Samuel Watts
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"Sam Watts was a brother of the "Judge," and while somewhat darker in complexion, he resembled him in stature, figure, and general characteristics, and was quite as keenly alive to the importance of his position as janitor."
Watts was born in the 1830s in a slave-holding state. The 1860 census records him as born in Virginia in 1836, while the 1870 census records his birth in Maryland in 1832. Either birth state and birth year would imply he was born into slavery because both states were slave states in the 1830s. In addition, the uncertainty in his birth year and place indicates that he was most likely a slave because records for slaves were often lacking. Watts was either freed or escaped sometime before 1860. According to the 1860 census, he was working as a waiter. By the 1870 census, he was employed as a college janitor. Therefore, he was first employed by Dickinson College between 1860 and 1870. As a janitor, Watts was known to get into trouble for his lack of cleanliness. According to the recollection in "The Corps of Hygiene," "Sam was wont to accumulate rather more than his share of dirt, and his hands were generally caked with coal dust, and so it would come to pass that at the weekly change of bed-clothing, expansive silhouettes of his grimy fingers would appear upon the sheets, and upon being taken to task, in terms of earnest remonstrance, he would quickly reverse the sheets and smoothing them into place would remark oracularly, 'I allus advocates the keeping of things neat and clean,' which naive remark generally silenced all adverse criticism." Based on this sentence, Watts was well-loved because the students were amused by this. However, there is an undercurrent within the passage of condescension and mockery of Watts's naivety and lack of cleanliness. The "coal dust" and "grimy fingers" were most likely from working so hard to tend to the fires and cleaning of East College, which implies that he was working hard as a janitor despite this sentiment that he was not being clean enough in his duties. 
Image of Samuel Watts. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
"I am 'bliged to decline, Sah, as I never labors outside of my own diocese." |
Sam Watts in "The Corps of Hygiene." Courtesy of the Janitor Drop File in the Dickinson College Archives.
I allus advocates the keeping of things neat and clean." He worked in East College, but occasionally West College students would call him to tend to their rooms. He responded by "drawing himself up with as much dignity as his stature and linen duster would permit [and] he remarked, "I am 'bliged to decline, Sah, as I never labors outside of my own diocese." While the writer of this article does not say whether he eventually gave in and cleaned their rooms, this interaction is incredibly important to understanding how the students viewed him. Believing he would do whatever they asked, students would call on him to clean for them. Instead of agreeing, he would muster his "dignity" despite his janitorial outfit and "decline" to work. Not only did he feel the need to draw up "dignity," but he also still referred to the student as Sah (or sir) and did not respond with a straight "no." Instead, he says he is "[o]bliged to decline," adding the absolute of "never" to lessen the blow of his refusal.
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According to "The Corps of Hygiene," "Among his race, however, he was held in high esteem as a pulpit orator, and his efforts were said to be quite scholarly, due in large measure to the fact that many of the boys were regular contributors to his sermons, their erudition being painfully in evidence at times, and select delegations often attended their delivery." This sentence opens by claiming that "he was held in high esteem as a pulpit orator" and that in that role he was "quite scholarly." However, after that point, the writer of the article becomes critical of this description. The writer credits Watts's success to the students who "were regular contributors to his sermons." This need for success to come from the students and not the janitor himself reinforces the condescension the students exhibited toward janitors like Watts.
Sam Watts was married to Martha Watts, and the couple had four children. It is unknown when Sam Watts passed away. There is no obituary for him in the Carlisle newspapers, so it is likely that he moved away from Carlisle before his death.
Sam Watts was married to Martha Watts, and the couple had four children. It is unknown when Sam Watts passed away. There is no obituary for him in the Carlisle newspapers, so it is likely that he moved away from Carlisle before his death.
