Subject:Trains
Entries
Entry 928
This is the real truth but I'm goin' tell you. When I was livin' in Florida, it's been eight chears ago [1929] I was goin' with a man. You see there's another ole woman wanted to go with the same man. An' I was workin' out but she weren't. An' I'd go to my work in the mornin' - I knew she wanted to go with him a long time before she did this - an' I would go to work ev'ry mornin' an' I always git back home in time for five o'clock. So she lived out in the country an' I lived kin'a in town. So she came in town one day: The train comes in there at Jl:30, see. An' I was workin' but I went home that afternoon about five o'clock an', as a general thing, I went an' I put my right foot upon the steps first [for luck], you see, an' after I got in the house I went on in the house an' put down my packages you know, then I begin to feel sick, an' I begin to spit foam an' white spit, an' it jis' went all over, you see, an' I set there an' I say, "I wonder what's the matter with me." An' I had a brother-in-law there an' he says, "Sister, wha' choo been eatin'?" I said, "Not a thing. I haven't even eaten any dinner [noonday meal]." So he come in there to see if there's nothin' wrong. I kep' a-spittin' that foam an' spit you see. I say, "I believe I'll lie down but first I'm goin' have a drink of water." Then I went an' lied down an' when I lied down the more that foam an' spit would come out of my mouth an' I'd have to spit. So I got up an' I said, "Bert, I feel like I have to leave you." I went to go down de front steps back out to go roun' the house [to the toliet] an' I jis' tumble - jis' my head was jis' [demonstrates] goin' over and over like that. I sort'a had to hold it up you know to keep from fallin'. An' I [came back and] went on into the house an' there wouldn't be a thing but that foam an' spit. So he went an' got a doctor - he got a medical doctor, see. The doctor come. He says, "Why, what's the matter with you - what choo been eatin'?" I said, "Nothin'." He thought - he sayed it might'a been a kin'a indigestion. I said, "I haven't eaten anything." So he give me some medicine; he give me some black froth [= black draft see Index]. First, he give me a dose of Epsom salts. But it got worse. I couldn't eat an' I couldn't keep settin' up alone. So then my brother-in-law say, "Well, I'll tell you, sister," he say, "suppose we try a root doctor." I said, "Well," I said, "anything you think you kin do." That was the next day. So he goes an' gits a root doctor. He's up there about East Palatka, Florida. An' so he got a man to take him up there. They got back that night. He came in an' immediately say, "This woman," he said instantly, "she's hurt." He [brother-in-law] say, "You think so?" He say, "No, I know." He sayed. "Now, let me tell you what choo do." He say, You go there an' you dig under her front steps tomorrow mornin' - the first thing.you go there an' dig." Well, I got along that night - he say, "After you git what's under them steps," he said, "then I'll tell what to do." He [brother-in-law?] went out there the next mornin' an' dug under there an' they got a pint bottle - a pint flask with corn whiskey [often means moonshine whiskey, white] in it an' that had frogs in it. He sayed there were frogs. He stayed around there till they got that bottle - had frogs in it an' lizards. Well, after they got the bottle out, then my leg would start funny - it would grab me like that, llke somepin crawlin' up my leg. It would get up almost to my knee an' then there would be a big knot, jis' like that - you could see that thing with the blood in it.
(What leg was this?)
The right one [she had stepped upon the steps with her right leg first]. Listen good. He sayed, "Now, I'm goin' tell yah what choo do." He: say, "You po' this whiskey off of 'em, you take these things an' burn 'em. He say, "Then, if you kin," says, "you try it," he say, "I know you kin becuz it's right on the railroad" - you see, down in Florida an' the train was always killin' cattle, you see - "an' you go down there an' you kill a buzzard [round the dead cattle]," he say, "it's against the law to kill [a buzzard] but if somebody killed one, you come back, you boil that buzzard, an' you give 'er a cup of that buzzard tea." Oh, it smells horrible! But I wanted to git well. An' then I would drink a cupful an' bathe that whole leg down with it choo know.
(Don't you bathe it up?)
No, he bathed down right on out de toe; told me to bathe right on out de toe. An' take that stuff after I bathed with it, you know, an' throw it north. An' then after that he sayed, "Well, I'm goin' try to cure you. I had four patients like this. They were in terrible condition." An' he did that with that buzzard water in that bucket for two or three days. Then he changed from that an' give me a pint bottle - he put sulphur in it an' whiskey, pure corn whiskey. An' I had to shake that up an' take a tablespoonful of that three times a day. Well, I got better - that spittin' up that foam an' stuff, you see. An' I felt good. Ev'ry day I'd feel all right. I'd go on with my own work till about time for that same - that train would come - the same she come on it that day at 11:30 - I begin to feel bad.
(Why did you feel bad when that train came?)
Oh, that the train she come on to put that devilment down, you see. An' ev'ry day when that ll:30 train come along I begin to feel bad an' I had to go to bed. Well, I - it was in summertime you see, an' I had to put on all the clothes an all the bedclothes they kin git an' put on me. An' the perspiration an' sweat would jis' roll off. An' when that train go back that she went [back] on at 5:30, I'd git all right. I'd git right out de bed - could git out de bed an' do my work. [For knot on head going and coming by time, see p.270.] Well, then I got well, I kep' takin' that sulphur an' whiskey what he told me. Then he fixed another dose [prescription] of red pepper and soda and vinegar in a bottle an' drinked that. He told me to take a swallah [of] dat ever' now an' then when I begin to feel bad an' boil all the water I drink. An' then he told me to lay hot poultices on that leg, an' ev'ry time it begin to pain to put that hot poultice of [corn] meal an' real hot pepper, an' they'd bind that to it. An' from then I began to feel better. [Wilmington, N. Car., (300), 225:3; at Burnell, Fla.,1934; the doctor charging $25.00.]
Entry 84
Ah knowed a lady one time, her son he got killed on de railroad out here and nobody knowed how he got killed, and she always believe dat a fellah dat he had put in jail one time did it - see, had pushed him in front of de train. So she would go out to some grave ev'ry night and git at de head of dis grave and dig a hole right at de head of dis grave and put her hands down in dere and she would give all kind of prayers - prayers fer him to come back alive and haunt dis man. Well, it's a man he was night watchman out here at de railroad yard himself. Well, one night, he would sleep like, he would jest seem to go to sleep on de switch all de time and nearly wreck de trains all de time. See. And he never did befo', but nights she wouldn't go out dere, like nights when it rained, he Would be all right. But ev'ry night she'd go out dere, he would always have some kind of accident happening to him. So one night she was there and he was walking down de railroad yard and she was out at de graveyard. People says she was out dere, dey'd seen her out dere, for she lives right cross from it, out heah on Union Street. And they said that he was walking down de railroad yard when he had stepped in a hole, a big deep hole, and he kept fallin' and kept fallin' and nevah seen him no more. But dey always said when de walked through dat yard on a dry night dey always could hear him hollering dey really could hear him hollering nights like that.
(He actually disappeared right there?)
He disappeared - dey found his lattren [lantern] an' all by a hole dere. De people dey tried to fill dat hole up but dey never could fill dat hole up. [Here is the bottomless pit of Revelation (King James Version), 9:11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1&3.]
Entry 121
An' ah'll tell yo' anothah one. What ah'm goin' tell yo' it's true, 'cause it happened 'bout mah brothah - whut he experienced, yo' see. Well, we were at whut dey call de Peedee River. Ah don't know whethah yo' know where dat is or not. Well, it called Peedee Rivah. Ah wus haulin' wood one time. Ah wus livin' in town but ah be keepin' roun' de stable an' haul de wood into de town. An' ah come in dere [to town] dat night. When ah come in mah brothah say - he say, "Ben, let's go see some girls." Ah say, "Well, ah don't care." An' whensomevah we got ready tuh go dat night, he says [to the man he was visiting], "Leave de fiah to yore home." He [de man] say, "Why leave de fiah?" An' he tole him, "Tuh go on dat day." An' he say, "Ah'm goin' come back tuh school tomorrow." Dat's de fellah wus seein' his own death. [He had been attending school (staying with this man), had dropped out, and had suddenly decided to return to school tomorrow - "Tuh go on dat day."] An' when he said dat den, jes' as he walk out de do'step, a light come this-a- Way an' come right down by de corner of de steps in a big ball of fiah - jes' lak down, an' it come right down by de corner of de steps an' it stayed a good while. So we went on to dis girl's house - it wus a big dance, a big dance. An' we went on tuh dance. An' he say, "Ah don't b'lieve ah'll dance tonight." He says, "Ah b'lieve ah'll sing," he says, "ah'll git mo' bettah sense outa singin' den ah will dancin'." He went tuh singin' an' he sing a lot - he sing - sing - louder. An' so he says, "Ben," he says, "let's go." Well, when we starts back on de southboun' track, train comin' south - we wus on de no'thboun' track comin' southwards. We went on de - ah mean comin' no'th- wards, de train on de southboun' track comin' no'th. An' we jes' walkin' 'long, an' here wus dis train. He begin to - he says, "Well, ah'm off till tomorrow." An' ah.wents ahead. [Two persons walking in the narrow space between the rails walk Indian file - one behind the other.j An' when ah look back he wus behin' me - jes' lak, yo' know, he not payin' any 'tenshun to anyone. He wus behin' me when ah look back. De train wus jes' dat close when ah look, de train wus jes' dat close. An' he look back, which-an'-why - when ah turn roun' an' look back, he turn roun' an' start lookin' back too. An' whensomevah he looked back dat train ketched him. See, de train ketch him, jes' clipped him - all de back of de haid off, broke all de ribs of his back, broke both laigs.
Entry 5253
If dat man worries yuh an' yuh don't wan' dat man, an' make him let yuh alone. Yuh take his shoe, his lef' shoe, an' go tuh de railroad where a carbox at an' tack it on de carbox, an' jes' as long as dat train carry dat shoe, dat man'll walk jes' de same. Jes' as far as dat carbox goes, de shoe goes.
(What is a carbox? One of those flat [open] cars?)
Yes. [A carbox is a boxcar.]
Entry 5255
Take de lef'-foot shoe an' carry it an' nail it on a carbox, on a train yo' know, an' dat will make dat fellah leave, leave from roun' dat pahtic'lah place.
Entry 5257
Yo' kin take a person's shoes an' git chew a bran'-new nail an' put in dem shoe an' put 'em in a boxcar, yo' know, lak when yo' jump de boxcar dat be's heah. When dey done been unloadin' yo' see, an' jes' waitin' on de train tuh come in heah. Jes' throw one on heah an' one on dere. Ah don't know whethah it's de lef' shoe or not, but ah believes it be de lef' shoe dat cheW take. Well, EVAHBODY ALWAYS BELIEVES ON DE LEF' WHEN DEY DOES ANYTHIN'.
Entry 5258
Shoe? Dey kin make yuh travel wit yore shoes.
(How would they do that?)
Yuh kin take a person's lef'-foot shoe an' take any outgoin' freight train, out of town, an' jes' wait until dat man blows dat whistle. An' make a wish wit dat shoe tuh 'is destruction. An' jes' as de train passes - jes' lak it's passin' by lak dat - jes' throw dat shoe on dere, an' let dat train carry dat shoe off.
(I see.)
Entry 5710
Dey take de track an' put it in runnin' watah an' cuz yo' tuh go away. Den dey kin take it an' put it in a li'le box an' nail de side of a boxcar. An' fur as dis train will go, yo'll keep goin' - yo'll nevah turn back.
(They take either track?)
Eithah track.
Entry 5250
Take shoes of dey right feet, say, if yo' wan' 'em tuh ride or walk away. Take dat shoe an' take it tuh a carbox [boxcar], any kinda carbox or if it jes' passin' by de carbox. Take dat shoe an' throw it intuh any empty carbox an' as dat shoe travel, dey will travel, too.
(You mean like the boxcar of the freight train?)
Yessuh, de boxcar of a freight train. Takes an' throw dat shoe in dere an' curse it. Turn yore back tuh it an' let it go ahead on den, an' dat train tra- vels. An' don' nobody intahfere wit dat shoe. Dey got'a go, too.
Entry 5251
A pusson kin take yo' shoe - real spells. DERE SO MANY ANGLES WIT DE SHOE. Dey'll take yo' shOe an dey kin put chew tuh wondahin' [wanderingl. Take yo' shoe an' put a pusson tuh wondahin'. Take de shoe an' put graveyard dirt in de shoe so dey cain't tell. Go tuh anythin', a instrument dat movin', train or ship er anythin'. De individual be jes' lak dat train movin' place tuh place, dat ship go frum place to place. Dat pusson move dat same way. (You'd have to move away.)
Entry 5256
If dey wanted yo' tuh leave heah an' didn't wan' chew tuh come back heah, dey could take some of yore ole shoes or sompin or 'nothah an' put it un- dah a boxcar, but he supposed tuh have yore name in dat shoe. An' jes' lak he says tuh dat boxcar - well, when dat train leave mos' likely yo'll git uneasy. Yo' goin git fixed tuh gittin' ready fo' goin' yo'self.
Entry 5259
Ah've heard dat dey kin take yore shoe an' run yo' off. Ah've heard dey could take yore lef'-foot shoe an' put nine needles in yore lef'-foot shoe, an' take dat lef'-foot shoe an' put it on a train an' dat will run yo' off.
(Where would they put those nine needles, in the shoe?)
Yo' would stick dose nine needles wit de point goin' farward. (Forward, that's toward the toes. Well, wouldn't the person see those needles in the shoe?) AW, ah thought chew meant wit de ole shoes, de discarded shoe.
[Discarded shoes are used.]
Entry 5260
Yo' kin take de right-foot shoe of a man, if yo' won't want tuh be bothahed, an' yo' take table salt an' a pod of red peppah - not li'le brown pep- pah, de red peppah. Go tuh a train where a box- car an' tack it up dere an' dat party will leave. Or yo' kin do de same thin' an' carry it tuh de rivah an' put dat shoe in any watah dat's runnin' an' he will leave. Dat is true, also.
Entry 5261
Well, yo' kin take yore shoes - jes' lak if yo' got a pair of shoes an' yo' wan'a run anybody away from roun' heah, yo' kin take dose shoes an' drop 'em in a freight train runnin'. Jes' as long as dat freight train is travelin', yo'll have tuh travel. Well, yo' kin take a woman's sock or a man's sock an' carry it an' put it in de freight train an' keep 'em goin' - so it sweat in it, yo' know, jes' enough to keep it hard.
Entry 5287
All right, yo' kin take dey shoe an' yo' kin throw it in de rivah. Jis' lak dat shoe goes away, dat's how yo' goes away. Den yo' kin take it an' yo' kin bury it. When it rottens, yo' rottens away. Den yo' kin take dat shoe an' yo' kin tie it on de side of a train, an' when dat train pull off yo' wonders
[wanders] away.
Entry 11597
If you drop person's foot track in bag, throw it on a train leaving toun, he sill follow the train. [Wilmington 72:5+85.]
Entry 12980
Left-foot shoe and sock, ball up, nail shoe on the carbox of train and turn your back and say, "Goodbye." [Memphis 1555:1.]
Entry 12981
To send person away it is better to put his shoe on the train engine than in a boxcar. [Memphis 1551:5.]
Entry 5262
Put it on a freight train an' as dat train run, yo' know yo' be tryin' tuh keep up wit dem shoes. Yo'll be runnin' where dem shoes is.
The informant says to put 'it' on a freight train and separately describes running where the shoes are; the pronoun's object remains unresolved here.
Entry 11596
'"Some throw it [foot track] ovah a train if dey want choo tuh leave town...de train pull out, you jes' throw it in de direction of de train."
[Hobile 895:2.]
The account first says 'ovah a train' and then describes throwing in the train's direction as it pulls out; the thing's foot-track identification is bracketed.
Entry 5263
Yeah, take de shoes off. Well, if yo' don' want me tuh stay here in dis town, ah'm disturbin' yo' some way - yo' prob'ly jis' don' lak me. Yo' git hold of mah shoe, eithah one, don' make any diff'rence. Take mah shoe an' go down tuh a railroad place at de absence of de men. Tack it on de carbox [box- car], undahstan'. (Absence of the what?) Absence of de men - no one kin see yo'. Undahstan'? Lay it on dat carbox wit de toe pointed down-lak - jis' point it down de rail. An' dat train leave dere, nobody know where or whut yo' did. It jis' take dat shoe off dere. Ah'll [if it is my shoe] nevah stop. When or whut dat dey move dat car, why ah be tryin' tuh git dat [shoe].
The informant explicitly names a departing train in a hypothetical shoe account. No actual journey or resulting effect is verified.