Washington, DC, 2009.
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W30 Side A
Begin M4 B(2)
A. I was in the hospital and there was a picture from the university that had a <gap> and she was in my room; they put her in my room because I had a telephone and the students would come out of the <gap> and she would help them with their lessons. And they found out I had a lake and a farm, you know, and they come over and ask me about as many questions as they did her; I don't know how they come out with it. <gap> They still friends to me all of 'em.
Q. Where's the lake now? <gap> You say the people come out to fish
A. Well, I believe but I closed it; I closed it about 6 months ago. Run it for about 14 years, and I stocked it with catfish, channel catfish. And I didn't want anybody fishin' cause it small you know. I put some in once or twice before and they had grown til they was about 4,5,6 pounds and I had such good luck with 'em I just ordered me a thousand more.
Q. <gap> cousin has a fishing lake out there by <gap> Acutally, he's got 2 little lakes.
A. If I had someone to help me, I'd just turn mine into a catfish lake all together.
Q. That would be a lot of fun. I never fished any catfish. I know they bite.
A. Oh, they bite. And then when they will bite they will just bite anything. I caught some on a blueberry <gap> You'd be surprised to know <gap> well, if I had some bait I'd set out me a hook and there was another man fishing too, and I said let's put some of these blackberries on the hook and see. I said I've heard they stay on the mulberry bush, I mean on the lakes and rivers. And so we did, and the next morning we had a 3 lb. catfish. They didn't know what it was, I guess they just grabbed it. It was a lot of fun and I learned something too, you know.
Q. Just so I can have it for my record, your name is <gap>
A. <gap>
Q. Where were you born at?
A. I was born at <gap>
Q. Other communities in <gap> County that you've lived in?
A. No, sir. I lived over there while I was 9 years old, and I come here and I lived here for about 60 years.
Q. How would you describe your occupation?
A. Well, I guess farming and housewife <gap> I believe it would be that way.
Q. Have you ever lived outside? <gap> Have you done very much traveling?
A. No, sir. I never have traveled. That's something I don't care anything about.
Q. Let's deal with your family history: Where was your mother born?
A. I believe my mother was born in Pickens County if I'm not mistaken.
Q. And her folks, do you know where they were born?
A. I think they were born in Pickens County.
Q. Your father, where was he?
A. He was either born in Pickens or Tuscaloosa
Q. And his family?
A. I imagine they were born in Tuscaloosa County <gap> I just don't remember, you know there's so many things that you miss after it's too late you ask your parents.
Q. My mother used to talk to me all the time, telling me about married ones and all, and one time I decided I was going to sit down and write <gap>
A. I'm just so sorry that I didn't. I've got a sister that's older than I am; she knew more about him than I did, but as far as I know we've always been right in touch with <gap>
Q. Social contacts: Are there any clubs, organizations you belong to including church organizations?
A. Well, a church and a WSCAS and a home demonstration club and let's see we have a farm club and I belong to it. I've done a lot of fair work. <gap>
Q. This community here we would call what?
A. This is more of a <gap> community <gap> I believe they still call it
Q. Most people around here, do they work in <gap> or are they farming?
A. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. They used to farm, but they's not many farmers now; they all work in <gap> There's mighty few that farms. You know, farming is just about a thing of the past People just couldn't make a living out of it.
Q. Your education, how much?
A. Well, I never got no farther than the 8th grade.
Q. Ok, would you count slowly up to 15, just to let me check my tape recorder out.
A. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.
Q. Ever play any marbles?
A. Yes, sir. It's been a long time ago since I played marbles.
Q. The line towards which the player throw their marbles before beginning a game to determine who is going to shoot first. <gap> Toy line, Life line, any sound familiar to you?
A. Well, I guess it'd be life line, wouldn't it?
Q. All those are different ones we use; we use to call that toy line.
Q. What do you call a container for coal to use in a stove?
A. A coal <gap>
Q. The <gap> for moving dirt and other <gap> with one wheel in front and handles to lift and push it behind?
A. A wheelbarrow.
Q. What did people around here use to sharpen tools in the field, something portable to carry with them?
A. A file?
Q. How about a non formal implement kept at the barn or tool shed for sharpening tools? Something that you couldn't carry?
A. <gap> Yeah, I had one, but someone stole it. We had all those things. Anything we wanted on the farm we had to borrow it like all the folks we went and bought it. But lot of folks borrowed it and never did bring them back. <gap> I still have an anvil, an old anvil. <gap> I think it's around 150 years old. I was going to call my sister last night to see because my daddy bought it in 1909 from his sister, and then it had been handed down from them, and then when my daddy died I bought it from him, and then we used it, and that's been a long, long time ago. My daddy before he died had it around 70 years, and I know it's bound to be that long. And I'm just afraid somebody is going to steal it; I don't know what to do.
Q. Did you all have a regular blacksmith shop?
A. Yes, we had a blacksmith shop; <gap> and everything like that you know. You know you have to have a big old <gap> and I was gone one day, and my husband was sick 20 years before he died, and this neighbor wanted it, and he come and I was gone and my husband's mind wasn't too good; he was in World War I and it only got worse all the time. And they persuaded him to let him have it. Of course, I couldn't do anything about it, you know, then. It had had this <gap> And I've been thinking that when I had somebody help me what I got left I'd like to put them all in a house together and keep them locked up, so they wouldn't get 'em cause they got so many I had <gap> I'd be gone and so many fishers come in you know, and I couldn't tell where they were
but they just picked up anything they wanted. It's awful ain't it; just to think you can't have nothing of your own; you lay it down and somebody is going to piek it up. And I had these iron wedges to split wood with and they got <gap> I think I know where they went to, but you can't say nothing unless you know, but they pick 'em up <gap> I just had a lot of that stuff, and I thought well, someday my son would want it, you know, and I had a <gap> and so I had a friend that was up here when he wanted it, and he went and got it and taking it up where it was cause I was afraid he'd come back and get it, you know, and it was <gap>
Q. Well, if you had a room in the house...
A. Well, I got a basement. Well, I've been thinking I'd fix that someday. I've got some things in it. I've got my old sausage meal that I always ground sausage on I've got it in there. And then I've got a wagon <gap> I sold my wagon but my daddy when he died he had a little one horse wagon, and he give me his <gap> he wanted me to have that <gap> and I still got it. And I'd like to have these things out, but you can't have them out. They'll pick them up, and I've got <gap> in the basement, and I want you to see it.
Q. Well, if you can get, you know, maybe some shelves <gap>
Man: Yeh
Lady: And I did have two or three pairs of bits were you put in a male's mouth lapp and fasten it. I saved three or four horseshoes around I kept them I cleaned up some of them and wrapped them in aluminum foil and put them in the house, I was afraid something would happen to them. I got three in the livingroom.
Man: That's awful when you have to do that
Lady: Isn't that you cant. Just take people I just lost more pears, cushing and tear up the boats and they were thinking they got the boat out and they got away with everything they did. They don't care I don't know why, its not everybody like that. They just think well what you've got just belongs to them they can just tear it up.
Man: That seems to be the general attitude know
Lady: Uh huh, I don't know well people who runs these stores say its just terrible you just got to watch them when they come in
Man: Oh yeh
Lady: They will just pick up anything
Man: They will take out everything
Lady: My son runs a gas station and he says just stands there and watches what they do. They will pick up any thing in the world that comes to hand. I had some old iron pots I had an iron kettle and an old colored women stole it. Uh huh and I still got my old iron pot cause I use to wash in it.
Man: Uh huh, that big one there
Lady: Uh huh yeh, but I give my sons everything I know they <gap> it. I want them to have it and I got an old curling comb yeh they use to curl the horses hair with it, know I use it on my dog. Yeh I curl my dog.
Man: He's shedding hair
Lady: He's shedding too, but I just thought I would tell you about all those things.
Man: look at her standing up there, just like a statue.
Lady: Yeh she hears me talking
Man: Oh she likes to get close to you
Lady: Yes sir she is just as jealous, here I am they not gonna bother you, ah she knows and I got a little great grandbaby and she watches her just like a hawk I believe if anybody was trying to do anything to that child she would tear them up and she would me I believe if the meter man will not come in unless I am here the meter is on the back and I have to put her up and go and unlock the gate. I keep the gate fastened I afraid someone will come along and let her out and she will get on the highway and get killed. But he won't come in he says no sir I'm not coming in I am afraid of that dog. And she will go and see if he's got that meter whe will go there first uh huh yeh to see if he's taken it and I dont care she will probably stay out their tonite and she'd find out if everything is alright she would lay right there by that car all night and watch I put mine out there she won't leave it.
Man: I tell you that's what you need.
Lady: yeh that's what I need because I am just here by myself. I don't tell everybody I stay here by myself I got my pistol I got a 410 I had a 16 gage shotgun and he had it every since he was 16 years old that gun and uh so I was afraid something would happen to it and I give it to my son told him he could take care of it. Everybody wanted it you know because it was old like. I try to keep plenty protection know.
Man: Yeh I tell you you need to as much as you say is going on
Lady: I going over the news at dinner about they arrested that 16 year old boy and charged him I was just shocked but you know last night when I read it they say it was his adopted son I believe
Man: Oh it was, it was'nt his real son
Lady: It wasn't his real son and they say he was the first to find him, I just said well you know it just come to me that you know they could have been here and done it.
Man: That's awful. Thats somehow the worst crime I could ever imagine.
Lady: I know and just 16 years old and his life all gone. He must be kind of
wrong or somethings wrong some where or another he would'nt have done that I don't think.
Man: I don't know, there is just something about that kind of crime you know I mean of course any kind of murder is bad, but when a child kills a parent.
Lady: You could'nt from the name he had, you could'nt of believed that he'd a had anything against him, but if he owns up to it, we'll find out what he did have against him.
Man: They caught him, then, huh?
Lady: Yeah, they caught him, they arrested him this morning.
end M4 B(2)