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John and Susan Wright
(Florida)
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
houses- 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 of 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-boarded, 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 mulch 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 dat' old car over dar' I'se come by hit' by trading dem' two
goats I had. I payed $7.50 diffunce, but I am still in de hole. The man
brought one 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 out
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 full 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 Knoxville, Tenn, May 15th, 1877. May parents were George and
Minnie Wright. 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.
(Lillie Mae), 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 Isabelle
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 forth a box decorated with holly. In
this box he had papers that were 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
a 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 peddling from house to house in
Lakeland. You see I push a little music to dem when I goes 'round. Like
dis, here cum' you vegetable man, I got dem today, collard greens,
gophers, and etc. Dey come to the gate when I start to sing. I make 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 days work in
their bones. I git and go w'en I am well.
"A few months ago I suffered 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 tuk me to de 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. Hit's need a starter in it. Hit can sit
there and rust before I will crank it again. My mamma (his wife Susan) she
keeps well, and them little brats they are tough as what leather."
John stepped into the side porch, where six coons 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 traps 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 "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 dat 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 conveniences. 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."
Federal Writers' Project
Paul Diggs
Lakeland, Florida
January 6th, 1939
Wright, John and Susan
Route #2 Box 72E
Lakeland, Florida
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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