Mirriam Mccommons
From:
Georgia
INTERVIEW WITH:
MIRRIAM McCOMMONS, Age 76
164 Augusta Avenue
Athens, Georgia
Written by:
Miss Grace McCune
Research Worker
Athens, Georgia
Edited by:
Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
Athens
John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Augusta, Georgia
[Date Stamp: APR 29 1938]
It was a bright sunny day when the interviewer stopped at the home of
Aunt Merry, as she is called, and found her tending her old-fashioned
flower garden. The old Negress was tired and while resting she talked of
days long passed and of how things have changed since she was "a little
gal."
"My pa wuz William Young, and he belonged to old Marse Wylie Young and
later to young Marse Mack Young, a son of old marster. Pa wuz born in
1841, and he died in 1918.
"Ma wuz Lula Lumpkin, and she belonged to Marse Jack Lumpkin. I forgits
de year, but she wuz jus' 38 years old when she died. Ma's young mistis
wuz Miss Mirriam Lumpkin, and she wuz sho' good ter my ma. I 'members,
'cause I seed her lots of times. She married Marse William Nichols, and
she ain't been dead many years.
"I wuz born at Steebens (Stephens), Georgia, in 1862 at seben 'clock in
de mornin' on de 27th day of April. Yassum, I got here in time for
breakfast. Dey named me Mirriam Young. When I wuz 'bout eight years old,
us moved on de Bowling Green road dat runs to Lexin'ton, Georgia. Us
stayed dar 'til I wuz 'bout 10 years old, den us moved to de old
Hutchins place. I wukked in de field wid my pa 'til I wuz 'bout 'leben
years old. Den ma put me out to wuk. I wukked for 25 dollars a year and
my schoolin'. Den I nussed for Marse George Rice in Hutchins, Georgia. I
think Marse George and his twin sister stays in Lexin'ton now. When I
wuz twelve, I went to wuk for Marse John I. Callaway. Ma hired me for de
same pay, 25 dollars a year and my schoolin'.
"Missus Callaway sho' wuz good to me. Sha larnt me my books--readin' and
writin'--and sewin', knittin', and crochetin'. I still got some of de
wuk dat she larnt me to do." At this point Aunt Merry proudly displayed
a number of articles that she had crocheted and knitted. All were
fashioned after old patterns and showed fine workmanship. "Mistis larnt
me to be neat and clean in evvything I done, and I would walk 'long de
road a-knittin' and nebber miss a stitch. I just bet none of dese young
folkses now days could do dat. Dey sho' don't do no wuk, just run 'round
all de time, day and night. I don't know what'll 'come of 'em, lessen
dey change deir ways.
"Whilst I wuz still nussin' Missis' little gal and baby boy dey went
down to Buffalo Crick to stay, and dey give me a pretty gray mare. She
wuz all mine and her name wuz Lucy.
"I tuk de chillun to ride evvy day and down at de crick, I pulled off
dey clo'es and baptized 'em, in de water. I would wade out in de crick
wid 'em, and say: 'I baptizes you in de name of de Fadder and de Son and
de Holy Ghost.' Den I would souse 'em under de water. I didn't know
nobody wuz seein' me, but one mornin' Missis axed me 'bout it and I
thought she mought be mad but she just laughed and said dat hit mought
be good for 'em, 'cause she 'spect dey needed baptizin', but to be
keerful, for just on t'other side of de rock wuz a hole dat didn't have
no bottom.
"Dere wuz just two things on de place dat I wuz 'fraid of, and one wuz
de big registered bull dat Marster had paid so much money for. He sho'
wuz bad, and when he got out, us all stayed in de house 'til dey cotched
'im. Marster had a big black stallion dat cost lots of money. He wuz bad
too, but Marster kept 'im shut up most of de time. De wust I ever wuz
skeert wuz de time I wuz takin' de baby to ride horseback. When one of
de Nigger boys on de place started off on Marster's horse, my mare
started runnin' and I couldn't stop 'er. She runned plumb away wid me,
and when de boy cotched us, I wuz holdin' de baby wid one hand and de
saddle wid t'other.
"I sho' did have a big time once when us went to Atlanta. De place whar
us stayed wuz 'bout four miles out, whar Kirkwood is now, and it
belonged to Mrs. Robert A. Austin. She wuz a widder 'oman. She had a gal
name' Mary and us chillun used to play together. It wuz a pretty place
wid great big yards, and de mostes' flowers. Us used to go into Atlanta
on de six 'clock 'commodation, and come home on de two 'clock
'commodation, but evvythings changed now.
"At de Callaway place us colored folks had big suppers and all day
dinners, wid plenty to eat--chicken, turkey, and 'possum, and all de
hogs us wanted. But dere warnt no dancin' or fightin', 'cause old Missis
sho' didn't 'low dat.
"I married when I wuz sebenteen. I didn't have no weddin'. I wuz just
married by de preacher to Albert McCommons, at Hutchins. Us stayed at
Steebens 'bout one year after us married and den come to Athens, whar I
stays now. I ain't never had but two chillun; dey wuz twins, one died,
but my boy is wid me now.
"I used to nuss Miss Calline Davis, and she done got married and left
here, but I still hears from 'er. She done married one of dem northern
mens, Mr. Hope. I 'members one time whilst dey wuz visitin' I stayed wid
'em to nuss deir baby. One of Mr. Hope's friends from New York wuz wid
'em. When dey got to de train to go home, Miss Calline kissed me
good-bye and de yankee didn't know what to say. Miss Calline say de
yankees 'low dat southern folks air mean to us Niggers and just beat us
all de time. Dey just don't know 'cause my white folkses wuz all good to
me, and I loves 'em all."
As the interviewer left, Aunt Merry followed her into the yard asking
for a return visit and promising to tell more, "bout my good white
folkses."
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Lucy Mccullough
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George Lewis
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