748: {X} Interviewer: Cutting yourself a chaw? 748: Yea I {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Had to quit smoking. Interviewer: What'd you smoke? 748: Uh I did smoke cigarettes. And I would {X} {X} then I smoke cigar up in the bathroom with a pipe. 'til my docs told me you gotta lay the pipe aside. {NW} Had to lay it aside. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Well I had to lay it aside out 'til I had blackouts I think I told you about that. Interviewer: Yeah. You told me about that. 748: I had blackouts uh so the doc said well I guess you're gonna have to lay it gotta lay that pack down. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And uh I found out that it didn't but main- the main thing what made me know I sure had to lay it down. Want me to tell you about it another time you wanna just {X} got up on that little note no back stool bar like that drank me a coke look down there directly {X} {D: wonder what's down there} {X} Interviewer: Say uh I got some grapefruit juice out in my car would you like a sip of that? 748: I'm actually {NS} Interviewer: What? 748: I put I I like {C: background noise} drink coffee if I got sugar to put in it but I ain't got no sugar and I don't want it. I don't have to drink it. I'm not a such accustomed to drinking I think I just got to have just like I have to use the bathroom looks like I just have a habit to use the bathroom back all the time. Interviewer: Yeah. How do you like your coffee? 748: I like two things about it want it strong and want it hot and sweet. I don't want no want no cream in it. Interviewer: You like it did you say you #1 like? # 748: #2 Black. # Just say a black coffee. Interviewer: Without? 748: Well without uh cream. {X} you might say it was black just without anything sugar anything. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: But I want that Interviewer: Straight? 748: but I sure want that sugar in that coffee. Want it hot. mean. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And strong good coffee. Interviewer: How did you used to how do you make your coffee? 748: Well I'll tell you I'm using this instant coffee now. I just have me some boiling water. And uh take this boiling water Pour it in a cup Putting in what sugar I want in it. Littl- and a little coffee in it, stir it up and I got my coffee and then that way if I count. {NS} Way we had to make our coffee Way I know you think about way back yonder when I had plenty of mobility. Um by a green called him forty-three parched. {D: Been that little mill} {NS} put that little mill had to grind it up. And put it in a pot. you see it boiling And you pour it and they settle just a little bit. then pour to cup out right Best cup of coffee I've ever had. Done me no good in anything but the real black way I love it. Put in. {X} one night. And the man was placed at a saw mill. {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And uh had {X} And about pound that side and a pound this side {D: is a kilo.} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And you had to pull slabs and things down {X} that comes up to sawmill you see pull them down pull 'em under there {X} Like I say {X} that was back {X} {X} electric lights I'll tell you. {X} Well he kept dismounting. This old night one he he cleaned up the mills here. Cleaned up everything and and and watched around And he come down there and so he says well says about oh about midnight a little boy said well about this time {X} its either gonna come down on the bop {X} {NW} {X} looked like to me I was going to see them files going round and round. But I happened to look up {X} That time he got {X} but he had um he made it on the jar see got a can to pour it out {X} bought the can {X} {NW} That is real coconut but coconut. {X} Interviewer: Yeah. Um. 748: I was um coming once from Detroit. On the bus. They stopped uh the rest area. I go down into the restroom. And I had done that several times {X} and they buy a cup of coffee wasn't that stuff wasn't that hot what colored water you might see. But me and a white lady happened to be sitting at the same table with me. What what went down. And she was drinking some coffee that coffee I just sat looking at that coffee it looks so good. {X} I say is that coffee or is that water she said I'm gonna tell you mister. She said this is some good coffee. now order me a cup of {X} {NW} Interviewer: Hmm. Um now if you kept your meat too long your meat did what? 748: It would get it would get rank. It'd get rank. Tell you another thing if you didn't do if you didn't uh didn't watch it {NW} in- flies or insects get into it {X} and and maggots get a little little {X} See. You have to clean 'em out get 'em off before you throw it away. Interviewer: In that case it's spoilt? 748: What's that? Interviewer: You say your meat'd get s- get? 748: Well it gets rank you know, keep it too long. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 How # would you say it tasted? It had done what it had gotten #1 {X} # 748: #2 spoilt? # {X} tastes strong you know then you could look at it and tell if it was rank. {X} Have uh too strong a taste if you know what I mean. Interviewer: Yeah. Yeah. Um did you ever keep any thick sour milk around? #1 That was # 748: #2 {X} # Interviewer: that was what? You put it in front of the fire and let it? 748: Well I'll tell you about that sour milk now. Sour milk that uh what I would care would be buttermilk. Interviewer: Yeah. But will you put milk in front of the fire #1 {X} # 748: #2 Now listen. # Take milk that cow put that milk in that churn and set that churn out close to the fire. And turn it around facing one a time now. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: It'd get warm and that milk would turn and gets to Interviewer: Cla-? 748: That's make a clabber. Well all of the the fat part of the milk the cream part of the milk might {X} go in and skim that off. That's butter. While you're stirring that butter up put your salt in everything. {X} And uh and you see you have to churn it {X} you churn it churn it churn it. Now you have to beat all that clabber up. Now you have to beat it all up you know. And that that uh butter then it'll come to the top just wait a minute. You just take um spoon and dip that butter out. put your butter in a bowl and stir it up and put s- some salt in it {NS} and uh you can use your milk then on out of the jar. Buttermilk on out of the jar. We called it buttermilk then you know. Interviewer: Mm-hmm. 748: Uh. Interviewer: Did you ever make any cheese from that? 748: No I have never made #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 From that clabber? # 748: No I've never made any cheese. I've heard it but I've never made it. Interviewer: What did they call it? #1 Cla-? # 748: #2 {X} # {X} Interviewer: Yeah you ever eat cottage cheese? 748: I've eaten cottage cheese. I bought it {D: though.} I like it very rare. {X} Interviewer: Um now if you kept your butter too long your butter'd get? 748: Well if you keep your butter too long and don't uh Interviewer: #1 Didn't taste good. # 748: #2 It it # it it it'd get it'd get it can't {X} {X} {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {NW} Butter {X} how long just like anything else put it I guess the icebox {X} Interviewer: How would you describe its condition? Would you say it tasted? 748: Well it tastes uh it's kinda like having a rankish taste uh. Interviewer: Yeah would you say stout? 748: Yeah uh something like that. Interviewer: What would that mean? 748: Well that would just mean it's uh {X} Interviewer: Yeah. When the butter tasted? 748: Rankish. Interviewer: {X} Would you say it tasted stout? 748: Yeah rankish Rankish kind of a taste. Interviewer: Stout? 748: Kind of sourish or something like that. Interviewer: Or did you ever say stout? 748: Yeah I guess I did say sour. Interviewer: Say what? 748: Sour. {NS} Interviewer: Um now when you when you first bought brought the milk in after you milked it what would you say to a cow when you want him to stand still when you're milking? 748: I'd say saw. Saw. Interviewer: And what would you do to get any impurities out of the milk? 748: I'd do what now? Interviewer: What'd you do to get any impurities out? 748: Uh. Interviewer: You might have to? 748: Well I'll tell you what when I milk the cow now when I brought the milk to the house I strain it. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And this strain real thin cloth. And pour it out of one thing into another one you see. {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: But then that'll strain all the little things. Interviewer: Yeah. Um if somebody had a good appetite you'd say boy he sure likes to put away his? He can put away the? 748: Well I would just say he sure is greedy. Interviewer: Yeah. He can put away the what? 748: Uh put away the food I Interviewer: {X} 748: Put away the food or #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 {X} # 748: greedy or something. Interviewer: Vittles? 748: Yeah. Or something like that I'd say. Interviewer: Um now would you have milk or cream? What would you call milk or cream mixed with sugar maybe and poured over a pie? 748: Well I'd call that um. Well I'd call uh icing. {X} Interviewer: Just milk or cream or #1 something # 748: #2 Yeah. # Interviewer: #1 some sort of sweet # 748: #2 Yeah. Yeah. # Interviewer: things you pour over pie #1 some sort of sweet sauce? # 748: #2 {X} # {X} Icing you know. Interviewer: Okay. Is it liquid? 748: Yeah liquid icing. Interviewer: Okay. Do you eat you eat pretty regular don't you? Do you? 748: Yes sir. Interviewer: Okay now food you eat between regular meal you'd say? 748: Well I'd call that a snack. Interviewer: Snack? Okay. Just gonna go have a? 748: A snack. Interviewer: Would it 748: Between meals. Interviewer: Would it be a big big #1 thing? # 748: #2 No. # No no, just a snack. Interviewer: Yeah okay. All right now do you like to drink water a lot? You drink water in a what? 748: Well I drink water out of a glass uh jug or a Interviewer: Yeah. 748: dipper. Interviewer: Um now when dinner is on the table and the family is standing around waiting uh to begin what do you say to 'em? 748: What's that? Interviewer: {X} 748: {D: Well so} I'd say well dinner's ready or supper's ready. Y'all come down. Interviewer: Everybody? 748: Yeah just say y'all come on down dinner's ready supper's ready dinner or whatever your, breakfast whatever it is. {NW} Interviewer: You'd be in the dining room and everybody'd be walking around and you'd say? What? 748: Well I'll tell you. You had a dining room and everybody walking around. And uh. Interviewer: Tell everybody y'all come? 748: Well as I said tell 'em to come on eat. Interviewer: Okay. If if you want somebody to maybe not wait for the potatoes or pass you'd say? Go ahead and? 748: Well just help yourself. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: To what you see. Interviewer: There're the potatoes. Just uh. Okay. If you decide not to eat something you'd say I don't? 748: Well I'd I'd just say well I'm not hungry now. I don't care to eat right now something like that or whatever Interviewer: Okay. Um if the food has been cooked and served a second time you'd say it's what? 748: Well it's just some warmed up leftovers all I'd say. Interviewer: Okay. Uh you put the food in your mouth and you? You do what you? 748: Just chew it. Interviewer: Chew it. Um. You might say uh that soup was so hot I couldn't? 748: Well hmm. Interviewer: Something was so hot you #1 couldn't? # 748: #2 {X} # Well you I'd just say well this soup too hot now gonna have to wait for it to cool. Interviewer: Yeah. I can't what? 748: I can't can't eat it right now, too hot. Interviewer: #1 Yeah it's too? # 748: #2 {X} # First time ever I remember drinking anything out of these hot water bottles and things like this thermos bottle. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Me and a white friend of mine {X} We was putting up a fence. All the way in northern. And it and at dinnertime come he had in one of these hot water he had one of these {D: hot} bottles. He had his coffee. And he poured me a cup, poured him a cup. Well I had never s- didn't had never seen one. {X} Never seen one used before. I'll have to drink take a drink of that coffee {X} {X} too hot. That was {X} I'd ever seen him. Interviewer: So hot you couldn't? 748: I couldn't drink it. Interviewer: #1 Swa- # 748: #2 {X} # Yeah just couldn't swallow it. Say it scald me, scald my mouth. {X} That's the first time I've ever seen me took anything out of a thermos bottle. Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 I bought # me that cup of coffee that day {NS} Oh man get back to boiling over the stove. Interviewer: Yeah. Now you put your food in your mouth and you begin to? 748: {X} bite maybe take a little sip of my coffee eat a few bites more take a little sip of my coffee. Interviewer: You begin to what? 748: Bite of this and a bite of that. {X} Interviewer: You begin to what you begin to? when you bite down you begin to? 748: Chew. Chew. Interviewer: Chew. Um now if something's good and makes a good impression on your nostrils you'll? You'd say someone mm just 748: {D: Oh I'd just say just say} you know one thing this just sure is good. Interviewer: Just mm just? 748: Uh I'd just say. Interviewer: Won't you just? 748: Well just good. Interviewer: Yeah. Won't you just uh smell what? Won't you just {NW} mm. #1 What would you say to someone? # 748: #2 {X} # {NW} S- wanted somebody to smell it? Interviewer: Won't you just? {NW} 748: Oh yeah well I'd j- I'd just say well just taste it. or smell that woman. Interviewer: Huh? #1 Smell it. # 748: #2 Taste # or smell that one. Don't believe it's good, taste it. Interviewer: Or smell it? 748: or smell that lady. Interviewer: Smell it. Uh now if you crushed a cane in your bowl of juice and made? 748: What's that? Interviewer: You crushed a cane and you boil the juice and you make? 748: molasses uh we call it molasses or syrup. I would call it syrup, molasses whatever you wanna call it. Interviewer: Yeah. What else? 748: Well if you leave that syrup molasses well fortunately I just store it up in uh buckets or kegs {X} you know and just take it out in the middle of them {X} Interviewer: What's the difference between syrup and molasses? 748: Well I don't know none that's just it's just uh just just uh just cold I betcha I don't know #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 You? # 748: molasses well {X} Well I just don't know none. Interviewer: You might say molasses? What? 748: Just syrup that's all gone. Interviewer: #1 Molasses what? # 748: #2 {X} # molasses that's all I know that's all that I notice Interviewer: Okay molasses is syrup? Um. 748: Just like I want someone to pass me the syrup, say well pass me the molasses then. Interviewer: Yeah. You remember when they used to weigh sugar out of the barrel? 748: Do I remember? Interviewer: Uh it was sold what way? 748: Well in other words it was sold by the pound all I know. Interviewer: Yeah. You go in and buy say how much? Five? 748: Well I want say I wanna take a pound of sugar home five pound of sugar home. Six pounds of sugar I think. Interviewer: Yeah it was sold in bu- in what? 748: In buckets. Interviewer: In bulk? 748: In in bulks I'd say well. And they have a ten pound sack or five pound sack. Interviewer: And that was in bulk? In what? 748: In bulks sure. Interviewer: Bulk okay. Now what would you have on the table to season your food with? 748: Well salt. Interviewer: just the two #1 {X} # 748: #2 Pepper. # Interviewer: Huh? Just salt just what? 748: We eat salt, pepper. Maybe some pepper sauce. And uh maybe {NS} well have to buy the biggest thing {X} these other preparation. Interviewer: Just salt and pepper? 748: Uh besides salt and pepper. {X} Interviewer: Yeah. Huh. 748: But I'm just talking about what what I was raised up with. Interviewer: Yeah. I bet you ha- you had a lot of friends around here I bet didn't #1 you? {X} # 748: #2 Oh {X} # Had a lot of friends I'm telling you I don't know what I'd do without my friends. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And when I say friends I mean both colors. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: I saw the others so conduct my life in such a way 'til I've got 'em on both sides. Yeah. Interviewer: Say you got a? 748: Good friend, friendship. Interviewer: Pa- a would you ever say a pass-? Do you know what a passel is? 748: uh pack- uh pass- uh? #1 Uh lots of 'em. # Interviewer: #2 Passel. # Passel? 748: I don't know what that is. Interviewer: Um okay. Um talking about all your friends most of your friends are? {X} All the friends you had when you were young. {NS} 748: Well when I was young all of my friends {NW} passed on and gone. Interviewer: They're all what? 748: #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 {X} # 748: Some of 'em dead and gone. And some of 'em just moved out and gone. {NS} Some of 'em just living yet cause I don't know where they living at. Some of 'em dead. Gone. Interviewer: #1 It seems they're? # 748: #2 It's like uh # it's like I got a lot of friends now living and a lot of enemies more Interviewer: Yeah. Now there might be an accident up the road or something like that and uh y- you might say uh wasn't no use for the doctor to go because by the time he got here the victim was? Was what, he was? 748: Dead. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Well um I wouldn't I wouldn't know how to fix that. I wanna just say this. If an accident happened up the road go to see about him whatever you can do do that. That's all I know. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Whatever you can do. {x} to help him to assist him, do it. Just like I told you yesterday I read about that fella knocked out up that road right over on top of that hill there. I told you about that yesterday. Well these other folks Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 they had knocked # out down here you see. Folks stopped to help him see what c- could they do for him. Interviewer: If that guy hadn't helped him now he'd be? 748: Well maybe so. {X} Well he j- he just knocked plumb out. You know uh I'm out see we have to pull up know how know how to help him. god They didn't know how to helped him people in that condition. Just like they was outdone. There's a white lady. {X} When she was a baby I reckon per her mom and papa she had the whooping cough. {NS} {X} She had the whooping cough. {NW} and she. {C: rustling papers} He c- he can come in. Interviewer: Um. {NS} {X} 748: Had the whooping cough and uh all that she got the cough you know {X} she was a baby. {NS} And uh when she coughed that phlegm I thought that child just she just oh man she just couldn't get her breath she just turned just as white as a piece of cotton looked like I'm just comparatively speaking. Auxiliary 1: {X} 748: All right thank you. I'll tell you about Ida. {NS} Auxiliary 1: Yeah hang on here I'm coming. 748: Huh? Auxiliary 1: It's been worn but I don't have uh. 748: In here. I'd go up to that woman smack that child out of that woman's arm and run off {X} {D: that child's soul and I got over there.} {X} {NW} {X} I said why I'll tell you right now and she said {X} She take me back now everybody going man saved my life uh. See her mama don't mama just done got scared she just and just scared to death you know {X} and the child just laying there dead. and uh I just happened to come in at that time I just run in and grabbed that child {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: and run my hand down and pull that phlegm out of that throat big ol' phlegm. {NW} She caught her breath. Interviewer: That's something. 748: You bet it is. It's the only way if we can help folks. but it's in emergencies. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {X} {D: Well there are} two things about one of 'em is one of you didn't know how. {X} do do what you know how to do. {X} know some things that {X} {NS} {X} the fact that I don't freeze and I don't {X} it's a miracle. {C: door slamming} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {X} Hope right now maybe uh {X} I had to get cigarettes. {NS} The other way of life I'm going to church now. Some are what they call church members. My preacher get on the stand preach preach preach what you must do what you must do. And uh he preach one thing do another one. because I've been sick and stopped to see him and say how you been {X} {X} But get him to stand oh what you must do what you must do. Preach one thing and do another. Must live what you preach. I tell him all the time there's two ways to teach me. Teach me by preach set an example. Tell me then show me. by doing it yourself. {NW} How about you do it yourself. That's right do it yourself. Interviewer: Those people that preach what that preach something they gotta practice it. 748: Well yeah that's right. Practice. {X} What the what what was your angle? Interviewer: What uh what they preach they've gotta practice? 748: {D: By showing they should} what they got they they should practice. But some of 'em preaching don't practice it. Interviewer: Yeah but you're supposed to they're supposed to #1 practice what they? # 748: #2 {X} # Right that's right. Interviewer: #1 theirselves. # 748: #2 {X} # {D: That's what I'm getting.} If uh someone says ain't on me to me tell you {D: uh if you pay up a bill that} he need help and and and and and uh and don't help him. Your buddy if if if is appreciating if if he doing the same thing. {X} I know it sounds true. {NW} I know it's just true. But the same time if you want to make it stick with me I must see you do something Show me by presenting example. Interviewer: Yeah. {NS} Yeah. {NS} Um well what tell me about the kind of trees you got here. 748: W- what? Interviewer: What what kind of trees you got here? {NS} 748: Well trees {NW} we got pine trees, we got oak trees, we got bay trees, we got um uh {D: cherry pin trees.} Auxiliary 1: Fair. 748: We got uh hican nut trees. we got pecan tr- uh apple trees #1 pecan trees # Auxiliary 1: #2 {X} # 748: and uh Interviewer: Sycamore? 748: and walnuts trees. And uh {NW} elm trees. Auxiliary 1: Yeah. 748: We got um. {C: ripping paper} Interviewer: {NS} Have you have you got that stuff that makes you scratch all the time? 748: That kind of a tree? Interviewer: Yeah. No a kind of a vine. 748: Oh well yeah. make you scratch all the time you know and y- you're talking about poison ivy {X} poison ivy {X} {D: scratch it} big sore you know. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {X} Interviewer: Are there different kinds? 748: I don't know if there's different kinds of poison ivy and then some poison ivy don't bother some folks some folk do it I can go out there some poison ivy growing in my posts out there now I can go out there and mm well some folk will go out there and just take it put it all by the {X} if they do that it'll break out {X} Interviewer: Hmm. Um y- you got that bush? That gets real tall maybe and turns red early? It's got berries on it? It grows around hills? #1 {X} # 748: #2 Dogwoods? # Interviewer: On fences. No this is a bush. 748: Bush? No we call it Interviewer: Got berries or #1 {X} # 748: #2 {X} # tell what we call we call {X} {X} I think that's what we call it. Interviewer: Yeah. {NS} What about that real tall bush or or shrub with a kind of stem of leaves growing from it that turn bright red in the fall? And it has a little red bunch at the top. They grow all over a hillside or by on the road by fences. 748: Well uh. Interviewer: Some folks say it's poison. 748: Well uh. Interviewer: To some people it is. 748: Sassafras. We have sassafras here. Interviewer: Yeah y- you got shoemake sh-? 748: Yeah. Interviewer: What? 748: {D: Sassafras out here.} Interviewer: Shoemake? Sumac? 748: I don't remember that. Interviewer: Sumac? Shumac? {NS} Mm-kay. Now what kind of wild berries might you get? 748: Well we got mulberries we got uh huckleberries we got uh mulberries and huckleberries. Auxiliary 1: How's that? 748: {X} that's about the biggest I've I know. Mulberries and huckleberries. Interviewer: Yeah. Now what about them red berries you might eat with your cream? 748: Well red berries well. Interviewer: #1 Red berries? # 748: #2 Oh yeah # uh we call them uh we call 'em blackberry. Interviewer: You make shortcake out of what? 748: We call 'em blackberries. Blackberry it goes on pie. Interviewer: Yeah. You make shortcake out of any berries? Shortcake out of straw- uh. Straw? Strawberry? 748: Well I can't remember. Interviewer: You got strawberries? You ever eat? 748: Strawberries I have raised 'em but I don't have none now. Interviewer: Yeah. Now them big old plants maybe that grew up in the mountains um or something such as that they got long stems on 'em and white and pink flowers. You ever see them? 748: Nah I never did see 'em. Interviewer: What about that tree here that's got a green shiny leaf and and a big white flower? 748: That's a biggest thing I know is a bay. Interviewer: Bay? Bay tree or a mag- you got any {D: talcumber} trees, laurel tree, magnolia? 748: No. Yeah there's some magnolias here but {D: yeah there's some here that magnolia tree.} {X} Interviewer: Yeah. Now would a husband, when a man couldn't make up his mind about something he'd say I have to ask I better ask who? 748: Well I'll tell you in other words {X} {D: he'd better say I'm gonna ask god.} Interviewer: What if he's married he'd say? 748: Well uh now if it don't come to that now uh probably gonna ask me about something and uh it could be to somebody else can sign me to tell y'all And I'd say well I'd better ask them. {X} Interviewer: What if your wife was concerned? You'd say I I'd better ask? 748: Well better ask my wife before some time. My wife. Better ask I'd better ask my wife something. {D: But she {X} the house} I don't know. Interviewer: Other names? 748: I said I might ask my wife something could ask my wife something she might know about the house but I don't. {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: See. I'd have when I plan on going to town I tell my wife say well now look at the kitchen. And uh I will ask her now what you want me to get. Want me to get some salt, soda, baking powder, whatever it is tell me now. And I get it. Course she oughta she's serving in the kitchen. Interviewer: Um older names you would say you'd say I gotta ask who? 748: I better ask my wife or asked uh uh well my friend or something like that anything #1 like that. # Interviewer: #2 {D: Your what} # your father do you remember what your father used to call your mother? He'd call her what? 748: Well {X} I care what he called her. {D: You know my mother whether he called his wife or.} Interviewer: What? 748: He called her Katie. Her name was Katie. Interviewer: #1 Katie or? # 748: #2 {X} # Interviewer: Would he ever say the misses or? 748: No he wouldn't, just say Katie Interviewer: My ol' lady? 748: Yeah. Well he didn't use that word old lady he just said Katie. Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 Somehow # {D: we had folks all that would} my old lady or my old man. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: He didn't do that. Interviewer: A woman who's lost her husband is a? 748: Widow. Interviewer: What if what if what if her husband just ran away? 748: Well if he just ran away well in a way she's {X} we'd call her a grass widow. {NW} Interviewer: #1 Um. # 748: #2 Got a # husband but he ain't here. Interviewer: Yeah. What if uh {NS} now um {NS} um a child would have a name maybe in the family that it's known by. It was its what? 748: Well. Interviewer: That was the child's? {NS} 748: Well um sometimes uh they're named after well they named that child so and so after his grandma. I named that child after his brother or something like that. Interviewer: Yeah. But a child that you just a nickna- a kind of a name you'd give a child you'd say that was a what? 748: That's a nickname. Interviewer: Nickname? 748: Just like uh. Interviewer: What did you have one? 748: Yes I had one. Interviewer: What was yours? 748: Well I had a I'll tell you right now we had a I had a grandson they'd name him Wharton but I always called him Benny boy. That's what I call him. Little bit cause I called him Benny boy. {D: I know what he called me I never called me.} And um say all my chillun I always call my chillun or him I'd call him by name. And sometimes call each other, say bud or sis. Oh everybody called him that. Interviewer: Yeah. Um now did you have them things that you could p- put a baby in and you could they had wheels on 'em big ol' wheels #1 on 'em? # 748: #2 Cradles. # Cradles you know we m- we had cradles you know. I had a two way way back yonder without knowing about cradles. They used to make cradles. Get 'em some plank and uh and cut 'em off. {NS} cut 'em {NW} cut 'em to piece {X} and uh nail a plank of all that. And then make a kind of box like that {D: may have been a baby in a scene.} And you rock that baby. {NW} {D: Have a cradle.} Interviewer: #1 Rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham, you remember that? # 748: #2 {X} # Now of course uh they've got these uh other cradles now you know nice {X} {D: but I mean I know well I've seen 'em} homemade when we used to make 'em like where you had an undo make 'em out old time way. Course this is what they call a new day now all of this stuff not going or not wasn't going then when I was a kid. Wasn't going on when I was a kid. Interviewer: What kind of days are they? 748: What's what? Interviewer: What kind of days are those? 748: Older days are today is uh Wedn- no today is Tuesday. Interviewer: No talking about them days the days that goes you say? 748: W- well I'd say uh back in the olden times. Or in my boyhood days something like that. Interviewer: Back in? 748: You know childhood days that's what I'd say. Interviewer: #1 Back in them days? # 748: #2 {X} # Yeah or and sometimes say and then the year woulda done back in them days. And I'd mean my childhood days my boyhood days. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: That's right. Interviewer: Um now those things that you would put the baby in that had big wheels on 'em and you'd have a cowl over and you'd and you could take the baby out #1 and? # 748: #2 Well that's # a wheelchair. Interviewer: A baby what? 748: Well that's was a baby wheelchair I guess. {X} I've seen 'em but I ain't never {D: c- never carried them around.} I did have Interviewer: Now these ones you could lie the baby down in 748: Well uh really they're lying down in a cradle you know. Interviewer: Yeah or these you could take a baby out on the street in these. 748: Well on the street {X} I don't know about that. Interviewer: Baby buggy? 748: Well baby buggy I'd say a baby buggy yeah. Interviewer: And you'd go out and do what you'd go out and uh? 748: Well I'd just {D: indeed} put him in the buggy you know and I'd just go on where I wanted. Interviewer: Say you going out to what? 748: {X} Step in the edge of the store maybe buy something leaving the baby buggy out the baby buggy out there. I'd step in the store here I'd step out there in the yard or something like that. Come back. Interviewer: Yeah. {NS} When you were downtown uh was there a kind of a place that people could walk on downtown? in El Dorado? 748: Well. Interviewer: By the stores? 748: By the store. Yeah. Interviewer: What is it? 748: I remember sometimes read about his store now you're talking about streets I reckon. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: What would happen over there way when uh you made it made it have the breakdown on the store the uh stores keep from getting muddy. coming in {X} concrete. Little concrete walks looked like that I can remember that. Interviewer: Something along the uh along the side of the street for people to walk on would be a #1 what? # 748: #2 Well # I've seen folks do this if there's a walkway and and sometime that walkway'd be made outta uh made out of plank. {D: Like for example} {X} {D: get to walk on that.} There's a way to make walkways you know {D: I mean just} could make a walkway out of concrete or anything else. Interviewer: Yeah. Nowadays you just walk on the what? 748: Well uh. Interviewer: When you're downtown. 748: Well walk around on the concrete so out on the on the concrete streets. You don't walk on the ground unless unless you get a wet bone up uptown. #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 You don't w- # you don't walk on the streets uptown #1 you walk on the # 748: #2 Well I walk on the # {D: on the on the I} mean on the streets or sidewalk. {NS} Interviewer: Um {NS} now if a woman is about to have a baby you say she's? she's what? 748: Well she's about ready to give birth's all I know. Interviewer: She's she's what she's? 748: Well or she's in labor. She's about to have a baby she's in #1 labor. # Interviewer: #2 Okay # well she's? Say a woman's gonna have a child you'd say she's? 748: Please don't have a child at all? I'd just say well. Interviewer: Well you know she's like seven months? 748: Oh well seven months I'd just say she's pregnant. Interviewer: Mm-kay. W- would would any other woman would women say anything different about you know if they were talking about another woman who had a who's having a baby? 748: Well uh. Interviewer: What if she didn't have a husband? suppose a woman #1 didn't have # 748: #2 Oh well # if she didn't have a husband oh well they'd they'd uh they'd just say she's uh I'd say a whore or something like that you know. Interviewer: Well what would they they say talking about her getting pregnant they'd say she what? 748: Well I'll tell you what folks would say. You know what she you know what so and so {X} way back when. {X} You know so and so's got uh has her leg broke. {X} {NW} That means uh that woman's in in pregnancy. Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 Well # she might uh and she got her leg broke {X} I've looked at women {X} {X} but I wouldn't talk about it that woman's in pregnant. And that woman talking to another woman talking to me round what kids folks kids they're well then. Well so and so well that woman's in pregnant now. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {NW} Interviewer: Would they what would they a woman who wasn't married they'd say she what she got she #1 she got? # 748: #2 Well uh # well they would say that same {X} the baby now they would say the same thing about her #1 but # Interviewer: #2 She # 748: #1 {X} # Interviewer: #2 got herself? # 748: which would be the same things were it necessary but uh she wouldn't be uh uh it wouldn't be by no bastard wouldn't be no bastard kind of child. Interviewer: Yeah. They'd say she got herself knocked? 748: Knocked up. Interviewer: Knocked up? #1 Okay. # 748: #2 That's # {D: that old way they used to that the} another way they used to say. Interviewer: If you didn't have a doctor who would you send for? 748: Well we had midwives. Interviewer: Would any other other names for 'em they called 'em? 748: Uh midwives and uh I'm missing. Interviewer: Gra- 748: Granny. {D: I think granny or something like that.} Interviewer: #1 Granny # 748: #2 They # are no midwives. {X} That way they come in cause {NS} gotta make get a woman. I don't get what they call them women now but they they don't have {D:nine} {X} uh midwife. Interviewer: Yeah. Say a boy say a boy and his father had the same same nose or the same type of features you'd say that boy what? 748: The boy and his father have the same {D: type of features could be} {NS} I wanna tell you what I'd say if s- I look at a boy and his dad looks the same. {D: I've got a more way I'd say I} {X} {NW} He got his vision. {NS} Look just like him. Walk just like, talk just like him. Interviewer: He's the what of his dad the? 748: What's that? Interviewer: He's the what of his dad? He's the? 748: He's um Well he's uh #1 the # Interviewer: #2 He's # said he's sure? Something after his dad #1 uh? # 748: #2 Right here # taking right after that I'd say eh tak- he's sure taking after his daddy. {X} Interviewer: What what now did the boy say if the boy picked up some bad habits the dad did? 748: Well. Interviewer: What would they say? What if what #1 {X} # 748: #2 {X} # Why don't you {D: clean} about that now the way I look at it. The thing that some chillun done do what their mammy and daddy never did do it. Never did do. Some both good and bad. See? Interviewer: Like what? 748: Well. {X} If there's uh first making a settlement and and and and and and {X} Interviewer: If there was a what? 748: I said if there's a first neighbor somebody gonna some some kid your kid {D: uh man have a chaplain always going around} stirring up some personal thing like that. And that mama and papa uh you never did hear that about them he didn't take that after them but they did not have it. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And uh and uh some chilluns have rights and grew up and been good chilluns. but their mother and father weren't what they were. {NW} Uh. May look a little bit strange but you take a half a bowl of this now is chicken. {X} you take some out {X} back in the bible. Some of their best king was from we fall in love. Some of their good kings {X} {X} {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: And another thing uh you hear what chillun doing. you hear what chillun are not doing seen see folks doing thing none you never heard none of their folks has ever done that. Interviewer: #1 You you might say they were # 748: #2 {X} # Take a lesson. Uh my poor father as long as he lived {X} I never did know that man to go to church one time. I went with him little bit kid about like that. All the time never did know my daddy to go to church. But I grew up as a churchman see. Interviewer: Your father? 748: My father wasn't. But I grew up as a churchman. I loved {X} Interviewer: Your mother? 748: Well my mother died you know when I was a baby {D: you know.} {D: But you} tell me she was Christian woman that's all I know, church going. But I was a baby I don't know. Interviewer: But you were raised in the church? 748: What's that? Interviewer: You were raised in the church? 748: Raised in the church? {NS} Well yeah in a way I joined the church when I was about say around about sixteen years old I reckon. And my father never was a member of the church. I joined church when I was about sixteen years old near as I can recollect. {NS} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: By the time I got eighteen years old we had {x} they call 'em auxiliaries now. In church or like Sunday school all that catch you know. Well if they made me for a secretary of the summer school. Then they made me a teacher. {X} On I kept and I've been serve as a deacon of the church {X} Interviewer: Now to a child who'd misbehaved you'd say to him if you keep that up I'm gonna give you a good? 748: Well {NW} tell you about that. A child who'd been you'd just say you you do that again you get my uh I don't know maybe I'd say I'll I I'll beat your butt. Something like that I'll give you a good whupping I'll beat your butt I'll be {NW} {NW} {X} I'll beat your ass you know I will beat your butt all like that. The best butt whupping I ever had {NW} was uh I I shortchanged a woman once. Shortchanged her money. Interviewer: How? 748: A little kid about eight nine years old. She sent me to a store to get something. {X} {NW} I might say hang on And shortchange you see. {X} she told me, bring me a {X} {D: I've got her said just said get me} I've got her twenty cents worth, put the nickel in my pocket. {NW} I'd done it now little bitty ol' devil and when I got back home with that stuff she sent me out. This heavy little thing She sent me uh them packages wasn't big enough for the money see. And she called the storekeeper and asked him what he buy and that man told her that's what I bought then the man said well yeah and I gave you some change left I never made my old man gestured to me like and said we well you'd better very go to the store. {NS} Well. That woman {NW} called me up and she pull that thing up and she beat that {X} I mean a good one a good done him all good {X} She whupped {X} back in them days you take a nickel get a nickel or dime of cheese uh cheese and crackers. {NW} A nickel bought saltines and crackers you had a pretty good meal. You can't do that now. {NW} But anyhow uh I'd taken a dime of it and before I got into the house now I hid that dime. when she got through this butt I went and got that dime. Interviewer: You say what ten? 748: What's that? {X} Interviewer: Ten cent? 748: Well uh s- take a ten cent to use it another time that would. {X} Shortchanged her twenty cents and then if a dime of it. and then save another dime t- to save another dime for another time. That's what I was doing you know. {NW} But when she got through with my butt she didn't have {X} I thought I went and got that other dime. {NW} {X} But I said I ain't gonna buy nothing I'm gonna go get that dime and give it to her. {X} I need it. {X} Interviewer: Now a child that's born to an unmarried woman is? 748: Child born to an unmarried woman well I'll tell you what folks called that. What they called 'em now they just call them bastards. Interviewer: Yeah. Did they have any jesting names for 'em? Like uh would they call 'em a volun- volunteer child? 748: Well I don't know about volunteer but I know about that I can't think about no other kind of names used for 'em. Interviewer: Yeah. Yeah. What about a what about a child that was born to a poor white? #1 {X} # 748: #2 What's that? # Interviewer: Poor white. 748: Poor what? Interviewer: Poor white. 748: Poor white? Interviewer: Would you have a name for a child born to other groups? 748: Yeah. Interviewer: Like a child born to a poor white? 748: Yeah. Now you may hear what you mean that you mean to said a child that's born with born it it's got two bloods in it? Interviewer: Yeah or to a poor white per- to poor white folks. 748: Well you #1 just. # Interviewer: #2 Just # poor white woman that's what I'm asking. 748: Well all I know how to say {X} well {X} folks are poor and well you know they're poor cause Poor wo- woman poor old man. Just like that but the biggest thing I notice that. Interviewer: Yeah. They had themselves a what? She had herself a? Buzzard egg? 748: Well Interviewer: {NS} They ever say anything about a wood colt or something like that 748: Wood colt. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {Yeah I've heard that before. I've heard folks {NS} I've heard folks uh say that about uh colt being born to you outta outta wedlock call a wood colt you know like that. Interviewer: Yeah. 748: The main thing is folks are poor. Interviewer: Yeah. Now your brother's son is called your? your what? 748: {NS} My brother's son. Interviewer: Is called? 748: Well my brother's son is called my nephew. Interviewer: Okay. Now a child that's lost both its parents is? A child that's lost both its parents it's what? 748: A mother I call it just a motherless and fatherless child. So orphan. Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 An # orphan child. Interviewer: They have to put 'em in a institution? {NS} 748: Well. Interviewer: That's a what? 748: That's a pinch. Sometimes they're adopted. Sometimes folks take 'em and raise 'em like I wasn't I wasn't opposed to take chillun. Just take chillun and raise 'em I raised some chillun myself {D: you know.} {X} Course they were relatives but I I raised 'em. Cause uh I had a daughter. {NS} Called me yesterday. {NS} And uh as they were saying says uh she had a child. And uh she got we we say knocked up and I said {X} by uh a man. That man never done one thing for that child. Never even did buy a pair of diapers or nothing never did buy {D: soap no didn't do nothing.} Well I raised the child {X} raised her up in my home. She's grown now the kid called me the other day. {X} {X} I had a d- a doctor then you see. See my doctor though. I wanted my granddaughter {X} {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Cause I had the doctor to {NS} {X} Interviewer: Yeah. Now um uh an orphan would be looked after by its legal? 748: What's that? Interviewer: An orphan would be looked after by its legal? 748: Uh by its uh well its Interviewer: Guard? 748: Legal uh guardian. Interviewer: Guardian. Um if a woman was gonna have a party and she was inviting all her nephews and 748: #1 Yeah. # Interviewer: #2 her # nieces and things like that you'd say she was inviting all her? All the folks? {NS} You'd say uh I'm inviting all my what? #1 We're having a family get together. # 748: #2 {X} # Yeah inviting all my relatives. Interviewer: My relatives all my? 748: All my relatives my my chillun you know. {X} #1 Just having all my relatives. # Interviewer: #2 But do you say # #1 you say # 748: #2 {X} # Interviewer: #1 around here this is where a lot of your? # 748: #2 {X} # {X} inviting my relatives and friends. Interviewer: Yeah. A lot of your what live here? A lot of your ki- uh. A lot of your people live around here? 748: Say a lot of my lot of my relatives, a lot of friends you know. {X} Interviewer: Yeah. Um now yes you'd say she has the family name the same name I do and she looks a lot little bit like me but I'm actually? I'm what I'm? You might say she has the the face and name and she looks alike little like me but she's what she's? She's actually what? 748: Well I'd just. Interviewer: No? 748: I'd just say that uh. Interviewer: No what to him no? 748: Well uh I've seen folks look just alike and I mean I think that that they there wasn't no kin I don't know how. Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 {X} # {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {X} I've seen folks that uh I thought uh that I uh was talking to folks. Thought I saw one person and well one person it'd be another. Interviewer: Yeah. Now your brother's son. Your brother's son is called? 748: Well my brother's son you know as I said my brother's son is a nephew. Interviewer: Okay. Um Now somebody that came into town and nobody has seen before he's he's a what? 748: Well um if you said nobody had never seen him before? Interviewer: Right. 748: Well I'd just say he's a stranger that's what I would say. Interviewer: Would it make any difference how far he came from? 748: No if he if that you said he come into town and I had never seen him before {X} {X} where he'd come from if I had never seen him before he'd be a stranger to me. Interviewer: Okay what if he came from another country? 748: Well if he come from another country he'd be a stranger still be a stranger. Interviewer: Okay. What's a foreigner would you ever say a foreigner? 748: Yeah foreigner. {D: Yeah I'd say that.} Just like um Interviewer: Foreigner? {C: pronunciation} 748: Just like uh people {X} {X} Interviewer: Would you call me a foreigner? 748: If he wasn't raised around here nothing like that I mean no but at the same time he wasn't a he's a foreigner you know. And uh he wasn't raised up according to this {X} I know about. And his language {X} I didn't know what he was talking about. Interviewer: Yeah would you call me a foreigner? 748: Well uh no I wouldn't call you a foreigner I would. Interviewer: Okay. Now a couple a names uh who wrote the first of the four gospels? 748: Moses. Interviewer: Well it was Mark Luke John and? 748: That's do you mean four gospels? Interviewer: #1 Yeah. # 748: #2 Oh well uh # four gospels you said oh that's. Interviewer: What remember that #1 book was? # 748: #2 {X} # {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: {X} The gospels m- Matthew Mark Luke and John. Interviewer: What was the first? 748: Matthew Mark Luke and John. Interviewer: Okay. 748: They wrote #1 the first. # Interviewer: #2 Now # the mother of Jesus was? 748: Mary. Interviewer: Okay. Now a common name for a girl beginning with M would be what? Mar- Mary or? You know George Washington's wife was named what? 748: Well. Interviewer: Martha? 748: Lotta folks are named after folks you know. Interviewer: Do you know Martha? 748: Martha yeah. Interviewer: Hmm? 748: I guess so uh-huh. Interviewer: Okay. Uh the sisters in the bible at whose home Jesus stayed was? 748: Mary and Martha. Interviewer: Right. Um now a nickname for a girl beginning with with N remember that old song wait 'til the sun shines? 748: I've heard of it. Interviewer: Nel- Uh. Okay um What relation would my mother's sister my mother's sister be to me? 748: Well she'd be your aunt. Interviewer: Okay. Uh if your father had a say uh a brother by the name of William you'd call him? 748: Uncle. Interviewer: What would you call him? 748: I'd just call him Uncle William. Interviewer: Okay. And uh if your father had a brother by the name of John you'd call him? 748: Just say uncle John. Interviewer: Okay. Okay uh. Now um what would you call a man maybe who you might trust to build a something for your house? But you wouldn't trust him to build a you wouldn't trust him to build your house you might trust him to build your chicken coop or something like that. He'd be a what? 748: Well. Interviewer: Well what about okay. 748: {X} Wanna know uh a man's gift If he knowed how to build a house it's all right if he didn't don't get him. If he knowed how to go out there and and and build a fence around my place you see. Interviewer: #1 Or it gets? # 748: #2 {X} # Some folk could build a fence couldn't build a house. Interviewer: {NS} What about a preacher who didn't have a regular pulpit? They'd say he was just a what kind of preacher? 748: Well I'll tell you. I we'd just say he's a local preacher. {NS} Interviewer: Yeah. #1 He didn't # 748: #2 {X} # Interviewer: didn't have a regular pulpit he'd be a what a j- uh? 748: Well all I'd know we'd just say a local preacher or something like that but and uh heavy preacher can't have a pull {X} I mean uh just a little house {X} Interviewer: Yeah. 748: Biggest pulpit he's got is that is that pulpit {X} that he carry on and everybody could see it. That's the biggest pulpit he's got. {X} {X} pastor he's a pastor. But uh he ain't no pastor he's just a local preacher. {X} Interviewer: Um well wh- now a a fella who who uh who he's not very good at preaching you'd call him a? Say he wasn't very good at preaching. 748: Hmm. Interviewer: Call him a what kind of preacher? 748: {X} I'd call him jacklegged. Interviewer: Jackleg? 748: {NW} {X} Interviewer: Okay. Or a mechanic who couldn't do your car very well he'd be a what kind of #1 mechanic? # 748: #2 {X} # call him a. Interviewer: {X} 748: {X} mechanic. Interviewer: #1 A jackleg mechanic? # 748: #2 {X} # Interviewer: Okay. Would you talk about a jackleg governor or jackleg lawyer? 748: {NW} If you don't think he done any good then I guess you could call him that. Interviewer: What about a doctor that that wasn't a good doctor what would you call him? 748: Well. {NS} Well I guess the same way if he is that way course now I would know doctors that Well that I'd call good doctor and some I did I didn't think that he was. Just like um. Interviewer: So you called him a what? 748: Mm well I'd just call him a I don't know wha- I don't know what to call him. Interviewer: A jack? 748: Yeah I wouldn't call him a jack though of course I don't know what I'd call him. Interviewer: Okay. Um now what do you call the man who's in charge of a ship? 748: The pilot? Interviewer: Okay. Now uh wait a minute. Um a fella who's in charge of a army is a what? 748: He's a captain. Interviewer: Okay. Higher than a captain would be a what? You know the fella who invented Kentucky fried chicken? 748: Yeah he's a captain why? He's over. Interviewer: Who's the fella who invented Kentucky fried chicken? 748: {X} Interviewer: Colonel? 748: I I forget Interviewer: Sanders? 748: Yeah I think so. Interviewer: What was he he was a col- You know what a colonel was? What was a colonel? 748: Well I just don't know. Interviewer: Okay. And then higher than him would be a what? 748: You mean a c- {X}