Georgia BIOS:  Mrs. Margaret Davis (second version)   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   0001
   
   ORIGINAL AND UNEDITED CONTINUITY
   
   (LIFE HISTORY)
   
   GRACE MCCUNE
   
   December 9, 1438
   
   Mrs. Margaret Davis
   
   193 Nacoochee Ave.
   
   Athens, Georgia
   
   As you go up a long flight of steps to the tailor shop, you end up in
   a long dark hallway, where a light is kept burning all the time, so
   that visitors and customers can see how to find the doors.
   
   A knock on the door and a very friendly voice said, "come in." The
   room at the top of the steps is the sewing room, and has two long
   tables that are used for cutting, and marking clothes for alterations.
   A long rack at one end of the room was hanging full of clothes that
   were finished. A smaller table between two large windows had a machine
   on each side, one was an electric machine, but the other was just the
   old kind with a foot treadle.
   
   A [heater?] at one side of the room heats up the room, and several
   chairs were placed around it for visitors as well as customers.
   
   Mrs. Davis is a large, dark headed, and a very pleasant and friendly
   woman. She was busy with several men from the different dry cleaning
   places, and they had large bundles of clothes to be [repaired?]. Mrs.
   Davis asked the visitor to have a seat that she would be through in a
   few minutes. After the customers were gone, and the Negro boy, Ed, had
   fixed up the fire, and gone back to the room where he does all the
   pressing, Mrs. Davis 00022said, "did you think I would never get
   through with them? It is that way all during the day, but that is
   where most of the business comes from now, for I don't get as much
   from the stores as I used to but business is not good as it should be
   for this time of the year. I have all that I 'can do now, and I don't
   take but very few things to make since I have been running the shop by
   myself, for I don't have time.
   
   "But all this is not interesting to you, I know." But when the visitor
   explained that she would like to get a story from her, she laughed and
   said, ["I?] do not think that my story would be interesting to anyone,
   as I guess it is just like most any ones, I have had my troubles and
   pleasures like most everyone does, but if you care for it, I will do
   the best I can, if you care to listen while I work, I like to talk,
   and I do get lonesome by myself, as I do not have any help except on
   busy days.
   
   "I was born in Clarke County, on my [DEL: Grandffather :DEL]
   Grandfather William Summer's place, November 18, 1887, out near where
   Princeton is now, in a small two-room log house. When I was still a
   baby, we moved to the paper mill, now called the Cord Mill, but the
   old paper mill building is still standing, but in too bad a condition
   to be used for anything now.
   
   00033
   
   "My father and Jerome Wallace were the two men that run the paper
   machines or "enjines" as they called them then. Of course, they had
   helpers, but one of them had to be on duty all this time. If one of
   them was sick, or off for any reason, the other one had to stay on the
   job until the one that was off duty returned. Miss Mag Hale was the
   only woman that they used in that part of the mill and she counted the
   paper. It was made in large square sheets ready for the printers.
   
   "Old Man Bishop was the man that run the finishing machine. I have
   watched them work many a time when I was a child for it was all so
   interesting to see the [machines?] run. Out from the paper mill was
   the rag room, where the rags were sortered out and put in different
   bins. Each color was put into a separate bin to itself. They bought
   old clothes and rags to make the paper, and all the buttons were cut
   off and they sure watched out for that, for the button would ruin the
   machines.
   
   "When I was six years old, I was sent to school. It was not like the
   schools are now. School then was in the Old Hall, and was all in one
   room. Miss Sally Ward was the teacher, and we didn't have but one
   teacher for all the children, and she had about one hundred, all sizes
   and ages, from six years up, and some of them were 00044almost grown.
   Our books then were the Old Blue Back Speller, [arithmetic?], and
   geography. We sure had to study, but even at that [we?] had lots fun
   and good times in that old schoolhouse which in later years was made
   into a dwelling house, and is, I believe, still standing at this time.
   
   "It was a great thing for the children to work at the paper mill after
   we were out of school. They were glad to have us to. Our job was
   sortering out the rags. We enjoyed this work, and they paid us fifty
   cents (50¢) a month, and that was a lots of money to us, but it
   wouldn't be much to kids these days. People from all 'round sold their
   old clothes and rags at the paper mill. Many times we found nickles
   and sometimes dimes in bags of rags. They allowed us to keep the money
   when we found it that way, and we would buy candy and have a big time.
   
   "And one day, I sure do remember that time, as I think, pleasures and
   disappointments in our childhood days, are better remembered than
   anything else, we found a large bag of new clothes, and they were nice
   ones to dress for women and children, underwear, stockings, and some
   shirts, we dressed ourselves up, and we put these things aside, for we
   wanted to keep them. But the very next morning a woman from [?] was
   out there hunting her clothes. Her maid had sold them and kept the
   money, and as the old saying goes 'our feathers fell,' for we had to
   00055give up all our pretty dresses that we had put aside.
   
   "About this time they put in a bag machine to make paper bags. The
   machine would cut a hundred bags at a time, and was a great curiosity
   to the folks back then. The bags were folded, and put up in bundles,
   two hundred bags to a bundle. This was another job that we kids could
   do. It was fun to do this. We folded half of them one way and half
   another way, and tied up the bundles.
   
   "They also used jute to make paper, and this was bought in large
   bales. That was another job for us to [do?], for we could tare the
   jute up in small pieces to have it ready for the machines. One day we
   found a lots of paper money in one of the bales of jute, but two of
   the women that worked there took this money, and said they would have
   to send it back. But folks said that they kept all the money and
   bought them a home with it. Of course, I don't know if that was right
   or not, but we [id?] know that we didn't get any of it.
   
   "Did you know that they made paper out of wood even in those days?
   Well they did, I don't remember what kind of wood it was, but they
   ground small sappling into a pulp ready for the paper machines. The
   paper that was made from wood was a heavy brown paper such as they use
   for wrapping paper, and was called manila paper.
   
   00066
   
   "People was paid once a month then for their work, and it was the
   usual thing then, for them to buy a months supply of provisions at
   that time at the company store. All the men liked their tobacco, and
   this was one supply that was not forgotten when groceries were bought.
   It was something they felt like they could not do without. And kids
   would slip tobacco out and chew it, the boys especially. One day some
   of the kids swiped some of their dads tobacco, and told me I would
   have to hide it for them, and I had better put it some place, where it
   would not be found. I decided that on the [sills?] in the top of the
   old well would be the best place. I had to climb to reach the sills,
   but I made it, and laid the tobacco along the sills. It started to
   raining that same night and rained for a week. After the rain was
   over, the kids told me to get their tobacco for them. I went to the
   old well to get it, the rain had come through the holes in the roof
   and soaked the tobacco, and it had swelled until it was as thick again
   as it should have been, and ruined. I almost got a whipping from that
   crowd of kids, but they chewed it, and of course was sick, every
   blessed one of them. No, I didn't chew any, for I knew mama would sure
   tan my hide.
   
   "I had some older sisters and our house was just a gathering place for
   the young folks. There was a crowd of them there most all the time,
   and I could get the 00077[DEL: bigest :DEL] biggest thrill out of
   watching and listening to them talk. One night two girls, Jule Lee and
   Gertrude Richards, came to our house to set a dumb supper. I was just
   about seven then, and I cried because they put me to bed, for they had
   these suppers at midnight, just on the stroke of twelve. They started
   their supper and one of my sisters and Cordellia Noells put on pants
   and was going to scare them. I could hear them talking, for I wasn't
   asleep, if I [was?] in bed, and I slipped up and told one of my uncles
   what they was doing, and it was a disgrace in those days for girls to
   dress up like boys. So he said he would fix them, and when my sister
   and the other girl slipped out to go around to the kitchen to scare
   the other girls, my uncle got after them, and did they holler, but any
   way it broke up the supper, and I was satisfied.
   
   "Didn't you ever hear about them old time dumb suppers? They were very
   popular back in them days. That was the way girls found out who their
   future husband would be. I know it [seems?] funny now, to look back on
   times as they were then, but after all I think [people?] really
   enjoyed life more then than they do now. There was not so many places
   to go, and people were closer together in every way, but I will [try?]
   to tell you how they cooked the suppers.
   
   "Two girls did the cooking, set the table, and each one used their
   right hand, everything was done backwards, even to making the bread.
   They did everything together, 00088they only used one hand, and could
   not speak, not one word from the time they started, until it was over.
   If they [did?], the spell was broken and no one would come. Everything
   must be ready just at twelve, the table set for four and also on the
   table was placed a Bible and a pint bottle. Then the wind was suppose
   to blow and the [doors?] come open, so that the men could walk in and
   eat. They [were?] not supposed to speak either just [eat?] and walk
   out, [if?] they [picked?] up the Bible, then they would make a good
   husband, but [beware?] of the man that moved the bottle for you would
   sure get a man that would turn out bad and be a drunkard sure. If no
   one came into [?], then you was doomed to die an old maid. These
   [suppers?] were lots of fun, for most times, the girls would set
   scared and wake everybody in the house up. Oh, yes, they had to be
   [the?] only two people up in the house, but they were good old days.
   
   "[low?] as it is 'most Christmas time, I'm going to [tell?] you about
   one Christmas when I was still a little [girl?]. For Christmas then
   lasted a week, from Christmas [Eve?], 'til New Years Eve. On this
   Christmas, mama was looking for her half-sister, and family from
   Alabama to [spend?] Christmas [with?] us. [We?] had never seen them
   and were looking forward to [that?] visit, and was having a big
   [supper?] on Christmas Eve night, also a dance. We kids were just on
   tip toes, so excited, just couldn't wait. Of course, we were also
   looking for Santa [Claus?].
   
   00099
   
   Our tree was all ready. Mama had killed turkeys, chickens, and had
   cooked cakes and pies for two weeks. But at last they came, now child,
   I am going to tell you this, just as I remember it, and I / don't know
   if you will care to use it or not, but we have had many laughs over
   this Christmas, so many years ago. My aunt and uncle got here several
   [days?] before the children did. They did not have enough money for
   all them to ride. So they started the children on days before they
   left, walking part of the way and riding most of the way with some of
   their friends. The two girls and one boy got in on Christmas Eve, and
   if they wasn't a sight, one of the girls weighed over two hundred
   pounds, and had walked the soles off her shoes.
   
   "All of our folks and lots of our friends were there, [and?] one of
   mama's [?], who had married a man named [Stencile?], also one of my
   uncles and his daughter. They were to furnish the music for the [DEL:
   dane :DEL] dance, for they both played fiddles. Everything was cleared
   out of two rooms for dancing. [About?] three o'clock in the
   [afternoon?], the young folks started the dance. We kids were happy
   for we could watch them long as we wanted, didn't have to go to bed on
   Christmas.
   
   "The older women were busy cooking and getting the supper [ready?],
   [everybody?] [was?] [having?] good time, the man calling for the dance
   would holler, 'swing your partner.'
   
   001010
   
   Oh, it was a grand time, and yet happy as we were, we kids were so
   interested in the fat girl from Alabama, that we stayed pretty close
   around her. She did not seem to want to dance, and we could not
   understand that. When we saw one of the young men start toward her, we
   just had to hear what he said. He asked her if she would dance the
   next set with [him?]. We held our breath for her answer, and this is
   what she said, 'I had [jest?] as [DEL: leif :DEL] lief dance with you
   as anybody else, but I has walked all the way from Alabamy to see Aunt
   Sis, and am too tired and [DEL: gaulded :DEL] galleded from walking to
   dance with anybody.
   
   "About five o'clock the supper started, for there was eight tables
   full, besides the kids like me. [We?] had to [wait?] until the grown
   folks had all [eat?] before we were [allowed?] to go to the table. And
   how we watched that table. The man Stencile went to the first table,
   and , Honey , that man stayed there with all eight tables. I never
   have seen no one person eat as much in all my life. Of course, there
   was plenty to eat, but we was so afraid that he would eat it all, and
   as the last table finished eating, [he?] reached over and took the
   last piece of turkey. I never wanted to say something as bad as I did
   then, but I knew better, and with all we had to eat, we couldn't enjoy
   it for thinking of that last piece of turkey.
   
   001111
   
   "The dance [lasted?] all night. Of course, we kids had to give it up
   and go to bed after midnight, but we were up for the breakfast early
   on [Christmas?] morning and to see what Santa had left. There was not
   so many things for children to get then, as they have now, but we got
   many nice things. When it was time for dinner, mama put some turkey
   aside for us kids, and I guess it was a good thing for [Stancile?] was
   there. But that was the way we spent our Christmas then, [eating?] and
   dancing, and parties all through the week. But after New Years it was
   all over, and it was back to school and work.
   
   "I had just about finished school there when the old Paper Mill closed
   down. We moved to Athens, near the old ['?]check['?], which is on
   Broad Street. We went to work in the mill. I still remember that old
   mill very well. It had large [posts?] all through it. One day my
   sister was leaning against one of these post resting. One of the women
   saw her, and thinking that she would have some fun, she yelled out at
   her to move quick. It scared my sister, and she jumped catching her
   hair on a nail in the post, and pulled a handful of her hair out. Of
   course everybody laughed, but it made me so mad, I hit her so hard
   that she fell in the floor. We were new folks in the settlement, and
   were in for a lot of teasing, but [after?] that day they did not tease
   us any more. We were soon well satisfied 001212there, and had the same
   good times there as we did in our old home.
   
   "Just when I was thinking that I was [grown?], I was visiting my
   sister, and it was there that I met my present husband. He came to see
   my brother-in-law, and had the prettiest horse and [buggy?]. He
   carried me to ride, but we just went down the road not far enough to
   even get out of sight of the house, but even at that mama heard about
   it. She didn't believe much in whipping, but she sure could find other
   ways of punishing, and just for that little short ride, I had to stay
   home for three long months. I mean I was not even allowed to go to
   [church?] and Sundayschool.
   
   "I had a girl friend that I used to spend the night with real often,
   and she would visit me also. One night when I was spending the night
   with her, her father and mother were off visiting their people and
   there was just the children at home. Of course, she had brothers and
   sisters much older than we were, but we decided that when everybody
   got to sleep that we would get up and set us a dumb supper, for we had
   always wanted to, and they would tell us that we were too little. Sure
   enough, after everybody was in bed, we got up, yes we were scared, but
   was just going to show them that we could do it as well as they, and
   we did get the supper ready. We didn't even forget the bottle and
   001313Bible. Two boys that knew us had been fishing and was on their
   way home, seeing the light in the kitchen, they thought someone was
   sick, and decided they had better stop and see if [there?] was
   anything that they could do, but when they saw us through the window,
   and knew what we were doing, they just pushed opened the door, walked
   in, [picked?] up the bottle and walked out. [Well?], we were scared
   stiff, couldn't move or speak, for sometime, but when we did get to
   where we could yell it wasn't long until everything in the house was
   up. That was my first and only time to try to set a dumb supper, but
   strange as it may seem, one of those boys is now my husband, and my
   girl [friend?] married the other one.
   
   "I was married the first time when I was just about sixteen. [We?]
   used to have big pionies, everybody would go, and [we "?] in tally-hos
   filled with straw. There was most times a ball game, after we had
   finished dinner. That is where I met my first husband, at one of these
   picnic. It was Just a short time after we met, that we went with a
   large crowd of boys and girls to the old Beaverdam Church to one of
   their footwashings. After that was over we went over to the Jim Smith
   place and one of the guards showed us all around. There was so many
   prisoners there, some crippled up in different ways, some with one
   arm, and some had one leg gone, but they all had to work. It was the
   way on that [DEL: page 11 me and one of my sisters to go with him to
   the show. In thise days it didn't cost but five and ten cents to :DEL]
   001414Frank asked me to [marry?] him, and in about three months we
   were [married?].
   
   "We went to housekeeping, and lived a very happy life until he died in
   1907. After he passed away, I went back home to stay with mama and
   daddy, but I was blue and discouraged. I decided that I would go to
   work, and see if that would help me. I went to work in the Climax
   Hosiery mill, and worked there for [several?] months.
   
   "Mr. Head [started?] a tailor shop in town and I went to work for him
   in 1908. I had not ever done any of this kind of work then and I don't
   think any of the others had either. But he got two Bohemians to learn
   us the tailor trade, and that is how I learned to be a tailor. I
   worked there for five years when I went into business with Mrs. Sally
   Baughoum.
   
   "One day as I was walking up Broad Street who should I meet, but the
   boy that come to my dumb supper. He had married also, but he had lost
   his wife, not so very long after my husband died, and that meeting was
   the beginning of a friendship that later ended in marriage. He was
   then, and still is a great teaser. He enjoys playing jokes on me. One
   night he came down to see me and asked me and one of my sisters to go
   to the show with him. Shows were only five and ten cents then. Well,
   when we were almost there, he told us, that 001515we could go in and
   that he would wait on the outside, as he did not have enough money for
   all of us.
   
   "I was [embarrassed?] and said we would just go back home. He insisted
   that we go on, but I got [mad?] and told him that I could pay my own
   way. My sister just laughed, it seemed as if she could tell that he
   was teasing. So she told him to just give her her dime, and she would
   buy peanuts and candy. We went on to the show. Oh, yes, he went too,
   but I was so mad, I couldn't enjoy it. He and my sister still tease me
   about going to the picture show, but I wouldn't let him come to see me
   again for a long time after that. One night when one of my sisters was
   fixing to get [married?], he came walking in, told mama that it would
   be a double wedding for he was going to marry me that night also. I
   [quarreled?] and fussed, told them that it wasn't so, that I did not
   ever intend to marry him, but the more I fussed, the more he laughed.
   He had everybody there [believing?] him, until the wedding was over.
   But he won out and in 1913 we were married.
   
   "[He?] has his [barber?] shop, and I have my tailor shop. [We?] have
   no children, no one but ourselves. When we married we bought a home on
   Nacoochee ave., and we are still living there. [We?] have a nice
   little home, and some /lovely flowers but he does most of the work
   with them.
   
   001616
   
   I don't have much time to work at anything at home.
   
   Mrs. [Baughoum?] and I went into business upstairs on Clayton
   [Street?], but in a short time we moved down here on Jackson Street,
   and have been here ever since. I have run the shop by myself since
   Sally passed away last year. But it is lonesome without her, for we
   were together so long. I have three rooms, this is my work room, and
   the next room is the dressing room. There is a large mirror, and a
   table and some chairs in there, and sometimes people come in and wait
   in there, while I fix their clothes. The last room is the pressing
   room, and [d?] looks after that for me. I don't know hardly what I
   would do without [d?]. He has been with me so long that he knows just
   how I want everything done.
   
   "I know that I have not been able to tell you anything that will be of
   enough interest for you to get a story out of, but I do hope that it
   will help you some. I am glad that you came to see me, and come back
   again.

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