3.96 7.02 A: [LOUISE] Their daddy was a Democrat. My daddy was Democrat. 7.02 11.52 A: [LOUISE] We all -- I mean seem like we just go right around. We hunt a Democrat to marry, but 11.52 13.94 A: [LOUISE] that's the way it is. I mean, you know. 13.78 15.25 A: [LABOV] But you still vote Republican? 15.13 15.73 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 15.73 20.02 A: [LOUISE] Whether I win or lose, draw, or mean, good or bad, I says. 18.24 21.81 A: [LABOV] ((But now see, you wouldn't vote -- you wouldn't vote for that fellow Nixon again.)) 22.04 23.48 A: [LOUISE] You know, yeah, I would. 23.37 24.27 A: [LABOV] You would? 24.27 25.70 A: [LABOV] You see him on television tonight? 25.68 26.49 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. 26.49 29.17 A: [LOUISE] I don't know. Seem like they doctored that up some. 29.17 33.58 A: [LOUISE] To me. Course, I don't know. Um. I listen at him, and uh 33.58 37.78 A: [LOUISE] I said, well, one's done one thing dirty, you just go look them back. They're all dirty. 37.78 40.56 A: [LOUISE] They'll come out there dir- -- they go in clean, come out dirty. 40.56 42.24 A: [LOUISE] I -- 42.24 45.17 A: [LOUISE] Money, I reckon goes to their head. Don't you? 45.17 50.94 A: [LOUISE] I mean, as far as being a good president, I thought he was pretty good. I mean, like, you know, bringing the boys back from Vietnam, and 50.94 56.36 A: [LOUISE] kind of cleaning it up like that, but -- Course, Ford went in there and finished it up. 56.36 59.25 A: [LOUISE] But people didn't like him either. 59.25 61.85 A: [LOUISE] I mean, if they did, ((they'd)) elected him. 62.33 64.86 A: [LABOV] ((Yeah)) but you don't go for the Southerner in the White House now? 66.38 67.58 A: [LOUISE] No. 67.58 71.69 A: [LOUISE] I have to be truthful. No, I ain't got nothing against him, but 71.69 75.27 A: [LOUISE] I don't know. I'll just have to wait a while and see what he is going to do for the coun- -- 74.12 75.97 A: [LABOV] ((You're)) just too stubborn to change, ((that's all)). 75.27 80.44 A: [LOUISE] No. I have to see what he is going to do. He s- ain't been in there long enough. I want see how much dirt he is ((going to do us first)). 80.44 82.33 A: [LOUISE] I always give you about a year. 82.33 87.67 A: [LOUISE] The man ain't been in there too long. Right now, I ain't going to say anything, because really, I don't what he is going to turn out. 87.67 92.01 A: [LOUISE] I can't say anything. Can't say nothing good for him, I can't say nothing bad against him. You know what I mean. 92.01 96.12 A: [LOUISE] But I'll wait a year and I'll tell you what I think about him if I see you again. 96.12 102.36 A: [LABOV] Well, do you remember -- was there a time when you made ((up)) your mind that we had been ((that)) Vietnam long enough, and we should get out? 102.21 106.23 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. When Charlie was in there. I thought we had been there long enough. 104.73 106.24 A: [LABOV] Oh, yeah. 106.23 111.74 A: [LOUISE] No. Yeah, I didn't. I just don't believe in a lot of wars. No, I don't. I don't believe in people getting killed. 112.25 114.84 A: [LABOV] Well, Charlie eh -- did he volunteer, ((did he)) get drafted? 114.58 119.27 A: [LOUISE] He volunteered. Stupid volunteer. ((He)) didn't get drafted. And he liked it. 118.87 119.65 A: [LABOV] He did? 119.27 126.99 A: [LOUISE] Why, he said, ((every)) boy ((over there)) liked it. He said it was a lot of bull ((to be able to)) come back over here and tell them what they did. Because he said, Momma, we had a ball over there. He said it wasn't as bad as it was. 126.99 133.81 A: [LOUISE] He had a ball. Why, he brought back dancers and swingers, and I think all he did is set down there and take pictures. 133.81 137.22 A: [LOUISE] Oh, he said they had their minutes up there on the front line. 137.22 141.09 A: [LOUISE] And he said they had a (( )) throwed in to them. 141.09 145.29 A: [LOUISE] ((Told me.)) Now, I don't know, maybe it's just his opinion, but he acted to me he wanted to go back. 145.29 146.16 A: [LABOV] Is that so? 146.03 147.05 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 147.58 150.88 A: [LOUISE] That's when he went @AWOL. He wanted go back. They wouldn't let him go back. 150.88 152.71 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, he want go back over there. 153.26 154.70 A: [LABOV] He went @AWOL when he was over here, eh? 154.60 157.27 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. Now, he put a year up in Vietnam. 157.27 159.18 A: [LOUISE] He want go back to Vietnam. 159.07 159.61 A: [LABOV] Oh. 160.81 162.16 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, he liked it over there. 162.16 166.10 A: [LOUISE] Course, now it might be -- I mean, you know, there is some kids homebodies. 166.10 171.11 A: [LOUISE] I mean, there is some boys, like my Jim, ((and)) Jimmy probably could have went over there and he wouldn't even liked it. 171.11 173.07 A: [LOUISE] Charlie is a runaway type. 172.81 173.27 A: [LABOV] Yeah. 173.07 178.54 A: [LOUISE] I mean, Charles travels. When he was a kid, I had go all way around this state here getting that young one. 178.54 182.25 A: [LOUISE] ((Or he would just)) take off. I would have to go get him, bring him back home. 182.25 187.90 A: [LOUISE] And Charles is just the type that -- you know, there is kids that likes to travel, and then there is kids that settles. 187.90 192.44 A: [LOUISE] And s- -- those kids I guess come back over here that really didn't like it over there, ((with)) kids that 192.44 199.71 A: [LOUISE] was taken away, you know, was, you know, forced in there, in other words. What I call forced them in there. When you have to go up there you know and they call you. 199.71 202.51 A: [LOUISE] When you volunteer and go in there, you got to like it. 202.51 204.73 A: [LOUISE] Because you didn't have no business volunteering in the first place. 204.73 206.26 A: [LOUISE] When I told Charlie, 206.26 212.99 A: [LOUISE] when he come home, told me he want me to sign, he said I'll run away if you don't. And that's something my kids don't tell me. 212.99 216.93 A: [LOUISE] You don't tell me you want do something. I'll do it for you. And I'll help you. 216.93 219.56 A: [LOUISE] I said, okay. I said, I'll sign it. 219.56 222.97 A: [LOUISE] And I said, you don't tell me what I'm going to do. I said I'm your mother. 222.97 225.43 A: [LOUISE] ((But he --)) when he come out there, I signed the paper. 225.43 229.05 A: [LOUISE] I said, now you got in there, you love it. He loved it. 229.05 236.81 A: [LOUISE] So that's just the way it is. I mean, uh wh- uh -- I mean, I don't want you to get me wrong, about it. I mean, some of those kids was forced in there. 236.81 241.52 A: [LOUISE] But now Charlie, he wasn't. And (( )) way he talked, he had a ball over there. 241.52 251.81 A: [LOUISE] Or that's the way he talks. Now, I don't know, but now you take some children that uh was, you know, got their draft notice they had to go. Now those kids that's ((never don-)) -- my little nephew, he -- 253.47 255.75 A: [LOUISE] He didn't care too much about going ((there)). 254.90 257.52 A: [LABOV] ((Now did)) Charlie manage to stay out of the front lines, or did he ((was over there)) --? 257.52 259.53 A: [LOUISE] He said he was up there. 259.53 265.49 A: [LOUISE] So he probably was. I imagine every one of them had to take their turn there. You know, up there on the front line. 272.79 277.48 A: [LOUISE] You can't tell me there ain't, because I can tell you right now if I come out here and somebody had a gun 277.48 281.70 A: [LOUISE] and they is shooting each other, I ain't going to stand here and watch that too long. I'm going to get -- 281.70 286.47 A: [LOUISE] I nev- -- well, I don't have a gun in my house, and I don't like two knife in here that's 286.47 289.62 A: [LOUISE] n- and nothing except a butcher knife where I peel potatoes with. 288.94 291.41 A: [LABOV] ((But you've got)) sporting rifles around here, don't you? 292.01 294.33 A: [LOUISE] ((Don't)) allow them in the house. We got kids. 294.29 297.06 A: [LABOV] Oh, I see. So you keep (( )) ((where do they keep them.)) 295.16 295.77 A: [LOUISE] Mm. 295.77 296.93 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 296.93 301.70 A: [LOUISE] Well, now, her husband has got some, but his mother keeps them. See, ((there)) ain't no little ones over there. 301.55 303.58 A: [LABOV] Oh, I see. That's very sensible. 302.64 303.58 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. 303.58 306.47 A: [LOUISE] I just don't like uh -- I never would allow them around my children 306.47 311.39 A: [LOUISE] when ((I was)) raising them. I mean, you take a kid, they get a gun, they don't know it's real or not. 311.07 311.74 A: [LABOV] Uh-huh. 311.39 316.53 A: [LOUISE] And hurt somebody. Naw, I just don't like stuff -- Anything that would hurt anybody, I don't like around the house. 316.53 323.57 A: [LOUISE] I like everything to be -- They get hurt, it's going to be something little. Not something ((worth)) maybe, you know, put a hole in ((them)) 323.57 325.57 A: [LOUISE] bigger then all outdoors. 325.57 330.64 A: [LOUISE] Now, I think everybody has got a little fear in them. I don't know, Charles said he wasn't scared over there, but 330.64 332.54 A: [LOUISE] I don't know. I just 332.54 336.16 A: [LOUISE] think everybody has got a little bit of fear in them. Even I've got a little in me. 336.16 342.70 A: [LOUISE] There is a lot of things I'm scared of, and I don't care who knows it. Ra- -- I mean, yeah, rats, snakes, guns. 342.70 344.71 A: [LOUISE] Yes, everybody -- 344.71 350.61 A: [LOUISE] He said that he wasn't, but I got a feeling he was, especially when they put him up there on that front line. 350.61 352.96 A: [LOUISE] I got a feeling old Charlie boy was scared. 352.96 357.11 A: [LOUISE] You know, some people will talk like they're not, all the time they were. 357.55 358.18 A: [LABOV] Right. 358.18 360.41 A: [LABOV] Well. Anyhow, uh. 360.41 364.14 A: [LABOV] ((There is something)) a little bit different there, uh. 364.14 369.02 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, because his daddy told me that you know, they'll take them from uh -- way I understood it, they had to 369.02 370.68 A: [LOUISE] uh build bridges. 370.68 377.26 A: [LOUISE] See, ((Elvin)) was the engineer in there. In that s- Second World War. What he was in when we was against uh Germany and Japan. 372.19 372.92 A: [LABOV] Oh, ((I s-)) 376.89 377.34 A: [LABOV] Yeah. 377.26 379.80 A: [LOUISE] And uh he said hisself that he was scared. 379.80 383.20 A: [LOUISE] Out there digging them, you know, trying get them buh- 383.20 390.16 A: [LOUISE] things, you know, build those bridges back so the soldiers get across? He said that was a lot of times that he didn't know whether he was going to make it back ((from there)) or not. 390.16 394.55 A: [LOUISE] So, really, I just -- I just think there's (( )) just some people just 394.55 397.74 A: [LOUISE] you know, try to hide their feelings and say they're not scared. 397.74 400.48 A: [LOUISE] But I am scared. Now, I don't care ((to tell you)). 400.48 402.02 A: [LOUISE] I wouldn't want ((to have been)) over there. 402.02 404.72 A: [LOUISE] No way, form, or fashion. 404.72 405.57 A: [LOUISE] And I just -- 406.27 407.42 A: [LABOV] Yep. W- 407.42 411.68 A: [LABOV] Your family was church-going ((when you were growing up)) -- y- you -- you folks still go to church every Sunday? 411.88 412.99 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. 412.99 414.54 A: [LOUISE] All except me. 415.54 416.76 A: [LABOV] You don't go. 416.60 423.02 A: [LOUISE] I go on occasions, yeah. Tell you the truth about those churches, I like go to these ((New)) (( )) churches. I don't understand the preachers. 423.02 424.24 A: [LABOV] Really. 424.24 425.42 A: [LOUISE] I can't understand them. 425.42 426.18 A: [LABOV] How come? 426.63 433.04 A: [LOUISE] They just don't preach like ones ((I)) (( )) go. Now, when Mother went, there was one right over here, and they called it the hard shell Baptist. 433.04 435.11 A: [LOUISE] I mean, they didn't have no music. 435.11 437.83 A: [LOUISE] The preacher, he preached, 437.83 440.61 A: [LOUISE] and the singers, they sung. And that shouting was for real. 440.61 442.84 A: [LOUISE] Because it wasn't no music in that church. 442.84 447.33 A: [LOUISE] I mean, no pianos, no nothing. (( )) They called theirself the hard shell Baptist. 447.33 452.06 A: [LOUISE] And I mean, when that song was sung, and them people got ((up)) for ((a shout)), that was from the heart. 452.06 455.21 A: [LOUISE] That wasn't from the music -- uh, you know. 455.21 457.08 A: [LABOV] We- -- you know, when you're younger (( )) 456.67 463.76 A: [LOUISE] And I believe that was the re- -- you know, I just believe it was this real God was in that church. That's all. And that preacher get up there, and he was one of them old 463.76 465.21 A: [LOUISE] uh 465.21 469.66 A: [LOUISE] If you ever been to a Baptist church, I don't know. I don't know ((how old)) you are or anything, but anyhow, 469.66 473.24 A: [LOUISE] back when I was going, they was -- these i- really 473.24 478.02 A: [LOUISE] uh, you know, just he preached the fire and brimstone. I mean, I -- I like that kind. 478.02 481.74 A: [LOUISE] One that tells you about it, whether it hurts or not. They don't care about your feelings. 481.74 483.60 A: [LOUISE] You can take it, or you can leave it. 483.60 487.74 A: [LOUISE] Now that's the kind of preacher I like. I don't like these that covers up. 487.74 491.43 A: [LOUISE] Or I don't like these that talks an- and puts people 491.43 494.56 A: [LOUISE] w- tell -- the people is going to hell. 494.56 499.41 A: [LOUISE] When they don't whether they are or not. I don't know, or you don't know whether people is going to hell or not. 499.11 501.94 A: [LABOV] Well, when you're ((young)), they tell you that if you're good y- 501.94 506.81 A: [LABOV] going to heaven, if you're bad you're going to hell. You think the people who go to church are better than people who don't? 506.76 510.22 A: [LOUISE] No. Because ((that ain't)) Bible. My mother read that to me. 510.22 511.57 A: [LOUISE] You can get saved anywheres. 511.57 514.60 A: [LOUISE] And you can get saved in a twinkle of an eye. 514.60 516.51 A: [LOUISE] It's in that Bible, because Mom read it. 516.51 521.04 A: [LOUISE] And that is one woman that went from one end of that Bible to the other ((and)) reading it. She would go right through it. 521.04 522.45 A: [LOUISE] ((Tell you about it.)) 522.40 525.50 A: [LABOV] Well, some people say you can't get saved by good works at all. 522.45 523.08 A: [LOUISE] ((That's right.)) 525.73 529.32 A: [LOUISE] But I don't believe that you can uh get out here now and uh 529.32 530.65 A: [LOUISE] uh 530.65 534.11 A: [LOUISE] put people in hell. I mean, I just don't believe in preacher that does that. 534.11 539.64 A: [LOUISE] See, I went to my son's church. He gets kind of miffed at me because I won't go back there any more, but I tell you, 539.64 543.69 A: [LOUISE] he sit there, and every movie star in Hollywood, according to him, is going to hell. 543.69 548.34 A: [LOUISE] Including Elvis Presley. When he was talking about Elvis Presley, he made me mad, so I come home. 548.34 550.10 A: [LOUISE] I ain't been back no more. Yep. 550.10 551.85 A: [LOUISE] ((By the way -- )) 550.51 551.85 A: [LABOV] (( )) Charlie go to church too? 551.85 556.34 A: [LOUISE] Now, he goes to a little church here. Now I like his preacher, but his preacher has been gone 556.34 559.38 A: [LOUISE] He had to go to uh -- See, he is just a-learning to preach. 559.38 563.92 A: [LOUISE] He is real young. He is something like Charles, you know, just about Charles' age group. 563.92 572.39 A: [LOUISE] And uh he has to go off, and then somebody comes in and replaces him, and then he comes back in. Now, I go with him on occasions. Yeah, they -- they all go, except her. 572.39 575.71 A: [LOUISE] ((And)) her husband is Catholic. She won't go to that church over. 575.71 577.87 A: [LOUISE] Now that's one church you can't get her in. 577.87 580.25 A: [LOUISE] See, they are Catholics. 580.25 582.44 A: [LOUISE] Kay married ((in a)) Catholic family. 582.66 583.68 A: [LABOV] Kay. 583.56 588.25 A: [LOUISE] She don't like that chur- -- Right over there is where they go. Right across the street. You can see their church from here. 588.25 590.87 A: [LOUISE] ((She don't go there.)) 589.63 591.03 A: [LABOV] She raise the kids Catholic. 590.87 591.81 A: [LOUISE] Huh? 591.50 593.11 A: [LABOV] (( )) Raising the kids Catholic. 593.58 594.25 A: [LOUISE] Nope. 594.25 596.32 A: [LOUISE] He goes to church, he goes Baptist. 596.85 597.66 A: [LABOV] Oh. 598.53 601.61 A: [LOUISE] David goes uh every Sunday, him and uh Jim's three. 601.85 603.90 A: [LABOV] I thought when you married Catholic, 603.90 605.90 A: [LABOV] you had to be raising the children ((Catholic)). 605.12 607.87 A: [LOUISE] No, it's different now. You don't have to -- Yeah. 606.90 607.35 A: [LABOV] ((Really.)) 609.53 610.96 A: [LOUISE] No, you don't have to go. 610.62 614.31 A: [LABOV] And -- is the Catholic church is changing a lot. They changed their position on birth control. 613.81 618.30 A: [LOUISE] They wear pants to church over there now, because I set here every Sunday and watch them come out. 618.30 621.05 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, they wear slacks over there. Girls do. 621.95 622.77 A: [LABOV] Huh. 623.22 628.43 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, they changed a whole lot over there. Naw, you don't have to. See, Joe uh, Dennis' brother 628.43 630.61 A: [LOUISE] uh Kay and uh -- See, uh 630.61 631.13 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 631.13 632.31 A: [LOUISE] just got two boys. 632.31 635.20 A: [LOUISE] And uh Kay and Joe's wife, neither one is Catholic. 635.01 635.93 A: [LABOV] Uh-huh. 635.20 640.04 A: [LOUISE] She is Methodist, and Kay was raised up in Baptist church. 640.04 644.18 A: [LOUISE] No, you don't have to go over there. ((Now Dennis has)) went to my church though, occasions. 644.18 645.88 A: [LOUISE] (( )) 645.35 649.40 A: [LABOV] Well, can I ask you how was it with colored and white when you were growing up round here? 650.37 654.38 A: [LOUISE] You know, I don't remember any fuels, or anything like that, ((now)) really. 654.38 660.10 A: [LOUISE] I mean, we ((paced)) and ((repaced)), um, I don't remember seeing no whites, you know, and them that close, but 660.10 662.38 A: [LOUISE] I never heard ((of so)) much uh 662.38 669.22 A: [LOUISE] fighting and uh scrabbling going on like they are now, though, over rights and everything. I mean, everybody was peaceful. 669.22 673.43 A: [LOUISE] I'd go to town. I remember going town when I was a little girl, my grandmother. 673.43 679.32 A: [LOUISE] And coloreds would speak, go on about their business, Grandma always speak back to them, you know, she going about hers. 679.32 687.21 A: [LOUISE] But really, I never seen what's going on like it's going on today. Just like I said, there's more peaceful back then they are now. Nobody mistreating nobody here. 687.21 688.74 A: [LOUISE] Not as I remember. 688.74 691.92 A: [LOUISE] Or I was just too young pay any attention to it. 691.92 695.14 A: [LOUISE] Course I imagine the people wanted their rights. I don't blame them for that. 697.36 698.10 A: [LOUISE] I mean, 698.10 700.53 A: [LOUISE] you don't want to be a slave all your life, I don't guess. 700.53 702.28 A: [LOUISE] Or be underminded. 702.28 706.17 A: [LOUISE] Because there is some coloreds got as much *knowledgement about things as we've got. 706.17 710.40 A: [LOUISE] And I think they ought to have their priorities like everybody else. I mean, I don't knock them. 710.40 713.32 A: [LOUISE] There is some good, there is some bad. Just like in whites. 713.32 719.46 A: [LOUISE] It goes on, all of them. I don't care who comes over here, there is bad and good in all. I mean, you just can't judge -- 719.46 723.67 A: [LOUISE] It's like whites, where everybody goes judging us by half the meanness that going on round here. 723.67 730.27 A: [LOUISE] Like gw- -- going ((out here)) and shooting these poor people up here in Kodak. You know, we had a bank robbery up here, and they shot four in the back of the head. 730.60 731.68 A: [LABOV] Really? 732.43 733.52 A: [LOUISE] Kodak. 733.52 737.76 A: [LOUISE] ((Ain't over)) two or three months ago. About two or three weeks ago, I meant. 737.77 740.37 A: [LABOV] They -- they uh -- these r- robbers shot fellows? 740.23 751.09 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, had them -- they way -- uh way the paper stated and the way I understand it, they had them laying down on their stomach, and shot every one of them in the back of their head. So, see, whites are just as dirty as s- anything, so 751.09 753.92 A: [LOUISE] Said ((they is)) uh -- calling it a +massacre, uh -- murder. 754.69 757.66 A: [LABOV] Well, do you ever have a friend who is colored? 758.00 758.91 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 758.91 762.18 A: [LOUISE] I like every one of uh my kids -- uh grandkids' teachers. 762.18 764.85 A: [LOUISE] And they like me. I can go out there. They all call me Granny. 764.85 768.78 A: [LOUISE] They see me a-coming and they holler at me. Yeah, I like them. I mean -- 767.69 769.50 A: [LABOV] ((Well,)) the schools integrated round here now? 768.78 770.38 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. 770.04 770.61 A: [LABOV] Is that so? 770.38 775.05 A: [LOUISE] ((Huh my uh b-)) -- It ain't none of my grandkids ever had anything but colored teachers, and I like them. 774.57 775.15 A: [LABOV] Oh, really? 775.05 777.15 A: [LOUISE] That's right. I like every one of them. 777.15 779.43 A: [LOUISE] Now her son has got one. Her name is 779.43 779.99 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 779.99 782.21 A: [LOUISE] She is sweet as she can be. She is colored. 782.21 784.32 A: [LOUISE] And all my *grandchildrens went to her. 784.83 792.76 A: [LABOV] Well, I tell you, you're making more progress in the South than we are in the North. I'll tell you. Because in Philadelphia, we have uh i- it's t- like two -- two ((arm cans)). 792.66 796.82 A: [LOUISE] I'd rather have a colored teacher teaching my grandkids than white ones. They're meaner to them. 796.82 800.48 A: [LOUISE] I can't stand a white teacher over my kids. (( )) these grandkids of mine. 800.48 805.56 A: [LOUISE] Now back when my kids went to school, you know, there wasn't any. It's just all white school, all colored school. 805.56 807.37 A: [LOUISE] But now, my grandkids, 807.37 813.47 A: [LOUISE] the colored teachers are heck of a lot better to your ki- -- uh to the white kids than they are -- the white teachers are. 813.17 813.81 A: [LABOV] Uh-huh. 813.47 815.50 A: [LOUISE] I hate to say it, but it's true. 815.50 816.22 A: [LOUISE] Now 816.22 816.75 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 816.75 818.41 A: [LOUISE] I can go out there. I just love her. 818.41 819.02 A: [LOUISE] And Miss 819.02 819.51 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 819.51 820.47 A: [LOUISE] she has had them. 820.47 821.34 A: [LOUISE] And there is a Miss 821.34 821.86 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 821.86 825.35 A: [LOUISE] out there. She is colored. And there is a Mr. um -- 825.35 831.37 A: [LOUISE] Oh God, I can't think of that man's -- he is a great old ((jack)) here, but that's the sweetest guy you ever seen. He is colored, 831.37 833.37 A: [LOUISE] and he is good to little kids out there. 833.37 834.33 A: [LOUISE] White kids. 834.33 838.48 A: [LOUISE] Every one of them loves him. They just come in just to hug him, little white kids do. They love him. 838.48 841.72 A: [LOUISE] I mean, I don't know how they're doing it anywheres else but here. 841.72 843.39 A: [LOUISE] Ha- -- oh well I tell 843.39 843.87 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 843.87 847.14 A: [LOUISE] I said, I'd rather see -- I hope she gets Jody when he goes to school. 847.14 848.79 A: [LOUISE] Oh she is teacher out there. 848.79 850.84 A: [LOUISE] I mean, that's just how good she is. 850.84 854.82 A: [LOUISE] And she don't whip your kids unless you tell her to. Kay told her whip David he is mean. 854.82 857.65 A: [LOUISE] She said, I can't expect you set here and take him. 857.65 862.11 A: [LOUISE] Because she says he is mean at home, and if he is doing you like he does at home, whip him. 862.11 863.61 A: [LOUISE] He gets ((a whipping every)) day. 865.10 870.74 A: [LOUISE] That's right. I mean, we don't uh mistreat them. I mean, they're good to your kids, be good to them. 870.74 872.79 A: [LOUISE] That's way I figure about it. 872.79 874.46 A: [LOUISE] Naw, ((I know)) -- 873.89 881.45 A: [LABOV] Well, you know tha- -- there's some people ((who)) uh are all upset ((on the -- in the)) church situation. I knew -- met a man in Louisiana, and they were uh 881.45 888.93 A: [LABOV] Methodist. And then they announced that their church was just affiliating with the colored churches, and he walked out ((and turned)) joined the Baptists. 888.93 893.71 A: [LABOV] Because he felt that strongly. He didn't want any association, but people round here don't feel that way. 893.49 903.32 A: [LOUISE] Well, no. Uh, they go church around here. They go any church they want to. They live in the neighborhoods with us, and we don't do- -- Right up there they are. Those people are nice people. 903.81 907.97 A: [LABOV] Now, can you tell by the way -- I'm kind of interested in the way people talk. 907.84 908.51 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. 909.05 910.63 A: [LABOV] Because I listen a lot 910.63 915.89 A: [LABOV] and uh -- can you tell ((if)) someone is from west Tennessee by the way he talks? 915.70 918.58 A: [LOUISE] No, not really. I think we all talk alike. 918.91 924.61 A: [LABOV] Can you tell someone is colored by the way he talks. If you hear someone over the phone or behind you, can you know whether he is colored or white? 924.61 926.42 A: [LOUISE] No, I can't, be honest with you. 926.42 928.49 A: [LOUISE] No, sir. 928.72 932.05 A: [LABOV] That ever happen? You talk to someone over the phone and ((then)) (( )). 931.94 939.22 A: [LOUISE] I don't -- I can't hear too good, just to be honest with you, though. I just can't hear too good, be honest with you, though. But not really. 939.22 942.96 A: [LOUISE] No, I can't. As far as me, now. I can't. 942.65 943.28 A: [LABOV] Uh-huh. 942.96 945.40 A: [LOUISE] I don't know ((whether)) the rest of them can or not. 944.64 946.34 A: [LABOV] ((Well)) that's all I was interested in. 945.40 951.87 A: [LOUISE] But to me only, I can't tell ((them)). I just -- if anybody talks, and talks halfway right to me, I talk to them. 951.87 954.37 A: [LOUISE] I mean, I treat everybody, you know, 954.37 955.65 A: [LOUISE] just like they treat me. 955.65 957.83 A: [LOUISE] I don't try to mistreat nobody because 957.83 960.07 A: [LOUISE] everybody is flesh and blood, and so -- 960.07 961.72 A: [LOUISE] I said if I 961.72 969.10 A: [LOUISE] go to hell, it's going to be on something else. It ain't going to be for ((I'd ever)) mistreating people, because I've always tried treat people ((as my equal,)) now really. I was raised like that. 969.10 973.12 A: [LOUISE] Now if anybody don't treat you good, Momma said don't have anything do with them. 973.12 977.84 A: [LOUISE] But if they treat you nice, you be nice to them. Because that's going to be your friend for life. 977.68 979.86 A: [LABOV] Uh your biggest fault is you lose your temper, right? 979.63 982.22 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, just my temper. That's about my only fau- -- 980.90 985.27 A: [LABOV] ((Did)) it ever happen that you -- you uh whupped your kids, and then you found out that they weren't ((to blame))? 984.89 989.37 A: [LOUISE] No. Because that's one thing I never would do. I mean, I always loved my three kids. 989.37 990.71 A: [LOUISE] Because really 990.71 999.61 A: [LOUISE] their daddy drunk all time. I just don't care tell you. I mean, the kids have got -- make half their way. My kids had to work. They know what work is. There ain't no ((lie)) about it. They had to get out and -- 999.61 1003.04 A: [LOUISE] Jimmy wanted a bicycle, he had to get a paper route, save his money, and get it. 1003.04 1005.21 A: [LOUISE] In other words, they was raised hard. 1005.21 1008.95 A: [LOUISE] And to me, they were more precious to me 1008.95 1014.53 A: [LOUISE] ((but they have to be)) raised the way they did and buy their own stuff, because I did what I could, you know, and paid the rent, buy the food. 1014.53 1018.24 A: [LOUISE] But he always took his paydays and went to a beer joint, drunk. 1018.24 1024.36 A: [LOUISE] And um, really and truly, I guess I was more *reliant on my kids, on account of that. 1024.12 1025.56 A: [LABOV] Well, that made it tough for ((them)). 1024.36 1028.16 A: [LOUISE] In other words, I whipped them if they need it. 1028.16 1030.82 A: [LOUISE] It had to be absolutely necessary. 1030.82 1034.27 A: [LOUISE] To let them know that I was still boss, in other words. 1034.27 1040.58 A: [LOUISE] Because I had to let them -- Like her, now -- course now Kay never did give me no trouble. Kay was always my quiet, easy-going kid. 1040.58 1051.62 A: [LOUISE] But she had to go -- like, uh my other sister-in-law got her a job when she was about fourteen or fifteen, washing dishes in a restaurant. She was too young to work, but the woman did let her come there at night and, ((you know, and let her)) mop. 1051.62 1056.44 A: [LOUISE] Pay her about ten or fifteen dollars a week. Well, that bought her clothes, you know, and shoes and things go to school. 1056.44 1063.30 A: [LOUISE] And Jimmy had a paper route. ((Course)) Charlie was the youngest ((one)), and he was too lazy do anything, be honest with you. That kid didn't work until he got out of Army. 1063.30 1065.35 A: [LOUISE] But really 1065.35 1068.90 A: [LOUISE] I guess my kids had to do so much for their own self 1068.90 1072.27 A: [LOUISE] that they didn't want to be by- -- I mean, they wouldn't bum. 1072.27 1075.07 A: [LOUISE] And I didn't live off of no welfare. I made my own money. 1075.07 1079.97 A: [LOUISE] I never did believe in that, because I always figured there's always somebody worser than I was, needed help. 1079.97 1087.35 A: [LOUISE] So I always got out and I made my part, like pay the rent, light bill, buy food, get them what I could. And they got out and they helped theirself. 1087.35 1089.93 A: [LOUISE] So my kids was brought up to help theirselves. 1089.93 1093.36 A: [LOUISE] If they wanted it, get out and work it, not steal it, work for it. 1093.36 1096.11 A: [LOUISE] And that makes you man or woman out of you. 1096.11 1099.52 A: [LOUISE] So ((today)) I've got about three of the best kids you ever seen. 1099.52 1104.40 A: [LOUISE] They go out and they make their own living. All three of my kids works except her, and she is -- 1104.40 1108.45 A: [LOUISE] Oh, she got laid off about a year ago. She hurt her hand. She worked at uh 1108.45 1111.01 A: [LOUISE] Harrison's poultry house. Gutting chickens. 1111.01 1117.14 A: [LOUISE] And she hurt her hand, and she has not worked since then. Her husband ((don't want)) her go back. I don't know, she is talking about going back over there. 1116.11 1117.55 A: [LABOV] What -- what does he do? (( )) 1117.14 1119.64 A: [LOUISE] Her husband? He builds boats. 1119.57 1120.13 A: [LABOV] Oh, really? 1119.64 1120.63 A: [LOUISE] Mhm. 1120.63 1123.06 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. These little fishing boats and things. 1123.06 1130.71 A: [LOUISE] And my baby son works for the city of Knoxville. He is garbage collector. And then my oldest bo- -- Yeah. And the oldest one is the -- a boss -- I mean, works for Silver's. 1129.56 1131.14 A: [LABOV] ((Yeah.)) And with Jim's ((line of work))? 1130.71 1136.98 A: [LOUISE] She did until he made her quit. See, they put him on salary when they sent him up there. And he is making mo- -- uh, more money 1136.98 1140.64 A: [LOUISE] then -- yo- -- with both of them together, why, it would just be too much. 1140.64 1143.24 A: [LOUISE] So he told her ((why)) -- 1143.24 1147.65 A: [LOUISE] See they're uh -- ((that's the)) job up there suppos- -- they're supposed to be rebuilding back down here. 1147.65 1149.40 A: [LABOV] Well, do you own this house? 1149.02 1150.56 A: [LOUISE] Uh-uh. We rent. 1150.35 1152.32 A: [LABOV] What does the rent t- cost ((per year))? 1152.07 1154.21 A: [LOUISE] Here ((well)) -- this is a -- eighty-two. 1154.33 1155.95 A: [LABOV] Gee, that's not so bad. 1155.82 1157.40 A: [LOUISE] ((The)) light bill is four hundred. 1157.71 1158.57 A: [LABOV] Really? 1158.12 1161.73 A: [LOUISE] Yep. We're still paying ((to have)) a light bill. Gas bill for the winter. 1161.73 1165.50 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, this is an old house. See, this house was here when I was a kid. 1164.53 1167.54 A: [LABOV] Well, it's the light and the gas and the oil bill. 1167.54 1168.91 A: [LABOV] How much is the oil bill? 1168.91 1170.40 A: [LOUISE] I mean, the gas? 1170.40 1173.30 A: [LOUISE] Ah, we don't buy oil. See, we just got gas heat. 1172.42 1173.50 A: [LABOV] ((Oh you have)) gas. 1173.30 1174.49 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, we got a gas furnace. 1174.49 1178.10 A: [LOUISE] Uh, it was uh about three -- about two hundred and some. Three hundred. 1178.02 1180.25 A: [LABOV] Guess that's a big expense, ((more than)) rent. 1178.10 1179.84 A: [LOUISE] ((For the light)) (( )) 1180.25 1181.54 A: [LABOV] No. 1180.80 1181.67 A: [LOUISE] ((Eighty-two.)) 1184.40 1187.59 A: [LOUISE] So, really, uh it's just the way you raise your children. 1186.32 1196.12 A: [LABOV] ((What was)) -- (( )) -- whe- when eh Elvin uh uh took to drinking, ((it w-)) just -- uh t- -- did you have any feel as to why that was so or, he just got -- 1195.86 1203.03 A: [LOUISE] Paint. Everybody claims it's paint. I don't know what it was. Being ((in that paint)). They say if you, you know, ((stay)) around paint long it drives you to 1203.03 1205.82 A: [LOUISE] drinking. I don't know. That's what everybody try tell me. 1205.39 1207.23 A: [LABOV] Did he ever decide to quit? 1207.26 1208.05 A: [LOUISE] Nope. 1208.05 1209.38 A: [LOUISE] Not really. 1209.38 1211.65 A: [LOUISE] Because he got cancer right after that. 1211.24 1212.15 A: [LABOV] Oh, really. 1211.65 1212.84 A: [LOUISE] Uh-huh. 1212.15 1213.65 A: [LABOV] When was that? 1215.05 1218.46 A: [LOUISE] Well, he had a ((thing)) up on his back about that big around. 1218.35 1218.78 A: [LABOV] Uh-huh. 1218.46 1221.08 A: [LOUISE] I mean, it just stuck right out here on his back. 1221.08 1223.10 A: [LOUISE] And it bled constantly. 1223.10 1226.15 A: [LOUISE] And then he had go to hospital. They cut that off. 1226.15 1228.80 A: [LOUISE] And +graft skin and put it back on there. 1228.80 1230.79 A: [LOUISE] And I think he went about a year -- 1230.79 1235.35 A: [LOUISE] No, when they let him out of the hospital they told the kids -- I was divorced from him then. I divorced him. 1235.16 1236.04 A: [LABOV] Oh, did you? 1235.35 1236.62 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 1236.62 1239.79 A: [LOUISE] I been divorced t- (( )) him about two or three years before that happened. 1239.79 1242.76 A: [LOUISE] But the kids felt sorry for him, and they ((kept)) him. 1242.76 1244.38 A: [LOUISE] And uh 1244.38 1246.88 A: [LOUISE] I said way he treat them, it's a wonder. 1246.88 1250.87 A: [LOUISE] But you know, uh Charlie and Kay quit calling him Daddy years ago. 1250.87 1252.56 A: [LOUISE] They called him Elvin. 1252.56 1254.96 A: [LOUISE] Jimmy was the only kid he had call him Daddy. 1254.96 1258.57 A: [LABOV] Well, when -- when did Elvin really start drinking hard? 1258.57 1260.39 A: [LOUISE] He started ((about)) after Charles ((Evan)) was born. 1260.80 1262.10 A: [LABOV] After Charlie. 1261.51 1264.22 A: [LOUISE] Mhm. After Charlie was born, he started ((back)). 1264.22 1268.85 A: [LOUISE] The- -- everybody kidded me. They said he seen Charlie and went crazy. 1268.34 1270.48 A: [LABOV] Well, did you have to work when -- when -- 1270.05 1273.20 A: [LOUISE] Yeah, I worked. I had to work. I went over there and I 1273.20 1276.69 A: [LOUISE] worked a little bit, you know, in kitchen at restaurants and 1276.69 1278.72 A: [LOUISE] then I took in ironings, 1278.72 1280.96 A: [LOUISE] washings, babysitted. 1280.96 1288.45 A: [LOUISE] But I made a living. You know, back then rent, you could get a house about twenty dollars a month. Your light bill went about ten, fifteen. You could manage. 1288.45 1289.68 A: [LOUISE] ((On little stuff)). 1289.74 1292.42 A: [LABOV] Well, but you must kind of remember what he used to be. 1292.24 1299.72 A: [LOUISE] Mm, yep, I do. It was hard. I mean, you, know, them staying up all night, trying to get your kids' clothes ready go school and ((worrying)) somebody else's ironings. 1299.72 1303.32 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. It was. It wasn't -- it wasn't the easiest life I had. 1303.32 1305.05 A: [LOUISE] ((That's the)) reason why I'm taking it easy now. 1304.89 1306.33 A: [LABOV] ((Well)) when he took sick, 1306.33 1307.74 A: [LABOV] got the cancer. 1307.49 1310.51 A: [LOUISE] Yep. We had to wait on him hand and foot, ((because of me)). 1310.51 1312.73 A: [LOUISE] See, he'd forgo- -- I mean, really, 1312.73 1317.13 A: [LOUISE] I didn't hold anything against him, what he had done, to the ((years)) before that. 1317.13 1320.73 A: [LOUISE] I jus- -- I don't know, I just feel sorry for anybody that's in that shape. 1320.73 1323.38 A: [LOUISE] And he didn't ((knows the world he was in)) anyhow. 1322.22 1324.10 A: [LABOV] ((So)) you didn't have any hard feelings ((toward him)). 1323.38 1330.61 A: [LOUISE] No, ((I didn't have no)) hard feelings towards him at all. I took ((care of)) him just like I would anybody else. My mother, my daddy if they had been there. 1330.61 1336.93 A: [LOUISE] No, we kept him clean, had to get him in the hospital. See they wouldn't let me do anything. I was divorced from him. 1336.93 1345.38 A: [LOUISE] The kids had do all that. I mean, Jimmy had take him, get him -- put up here in Johnson City hospital. My lord, though, we took care of him ourselves. He just up there about 1345.38 1346.98 A: [LOUISE] two or three hours when he died. 1348.62 1351.78 A: [LOUISE] It's about two or three hours he had been in Johnson City hospital when he died. 1351.78 1358.31 A: [LOUISE] No, I -- I didn't hold no uh grudge towards him or anything like that. I mean, he was sick, he needed help. 1358.31 1360.74 A: [LOUISE] And I believe you get awarded more for 1360.74 1364.58 A: [LOUISE] doing something for somebody and not holding something that they had done to you years before. 1366.36 1369.05 A: [LOUISE] Course he was drinking when he did it. Um. 1369.05 1374.81 A: [LOUISE] I don't know, maybe that cancer had been eating on him even then. I don't even know that. I can't say. Nobody can say. 1374.81 1378.51 A: [LOUISE] Eh I mean, it could have been inside, you know, trying break out ((of)) right then. 1378.51 1380.04 A: [LOUISE] I can't tell. 1380.04 1386.89 A: [LOUISE] So I can't see no sense in holding a grudge against him or not taking care of him. Well, I even had to go in there feed him like a baby. 1387.18 1391.73 A: [LABOV] But if it's your -- your kids who uh eh ((Jim and)) Charlie, they're -- they're part him. 1391.73 1393.44 A: [LOUISE] Yep. That's right. 1392.35 1393.95 A: [LABOV] (( )) see him in them, can't you? 1393.44 1400.08 A: [LOUISE] Yeah. No, ((i-)) you -- they're like me. You looking at their daddy when you seen Kay. Now that's her. 1398.76 1399.20 A: [LABOV] Ah. 1400.08 1403.51 A: [LOUISE] You know how they always say like father like son? It's like father, like daughter. 1403.28 1403.79 A: [LABOV] Oh, really. 1403.51 1404.71 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 1404.71 1408.93 A: [LOUISE] I got a picture of him in there. If you ever see him, you see Kay, it's him made old. 1408.93 1410.62 A: [LOUISE] No, the boys is ((Elsie's)). 1410.62 1412.72 A: [LOUISE] They take back after my part of the family. 1412.72 1416.33 A: [LOUISE] They're tall. All of them both of them has got light hair. 1416.33 1422.38 A: [LOUISE] ((That)) ain't none of them. D- Elvin was dark-headed, dark-eyed and Kay -- and dark skin, Kay is. 1422.38 1424.54 A: [LOUISE] She is the only one like her daddy. 1424.54 1426.62 A: [LOUISE] She is like her daddy up one side and down the other. 1426.62 1427.28 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 1427.28 1429.47 A: [LOUISE] won't die as long as that young one walks the earth. 1429.47 1434.82 A: [LOUISE] But Jim and Charlie, they're just like my part of the family. I mean, they're -- got Irish in them. 1434.82 1439.14 A: [LOUISE] Now she has got a silent temper. Now Elvin was -- had a lot of Indian in him. 1439.14 1440.82 A: [LOUISE] Kay has got a lot in her. 1440.82 1444.73 A: [LOUISE] Sh- -- she is easy to get stirred up, but you don't never know it until you're hit. 1444.36 1445.23 A: [LABOV] ((He *gots)) Indian. 1444.73 1446.04 A: [LOUISE] That's Indian. 1446.74 1448.36 A: [LABOV] What is it, Cherokee Indian or what? 1448.36 1453.86 A: [LOUISE] I don't what kind they are. I mean, he was -- um his mother was a little old short and 1453.86 1456.80 A: [LOUISE] she was just like him. I mean, she just looked like a +Indian. 1456.48 1457.11 A: [LABOV] Uh-huh. 1456.80 1466.45 A: [LOUISE] Elvin's mother was. Course, she didn't live too long, you know, after me and him was married. She had +asthma and she would have to sleep, you know, with her head in a window. Back then they didn't have cures like they got now. 1461.67 1462.18 A: [LABOV] Oh. 1466.45 1468.53 A: [LOUISE] You know, for every disease and 1468.53 1473.83 A: [LOUISE] all this. And she had to sleep in windows. I don't care if ((there was snow on the ground)), that woman had put her head in a window. 1473.83 1474.85 A: [LOUISE] To breathe. 1474.85 1476.15 A: [LOUISE] And she died. 1476.15 1479.99 A: [LOUISE] Jus- -- I guess about four or five months after Kay was born. 1480.89 1482.68 A: [LOUISE] And Kay was uh 1482.68 1483.94 A: [LOUISE] Then um 1483.94 1487.98 A: [LOUISE] his daddy died ((just)) little bit after that. So really 1487.98 1490.56 A: [LOUISE] I never did get that much acquainted with them. 1490.56 1496.74 A: [LOUISE] And I never was one that could go to somebody's house and get acquainted with them. I just knew Elvin and that was it. 1496.74 1501.07 A: [LOUISE] Course I'd go over there and see him, you know, or go over there to talk to him, but 1501.07 1503.73 A: [LOUISE] I never did get that close to his people. 1503.73 1506.87 A: [LOUISE] He got more closer to mine than I did his. 1506.87 1511.40 A: [LOUISE] Because with my mom and daddy, you got close to them because they were talkative. But Mr. and Mrs. 1511.40 1511.88 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 1511.88 1513.32 A: [LOUISE] were kind of ((your)) quiet. 1513.32 1516.84 A: [LOUISE] They're like Kay. They're just quiet people and they is hard to get acquainted with. 1516.84 1520.75 A: [LOUISE] I mean, I don't reckon they dislike me or anything. They just wasn't type to talk. 1520.75 1525.11 A: [LOUISE] And I'm a big mouth, and I like talk, and I take back after my part of the family and 1525.11 1527.60 A: [LOUISE] I just figured they just didn't want me over there, so I stayed home. 1527.60 1533.26 A: [LOUISE] That's the reason why I mean we didn't get close. We weren't enemies, but I just wasn't close to his father and mother. 1533.26 1537.70 A: [LOUISE] But I knew -- I know she was something, though. She is (( )), because she had a temper, a little bit of temper. 1537.70 1542.80 A: [LOUISE] Because I hear- -- I used to go over there, you know, and we'd just be sitting there, and all of sudden, she jump on Mr. 1542.80 1543.46 A: [LOUISE] #Name_suppressed# 1543.46 1547.14 A: [LOUISE] She bawl him out, then it would be over with in few minutes. 1547.14 1548.80 A: [LOUISE] And Elvin told me this. She would -- 1547.80 1549.44 A: [LABOV] ((But)) you got along with them pretty good? 1548.80 1554.63 A: [LOUISE] Yep. I mean, ah we didn't have no trouble, I mean, ((fusses)) or, you know, ((hard down)) fights or anything. 1554.13 1559.04 A: [LABOV] Well, was there anybody uh neighbor, or someone you know that you got so mad at you stopped talking to ((them))? 1559.04 1559.68 A: [LOUISE] Yep. 1559.68 1561.26 A: [LOUISE] Sure did. ((Over)) kids. 1561.26 1566.09 A: [LOUISE] Years and years ago, and you know, we ain't spoke to the day, and I don't know whether we'll ever speak ((after)) (( )). 1564.81 1566.22 A: [LABOV] ((How did)) it get started? 1567.54 1568.64 A: [LOUISE] Let's see. 1568.64 1572.91 A: [LOUISE] You know, that's a long time ago. That's back when Jimmy was a kid. God, Jimmy is twenty-nine years old. 1574.68 1576.16 A: [LOUISE] I think it's uh -- 1576.16 1577.66 A: [LOUISE] Oh yeah. 1577.66 1581.17 A: [LOUISE] Uh, her boy broke my s- -- uh broke Jimmy's guitar.