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JOHN AND HANNAH WHITEHEAD
- LAWN CUTTER
(Florida)
In most Florida Cities there is a type
of colored man who earns their livelihood cutting lawns of the homes of
the wealthy white home owners. They can be seen going through the streets
with lawn mowers, pushing them, in small home made wagons, or in the back
of old automobiles, going to their respective jobs; or solicting a job in
the white sections. This type of work only afford work for them during
certain seasons of the year. Mostly during the early spring and extending
through the late fall.
John was contacted for an interview due to his years in service cutting
lawns. He stated that, "he has been cutting lawns ever since he came to
Lakeland in 1920."
John lived on a sandy street facing Washington Park. The house in which he
lives sets far back from the street, and was onced used for a garage. It
is built out of galvanized tin, without windows. There is two doors
entering from the front into two seperate rooms which comprizes the only
two rooms in the building. Over the door there is a sign still visible " H
& S Garage," and several faded " Coca Cola signs.
He has a large yard in the rear. Here he had been preparing the ground and
opening up rows for planting collard seed.
His wife Hannah was busy ironing clothes in the room that was a
combination kitchen and bed room. Clothes were on the bed. Hannah had just
finished ironing them. The room was very dark, due to there was no windows
in the room. The only light and ventilation comes through the kitchen
door.
The gas from the hot stove hovered in the ceiling. A pile of cut wood was
stacked near the stove, and on top of it was his lawn mower. A small table
was extending out from the wall, on this she was ironing. Near the stove
was another small table on which was pots and pans. The walls was covered
with card boards gathered from stores. The ceiling remained the original
tin covering of the roof. It was very dirty from the soot coming from the
stove. The floor was bare and many cracks were in them allowing the air to
penetrate through.
Entering the next room through a small door in a room that is spacious,
containing [??] bed, iron cot, two rockers, one old delapidated dresser,
and on the floor was a ragged brown colored rug. Too, this room was
covered with discarded store card board boxes with the top ceiling bare.
On the cot was a basket of clothes that Hannah had completed and was ready
for delivery. Near the bed was a round top old fashion trunk. It is in
this setting that John and Hannah apparently lives happily.
John is very small in statue, five feet and four inches in height, weight
one hundred and sixty pounds, dark brown in complexion, with black hair
mixed with grey. His teeth were all extracted, except two in the upper
front of his mouth. Very cheerful and smiling. His shoes were tennis shoes
with holes cut in the sides. His dirty felt hat was cocked on the side of
his head as he sat with his legs crossed.
Hannah, she is brown in complexion, medium built, wearing a gingham
colored dress over it was a dirty white apron. Hannah said, "I came from
South Carolina two years ago. I gave my age back there as sixty in order
to git' a pension. So I will have to go for sixty right on." She shuffled
around the kitchen back and forth from the stove to the table where she
was busy ironing.
John, he had not very long returned from the Automobile License Office. He
said, "I just got my tag for my Chevrolet Car 1932 Model. It cost me
Twelve dollars and fifty five cents. I had to cash one of dem' goverment
checks for it. I'se keep dem' and cash dem' when I want something. My boy
Earnest is in de' C C C Camp near Sarasota, Florida." He was informed that
he should cash them so not to hold up the goverments records. He said, "Is
that it, den' I will cash dem' and put dem' in the post office."
John further stated, "that he was born in Cocaron, Georgia, 12-11-80. I
was brought down dar' to Dudly, raised down dar' in Dudly, brought back
and forth to both places so many times I can't tell the number. I moved to
Lakeland in 1920. My parents Demp and Pollie, they have been dead some
years, my mother she died when I was a baby. There was me and Woody, Joe,
Eb, another betwix me dead, and John."
"My people were farmers, they ran from two t three plows. We generally
have 30 acres to the plow. Yes, goodness alive! I plowed, I don't know
anything else but plowing. I started plowing when I was real small, I
could hardly hold on to the plow handles."
"I married my first wife [Louber?] Edmond in 1903, she died 3-17-1912. We
married in Georgia, down dar' to Joe Edmond's place- located down dar' to
Whooper's Crossing, Lawrence County. My children, Leola, about 35; Lottie,
about 30; Lazarus, about 31; and Lola Mae, about 18, two died at child
birth. That's the crop from my first marriage."
Lazerus and Leola Belle are in Chicago, Illinois. Leola, is in New Jersey,
Cora Bell, is in Georgia, out dar' to Joe Edmond's place."
"I married my second wife Lilla Butler at Charlie Butler, right side the
Creek in Dudley, Georgia. Children born: Adeline, about 24; James, about
22; Earnest, about 20; Willie Lee, about 14; Aaron, gwine on 13; and
Moses, gwine on 12; two died at child birth. Ten living now goodness
alive."
"I don't get no help from but two of them, Earnest, is in the C C C Camp
at Sarasota, Florida. I bought the tag for dat' old car. I payed thirty
five dollars for that car. When I asked the man about it, he cranked up a
big car and came out to the house. I gave him the cash money." You see I
saved up the checks that came from Earnest."
"Now my other children, Adeline is married and living down dar' on Fifth
Street in dem' yellow houses. James is in South Carolina, working. Willie
Lee is fourteen miles from Dudley, Georgia, farming, Aaron is right dar'
wid' him. Moses is up dar' with Fannie in Apopka, Florida."
" The good Lord has spared me to live here for somethings to tell the folk
about death an suffering. I am careful now because I know death has got to
come. I don't know the minute or the hour."
"Now my third wife Hannah Burke, I married her the Wednesday before
Christmas two years ago here in Lakeland. I courted her abut seven or
eight months, dat's long 'nough."
Hannah looked up with pride from over the hot iron and said said, I was
born in Greenwood, South Carolina, my parents were Frank and Emma Thomas.
There was ten in our family, five are still living.: Elsie Blocker, Daisy
Carter, Bob Thomas, and Betsy Oliphant my oldest sister lives in
Greenwood, S.C. Johnson Thomas lives in Lakeland. He works for Mr. Joe
Jefferson- Lake Morton Drive. He sleeps out there on the premises."
"When I lived back there in South Carolina, my people they sharecropped,
sometime we would come out behind. We raised [?], cotton, peas, potatoes,
and vegetables. The landlord would take half of it like corn and cotton.
If we did not make enough to pay why he would take it all, but the
vegetables. Some time if you [?] out you could have a bale of cotton left
for your part."
"During the year he would furnish you so much a month, that would run to
the size of your family. They just figu' out how much it takes to do you
month."
"Since coming to Lakeland I cook for Mr. Hill, Lake Hollingsworth Drive. I
did get three and half dollars a week, now I may get two dollars for three
days work. It is worth more than that. They come and git' me, and bring me
back, fine white folks.
"My health is not so good. I suffer with my heart at times and gas and
stomach trouble. Sometime I have to sleep on the right side. Some night I
can't sleep at all, just' roll and toss all night long. I asked my husband
to put some windows in the rooms. The smoke and gas from that old stove
keep me feeling bad all the time."
"John said, "I feel good all the time, if I put windows in too much air
may make you worse, catch cold and have other complaints, but if it helps
matters then I 'spose I better put one or two in, not to many. I usually
keep well with out any windows. I try not let any air hit me. Some time
people let to much air hit them and die."
Hannah said, "I did'nt go to school very much. I can read a little, but I
know enough that fresh air is good for any one."
John spoke up, "I went to Bird Hill Baptist School. I went as far as the
fifth grade. After my people died I quit school. Yes sir, if I had an
education I would b a much better man than I am today. All of my children
went pretty far in the grades, they all can read and figure."
"The good Lord has spared me to live here for something. I say again cause
it is the Lord's power that gives me strength. When I go to church I'se
ask the Lord to help me. I belong to the St Luke Missionary Baptist
Church, over on Fourth St and Texas Avenue. We have a good preacher over
there. Rev. Williams, he can preach the living gospel. I believe in de'
baptist faith. I follow it 'cause I believe in de' word of Jesus Christ. I
believe Jesus was baptized. He who don't believe in it will go down below.
I just rec'kon that's de' way it is. You believe in the Lord and he will
make a way for you. I would'nt be able to get lawns to cut if it was not
for the Lord."
"You know times are different now. When I was in Georgia, I made five
dollars a month. I make more money since I have been in Florida. Long in
the boom times I use to make four or five dollars a day. Boom time done
over with now, and do you rec'kon any more times coming like the boom."
"I have cut lawns eber since I have
been in Lakeland. I started cutting lawns when I lost my job some years
ago. I found out dat' I could make more at dat' You can't cut eber' body's
lawn alike. Some people wants their lawn cut close, other just want the
top grass off of it. I haff to haul black dirt to some of the lawns, dat'
give the soil new life. I'se pretty good at cutting hedge and trimming
around flowers. Of course I don't know the name of all dem' flowers. Some
of the white folks call dem' funny names. I could'nt 'nounce dem' if I
tried, I just say yessum and nosir, dat' the way I do. Dey' tell me
somethin' bout calling the flower doctor, bless goodness if dey' don't
have all kinds of doctors. I cut one lawn this week, and I made one
dollar, but I ain't got dat' one yet. When work pick up I make from five
to six dollars a week. I charge from seventy five cents to one dollar,
depends on the size of the yard and the bushes around them. It is very
seldom I git' over dat' Some times I am over yonder in the white folks
section before the sun is up. I go wid' out my breakfast, no time for
eatin when you are trying to get on a job. Oh some time I wrap up a piece
of meat in a paper bag and highball."
"We don't have much to eat at times, food is so high. I only pay fifty
cents for dat' shack, and the rest goes for food. Most de' time we eat
nothin' but meat and bread, eat a little pork chops, corn bread, grits,
collard greens, mustards, cabbages, and plenty of fat bacon. I git' lots
of fruit, lot of de' men around me pick fruit, and every night dey' bring
home some in their sacks. We only eat two meals a day, dat's enough for
any body. Look at me don't I look like a man who don't eat to much. I have
been thin all my life. It's somethin' to be proud of, fifty eight years
old, and a father of all dem grown children. I still can do a good days
work any time. You see eatin is what kill lots of people. I like cold
drinks, strawberry is my favorite drink, I like it. But I don't like
liker' No sir, I don't like it; liker take it away from me. Gambling is
somthin' else you can take away from me, none of my children gamble '
cause I tried to raise dem' right. I teaches 'em to work for an honest
living. None of dem' have shamed me so far. All dem' dat' married don't
quit their husbands like dese' odder girls do. Its the way you bring dem'
up. I would'nt give a snap of my finger for some these here folks children
I see running up and down de' street. Dey don't have no rasin' and
manners."
John's mind went back to his tag and said, "Just look all I got was a
piece of tin with white and red on it for my money. In fact I studied a
long time 'fore I baught dat' tag. I needed the money for eats. It is
coming time now dat' our lawn work will start up, the sap is running now
and dis' warm weather will make the grass grow much faster. The Lord works
in some people's favor, and I think he is working in mine. That old car I
only need it to carry my tools back and forth from my work. It's a long
way out to the white folk section where they have money. The quicker I get
on the job the more I make, and you have to hustle to beat the odder
fellows out dar' It's look like dar' is ten men to de job when work pick
up. There is not many cutting now, but just you wait when this fruit
business slow down, boy you see them start getting out de' old lawn mower
and start to sharping it."
"Yes sir, relief business is good in places, but I make more doing this
than I would on it. The relief dat' I get from my son in camp is some
portion of it, and I am thankful for it, but I don't stop working. A man
brought up on the farm like me, could'nt set down and do nothin' man I
would melt away to nothin' dar is not much of me no how. I just don't sit
down on dat money, no sir. When I was young I would take all of dem' kid
to the bean field and we would pick beans all day long. And today dem'
devils can do a days work. To many lazy people, all dey' want to do is to
sit out yonder on dem' benches in the park all day long and speck 'somethin'
to come 'long."
"No sir, I don't vote, long ago I voted, but since my wife died five years
ago I have been so worried I did'nt pay no mind to any thing. I think a
man should understand how to vote and pick out the right man to stand for
him. It needed more than ever now. Lucky we have folks to look out for us,
if we did'nt we would be lost in dis' old world. I don't know what colored
folk would do if dey' cut out 'dis relief business, 'cause dey' have
nothin' to fall back on. I don't read de' paper, but I work round de'
white folk and hear dem' talking 'bout it. I pay no 'tention to what dey '
are saying, you know make out; but I understand some things dey ' say.
Dat's dey' rek'on I don't bother with politics I would'nt understand it.
Folks should'nt bother with things dey' don't know nothin' 'bout."
"When I git' through with my work, I just come home and sit around and
look at my old lady, she is a pretty good ole soul. Ha! Ha! yes sir, she
is a good worker too, that little bit she brings in helps out a lot. I
piddle 'round in the garden some. Outside of that I just sit around when
not working. I go to my church regular when I can. I like to watch de'
boys bat dem' ball over yonder on dat' tennis court. I am lucky to be
living near de' park I see all de' fun go on."
"I hooked up wid' y ole lady, 'cause I got tired of cooking for myself.
She is a pretty good cook- pleases de' white folks."
"You ask me if I know how to transplant flowers, you mean to move dem'
from one place to another. Mister you know if I knew more 'bout flowers I
could make more money. Lots of places I go and dey' ask me things about
the best soil to use. All I know is to get the old muck down dar' by Lake
Parker. But I find dat' is to strong, so I mix a little sand wid it, and
dat' is better. Dey' have some expensive plants and you have to be careful
how you handle dem' everybody can't mess wid' lawns and flowers. Ain't dar'
some books dat' shows you how to do. If I had one I would git my daughter
to explain things to me. I can make out wid' de' grass, but dem' flowers
dey' puzzle me."
"Dat's what a fellow git' for' comin' to town, when I was up dar' in
Georgia, I did'nt have to worry 'bout all dis' high type work. We knew how
to plow and when to plant, sit 'round for a few week after de' planting
and keep de' birds from picking all the seeds out. Hoe dem' after dey come
up and dat's all. No, you have to be something like a doctor at everything
you do. I sometimes wish I had a little farm, I believe I could make a go
of it. Course it is hard to git' a place 'round here, just five acres
would be 'nough fer' me."
"Yes sir, I think colored people should have a section of their own as
long as dey' have good houses to live in. Now you just look at dat' barn I
am living in. You know I want to do better. Since you have been coming
around I see things better. You can't find a decent place to live 'round
here. Houses are scare in Lakeland. We have to use de' toilet dat' is used
by three odder families. We use de' wash tub to bathe in on Saturday, so
we will be fresh for Sunday. Now I know dat's not right. Maybe if some of
us had better places we would do better. You take our streets, when eber'
I take my car down de' street I may be lucky if I don't pick up glass or a
nail. We could have better streets. All dese' things would make it better
for us colored folks. I don't think it is good to mix up, but we could
have better things in our section. When I go into de' white folks section
and see how smooth theirs is, and I come back to our section and see how
rough it is, then I begin to wonder. Maybe some day God will change
things."
"I have seen lots of changes around this town, there is so many strange
people you hardly know them when you walk down the street. It use to be a
time when you knew everybody in town. Times has changed thing now. Well I
guess dat' the way it goes. I had two wives and now getting use to the
third one. So I guess times has changed wid' me."
"Before you leave, what about us going to war. Do you think we will have
to fight those people across the water? Well I know they won't use and old
man like me. I would be to scared to carry water more less fight. I hear
the white folks talking about some trouble across the water. I don't
believe folks should kill each other up. I don't even carry a knife
myself, that's dangerous."
"Mister in your gitting around, if you see any one who want their lawns
cut, please remember me, Old John. I will give them a good job. When you
come back I will have your windows cut in the house. Your visit has open
up my eyes. Come again any time."
Federal Writers' Project
Paul Diggs
Lakeland, Florida
February 17, 1939
Whitehead, John & Hannah
307 W. 7th Street
Lakeland, Florida
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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