FANNIE MOORE 0129-NC/#349 NOWADAYS WHEN I HEAH FOLKS A'GROWLIN AN' A'GRUMBLIN BOUT-NOT H BBrN cH IS AN' THAT I JES THINK WHAT WOULD THEY DONE EFFEN THEY BE BROUGHT UP ON DE MOOR E PLANTATION. DE MOORE PLANTATON B'LONG TO MARSE JIM MOORE, IN MOORE, SOUTH CAR OLINA. DE MOORES HAD OWN DE SAME PLANTATION AND DE SAME NIGGERS AND DEY CHILDRE N FOR YEAHS BACK. WHEN MARSE JIM'S PAPPY DIE HE LEAVE DE WHOLE THING TO MARSE J IM EFFEN HE TAKE CARE OF HIS MAMMY. SHE SHORE WAS A RIP-JACK. SHE SAY NIGGERS DIDN'T NEED NOTHIN' TO EAT. DEY JES LIKE ANIMALS, NOT LIKE OTHER FOLKS. SHE WH IP ME, MANY TIME WIF A COW HIDE, TIL I WAS BLACK AND BLUE. MARSE JIM'S WIFE WAR MARY ANDERSON. SHE WAR THE SWEETEST WOMAN I EBBE R SAW. SHE WAS ALLUS GOOD TO EVAH NIGGER ON DE PLANTATION. HER MOTHER WAS HARR IET ANDERSON AND SHE VISIT MISSUS FOR A LONG TIME ON DE FARM. ALL DE LITTLE NIG GERS LIKE TO WORK FO' HER. SHE NEBBER TALK MEAN. JES SMILE DAT SWEET SMILE AND TALK IN DE SOFFES' TONE. AN WHEN SHE LAUGH, SHE SOUN' JES LIKE DE LITTLE STREA M BACK OB DE SPRING HOUSE GURGLIN' PAST DE ROCKS. AN' HER HAIR ALL WHITE AND CU RLY, I CAN 'MEMBER HER ALWAYS. MARSE JIM OWN DE BIGGES' PLANTATION IN DE WHOLE COUNTRY. JES THOUSANDS ACRES OB LAND. AN DE OLE TIGER RIBBER A RUNNIN' RIGHT THROUGH DE-MIDmLE-OB DE PLANTATION. ON ONE SIDE OB DE RIBBER STOOD DE BIG HOUSE, WHAR DE WHITE FOLKS LI B AND ON THE OTHER SIDE STOOD DE QUARTERS. DE BIG HOUSE WAS A PURTY THING ALL P AINTED WHITE, A STANDIN' IN A PATCH O' OAK TREES. I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY ROO MS IN DAT HOUSE BUT POWERFUL MANY. O' CORSE IT WAS BUILT WHEN DE MOORES HAD SEC H LARGE FAMILIES. MARSE JIM HE ONLY HAB FIVE CHILDREN, NOT TWELVE LIKE HIS MAMM Y HAD. DEY WAS ANDREW AND TOM, DEN HARRIET, NAN, AND NETTIE SUE. HARRIETT WAS JES LIKE HER GRANNY ANDERSON. SHE WAS GOOD TO EBBERBODY. SHE GIT DE LITTLE NIG GERS DOWN AN' TEACH EM DEY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. EFFEN OLE MARSE JIM'S MAMMY KE TCH HER SHE SHO' RAISE TORMENT. SHE MAKE LIFE JES AS HARD FOR DE NIGGERS AS SHE CAN. DE QUARTERS JES LONG ROW O' CABINS DAUBED WIF DIRT. EVER ONE IN DE FA MILY LIB IN ONE BIG ROOM. IN ONE END WAS A BIG FIREPLACE. DIS HAD TO HEAT DE C ABIN AND DO DE COOKIN TOO. WE COOKED ON A BIG POT HUNG ON A ROD OVER DE FIRE AN D BAKE DE CO'N PONE IN DE ASHES OR ELSE PUT IT IN DE SKILLET AND COVER DE LID WI D COALS. WE ALLUS HAB PLENTY WOOD TO KEEP US WARM. DAT IS EF WE HAB TIME TO GE T IT OUTEN DE WOODS. MY GRANNY SHE COOK FOR US CHILLENS WHILE OUR MAMMY AWAY IN DE FIEL. D EY WASN'T MUCH COOKIN TO DO. JES MAKE CO'N PONE AND BRING IN DE MILK. SHE HAB BIG WOODEN BOWL WIF ENOUGH WOODEN SPOONS TO GO 'ROUN'. SHE PUT DE MILK IN DE BO WL AND BREAK IT UP. DEN SHE PUT DE BOWL IN DE MIDDLE OF DE FLO' AN' ALL DE CHIL LUN GRAB A SPOON. MY MAMMY SHE WORK IN DE FIEL' ALL DAY AND PIECE AND QUILT ALL NIGHT. DEN SHE HAB TO SPIN ENOUGH THREAD TO MAKE FOUR CUTS FOR DE WHITE FOLKS EBBER NIG HT. WHY SOMETIME I NEBBER GO TO BED. HAB TO HOLD DE LIGHT FOR HER TO SEE BY. SHE HAB TO PIECE QUILTS FOR DE WHITE FOLKS TOO. WHY DEY IS A SCAR ON MY ARM YET WHERE MY BROTHER LET DE PINE DRIP ON ME. RICH PINE WAR ALL DE LIGHT WE EBBnR H AB. MY BROTHER WAS A HOLDIN' DE PINE SO'S I CAN HELP MAMMY TACK DE QUILT AND HE GO TO SLEEP AND LET IT DROP. I NEVER SEE HOW MY MAMMY STAN' SECH HA'D WORK. SHE STAN' UP FO' HER C HILLUN THO'. DE OL' OVERSEEAH HE HATE MY MAMMY, CASE SHE FIGHT HIM FOR BEATIN' HER CHILLUN. WHY SHE GIT MORE WHUPPINS FOR DAT DEN ANYTHIN' ELSE. SHE HAB TWEL VE CHILLUN. I MEMBER I SEE DE THREE OLDES STAN' IN DE SNOW UP TO DEY KNEES TO S PLIT RAILS, WHILE DE OVERSEEAH STAN OFF AN' GRIN. MY MAMMY SHE TROUBLE IN HER HEART BOUT DE WAY THEY TREATED. EVER NIGH T SHE PRAY FOR DE LAWD TO GIT HER AN' HER CHILLUN OUT OB DE PLACE. ONE DAY SHE PLOWIN' IN DE COTTON FIEL. ALL SUDDEN LIKE SHE LET OUT BIG YELL. DEN DHE STA'T SINGIN' AN' A SHOUTIN', AN' A WHOOPIN' AN' A HOLLOWIN'. DEN IT SEEM SHE PLOW A LL DE HARDER. WHEN SHE COME HOME, MARSE JIM'S MAMMY SAY: "WHAT ALL DAT GOIN' ON IN DE FIEL? YO' THINK WE SEN' YOU OUT THERE JES TO WHOOP AND YELL? NO SIREE, WE PUT YOU OUT THERE TO WORK AND YOU SHO' BETTAH WORK, ELSE WE GIT DE OVERSEEAH TO COWHIDE YOU OLE BLACK BACK." MY MAMMY JES GRIN ALL OVER HER BLACK WRINKED FA CE AND SAY: "I' SAVED. DE LAWD DONE TELL ME I'S SAVED. NOW I KNOW DE LAWD WILL SHOW ME DE WAY, I AIN'T GWINE A GRIEVE NO MORE. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YO' ALL DONE BEAT ME AN' MY CHILLUN DE LAWD WILL SHOW ME DE WAY. AN' SOME DAY WE NEVAH BE S LAVES." OLE GRANNY MOORE GRAB DE COWHIDE AND SLASH MAMMY CROSS DE BACK BUT MAMM Y NEBBER YELL. SHE JES GO BACK TO DE FIEL A SINGIN'. MY MAMMY GRIEVE LOTS OVER BROTHAH GEORGE, WHO DIE WIF DE FEVER. GRANN Y SHE DOCTAH HIM AS BES' SHE CULD, EVAH TIME SHE GIT WAY FROM DE WHITE FOLKS KIT CHEN. MY MAMMY NEVAH GIT CHANCE TO SEE HIM, 'CEPT WHEN SHE GIT HOME IN DE EVENI N'. GEORGE HE JES LIE. ONE DAY I LOOK AT HIM AN' HE HAD SECH A PEACEFUL LOOK O N HIS FACE, I THINK HE SLEEP AND JES LET HIM LONE. LONG IN DE EVENIN I THINK I TRY TO WAKE HIM. I TOUCH HIM ON DE FACE, BUT HE WAS DEAD. MAMMY NEBBER KNOW TI L SHE COME AT NIGHT. PORE MAMMY SHE KNEEL BY DE BED AN' CRY HER HEART OUT. OL' UNCLE ALLEN HE MAKE PINE BOX FOR HIM AN' CARRY HIM TO DE GRAVEYARD OVER ON DE H ILL. MY MAMMY JES PLOW AND CRY AS SHE WATCH EM' PUT GEORGE IN DE GROUN'. MY PAPPY HE WAS A BLACKSMITH. HE SHOE ALL DE HORSES ON DE PLANTATION. HE WO'K SO HARD HE HAB NO TIME TO GO TO DE FIEL'. HIS NAME WAR STEPHEN MOORE. MARSE JIM CALL HIM STEPHEN ANDREW. HE WAS SOLD TO DE MOORE'S, AND HIS-MjMMY T OO. SHE WAR BROUGHT OVER FROM AFRICA. SHE NEVER COULD SPEAK PLAIN. ALL HER LI FE SHE BEEN A SLAVE. WHITE FOLKS NEVER RECOGNIZE 'EM ANY MORE THAN EFFEN DEY WA S A DOG. IT WAS A TUBBLE SIGHT TO SEE DE SPECULATORS COME TO DE PLANTATON. DEY WOULD GO THROUGH DE FIELDS AND BUY DE SLAVES DEY WANTED. MARSE JIM NEBBER SELL PAPPY OR MAMMY OR ANY OB DEY CHILLUN. HE ALLUS LIKE PAPPY. WHEN DE SPECULATOR COME ALL DE SLAVES START A SHAKIN'. NO ONE KNOW WHO IS A GOIN'. DEN SOMETIME DEY TAKE 'EM AN' SELL 'EM ON DE BLOCK. DE BREED WOMAN ALWAYS BRING MO' MONEY DEN DE RES', EBBEN DE MEN. WHEN DEY PUT HER ON DE BLOCK DEY PUT ALL HER CHILLUN AROUN HER TO SHOW HOW FAS SHE CAN HAB CHILLUN. WHEN SHE SOLD HER FAMILY NEBBER SEE HER AGIN. SHE NEBBER KNOW HOW MANY CHILLUN SHE HAB. SOME TIME SHE HAB COL ORED CHILLEN AN' SOMETIME WHITE. TAINT NO USE TO SAY ANYTHING CASE EFFEN SHE DO SHE JES GIT WHIPPED. WHY ON DE MOORE PLANTATION AUNT CHENEY, EVERYBODY CALL HE R AUNT CHENEY, HAVE TWO CHILLUN BY DE OVERSEEAH. DE OVERSEEAH NAME WAR HILL. H HE WAS AS MEAN AS DE DEVIL. WHEN AUNT CHENEY NOT DO WHAT HE ASK HE TELL GRANNY M OORE. OLE GRANNY CALL AUNT CHENEY TO DE KITCHEN AND MAKE HER TAKE HER CLOTHES O FF DEN SHE BEAT HER TIL SHE JEST BLACK AN' BLUE. MANY BOYS AND GIRLS MARRY DEY OWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AN' NEBBER KNOW DE DIFFERENCE LEST DEY GET TO TALKIN' B OUT DEY PARENTS AND WHERE DEY USTER LIB. DE NIGGERS ALLUS HAB TO GET PASS TO GO ANYWHERE OFFEN DE PLANTATION. DEY GAT DE PASS FROM DE MASSA OR DE MISSUS. DEN WHEN DE PADDYROLLERS COME DEY H AD TO SHOW DE PASS TO DEM, IF YOU HAD NO PASS DEY STRIP YOU AN' BEAT YOU. I REMEMBER ONE TIME DEY WAS A DANCE AT ONE OB DE HOUSES ON DE QUARTERS . ALL DE NIGGERS WAS A LAUGHIN AN' A PTIN' DEY FEET AN' A SINGIN', BUT DEY WA S A FEW DAT DIDN'T. DE PADDYROLLERS SHOVE DE DO' OPEN AND STA'T GRABBIN' US. U NCLE JOE'S SON HE DECIDE DEY WAS ONE TIME TO DIE AND HE STA'T TO FIGHT. HE SAY HE TIRED STANDIN' SO MANY BEATIN'S, HE JES CAN'T STAN' NO MO. DE PADDYROLLERS START BEATIN' HIM AN' HE STA'T FIGHTIN' OH, LAWDY IT WAR TUBBLE. DEY WHIP HIM W IF A COWHIDE FOR A LONG TIME DEN ONE OF DEM TAKE A STICK AN' HIT HIM OVER DE HEA D, AN' JES BUS HIS HEAD WIDE IPEN. DE PORE BOY FELL ON DE FLO' JES A MOANIN' AN ' A GROANIN. DE PADDYROLLERS JES WHIP BOUT HALF DOZEN OTHER NIGGERS AN' SEN' EM HOME AND LEVE US WIF DE DEAD BOY. NONE O' THE NIGGERS HAVE ANY LEARNIN', WARN'T NEVER 'LOWED TO AS MUCH AS PICK UP A PIECE O' PAPER. MY DADDY SLIP AN' GET A WEBSTER BOOK AND DEN HE T AKE IT OUTEN DE FIEL AND HE LARN TO READ. DE WHITE FOLKS 'FRAID TO LET DE CHILD REN LEARN ANYTHIN'. THEY FRAID DEY GET TOO SMA'T AND BE HARDER TO MANAGE. DEY NEBBER LET EM KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHIN' NEVER HAVE ANY CHURCH. EFFEN YOU GO YOU SET IN DE BACK OF DE WHITE FOLKS CHU'CH. BUT DE NIGGERS SLIP OFF AN' PRAY AN' HOLD PRAYER-MEETIN' IN DE WOODS DEN DEY TU'N DOWN A BIG WASH POT AND PROP IT UP WIF A STICK TO DROWN OUT DE SOUN' OB DE SINGIN'. I 'MEMBER SOME OF DE SONGS WE USTER SING. ONE OF DEM WENT SOMETHIN' LIKE DIS: "HARK FROM DE TOMB A DOLEFUL SOUN' MY EARS HEAR A TENDER CRY. A LIVIN' MAN COME THROUGH THE GROUN' WHAR WE MAY SHORTLY LIE. HEAH IN DIS CLAY MAY BE YOUR BED IN SPITE OB ALL YOU TOIL LET ALL DE WISE BOW REVRANT HEAD MUS' LIE AS LOW AS OURS." THEN DEY SING ONE I CAN HARDLY REMEMBER BUT DIS IS SOME OF DE WORDS: "JESUS CAN MAKE YOU DIE IN BED HE SOF' AS DOWNS IN PILLOWS THERE ON MY BRES' I'LL LEAN MY HEAD GRIEVE MY LIFE SWEETLY THERE. IN DIS LIFE OF HEABY LOAD LET US SHARE DE WEARY TRAVELER ALONG DE HEABENLY ROAD." BACK IN DOSE TIME DEY WASN'T NO WAY TO PUT AWAY FRUIT AND THINGS FO' W INTER LIKE DEY IS TODAY. IN DE FALL OF DE YEAH IT CERTAINLY WAS A BUSY TIME. W E PEEL BUSHELS OF APPLES AND PEACHES TO DRY. DEY PUT UP LOTS O' BRANDIED PEACHE S TOO. DE WAY DEY DONE DEY PEEL DE PEACHES AND CUT EM UP. THEN DEY PUT A LAYER OB PEACHES IN A CROCK DEN A LAYER OB SUGAR DEN ANOTHER-LAYnR-OB-PEACH S uNTrL&D E CROCK WAS FULL. DEN DEY SEEL DE JAR BY PUTTIN' A CLOTH OVER DE TOP THEN A LAY ER O' PASTE THEN ANOTHER CLOTH THEN ANOTHER LAYER OB PASTE. DEY KEEP DEY MEAT B OUT DE SAME WAY FOKS DO TODAY 'CEPT DEY HAD TO SMOKE IT MORE SINCE SALT WAS SO S CA'CE BACK IN DAT DAY. DEY CAN MOS' OB DE OTHER FRUIT AND PUT IT IN DE SAME KIN ' O' JARS DAT DEY PUT DE PEACHES IN. DEY STRING UP LONG STRINGS O' BEANS AN' LE T 'EM DRY AND COOK EM WIF FAT BACK IN DE WINTER. FOLKS BACK DEN NEVER HEAH TELL OF ALL DE AILMnN S DEFo KSHAB NOW. D EY WAR NO DOCTAHS. JES USE ROOTS AND BARK FOR TEAS OF ALL KINDS. MY OLE GRANNY USTER MAKE TEA OUT O' DOGWOOD BARK AN' GIVE IT TO US CHILLUN WHEN WE HAVE A COL D, ELSE SHE MAKE A TEA OUTEN WILD CHERRY BARK, PENNYROIL, OR HOARHOUND. MY GOOD NESS BUT DEY WAS BITTER. WE DO MOS' EVYTHIN' TO GIT OUT A TAKIN' DE TEA, BUT TW ARNT NO USE GRANNY JES GIT YOU BY DE COLLAR HOL' YO' NOSE AND YOU JES SWALLOW IT OR GET STRANGLED. WHEN DE BABY HAB DE COLIC SHE GITS RATS VErN jND-M KE A2SyR UP AN' PUT A LITTLE SUGAR IN IT AN' BOIL IT. DEN SOON AS IT COLD SHE GIVE IT T O DE BABY. FOR STOMACH ACHE SHE GIVE US SNAKE ROOT. SOMETIME SHE MAKE TEA, OTH R TIME SHE JUS CUT IT UP IN LITTLE PIECES AN' MAKE YOU EAT ONE OR TWO OB DEM. W HEN YOU HAB FEVER SHE WRAP YOU UP IN CABBAGE LEAVES OR GINSANG LEAVES, DIS MADE DE FEVER GO. WHEN DE FEVER GOT TOO BAD SHE TAKE THE HOOFS OFFEN DE HOG DAT HAD BEEN KILLED AND PARCH EM' IN DE ASHES AND DEN SHE BEAT EM' UP AND MAKE A TEA. D IS WAS DE MOST TUBBLE OF ALL. DE YEAH FORE DE WAR STARTED MARSE JIM DIED. HE WAR OUT IN DE PASTURE PICKIN' UP COW LOADS A THROWIN' EM IN DE GARDEN AN' HE JES DROP OVER. I HATE TO SEE MARSE JIM GO, HE NOT SECH A BAD MAN. AFTER HE DIE HIS BOYS, TOM AN' ANDREW TAKE CHA'GE OF DE PLANTATION. DEY THINK DEY RUN THINGS DIFFE'NT OM D(Y DAD