50 CENT HAIR CUT

September 10, 2006, Down Along Stewart's Creek, by Carl A. Patton

There have always been golden olden days for all that liveth.

Those were the days of the 50 cent hair cut. Hail the boy-hood,

Reflections and dreams. The Hollow often called Blue Goose was in,

North Chattanooga. Here all the colored folks lived. A few were scattered,

Along and beyond (White Oak) the three hills that surrounded the Hollow, but most were,

Down in the Hollow that some even called Hill City.

When it rained the water ran down from the hills into ditches all through,

The Hollow. I saw many pop-sickle sticks take a free ride upon the rushing,

Rain water. Meanwhile these ditches went all the way to the Tennessee River which,

Was maybe a mile south of the Hollow going toward town. They called it going

To town during those days, because most people in Hill City, seldom ventured to town.

Many were very peculiar, clannish and many families stretched cousins into,

Cousins and many knew each others' Mamma. The ditch as it got close to,

The river it became very deep. It went underground and was over 10 feet deep.

However the ditch was a favorite spot. Often when they said ditch it did not,

Mean the vast stretch of ditches throughout the community but a particular place along side

A favorite ditch. This historical hang-out was on Lawn Street. This is where

I remember the first Jew store. Anyone with any kind of job got credit. Could we

Have made it without the credit for food rendered by the Jew stores?

These days were over half way, into the last century. The ditch was the place to congregate,

And gather. The ages were separated as the older men claimed the main larger part,

Of the Ditch and we just hung, around in the area and on a smaller ditch by,

Mr. Hughley's house. Maurice and Ms. Annie and Mr. Furman lived

Caddy corner from the, ditch that ran between Sandra Ann's house and,

Mary Ann Hugleys house. This ditch also ran under our house further south toward,

The river just a one block down from Lawn Street to our street which was Sawyer,

Street. Henry my main man Blue lived up on Lawn Street on the left,

Side if you were going up the hill. Jibbered, Lawrence Williams my,

Good friend also lived on the corner of Lawn and Hamilton Avenue.

They lived in a two-story house. Jibbered's Daddy Mr. Williams rode a bicycle.

He was thought strange during those times as you seldom if ever saw a Black man,

Riding a bicycle. Jibbered was often kidded about this because his father also,

Never associated with anybody. Nor did his mother. Mr. Williams went to work and back home.

Mrs. Williams never came out of the house are I never saw her outside.

I visited often and was always amazed at the upstairs back porch And the large front porch to the

House that faced Hamilton avenue. Well along the ditch they gambled, drank corn whiskey,

Told long tales the jokes that bespeak of our oral history like "The Monkey Down,

In the Jungle" and "Shine," (please save me). Here was found the gifted oral historians in our,

Race. Some could tell these jokes are stories all night long. We often appreciated and,

Gave credit to those that could really tell the jokes, but we had no idea of the great gift,

And importance of these long stories that were never told the same way twice.

During these times the police would often harass the Colored folks for sport.

So sometimes off-duty I guess they were off -duty drunk White policemen would

Come and chase the older guys and all the colored people off the ditch with guns drawn.

The whiskey had them riled. And chasing and harassing Colored folk was fun for them.

Usually when this happened the men were shooting craps. But the chase was not,

For any alleged crimes. So it was frightening to run from the police,

When you had done nothing. You better watch that clothes line are it

Will hang you for sure. Also will lynching ever end? Who is responsible for the record?

When it turned cool the ditch was still the congregation place of choice. A favorite

Fuel for the fire on the ditch was old car tires. I found out that they,

Burned a long time. They also put out a lot of heat, so a good tire was prized,

When it got cold on the ditch. Henry Lee or Crimp Mo Henry's brother,

Betted that he could turn up a pint of whiskey one day. He lost and he also

Won. Many cats were skinned alive. As some of the ditch regulars were

Heartless. These same characters often would set the woods surrounding the,

Hollow on fire. They Were treacherous and few ventured into these parts from town.

As the grown-ups took their favorite side, we stood along the small,

Ditch between Sandra Ann's House on the left and Mary Ann Hugley's house on the right.

We gathered there sometimes in the summer time and crooned the latest slow,

Drag songs by my man Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

Champ lived up the ditch north of where the grown-ups hung-out.

Champ lived on the right side of the ditch as it extended south of the,

Big hill to the north. The Courts were on the left. Buddy Strickland,

Had his liquor house there. Fat Daddy was my age. Stuff his cousin was along,

With us but maybe a year older. The Courts were a group of shot-gun houses,

This is where the Adam's Sister's hung me off the porch by my feet.

The Courts were grouped together in a square with several units. One side had a back door

To the ditch. I remember a lady that lived there was fat and on the large side.

She had a little short husband. I heard her remark that she cut the man everywhere,

But on the bottom of his feet. Champ also lived in a shot-gun house.

The shot-gun house was usually three rooms with a hall-way straight through.

So on the front stoop or porch you could look from the front to the back.

Champ had a peg leg. They didn't have the fancy false legs in those days.

Champ looked like he had a wooden leg. Anyway he got around good.

Champ also sold corn whiskey. We were close to the hills and some of the White whiskey,

Makers were close by in the hills so corn whiskey was plentiful. Sometimes they.

Called it white lightning, splo, moonshine (shine) and just plain corn. I remember going,

Into a Corn House off 9th street. The whiskey was so strong They provided for a charge,

A lemon and a pepsi cola or coke to chase the whiskey. The corn was turned,

Up, bottoms up. Quickly the lemon was put to the mouth Ant the liquor was chased big time with the cola.

Champ was also the local Barber. Most folks then didn't get a hair cut until the week-end.

This is when they also got paid. Corn whiskey flowed and the blues,

Could be heard all through the night. So I must tell of Iccie-feene Moore. When

We lived on Sawyer Street Iccie-feene and Mr. Moore lived next door. He sung

In a Gospel quartet and worked every day. Iccie-feen partied every opportunity she got.

As soon as Mr. Moore left for work Iccie-feene drank and partied all day.

Her favorite record was Bobby Blue Bland singing "Further On Up the Road Baby."

She played this record to death. Maybe she didn't have many records. She,

May have been just drunk and didn't know are care what was playing.

Yes Corn Whiskey was the drink of choice. As there were plenty of,

Corn liquor houses in North Chattanooga and throughout the city, in

Every Black neighborhood like regular clubs. I later found out that there was,

An illicit relationship with corn liquor houses and the control of the Black vote.

But I knew not much those days. But I did not forget. They had quarter shots and a half,

Pint was less than a dollar. Also selling used half pint liquor bottles to liquor

Houses you got a nickel a bottle and this was a much better hustle than the,

A penny or three cents for a coke bottle. So I looked for liquor bottles everywhere.

Most Black neighborhoods also had a jack-leg barber. Out east on the west

Side and on 9th Street were real barber shops. As Black businesses flourished.

This was colored time.

But Champ was our only Barber as this was North Chattanooga.

No one complained this was the Hollow. We knew What we knew.

Thank God we know now.