The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-12-09
SOUTHERN COTTON
MILLS AND LABOR

and we all marched in There was red carpet
on the floor, and lamp with pink shade,
and real py-ano, all Of which represented lord
knows how many years OF savings on the part
of the eight Crenshaws Even the son at sea
had contributed his share. Almost every house
on the hill had some kind of musical lnstru-
ment guitar, banjo, or fiddle or maybe
wheezy organ you work with your feet. Hill
people love music like they love flowers. But
the Crenshaws had a room set aside for a par
lor and real py-ano in it, which set them OIL
as part of the social elite of Hutchins HILL
Little Gladys opened the one hymn book and
they began. "What Friend We Have in
Jesus, All Our Sins and Griefs to Bear" All
knew the words by heart and sang the han
monies with chanting fervor and unconscious
abandon equal almost to that of the Negroes
But this was far less musical, and less native.
These Poor Whites had left their folk songs in
the mountains and mill life has not produced
any others.
The next afternoon l went to see my friend,
Marg Marg was always tonic, especially
after such an experience as last night. Marg
knew her Bible-you had to or be an outcast IN
the vlage-but her religion didn't bother her
much. She thought and spoke for herself, and
few gainsaid her, at least to her face. She
belonged to the clan of Allen-feuders and gov
eminent fighters-and believed in Direct Ac-
ton.
Step right in, honey Marg called from her
place in the swing. She pulled her black-and-
grey-checkered dress tighter over her bosom,
shifted her powerful frame as to make room
beside her, and with the hem of her dress wiped
away the little brown streams of tobacco juice
which had dried in the corners of her mouth.
GAS wuz sayin' tn las time you was here,
Hutchins mill amt so good for wages, but I've
lived on worse hills Hutchins is got good
char ter n that means lot. All mills amt.
| wuz in one, once, soon after we come down
from the mountains. My ole man he'd ceasted,
so it wuz jes' me to for tn babies. Every
day locked em in tn house afore went to tn
mill, n every night run home scairt tn house
d burned down. 1 tell you, them wuz harp
days, before tn hours wuz cut to tin.
"Well, that mill had bad character, I
l wanted to git away. You know, US mill people
amt got nuthin' but our moral character n
we wanna keep on to that. Now you may be
good oman, but folks figger that if you live on
hills what's got bad name, you're no better
thin tn res or you'd move. WE'LL 1 coulden
move. N tn companys house mex to mine wuz
a bad house. Time'n agin, I tole tn sheriff,
Jim, make that oman leave town. But he
woulden. N 1 see with my own eyes, policy
men goin' in N out. Sech drinkin' n carryn'
on, you navah heard. N my gal gittin' bigger
n bigger, n me gone all day. So finally I made
up my mind I'd take tn law in my own hands.
Our family's used to that.
$50 gifts down my gun, n / starts on to tn
police office. 1t a Sadday aftanoon, n
tn room wuz full of officers-of-t law, but /
walks right up to tn dest, n | slams my hand
down N l says, Jim,' l says, 4 come to give
warnin.' If you doan clean up that bad house
before mex Sadday, will. My guns ready. And
what's more her mountain eyes glittered haLl
PLY as she told this, whats more, every bluh
coat n every brass button l see, them's nj
target
"And that's how l cleared up Selby," Marg
concluded. "Come in, Miz jones'" she called to
a little old woman gnarled like a mountain
oak, who was hobbling up the walk. "You wan
of my herbs, honey. Jes' help yourself.
You know where they is. Brew 'em a little n
apply tn warm juice to his rumitz. TIN help.
You might tie a string around his waist n mid
die left finger, too"
Ito Be Continued.