Interview: Williams, James G. (Red)
Item
Identifier
Mss-0282, Tape 105
Title
Interview: Williams, James G. (Red)
Type
Sound
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Source
Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina Collection
Rights
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
Date
1982-11-23
Description
Mr. Williams is the husband of Lizealur Williams. He worked with the Southern Railroad for over forty-eight years.
**Note** This is an interview taken from a series of South Carolina Humanities Council-supported oral histories in Anderson County, including both black and white interviewees. The entire series is available at the Pendleton District Historical and Recreation Commission offices in Pendleton, SC.
Side 1
00:51--Mr. Williams briefly explains how he acquired the nickname "Red."
1:42--He began his career with the Southern Railroad on December 24, 1925. He retired after forty-eight years, seven months of employment. Because of his experience and seniority, he survived many layoffs and cutbacks over the years. At one point he was the oldest man in the service. Railroad life afforded tough, honest work.
5:46--Williams talks briefly about knowing local track supervisor R.H. Martindale.
7:01--He begins talking about the old railroad songs that he and his work-gang used to sing. These were sung in round, with a leader (Williams) singing a line, and his work-gang repeating the line in unison. In preparation, he would sing [these first lyrics are hard to make out] "Well...you boys get right again...everybody right?" Then his work-gang would answer: "Right!" Williams would then start singing lyrics such as: "L & N come 'round the bend, loaded down with the section board." [The lyrics often corresponded to specific tasks.] Toward evening they would sing, "Getting so dark, I hardly can see...etc." Other lyrics: "Every time I go to town, boys keep kicking my dog around. Makes no difference, he's a hound, got to quit kicking my dog around." "Captain can't read, Captain can't write, how can he tell if the track is right?" Songs were sung in order to motivate the workers and keep pace for their choreographed movements. Williams states that these songs were sung to move the spirit, just like in church.
22:47--Williams tells a lengthy story regarding his courtship and marriage. At the time of this recording, he had been married fifty-three years.
30:25--Mr. Williams recalls the popularity of passenger rail service in the old days, and its gradual decline.
36:10--When he started work, there were twenty-six men working alongside him. When he retired there was one work-gang, and four men. He goes on to relate a story in which a foreman who became stricken with illness while on the track requested that they sing a song whose lyrics included "the grace of God is so wonderful, half has never been told." A timber dragging song included the lyrics "yon come Lula heisting high." Mr. Williams is a member of his church's choir. He expresses concern that older songs are losing out in popularity to more contemporary material. He states that the new songs just don't "move" people as they did in the old days. He goes on to sing an entire verse of Father, I Stretch My Hand To Thee.
46:50--Audio ends.
Side 2
Blank
**Note** This is an interview taken from a series of South Carolina Humanities Council-supported oral histories in Anderson County, including both black and white interviewees. The entire series is available at the Pendleton District Historical and Recreation Commission offices in Pendleton, SC.
Side 1
00:51--Mr. Williams briefly explains how he acquired the nickname "Red."
1:42--He began his career with the Southern Railroad on December 24, 1925. He retired after forty-eight years, seven months of employment. Because of his experience and seniority, he survived many layoffs and cutbacks over the years. At one point he was the oldest man in the service. Railroad life afforded tough, honest work.
5:46--Williams talks briefly about knowing local track supervisor R.H. Martindale.
7:01--He begins talking about the old railroad songs that he and his work-gang used to sing. These were sung in round, with a leader (Williams) singing a line, and his work-gang repeating the line in unison. In preparation, he would sing [these first lyrics are hard to make out] "Well...you boys get right again...everybody right?" Then his work-gang would answer: "Right!" Williams would then start singing lyrics such as: "L & N come 'round the bend, loaded down with the section board." [The lyrics often corresponded to specific tasks.] Toward evening they would sing, "Getting so dark, I hardly can see...etc." Other lyrics: "Every time I go to town, boys keep kicking my dog around. Makes no difference, he's a hound, got to quit kicking my dog around." "Captain can't read, Captain can't write, how can he tell if the track is right?" Songs were sung in order to motivate the workers and keep pace for their choreographed movements. Williams states that these songs were sung to move the spirit, just like in church.
22:47--Williams tells a lengthy story regarding his courtship and marriage. At the time of this recording, he had been married fifty-three years.
30:25--Mr. Williams recalls the popularity of passenger rail service in the old days, and its gradual decline.
36:10--When he started work, there were twenty-six men working alongside him. When he retired there was one work-gang, and four men. He goes on to relate a story in which a foreman who became stricken with illness while on the track requested that they sing a song whose lyrics included "the grace of God is so wonderful, half has never been told." A timber dragging song included the lyrics "yon come Lula heisting high." Mr. Williams is a member of his church's choir. He expresses concern that older songs are losing out in popularity to more contemporary material. He states that the new songs just don't "move" people as they did in the old days. He goes on to sing an entire verse of Father, I Stretch My Hand To Thee.
46:50--Audio ends.
Side 2
Blank
Subject
African Americans -- History. -- South Carolina -- Anderson County
Interviewer
Badders, Harley
Interviewee
Williams, James G.
Spatial Coverage
Pendleton, Anderson County, South Carolina, United States, 34.64916, -82.78135, SC, 7172313, [34.64916, -82.78135] [id:7172313]
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
