Browse:Friday and Monday (Volume 1, entries 2486)
Friday and Monday
Volume 1, entries 2486. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → BUSINESS AND CUSTOMERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2486
Ah run a bo'din' house. Ah got oil of bergamine [bergamot], oil of cinnamon, oil of rose an' oil of wintergreen. Ah po' it in a ten-cent bottle an ah would put it in as much watah de size that ah wus goin' tuh mop mah house, an' then use Ivory Soap chips or eithah a bran'-new bar of Ivory Soap haven't been used anywheres. Ah'd start from mah front steps an' mop straight back to de very bottom step, an' mop all ovah mah house back to the back step. An' it would bring a crowd an' bring jis' whatevah yo' would want for de purpose. An' ah'd do that on Mondays an' Fridays early in de mawnin'. When ah wanted men transom [transient] trade, ah would let a man urinate in mah watah. Git enough of it tuh mop mah house through with that othah, yo' see - oil of cinnamon an' oil of rose, oil of bergamine an' oil of wintergreen. An' ah us'lly wanted male trade mo' den ah did de female, ah jis' - ah might git a young half-grown boy or somethin' an' jis' let him when ah fix mah watah bucket, he use it.
(Get any male water?)
Dat's it. (Well, what about women customers? What do you bring them in for? How do you do that?) Well, most times that's whut ah worked with [men]. Co'se if yo' wanted female roomers, yo'd git a woman tuh urinate in the watah.