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ALICE BRADLEY Hull Street near Corner of Hoyt Street, Athens, Georgia
KIZZIE COLQUITT 243 Macon Avenue, Athens, Georgia.
Written by: Miss Grace McCune Athens, Georgia.
Edited by: Mrs. Leila Harris Editor, Federal Writers' Project, Augusta, Georgia.
ALICE BRADLEY, or "Aunt Alice" as she is known to everybody, "runs cards" and claims to be a seeress. Apologetic and embarrassed because she had overslept and was straightening her room, she explained that she hadn't slept well because a dog had howled all night and she was uneasy because of this certain forerunner of disaster.
"Here t' is Sunday mornin' and what wid my back, de dog, and de rheumatics in my feets, its too late to go to church, so come in honey I'se glad to hab somebody to talk to. Dera is sho' goin' to be a corpse close 'round here. One night a long time ago two dogs howled all night long and on de nex' sunday dere was two corpses in de church at de same time. Dat's one sign dat neber fails, when a dog howls dat certain way somebody is sho' goin' to be daid."
When asked what her full name was, she said: "My whole name is Alice Bradley now. I used to be a Hill, but when I married dat th' owed me out of bein' a Hill, so I'se jus' a Bradley now. I was born on January 14th but I don't 'member what year. My ma had three chillun durin' de war and one jus' atter de war. I think dat las' one was me, but I ain't sho'. My pa's name was Jim Hill, and my ma's name was Ca'line Hill. Both of 'em is daid now. Pa died October 12, 1896 and was 88 years old. Ma died November 20, 1900; she was 80 years old. I knows dem years is right 'cause I got 'em from dat old fambly Bible so I kin git 'em jus' right. One of my sisters, older dan I is, stays in Atlanta wid her son. Since she los' one of her sons, her mind's done gone. My other sister ain't as old as I is but her mind is all right and she is well.
"I was raised in Washin'ton, Wilkes County, and de fust I 'members was stayin' wid Miss Alice Rayle. She had three chillun and I nussed 'em. One of de boys is a doctor now, and has a fambly of his own, and de las' I heered of 'im, he was stayin' in Atlanta.
"I'se been married two times. I runned away wid Will Grisham, when I was 'bout 14 years old. Mr. Carter, a Justice of de Peace, met us under a 'simmon tree and tied de knot right dar. My folks ketched us, out us was already married and so it didn't make no diffunce.
"I lived on a farm wid my fust husband, and us had three chillun, but dey is all gone now. I 'members when my oldes' gal was 'bout 2 years old, dey was playin' out on de porch wid dey little dog, when a mad dog come by and bit my chillun's dog. Folks kilt our dog, and jus' 'bout one week atterwards my little gal was daid too. She did love dat little dog, and he sho' did mind Aer. She jus' grieved herself to death 'bout dat dog.
"Atter my fust husband died, I married Rich Bradley. Rich was a railroad man, and he went off to Washin'ton, D. C., to wuk. He sont me money all de time den. but when he went from dar to Shecargo to wuk I didn't hear from 'im long, and I don't know what's happened to 'im 'til now, for it's been a long time since I heared from 'im.
"I loves to run de cyards for my friends. I always tells 'em when I sees dere's trouble in de cyards for 'em, and shows 'em how to git 'round it, if I kin. None of de res' of my folks ever run de cyards, but I'se been at it ever since I was jus' a little gal, pickin' up old wore out cyards, dat had been th'owed away, 'cause I
could see things in 'em. I 'members one time when I was small and didn't know so good what de cyards was tellin' 'me, dat a rich man, one of de riches' in Wilkes County, was at our place, I tole 'im de cyards when I run 'em. I saw sompin' was goin' to happen on his place, dat two colored mens would be tangled up wid, but I didn't know jus' what was goin' to happen. And sho' 'nuff, two colored mens sot fire to his barns and burned up all his horses and rules, de onlies' thing dey saved was one ridin' horse. Dey ketched de mens, and dey served time for what dey done. One of 'em died way out yonder where dey sont 'em.
"I 'members one white lady way out in Alabama sont a note axin' me to run de cyarde for her. I runned 'em and got one of my friends to write her what I seed. Dey had run bright and dat was good luck. One time I runned de cyards for two sisters dat had done married two brothers, and de cyards run so close kin dat I was able to tell 'em how dey was married and dey tole me dat I was right.
"And jus' a few days ago a old man come to see me thinkin' dat he was pizened. When I runned de cyards, I seed his trouble. He had been drinkin' and was sick, so I jus' give him a big dose of soda and cream of tartar and he got better. Den I tole him to go on home; dat nobody hadn't done nothin' to 'im and all he heeded was a little medicine.
"I tole Mr. Dick Armell of how he was goin' to git kilt if he went up in his airyplane dat day and begged him not to try it but to wait. He wouldn't listen and went on and got kilt jus' lak I tole 'im he would. I runned de cyards for Mr. Armell lots of times for I
liked 'im, and he was a fine man. I runned de cyards for 'im one time 'fore he went to de World's Fair, and de cyards run bright, and his trip was a good one jus' lak I tole 'im it would be.
"All de old white folks dat I was raised up wid, de Hills from Washin'ton, Wilkes, is gone now, 'cept I think one of de gals is wukin' at de capitol in Atlanta, but she done married now and I don't 'member her name."
Alice excused herself to answer a knock at the door. Upon her return she said: "Dat was one of my white chillun. I wukked for 'em so long and one of 'em comes by every now an' den to see if I needs sompin'. Her ma done had a new picture of herself took and wanted me to see it. Dey sho' is good to me."
Alice doesn't charge for "running the cards." She says she doesn't have a license, and is very thankful for anything that visitors may care to give her. She will not run the cards on Sunday. "Dat's bad luck," she said. "Come back some day when tain't Sunday, and I'll see whats in de cyards for you!"
Old Aunt KIZZIE COLQUITT, about 75 years old, was busily washing in her neat kitchen. She opened the door and window frequently to let out the smoke, saying: "Dis old wore out stove don't draw so good." Her hands and feet were badly swollen and she seemed to be suffering.
"I'll be glad to tell all I kin 'member 'bout dem old times," she said. "I was borned durin' de war, but I don't 'member what year. My pa was Mitchell Long. He b'longed to Marster Sam Long of Elbert
County. Us lived on Broad River. My ma was Sallie Long, and she b'longed to Marster Billie Lattimore. Dey stayed on de other side of Broad River and my pa and ma had to cross de river to see one another. Atter de war was over, and dey was free, my pa went to Jefferson, Georgia, and dar he died.
"My ma married some nigger from way out in Indiana. He promised her he would send money back for her chillun, but us never heered nothin' from 'im no mo'. I was wid' my w'ite folks, de Lattimores, when my ma died, way out in Indiana.
"Atter Marse Bob died, I stayed wid my old Missus, and slep' by her bed at night. She was good to me, and de hardes' wuk I done was pickin' up acorns to fatten de hogs. I stayed dar wid her 'til she died. Us had plenty t'eat, a smokehouse filled wid hams, and all de other things us needed. Dey had a great big fireplace and a big old time oven whar dey baked bread, and it sho' was good bread.
"My old Missus died when I was 'bout 6 years old, and I was sont to Lexin'ton, Georgia, to live wid my sister. Dere was jus' de two of us chilluns. Den us wukked every day, and went to bed by dark; not lak de young folks now, gallivantin' 'bout all night long.
"When I was 'bout 14 I married and come to live on Dr. Willingham's place. It was a big plantation, and dey really lived. When de crops was all in and all de wuk done, dey had big times 'round dar.
"Dere was de corn shuckin' wid one house for de corn and another house for de shucks. Atter all de shuckin' was done, dere was eatin' and dancin'. And it was eatin' too! Dey kilt, hogs, barbecued 'em, and roasted some wid apples in dey mouf's to give 'em a good flavor, and course a little corn likker went wid it. Dey had big doin's at syrup makin' time too. but dat was hard wuk den. Makin' syrup sho' was a heap of trouble.
"Later us lived wid de Johnson fambly, and atter my old man died, I come to dis town wid de Johnsons. Dere was three chilluns, Percy, Lewis, and a gal. I stayed wid 'em 'til de chilluns was all growed up and eddicated. All my other w'ite folks is gone; my sister done gone too, and my son; all de chillun dat I had, deys done daid too.
"Now I has to wash so I kin live. I used to have plenty, but times is changed and now sometimes I don't have nothin' but bread, and jus' bread is hard to git, heap of de time.
"I put in for one of dem old age pensions, but dey ain't give me nothin' yet, so I jus' wuk when I kin, and hope dat it won't be long 'fore I has plenty again."
