When I was about ten years old we moved to a camp at Martin, seven miles from Ocala,
 an I was promoted to talley "man"--keeping tally on the number of tress boxed 
or streaked by each nigger. Niggers do all the labor 
in the woods, an most of the work around the still.
 The manager, foreman, commissary men and woods riders are 
all white men. At each camp there will be from 50 to 200 niggers, 
accordin to the number of "crops" worked. 
A crop is about 10,000 trees. "The white folks live in fairly good homes at
 one side of the camp, and the niggers in their quarters at the 
other side in two-or three-room cabins or board houses.
 We always aimed to have separate quarters for the 
single niggers to keep them from messin up with the married men's wives. 
But this didn't always work, and 
there was many a fight on account uv them mixin at night in the woods. 
"By the time I was 12 years old I began to learn how to make boxes an 
streaks, an do everything else in the 
woods an at the still. A box is a deep cut in the tree to ketch the gum, 
an streaks are shallow gutters out 
in the trunk of the tree to lead the gum down into the box.
 In late years most turpentine men use cups attached 
to the tree to ketch the sap or gum, instead of the deep boxes 
they used to cut. The cup system makes the trees 
last longer. The dip squad travels through the woods with a 
team or truck loaded with barrels into which they 
collect the gum, an then haul it to the still to be refined into 
spirits of turpentine. The gum is about as 
thick as thick syrup, and when heated the rosin settles to the 
bottom of the still, and is drawed off hot into barrels. 
"When I was about 13 years old I started to ride the woods, an was
 foreman of the dippin squad. I rode three crops, 
an that was a man's work. About 1914, when I was around 15, 
we moved to Loraine, Manatee County, about 12 miles from Bradenton. At this camp 
the boss thought I was too young to ride, so he give me a job 
as talley man and inspector of box cuttin. By this time I was 
an expert box cutter myself, and could tell 
the niggers how to do it right. If a box aint cut exactly right its no good at all.
 I worked part of a year there, an then got a job guardin convicts
 in a turpentine place at Punta Gorda.
"All this time I was goin to school in the winter,
 and when I was 16 years old I graduated from high school at Ocala.
 Next I got a job as manager for Mr. Hamp Lowther who had a 
30-crop place at Verna, Florida. There I worked 
in the commissary some, an worked as woodsman, ridin one ride,
 besides actin as manager. I worked there and 
at other camps till I joined the army and went to France in 1917.
 After the armistice I came to Tampa.
 Then in 1919 I got the idea I could get rich raisin canaloupes,
 so went to Ocala and tried it a year an lost $500 
I had saved. My cantaloupe crop was a plum failure. So I decided 
I'd better stick to turpentine.
It will be noted that Mr. Wimster's speech varied at times 
from rural Florida dialect to the better diction of 
his high school influence. "In 1920 I went to work as over-rider over eight woodsmen 
on a 100-crop job at Nalaca, Florida, but there came 
a slump in the price of turpentine and the force at this place was out to
 about nothing, includin me; so I left 
there and the next year when the market picked up a little I got another 
job, as foreman of a 40-crop place at Miakka.
 Another drop in the price of turps laid me off there in 1922. 
Up to then I hadn't had much time to think about 
gittin married, but now, with nothing else to do, I remembered a 
nice gal I'd met in Polk County, so I went
 a-courtin up there an married her. Then I got a job as manager at
 Camp Four in Polk County, for Mr. W. C. French. 
"In 1922, I think it was, I was offered a better job, as manager 
of eight camps owned by a New York concern 
at Opal, Okeechobee County. This was a big virgin woods in low, 
swampy country, and the outfit was a big one of 
120 crops. There I had charge of 400 niggers and nine woodsmen (riders).
 I got $250 a month and held that job 
for two years. Then come the damdest rainy season I ever saw in Florida .
 It poured down for weeks, and water stood knee deep all over the woods. 
We had to set around in camp and do nothing. There was 400 heada niggers 
an 30 heada horses an mules eatin up rations, an besides the
 wet weather made the horses and mules backs all 
sore so we couldn'ta worked on anyhow. I shore had a mess of trouble on my hands.
 An to make everything worse the big bosses in New York kept telegraphin
 me an wantin to know why no production. Finally I got mad an 
told em to go to hell an git somebody else, an I walked and waded off the job. 
"Next I worked a while an manager of a 30-crop job at Camp Cook, near Panama City.
All this time, remember, the price of turpentine kept goin down, 
an that was mostly the reason I changed jobs so much. Whenever the 
demand for naval stores got slack the operators would shut down or cut wages.
Substitutes for turps and 
rosin were comin on the market, and besides many plants had began
to distill the product from stumps and lighterd knots.
This cheap stuff made it almost impossible to operate a 
regular turpentine business at a profit. 
"By the latter part of 1924 I had some money saved,
so I went to Spring Park, Marion County, and bought me a 
10-crop turpentine place of my own, and 200 acres of farm land.
Then the Florida boom begun, and my laborers 
all left and went to the cities or up North where they could git higher wages.
I could't make a livin on my 
place, so I quit and went to road contractin for a while. Then from 1926 to the latter part of 1932 I worked 
for Aycock Lindsay, big Florida\ turpentine men, as manager and later as top rider over all their camps 
in Dixon County.In 1934 the price of naval stores again hit bottom, and I went to Venus, Florida ,
as superintendent of a logging camp. "In 1937 I heard that the government of Haiti wanted an experienced 
turpentine and timber man to survey the pine forests of that country for possible sources of turpentine
and lumber, and I sent in my application 
along with fine letters of recommendation I had from the leading turpentine and lumber companies of Florida .
There were a lot of other applicants, but I got the job and went to Haiti in 1937 to take up that work. 
"When I got to Port-au-Prince, the capital, the government furnished me with a military escort, guides, camping 
equipment, laborers, and everything necessary to explore and survey the immense forests there. The timber 
resources there were practically undiscovered and undeveloped. In two trips I spent about two years there in all, 
and discovered approximately 22,000,000 acres of good turpentine producing timber, absolutely virgin, and of such 
growth that most of the trees will cut 12x12 timbers 50 to 70 feet long. I established a turpentine still there 
and it is now in commercial production.As he told of these accomplishments, 
the Florida turpentine expert rose and paced the floor in enthusiasm. 
His eyes glowed with a discoverer's [fervor?]. His rather fine profile 
lit up with intelligent interest 
in his subject, as he continued: "They don't know what they've got down there!
 There's millions of dollars in the finest virgin timber, 
and with labor at 20 cents a day they can produce naval stores to
 compete even with the cheap synthetic substitutes.
When asked about the home life of the Negroes in the Florida turpentine camps,
 Mr. Wimster smiled, relaxed, 
and again became the "boss man" of the resinous Florida woods: 
"Turpentine niggers are a class by themselves. They are different 
from town niggers, farm laborers or any other kind.
 Mostly they are born and raised in the camps, and don't
 know much about anything else. They seldom go to town, and 
few of them ever saw the inside of a school house. In nearly every camp
 there is a jack-leg preacher who also works 
in the woods, and they usually have church services on Sunday at one or 
another of their houses. And every camp has 
its 'jook', as they are now called, but the original name of this kind 
of a joint was a 'tunk'. This is a house 
where the men and women gather on Saturday nights to dance, drink moonshine,
 gamble and fight. Between dances or
 drinks, young couples stroll off into the woods and make love. 
"The supreme authority in a camp is the foreman. To the niggers he is the 
law, the judge, jury and executioner.
 He even ranks ahead of God to these people. In speakin to him they all
 call him 'Cap'm'. Among themselves they 
call him 'The Man'. An believe me, he better be a man fum the ground up. 
If he ever stands for any back talk or 
shows a streak of yellow he's through, an might as well quite.
 For they lose all respect for him and won't mind him. 
Even though they keep up a pretense of respect to his face, 
they'll laugh at him behind his back and gang up to make his life so miserable
 he'll soon have to leave. They like to be ruled by an iron hand an no velvet glove. 
"Seems like I always had a knack of handlin labor. Bein bawn an raised with 
turpentine niggers I learned their nature. 
They all liked me because I was fair and firm, an they'd do anything for me. 
If I quit a job and went to another, 
ever last nigger on the place would follow me if I told em to.
"Most camps are so deep in the woods that law officers don't bother em much.
 Outside of murder, the officers usually 
leave it up to the camp foreman to make and enforce his own laws.
 At least that's the way it used to be. In the old 
days there were very few legal marriages or divorces.
 For the sake of good camp government and economy in housing, 
it was to the interest of the foreman to see that all unattached 
men and women got 'married' to each other. 
This was done by what the workers called a 'commissary weddin'.
 The foreman was a purty good match maker, 
and when it was decided between him and a couple that they should 
'marry up with each other', they simply went 
to the commissary and were assigned a house, and an account for
 rations and clothing was opened for the pair. 
Then they took their supplies to the house given them and began
 house-keepin together. This was a 'commissary marriage'. Once in a great while,
 when a couple had some extra money and wanted to put on style, 
they would have a 'cotehouse' marriage. That is, they would go
 to the courthouse at the county seat, get what 
they call a 'pair o' licenses', and be legally married." 
An incident brought to mind by Mr. Wimster's account of these
 marriages was told the writer in 1916 by 
J. A. Stevens, foreman of a turpentine camp in the backwoods 
of [Manatee?] County. About fifty Negro couples 
in the camp had long lived together there without benefit
 of "cotehouse" or clergy. One aged pair had been 
married by commissary wedlock and lived together happily for
 more than fifty years, and had raised a large 
family of grown children. Somehow a white preacher from the
 North heard of this unholy state at the camp 
and made such loud complaint that county officials finally, and perhaps reluctantly,
 issued orders that 
the Negro couples must be legally married or cease living together.
 As a result, Mr. Stevens said, he had 
to pay for some fifty marriage licenses in a bunch and hold a 
"mass wedding" in which all the commissary-wed 
couples were legally united in one grand ceremony.
 To the Negroes it meant nothing but a big adventure and a
 gay holiday, he said. When asked about feuds between bosses at different 
camps over recruiting each other's labor, Mr. Wimster 
chuckled reminiscently and said: "Sure, we was always tryin to 
steal laborers from each other. All of us did it; 
sometimes just for fun, and sometimes because we needed em. 
We got right mad sometimes, but there was never any shootin. 
I remember one time when I was foreman of a camp in Polk County.
 You see, the great pastime of all turpentine niggers is gamblin, mostly playin 'skin'.
 This is purely a nigger's game, played with ordinary cards.
 Well, one Saturday night after pay day forty of my men was playin skin,
 when one of the owners of our outfit, 
a northern man, came to camp and saw em. He said nothing to
 me, but next day in Bartow he told the sheriff to 
ooze out to camp and arrest them for gamblin.
 They were all taken to town, fined $35 each and jailed. My boss 
refused to pay their fines, so they sent one of my niggers to a rival 
camp to indirectly drop a hint that 
the foreman could get these 40 men by paying their fines an takin em.
 He fell for it, an hurried to town 
where he paid em all out an started em to his camp.
 It was Christmas time, an he staid in town an went 
on a big spree for several days. 
"I met the gang on their way to his camp, and said: 
'Hey, you niggers, come on back home an go to work, 
an I'll see you ain't bothered no more about gamblin.'
 They all whooped for joy, an followed me back an 
went to work again for me. A week or so later I met the man that 
paid their fines, an said to him,
 'How's tricks?' He was lookin mighty glum, an said: 
'Rotten as hell. Whilst I was celebratin Christmas 
some dam son of a bitch stole 40 good niggers from me,
 an they cost me $35 a head, I wisht I could find 
out who got em.'
"I sympathized with him plenty, an it was weeks afterward
 before he found out it was me got his hands. 
By that time he had stole somebody else's niggers and got 
over his mad, so when we met we jist joked about it. 
"Yes, them was the days, but I reckon they're gone for good.
 The turpentine business is done for in this country, 
an I don't think it will ever come back. Me? I'm goin back
 to Haiti soon, an maybe I'll stay there."

26104 
Federal Writers' Project 
Paul Diggs 
Lakeland, Florida
January 6th, 1939
John and Susan Wright. 
Three and one-half miles east of Lakeland, on State Highway [#?]17
there is a truck farmer located about 
one-half mile off the main highway along side of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
(Route [#?]2 Box 72 E.) 
In this quaint old house live John and Susan Wright and his two grandchildren. 
The occupants receive a welcome blow of the whistle from all
trains that pass by in the day, from the engineer, 
fireman and brakemen. One passed while interviewing, 
and the engineer gave a short blast. John said, 
"Lawdy you see they all know me." 
This place is typical of most places found in this settlement,
where the land is low but found to be 
very rich and produces good crops. There is a small school
building near by which is crudely built like the rest 
of the house- shutters for window glasses, and an ancient interior
with long wooden benches for the children to sit on.
John's location has been cleared on the north side of the railroad,
but across the railroad there is swamps 
and wood land with plenty of timber on it. John was very anxious for 
me to see what he had on this spot.
 After crossing the railroad we entered the wooded section. Here,
 he had a cleared the ground under the tall pines, 
and there were collards, mustards, and cabbages growing.
 "You see I put plenty od soda to 'em and up they come.
" He stayed in front so you would not accidentally step
 on his many traps that he had set out in the underbrush. 
They had the appearance of a machine gun nest hidden in the wooded land.
 Here John carried on his trapping, 
catching coons, possums, rabbits, and anything that gets in the way of the traps.
 He stopped after more than 
twelve such consealed traps appeared from nowhere..
 " You see there is more ways than one to make a living. 
I'se good knowledge of all dis wood land, and wid all dese
' wild animals running 'round, I fix to ketch 'em. 
You know there is a law 'bout trapping, but it is for those
 dat get caught." John was full of smiles while
 displaying his wit.On returning across the track, one sees a 
shanty crudely built, one story high, weather-boared, standing 
on cement blocks about one foot off of the ground. John said, 
" befor' I put a ditch 'round the place the 
water would cover the floor in the house." It was unpainted,
 and covered with old galvanized tin. There 
were several windows in the house with glasses in them, the 
rest were board shutters. All around the yard
 and under the house there was debris of all description.
 A few banana tries were growing near the house, 
On the side and in front was foliage. There were screen doors 
to keep out insects which were plentiful in this low land.
 Over the gate he had three home made wind mills whose figures
 cut [ca ers?] when the wind caused them to revolve. 
Close to the house there was a shed erected on four cypress poles,
 covered with a discarded bed spring, over which
 were old tin and boards, on the platform, was a dilapidated chair,
 and an old automobile seat. John said, 
" here is where I rest my weary bones after a hard days work." 
There are four rooms and a long porch walled in. 
The interior is filled with inexpensive furniture, 
and the walls are covered with newspaper. The floors were bare.
 In the front room there is a very high bed, 
tables and chairs, with an old out of date piano sitting in the corner.
 There were two more bed room with very 
little space except for the bed. He said, " that no one was able 
to play the piano, it just sits there in the corner.
 stating that the devilish thing was too heavy. " only yistidy
 I had to go under the house, and block it up,
 too much weight on the floor."
The little boy and girl, who were shabbily dress were peeping 
in the front door, trying to see what was going on.
 The boy was claded in overalls, and the little girl had on
 a red blocked blouse with a white dress that 
was very soiled; they both were barefooted with the black soil caked 
on their feet. Suddenly they ran from 
the door and climbed on the old automobile sitting in the rear of the house.
 On coming out of the house John 
spied them on the car and yelled at them, they scambled down. John said, 
you see d t' dld car over dar' I'se come by hit' by trading dem' two goats I had.
 I payed [a?] 7.50 diffunce, but I am still in de hole. 
The man brought on of dem' goats back. De rascal beat de man, and his whole family.
 You know they will beat you down. He com' pretty nigh whipping me when 
I was taking dem to town. Man he [gave?] me a fit in the ditch between 
here and Lakeland. I did'nt tink' he would cut up after I sold him. 
In fact I did'nt tole the man how bad he was. On morning bright and early, 
up he goes and bring back the goat. What has puzzeled me is, since 
he brought back the goat, he claims I owe him one third the diffunce.
 All the morning I have been figuring in this yar sand if I owe him one 
third or one fourth. I'se know the fourth is more than the third. Maybe you can help me out." 
"You see I hardly fool with that car , 'cause it kicks like a mule. 
It takes the whole family to start it. I has to block dese hind wheels to keep the fool 
thing from running away. With disgust he stated, oh well dats what
 a feller gets for being so big. W'en I had my goats I did'nt have any trouble,
 only the fool things w'ud run 
away when it rained. Dey tricked me once in Lakeland. It was raining 
hard and dey ran under a house with 
vegetables, wagon and all." All of a sudden a peculior noise like
 "He haw! he haw! came from out of the air. 
John said, "shut up." He walked around the house near the railroad on the south,
 and there was a Jack in the pasture. 
He looked up when we approached him. " See mister Uncle Sam,
dats my life saver, after all of dem jimswingers 
did'nt work I found a Jack dat W'ud." He can cut pull a freight train,
 and now I go and come from Lakeland with 
out any trouble. He only baulked on me but once, when I tried to whip him. 
He liked to kicked [dat?] piece of wagon 
to pieces. I hav'nt whipped him since. You see I can't get another wagon.
 He can pull a plow too, strong as an ox." 
John was ful of smiles all the time he was talking, with his felt hat on his head,
 patched pants, and an old blue 
coat worn over a sweater, with brogan turned up at the end. 
He still showing what a wonderful place he owned. 
" [You?] see I cum a long way to get here, I was born in Knox- ville,
Tenn, May 15th, 1877. May parents were 
George and [Minnie?] Write. I hain't got no estimation how long
 I lives in Tennesee. I know nothin' bout my cu'sin, 
an'ty, and nobody. I lived in Forsyth, Monroe County., Georgia,
 and picked cotton. Don't know when I cum to Florida,
 only been here thirty eight yer's. My oldest child is thirty nine ye'rs old.
 (Lilly May) [.?]brought her here when 
she was young. How many chillun I had, you mean how many chillun I know about.
 Man I know about eighteen chillun was
 born, som'thing like dat. Now listen mister Uncle Sam, don't
 push me too close, 'cause Ise can't give '
 count of all dem chillun. Some born in the woods. Dem dat is lawful I'se tell
 ' bout. By my first wife 
[Isablle?] had ten chillun. Dar was eight stolen, 'countin dem not lawful.
 ""I married Isabelle Hawkin at 
Lake Park, Georgia. Don't know what Ye'r or nuthin if I had to be hung.
 She was bred and born dar. I married 
Susan Green, right out of that house over dar to the north." 
John entered the house and brought fourth a box decorated with holly. 
In this box he had papers that was 
valuable to him. With pride he attempted to show them - 
a certificate of Ordination for deacon in the 
Mt Zion Church and pictures of his children. I could not name all of them,
 you know a man has been sick a 
long time he is bound to be [addle?] minded. Now dis is Lillie Mae Love,
 now minnie Lee Willie, and John Wesly Wright, don't dat rascal look 
like me, very spit of me. Dis is Arthur Wright, Oscilina Wright, 
Clifford Wright, Pearline and George, (deceased.) I got lost from dem,
 I don't know where dey is." " You see mister Uncle Sam, you are one of his boys, 
dats why I call you dat, when I was young
I played a banjo and gambled. Yes sir, I did dat.
High life all my life- made lots of money picking banjo,
and singing the blues; made a feller move a foot if he did'nt want to.
Since then I turned christian, I has done great work. I was such a songster 
dat I was ordained. I did'nt want hit, but they made me do it. 
Did'nt know a word in the song, but I c'ud carry a tune. 
I w'ud come home and pick it out, and after a while 
I got to know em all. Come out some time and hear me sing dem spirituals.
Hit will do you good. You know 
I can do a little of everything and do it well." 
"I did'nt have any schooling at all, all I learned,
I learned since I was ordained for a deacon. My parents 
died while I was young and I had to go to work." " I make a living 
selling vegetables [pealing?] from [house?] 
to house in [La eland?]. You see I push a little music to [dem?] 
when I goes 'round. Like dis, here [cum'?] 
you vegetable man, I got dem today, [co ar gr ens?], go hers, and etc.

I [?] from three [and four dollars a day?] if I [had?] dem 
lazy rascals setting 'round [dem places in town?] 
I w'ud show them how to farm. [Hit ain't a says work in?] their bones.
I git and go 'en I am well. 
" A few months ago I [sufere?] with high [blood pressure?]. 
I tried to [crank?] that [old Lizzie?] (Ford Car) 
and it'caused me to have [hemmoraghes?]. Dr. D.J. Simpson attended me.
They fust [tu?] me to the hospital, 
and after staying [dar?] for two days, dey brought me home. 
I am getting 'long nicely now, as long as I leave
dat Lizzie a lone. [Dit's need?] a starter in it. [?] it can sit there and
rust before I will crank it again. 
[My married?] (his wife's cousin) she keeps well, [and them little?] 
brats they are tough as what leather." 
John stepped into the side porch, where six [?] were hanging [cleaned 
and ready?] to sell. Why buy my meat 
when plenty is running wild in the woods. The hides from the [coons?] 
were stretched on the back of the house. 
I sometime get from two to three [dollars?] piece for dem. I ketch dem by first
ramming a long stick in the 
gopher hole to see if a rattle snake is in the hole. It is said that they will
make their winter home in [a?]
gopher hole. If nothin is in the hole, I reach down and out comes the gopher.
I ketch possum the same way I ketches coon in dem [trees?] over der." He had a few
gophers lying on floor, which he takes to town to sell,
stating that, "lots of people makes "gopher stew" out of dem.
" He said, " [He?] gets twenty five cents a peice
for them." There were several bunches of collard greens 
tied up ready to take to town.His wife Susan, came out from the kitchen 
with several pieces of coon cut up, showing me how fat he was, and 
preparing to cook them. She said, "their meat was good and tender.
" Susan was very quiet and had very little to say.
The kitchen was not as clean as the other part of the house. 
There were signs of soot on the walls from the small 
wood stove in the corner. The pots and pans were black, and 
the dishes were lying around on the table.
John was asked the priviledge of having his picture taken. 
Calling, "Mamma, come an' take your picture wid the 
Jack and all, so Uncle can send for us, I am ready to go." 
The Jack was hitched to the dilapidated wagon, boarded on 
the side to hold in the vegetables. The harness was 
mostly made out to ropes with a leather strap running beneath 
for a belly band. The lines were heavy ropes.
He had a piece of holly with red and green Christmas decorations 
he had picked up in town with which he 
decorated the head of the Jack. Mamma, and the two children climbed 
in the wagon and tried to look their best. 
John tried to look important and the Jack stood perfectly still awaiting a command. 
After taking the picture, he tied the Jack to the fence, and showed 
me his artisian well located near the house.
This well is plugged and from it he is able to irrigate his little 
farm during the dry spell. John said[,?] 
"If he unplugged it the water would shoot fifty feet or more in 
the air form the force of the well. 
John was asked if he ever voted. He said "W what's that." 
After explaining, he laughed and said, 
" you know this is Polk County, and that is white folkes business, 
not mine." John's said, "he only ate two meals a day, he buys some 
time fat bacon in town, most of his meat comes from the 
wild animals caught in the traps. He grows all the vegetables 
they consume on the place. Such as, 
turnip greens, collards, cabbages, beets, onions, radishes,
mustards, and peas. He liked corn bread, 
and plenty of syrup to go with it. At a distance could be seen 
his cane patch from which he makes his syrup.
He said, " I am considered the best truck grower in this section. 
I will have good strawberries, there is 
one acre set out in strawberries. He further said that people put
stuff in the earth but dey don't know how 
to get it out." " Well I hav'nt been on relief since you left some years ago.
After you showed me what to do I have been 
independent of it. As long as I can keep dem Goats and Jack, I will be
O.K. You see besides Mamma, that 
Jack is my best friend, anything help you to live is your friend.
Lot's of folks don't look at hit dat way, I dose." 
In his crude way of living he is very proud of his success.
There is no radio, electricity, or any of the 
modern conviences. His outhouse is a shackly built place with a 
burlap sack hanging in front. He burns oil 
lamps at night, and secures his heat from old coal pots. 
In leaving he still insisted that I would come to his
church and hear him sing. " After I work hard all of the week 
I enjoy myself, going to church. We have a good
time singing and praying. Please come out and hear us."