The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1960-06-16
East Side


sort of who
collar be famous by Herbert Hoover would
in from early finish job Two three times
he stopped and sad ow and Charlie getting on?
Fine I'd recall he had somewhat questioning look his
probing
about how felt to be working with and under the direction Of
a Negro.
Certainly was asking myself question on that
ing went begin the job We parents and II
were from east Tennessee farm backgrounds and Scottish and
ancestry Prebyterians meals
and Bible reading at night On the farm from which had moved
to Chattanooga house help had from the white tenants
place. did Negro until old
taught prejudice about them since that accord
ing to Scripture knew school, of course that boys
thought otherwise problem
of their
So wasn't bothered when went to work
during that though the work dirty and hard
Charlie was waiting by the old Ford truck and three Negro
all older than standing nearby talking The truck was
loaded with hngewdh bales of composition roofing ladders
sections CUTTERS sheets galvanized on and fire pots of
by soldering
The talk desutory Charlie leased bit that he
doubted college boy could do the work without iteeying
phrase used describe being by told him that
when about thirteen and spending the back
on nv grandmoher farm had white-eved pitching hay into loft
very My phrase
into because when collapsed from the heat the eyes
only
questions, told him and back in
shape for football He cEucked sad Imagine that went
played guard freshman explained how
important good legs this
amusing chucklng it And retrospect he had
right to be amused
The first ob.was house, singe-sory and
too large Charlie backed the truck close by the house Then
he and of the other Negroes ladders tied
with the filled about
half full their heavy scissors to
the roof The third Negro the and the
baed shingles the ladders they needed 1t
looked balanced shoulder and holding
lightly with the finger climbed with of the
could putting
load until put the
difficult. The bundle shoulder
roughness
first almost fell backward with it. But persevered n
knew they, and especially Charlie, watching
They have had questions about willingness do
of Charlie though said
thought talking about working strengthen
legs Late that day he said to started to climb This sora
thing help 20 legs" looked him, his was
when Charlie walked with
father looking at inquiringly This
young man. said, che gon be good helper yes
good one"
think was began to look forward days my
jobs endlessl.
packages lunch together He talked about the trade
of roofing follow strong hon
est pride work because he expert it.
of the work for the tar and gravel roofs
pulling buckets gravel smaller of
pitch coated
with gsening spilled from jobs, had to be set
filled with Jumps their containers
had be covered with composition material
smeled of 1t rolls
the whole thing covered with hot pitch
old shoes
wrapped sackng oed like demons in the smoke
spreading There could be delay Nor
could the pitch be thin thick Charlie hunched black
Mephsophees his arred and sticky
where directing giving
spread coating of still soft And that
dnandng another and
ing furious backbreaking,
sometimes dreadful But of whiteeyed not
around nineyve
the shade
midsummer realized had become fond of Charlie
and Neither that each of
us late getting
ro,,lo oo1ocn