S* POLLY. -.INTERVIEW ' „• 669?

IU:DDIJS>'

History Pro joe t. for Oklahoma

§699

r>?.\mc»

on (date) • • ,. : Julv 16>"1957'- . < • » • • 195:7 ..

• ' ; .

•, lVr-t , skla;.o."a

4. 1WS OF ' ^

drcr-i? (or Ico.-itioii) _Agt -case en .Northeast sin? of

r.i: Month .Tamiflrv."' -A J)ay"l , , ' -

I ' of Mrth

SJs-

?lacc

ion al\v..t father

i-irth

'•?•'/' v-f >:r '.r.r.V.rw?.! ion absv..t mother "

^RIDDLE, POLLY

. sawmill To;m . "ti>~%. "t.VJBy Krs. Polly Middle '-"-f;.'"^ . ^

De?/ar, Ofclahoiua. , - ^ ^ ^ w ^ \ ^ | v r ^ v^r l r

• »iVhen I was-fourteen years old we cams Trora ^rkan-

s.as to the Ghoctav/ LiaticJiu Lother viied^that wiiffcer ana

\;e childran had to j e t along without lier. ^

- Fat&ei' v;ent to work. ui_ iL^av^iill^ to-ni I den-H-

i t had a nerae.-' There \?ere^ three sawmills tliere. Oae of

them v?as run .by a iir. ^.rrastroiig vfiio had a commissai-y store

to furnish tiiVi£e£ y/hat they neededr TLere was a ^ r i s t

mil l , but no blacksfiiith t-hat 1 know of. f a the r ' s job ma

"off bearii^g lumber" ^ i c h mea:it he k>pt che lumber,carried; . . : • \ • •

a/, ay froia ths sa.ws. l ine liunber. to build ho uses was cut .

Thoi^ssville was the nearest tosiv, three "mil&s avray. •

£ house, sotie s tores; and i t was a p re t ty .

good town for those days . r ^he iuail v,fas brou^lit by horse-

back \ii.en >-<e f i r s t went there but the rai lroad Came through

' before we le f t tliere. There y/<jr« no' schools• Or churches.

The- only meeting I iaievy oi -.vas iinder'_-^-brusn arbor, and

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6699

a i>ee* rfi 11 Baptist . The timber m

and that'" .art of the Indian Territory, wasn't set t led"up.

~-^&<xx&-~6£ -tke wo-rke-rs had -ardeiis bi£fc. thereV/ere no.r

to speak of. 3o.& 01' t».-n k^d/Lit-vle . atciies i-f.cvrn' • • • " / : . ' • ; \

-or cott'vri.buT just lor ti:eir/o..n us®. \• • " . • • \ ' •

uir bouse at * tit j "sawmill \/as- a three room house

were o£\ -fi pd,

not a-piece of il'on a^ja^^8^*-^^"looked with Aft^fiovens in a fireplace f-qfc.-we •did-nff'-fiave a stove.- The'

^'"chairs collide .bcttous.

.,o v a i i a ^ ^ ^ o ^ t;ork from the tine v.'e could

n d l can't see thi.t i t hurt us, l.ut i t ro&ld- • • • ' * ,-> f . •

a child' of today". . \ ,"- _ _ _

The seeds .ere picked-out,Qf the cotton by hand,

as *th .-re ,?as no cotton gin near, fhen the cotton ??as

carded jinto roU.s arid spun into thread'. '.' I want to^ say)

• tl.at ve-rare ,particular ..ith our thread, and m* a piecev * • * " • \ »• ' ~ - . ' - ^ >

> . • • >• ' ~ " * - /

was wasted.. ,ie knit our ovm stocking's: 'made our own.

^ cl&th;v.linsey -underwear and counterpanes. .<e*pieee,d

quilts of a l l kir.^iand dyed^tha cloth to make different

\coiors so they would be pretty: ^

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had beta? t.o drip sloVJly into ^ irgn pot that &afr beeit

placed imder the trough. I t .too,t;two days to "get the

' "ftrst v&M'&S^l; and than frohi" a day to t.»o to _e l the "•»

rest.^ Itv,• s Wired into a barj*el and reaae" and-».ieatV - ' \ \ • ' • - . . .

scraps \nrti addeH to the lye^, a l i t t l e ev«r^r day. The •

barrel \w'- s t i r r - c ^ o a d tv.o or ihree tL,.ec^a week, i'iua

-aaj-SepfTir'Taretlr ailVt^e"T.e~aT' a"Ci;aps'#'aisd"" 're^ase tiiaTliadU

acQv.r.iulated dwrin,-: the Vinter wore use i up. .jJhat was good

sea:; ana ever;.; a tri;.;- 'enWli soaj. was made t o ; l a s t un t i l• • ' ' • \ ' •

t;;e next sj.rim;A.• " • * • • .

• otarch f-rd^i-jotatoes

^ . «epusad either potatoes p e a r s . Scraped\.-

- the bottom. jPhey would lookvery a i ^ y until washed, then\'

they .^re l ike other rV rchfls. . •

Tae'dlotliOs viere^w-J, soai:ed~, and \oaked. The- - \ ' / .

li;htest things ,ereru,bsi by ha;td :s we\ad no Wash \. ' • * . " • * •

boardy- .The jeans; Acants, sh-ets and • tli3- UL.4. were soaped• .'"•• V----V , • . . . . \ • • • "

e&i "put\on a siaooth flat' stum, and "battled" o\ beaten

•with a paddle, \ ,e ^Ed-.a kettle'of good hot soap), water.'

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The'' article was pulled u\.• Wid. dov?.u, or rihs&d, and'put

.. \' \nto this water and, boiled. \ r.otLerdjid pretty jV/

; wasiiings irr tMa.way^ but. i t vas hard an.'u& children-,

^io-things were coovpo and haavy, and ould tkke

\

two bi'Va to t..ist a:.d'i\urn the wuler out of the sheets.\ •

tiiem on tlio \line I 'd- .carry kbout their not

a n : r i ^ . t qud s is ter , would sa\\ tkey..'uQulA l&ok -be-f6e*v-

\*lm they cfit dry)/v and they did. i 'have never used bluing.-

iir . •{. l i fe , 'a i id 'do '^ost o,f-;.\y v.va&hiiv- witb'-.y h'ends, and

\\i;y vashi.. s iopi." as J;.O-. usv .uy r^ei. hb^r 's .

- ' - ; ioneer ^rbvisi-as v

. • • - " •• .'. I - •,.e ai'dn't/use coffee, so kev^r bo'ught it# except for

co-

drad rounds each, .e di'dn.'.t uso baking. powde.r,-but soda

. - si.d sa l t , >»e had COV.TS so-had i.lanxy of "milk and butter-.\ • ' •

- iur hogs ^'ere butchered- and we had plenty of Meat arid la rd ./ • use- ja rs . I don' t "

apples ai-d ieacr.es v.ere'drie'd as we didn*t/know i f t t vms'

because i t was cheaper to dry, but none of the1 women had

' . ' ' • / ' \ ' • "

jars to can in. I'obac?o. was raised and dried for future"

3t POLLY '•"•' INT3HVH.V

/ .

use. Beans' and fea^were dried o:;, tiie vines, shelled /

•and sdcked with tobacco t o ke.;p the weevils out. .lominy."

fms «iade fr,o2i corn, and lye used, to take husks, off.;, '

,i?"or fuel we burned, .vpod. There mxe no wel34 but •

_\73 had -ood springs for w^ter so didn't need a well.

• j

_ Recreations

scuare' dances, one Canip ineeting under an

At-.iO candy breakings, but*no school nor ounday

ochool.-i?ro;,ams, as there, were 'no schools nor Sunday

Schools.

\Wild Hogs

* p i 9 s

...e children picked blackberries an/used theM for

j . as we d idn l t k/ovv hov./~o|^/ - . i

nave jars, I don't know which, we sc4d the surplus to ^ /

Jhe__ot:ier\wonien in the. sawmill codp. They were Just l ike

us and bougnNt^nly enough for ^Aes.. ..e wanted to take

sale to rhocaWlle, but we/ere afraid-of the"wild hogs.A "•• / * • ' -

There were two W e n who o k . turns going .,ith us to se l l

our berries, Tkey took' berries, to sel l 3 too. ife got .the

• • RIDDLE, KOJLY

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» •

whole, sum of fifteen cents a gallon for them,. • • _ *

. fle could hear the wild hogs v/ithHheir teeth

* popping, and they roar6^ like mad hogs, • They made

a horrible'racket like stampeding cat t le .* • *

* One of the v.on;;n told me the .story of how one" of• * • *

her cousins, a child, went to his aunt's house for some-

/thing. He-dTdn't come home so they went to nunt him.

They found his handstand fee^b, and a skeleton of him

The\ wild hogs had done their worst. Ae ne-ror saw. the

hogs\ though, but she wouldn't le t u^go in the forest

alone 1 I believj 1 said i t v/as three miles- to Thomas-

ville fVora our house. , • a " . . .

•_ ; ' ' Kraut and Fickles

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ynr-" "'N"J en X said we .didn't can I forgot about the kraut

a&d cucumber pickles which we put up in kegs.

, . ' Light or Lamps "• " . * "

i/e had one little brass lamp with' a handle on the

side, and it had a.round.wick. Sometimes we would run

. out of oi'l, then we braided, a wick out of string ana;, put.

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^it in a saucer,|.poured grease on it, and we had a lig

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' .. *• Sickness- and Deathjj • . - . ***•«* - - " - . —

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• In' 1897 wh,en they/.vere> blasting the h i l l s for the

railroad, ?i,^ht men were hurt' and crippled. Thero were

no doctors "or hospitals in ihomasville so they were put

on flat cars and taken away to sons tow/that had a_hqspjU f_

tal, bCit I don't knav to what to?/u they went.. r

That same year a smallpox epidemic ..ceEie. Two or

three wer,e juried evsry ..day. - Some v/ere vaccinated and had

to have their arcis- taken off because of. i.ifection« I t was• " "

l . . • • . * * ' - • • ;

• terrible. These people'were put. on the flatcars and taken

«• " to ."the hospital v?h6re they could have the proper care.

see tneia~as ?ney it nt past on the trains, their f.aces .cov-

with, sores.

' \ • Coffins

./aer. anyone died, lunber was. bought-, the coffin made, .

and lined oh the inside and outside. There weren't" any

• f • ! • ' • • '

bought coffins as we were a l l poor.*r

No Doctor Close . <, -. • * •

Sister; took sick,, the boy she was to marry went for -. v • • . . • ' • • . - ' . , . * • •

the doctor. He was gone a l l night, until th"e middle of

RIDDLE, POLLY IKISlRVIE'tf 6699

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the'- ^axt morning, but brought a/d/octor back with him..

The/ doctor said she hod spinal/nbningi'tis.* He shaved

Wr \head.,' blts-tared' i t* and iyeir tenples, and the fe'ack

f her neck with ...ustard- plas/tors. Jlie got well . *

;: naJe fajblack 4i§a, took' three o.r four

i t ^ d a y / A m t i l i t cleaned us out ^ood;

I t -.vis used fur c'u i l ls /and fever, uncTmalaria.

Ciiarry, jimine and ,&iskey;/a tonic, t6ok

'the bark,.a quarter1 s/v.^rbh of quinine, -..hich wouli be-

' • ' /

fifty ce.nts"-.orth nov/, a:.a a quart of v/hiskey. ifrery

other morning ve t-ic^/T;;.blespoo-i of th i s tpnic- af ter

• • / ;

• " .ftiite'..alr.uti CMpped off the bark, aiid boiled, i t*'

:- thick subsi-ucei like carimel ounay '.tfouid forn. Rolled

• i t iato balls and covered v.ith flour, to make p i l l s . -

Turp;ntine/v/as" bought iii. n<lnt bo t t l e s . • I don't know

\ie got i t /but I suppose v.e bought i t . I t v;as userd-

for v.-orrss.

'LayApplej, Snake r"oot, and sarsaparilla-were used, '

too. " • • \

/ : RIDDM, KOii 6699

3alt n

There i$" a" sal t ' . . 'e l l at .^a^onar, and anotksr.

ai' Ylan. ths-t." taVtas/ 14K* the-©dor of gets? fhis sa l t

i's- good for'.t

iiulphur .Veil ' ,

" Tn ro is a ^ulmur weir at Gr i t t s , northv?e^t of

Vlan. reopj-e' dranlc i t \ f o r their heal th , I t tasted • .' • • \ o

te r r ib le at ."frst, but yW'd - e tusod to i t . " ' •

* * \

.. ,v Lail CaxAer iJLUed. •

Ike, year "^efbr.* :.'o caiae to I^Koiaasville tiie :.iail

vms brought thera in r^ail pouWea or bi.^'s by carr iers

oji tonics . , .ne of ti.em -.v o l:ii\led r'or the ir.ouay in\the

bags, but I. can't rsus^bsr siis "nipes 3f these invc.l

r r \

'.;;.: _V.v. .asville • e-uoved to \/Litef ield i&. t.:«

«eo .a t io ; . . 7ue fbrry was ri^r;\ at the to.vii .vhicth

'..ai i'our s tores, a . iost Qjfice, : ;r ist \ . . i i i , cotton-^in.

..8r vr.s 2'f^.achi^; thsrtf.

* ti

it1. >• • r , ^ , . iv

«: s t K-t K- *-\-s- i th • t

•s an: -

ter ar'a b

" " " " ' • •• " • " • • . - . • n e . e i i . \ ' v y , lowed,

/at ;er .^ I^Q i.tt cotto\ a:.,, cor;, fro:' Briartowii to

Ol^vtat t. Market, ie'evi...^ u^^io-.c. o:. ti.e far,,.. ue."v^

\ .

\ .

\w -V'./J rvruin , cf-t yi l -. , hi In Oho cot ah'and

v t h .o ;vx :,i-i.t. e

*s doc^a .-cod a-... u ,t .-c ,;i.t

SO GI"raid n-e'd bar

Ms hcu36 aiHo'r

c o r > V- . ? t . t 1 " , h u

' - u t J;..-;l .... o:, i L

' od t c u . . ; r f . a u y

^ . « : . • ' .« -rs ta i :d

er a.ci.e-so :uch,

d.vlars

v -i-i

~C ]' j t ' f Oe^ l t ' 'i A' v r t i . . vn+-

v. \ ••.».•