Browse:ROOT SELLER OF WASHINGTON, D. C. (Volume 4, entries 7244)
ROOT SELLER OF WASHINGTON, D. C.
Volume 4, entries 7244. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → A FEW MORE DOCTORS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 7244
Ef enybody did yo' wit poison, [you] drink it, dere ain't but two roots dey use in dat. Dat's gall of de earth an' conkah root, called devil's-shoe- string. It's a root dat grows in de groun' has vury long prongs tuh it, some of 'ems dat long [demonstrates], yallah, an' it's vury good tuh chew tuh draw trade - anything, yore business, anything.
(What is the name of this root?)
Conkah root.
(It isn't John the Conqueror?)
Yeah, but not de othah John. Dis is jes' devil's-shoestring, yo' know. Den dere's anothah piece a [of] root yo' call John de Conkah. It's a li'le shortah dan dat. Dat comes from de South. Ah've seen dat, but dat don' act much as dis here devil's-shoestring. Dis devil's-shoestring de main root dat's roun' [it is the most popular root sold]. Now yo' take some of dat - jes' - an' gall of eart' - jes' de two of 'em an' boil it tuhgethah. An' give dat person a dose a [of] dat three times a day, an' it might take a month, but it will cure 'em. No othah medicine won' do 'em no good but dat.
(What will that do to them?)
Clean 'em out of de poison.
(Well, what sort of poison would they have in them?)
Well, sometime - most all of 'em [who] come tuh me does drink whiskey. Some wimmin done tricks tuh 'em, jealous of othah wimmin. Dey kin git tuh yuh through some whiskey, lak if ah'm fonda [fond of] drinkin'. Well, yo' put sompin in dat whiskey 'cos' yo' know ah lak whiskey an' dat where yo' goin' git me at. Dat's whut ah works on all de time.
(Then to get this poison out of them, you use....)
Gall of de earth an' devil's-shoestring. Them two.
(What other name did you call devil's-shoestring?)
Some people call it John de Conkah, too.
(You just called some root Conker, didn't you?)
Well, dere's 'nothah John de Conkah, too, but dat's a thick root. It don't grow heah. Dat grows in South Carolina. Ah've seen it. [798:3.] [The following portion of this interview, 798:4, has already been printed in Hoodoo as No.1980, p.580, in margin title HAND SECRECY, because I wanted to ill- ustrate in this HAND section the necessity for secrecy.] Conkah root - devil's-shoestring - black rattlesnake root, boil 'em both [2 roots] tuhgethah an' put a li'le red peppah, fresh table salt, an' mix it tuh- gethah intuh dis, an' as dat police nosin' aroun' dere - when yo' ketch 'im away, yo go behind 'im wit a li'le bottle an' sprinkle a li'le behind 'im. If yo' do dat, ah bet he'll nevah come dere. DAT'S WHUT AH SELLS, BLACK RATTLESNAKE ROOT AN' CONKAH ROOT FER DAT. LOTS OF PEOPLE USE IT TUH KEEP DE LAW AWAY. IT MUSTA DO IT 'COS' DEY ALL COME BACK AN BUY FROM ME ALL DE TIME.
(This conkah root is the same thing as devil's shoestring?)
Yes, dat [isl devil's-shoestring. Dere's anothah root dey calls real John de Conkah. Dat don' grow heah. Grows in No'th Carolina. But WE GATHAHS WHUT WE KNOW HEAH. Dis heah is purtty good 'cos' evahbody wants it an' buys it. [798:5.] Git dat devil's-shoestring, git a fresh piece, put a piece in yore pocket. Yo' go roun' tuh dat man evah mawnin' dat chew kin git close enough tuh 'im. Yo'll put a piece of dat root in yore mouth an' chew it. Aftah yo' chew it all good, yo' commence spittin' lak yo' spittin' 'bacco juice. An' den yo' take it out an' teah [tear] it all up an' throw it all roun'. Jes' as true as ah'm set- tin' heah, bet chew'll git a job - git a break. Keep on goin' dere. Ah've given lots of people dat. Ah should have lotta money but people ain't got no money.
[This Was during the Great Depression.]
(HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR ROOTS AS A RULE?)
15c AND 2Oc ACCORDING TO DE SIZE OF 'EM.
(WHAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ROOT YOU SELL?)
John de Conkah, Adam-an'-Eve an' Master...dat's a hard root, rough root, look lak a bamboo briar [bramble briar?] root almost. Dat's de mastah. Lots of peo- ple use dat.. "COS' EVAHBODY GOT A WAY OF USIN' EVAHTHING.
(WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR ROOTS?)
AH GIT PURTTY NEAH ALL OF 'EM FROM DAT MAN SETTIN' IN DERE - DARK MAN. HE BRINGS 'EM TUH ME, 'COS' HE KNOWS. BUT HE'S DE ONE PUT ME INTUH DE BUSINESS.
(He hasn't come in here yet.)
No, he been here presently. See, he lives in de country. He de one put me wise tuh all dis root business. He's [his] brothah too, brothah do same thing.
(Where did he get these roots? Where? You said in the market?)
YEAH, AH GOT A STAND DOWN AT 5TH AND K STREET. AH'M DE OLDEST ONE DOSE ROOT WOMAN DOWN DERE. DIDJA EVAH SEE A COLORED WOMAN WIT HUH PICTURE IN DE PAPAH? ALL OVAH DE WORLD WIT MAH PICTURE. DAT'S WHUT DEY PUT IN DE PAPAH. AH'M DE GREAT ONE.
(You are the root woman.)
YEA, AH'M DE ONE DEY PUT IN DE PAPAH. DON'T PUT NOBODY IN DE PAPAH BUT ME. DEY PUT ME IN DERE THREE TIMES. MAH PICHURE'S EVEN OVAH IN HONOLULU. Yeah, 'cos' ah got a white man dey sends here once a month an' gits [some root], gits a dozen [of the roots] evah once a month. An' 'is daughtah sends it tuh 'im in Honolulu.
(I'm going to come down and see your stand down there.)
Yo'll find me there. [Unfortunately I could not visit her stand.]