ARNOLD GRAGSTON, AGE-97. SLAVE IN KENTUCKY.  FLORIDA WPA #
     MOST OF THE SLAVES DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THEY WAS BORN, BUT I DID.  YOU SEE, I W
AS BORN ON A CHRISTMAS MORNING.  IT WAS IN 1840.  I WAS A FULL GROWN MAN WHEN I
FINALLY GOT MY FREEDOM.
     BEFORE I GOT IT, THOUGH, I HELPED A LOT OF OTHERS GET THEIRS.  LORD ONLY KN
OWS HOW MANY.  IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AS MANY AS TWO OR THREE HUNDRED.  IT WAS AWAY
MORE THAT ONE HUNDRED, I KNOW.
     BUT THAT ALL CAME AFTER I WAS A YOUNG MAN, GROWN ENOUGH TO KNOW A PRETTY GI
RL WHEN I SAW ONE, AND TO GO CHASING AFTER HER, TOO.  I WAS BORN ON A PLANTATION
 THAT BELONGED TO MISTER JACK TABB IN MASON COUNTY, JUST ACROSS THE RIVER IN KEN
TUCKEY.
     MISTER TABB WAS A PRETTY GOOD MAN.  HE USED TO BEAT US, SURE, BUT NOT NEARL
Y SO MUCH AS OTHERS DID, SOME OF HIS OWN KIN PEOPLE, EVEN.  BUT HE WAS KIND OF F
UNNY SOMETIMES.  HE USED TO HAVE A SPECIAL SLAVE WHO DIDN'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO B
UT TEACH THE REST OF US.  WE HAD ABOUT TEN ON THE PLANTATION, AND A LOT ON THE O
THER PLANTATIONS NEAR US.  HE TAUGHT US HOW TO READ AND WRITE AND FIGURE.  MISTE
R TABB LIKED US TO KNOW HOW TO FIGURE.  BUT SOMETIMES WHEN HE WOULD SEND FOR US,
AND WE WOULD BE A LONG TIME COMING, HE WOULD ASK US WHERE WE HAD BEEN.  IF WE TO
LD HIM WE HAD BEEN LEARNING TO READ, HE WOULD BEAT THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF US, AFTE
R GETTING SOMEBODY TO TEACH US]  I THINK HE DID SOME OF THAT SO THAT THE OTHER O
WNERS WOULD NOT SAY HE WAS SPOILING HIS SLAVES.
     HE WAS FUNNY ABOUT MARRYING US, TOO.  HE WOULD LET US GO COURTING ON THE OT
HER PLANTATIONS NEARLY ANY TIME WE LIKED, IF WE WERE GOOD, AND IF WE FOUND SOMEB
ODY WE WANTED TO MARRY, AND SHE WAS ON A PLANTATION THAT BELONGED TO ONE OF HIS
KIN FOLKS OR A FRIEND, HE WOULD SWAP A SLAVE SO THAT THE HUSBAND AND WIFE COULD
BE OTGETHER.  SOMETIMES, WHEN HE COULD NOT DO THIS, HE WOULD LET A SLAVE WORK AL
L DAY ON HIS PLANTATION AND LIVE WITH HIS WIFE AT NIGHT ON HER PLANTATION.  SOME
 OF THE OTHER OWNERS WAS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HIS SPOILING US.
     HE WAS NOT A DEMOCRAT LIKE THE REST OF THEM IN THE COUNTY.  HE BELONGED TO
THE KNOW NOHTING PARTY, AND HE WAS A REAL LEADER IN IT.  HE USED TO ALWAYS BE MA
KING SPEECHES, AND SOMETIMES HIS BEST FRIENDS WOULD NOT BE SPEAKING TO HIM FOR D
AYS AT A TIME.
     MISTER TABB WAS ALWAYS ESPECIALLY GOOD TO ME.  HE USED TO LET ME GO ALL ABO
UT.  I GUESS HE HAD TO.  HE COULD NOT GET TOO MUCH WORK OUT OF ME EVEN WHEN HE K
EPT ME RIGHT UNDER HIS EYES.  I LEARNED FAST, TOO, AND I THINK HE KIND OF LIKED
THAT.  HE USED TO CALL SANDY DAVIS, THE SLAVE WHO TAUGHT ME, "THE SMARTEST NIGGE
R IN KENTUCKY."
     IT WAS CAUSE HE USED TO LET ME GO AROUND IN THE DAY AND NIGHT SO MUCH THAT
I CAME TO BE THE ONE WHO CARRIED THE RUNNING AWAY SLAVES OVER THE RIVER.  IT WAS
 FUNNY THE WAY I STARTED IT, TOO.
     I DID NOT HAVE NO IDEA OF EVER GETTING MIXED UP IN ANY SORT OF BUSINESS-LrK
E THAT UNTIL ONE SPECIAL NIGHT.  I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF ROWING ACROSS THE RIVE
R MYSELF.
     BUT ONE NIGHT I HAD GONE ON ANOTHER PLANTATION COURTING AND THE OLD WOMAN W
HOSE HOUSE I WENT TO TOLD ME SHE HAD A REAL PRETTY GIRL THERE WHO WANTED TO GO A
CROSS THE RIVER, AND WOULD I TAKE HER?  I WAS SCARED AND BACKED OUT IN A HURRY.
 BUT THEN I SAW THE GIRL, AND SHE WAS SUCH A PRETTY LITTLE THING, BROWN SKINNED
AND KIND OF ROSY, AND LOOKING AS SCARED AS I WAS FEELING, SO IT WAS NOT LONG BEF
ORE I WAS LISTENING TO THE OLD WOMAN TELL ME WHEN TO TAKE HER AND WHERE TO LEAVE
 HER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
     I DID NOT HAVE NERVE ENOUGH TO DO IT THAT NIGHT, THOUGH, AND I TOLD THEM TO
 WAIT FOR ME UNTIL TOMORROW NIGHT.  ALL THE NEXT DAY I KEPT SEErNG-MISTER TABB-L
AYING A RAWHIDE ACROSS MY BACK, OR SHOOTING ME, AND KEPT SEEING THAT SCARED LITT
LE BROWN GIRL BACK AT THE HOUSE, LOOKING AT ME WITH HER BIG EYES AND ASKING ME I
F I WOULDN'T JUST ROW HER ACROSS TO RIPLEY.  ME AND MISTER TABB LOST, AND SOON A
S DUSK SETTLED THAT NIGHT, I WAS AT THE OLD  LADY'S HOUSE.
     I DON'T KNOW HOW I EVER ROWED THE BOAT ACROSS THE RIVER.  THE CURRENT WAS S
TRONG , AND I WAS TREMBLING.  I COULD NOT SEE A THING THERE IN THE DARK, BUT
I FELT THAT GIRL'S EYES.  WE DIDN'T DARE TO WHISPER, SO I COULD NOT TELL HER HOW
 SURE I WAS THAT MISTER TABB OR SOME OF THE OTHERS' OWNERS WOULD TEAR ME UP WHEN
 THEY FOUND OUT WHAT I HAD DONE.  I JUST KNEW THEY WOULD FIND OUT.
     I WAS WORRIED, TOO, ABOUT WHERE TO PUT HER OUT OF THE BOAT.  I COULD NOT RI
DE HER ACROSS THE RIVER ALL NIGHT, AND I DID NOT KNOW A THING ABOUT THE OTHER SI
DE.  I HAD HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT FROM OTHER SLAVES, BUT I THOGHT IT WAS JUST
ABOUT LIKE MASIN COUNTY, WITH SLAVES AND MASTERS, OVERSEERS AND RAWHIDES.  SO I
JUST KNEW THAT IF I PULLED THE BOAT UP AND WENT TO ASKING PEOPLE WHERE TO TAKE H
ER I WOULD GET A BEATING OR GET KILLED.
     I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME OR A SHORT TIME, NOW, IT IS
 SO LONG AGO.  I KNOW IT WAS A LONG TIME ROWING THERE IN THE COLD AND WORRYING.
 BUT IT WAS SHORT, TOO, CAUSE AS SOON AS I DID GET ON THE OTHER SIDE THE BIG EYE
D BROWN SKINNED GIRL WOULD BE GONE.  WELL, PRETTY SOON I SAW A TALL LIGHT, AND I
 REMEMBERED WHAT THE OLD LADY HAD TOLD ME ABOUT LOOKING FOR THAT LIGHT AND ROWIN
G TO IT. I DID, AND WHEN I GOT UP TO IT, TWO MEN REACHED DOWN AND GRABBED HER.
I STARTED TREMBLING ALL OVER AGAIN, AND PRAYING.  THEN ONE OF THE MEN TOOK MY AR
M AND I JUST FELT DOWN INSIDE OF ME THAT THE LORD HAD GOT READY FOR ME.  "YOU HU
NGRY, BOY?" IS WHAT HE ASKED ME, AND IF HE HADN'T BEEN HOLDING ME, I THINK I WOU
LD HAVE FALLEN BACKWARD INTO THE RIVER.
     THAT WAS MY FIRST TRIP.  IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO GET OVER MY SCARED FEELI
NG, BUT FINALLY I DID, AND SOON A FOUND MYSELF GOING BACK ACROSS THE RIVER, WITH
 TWO AND THREE PEOPLE, AND SOMETIMES A WHOLE BOATLOAD.  I GOT SO I USED TO MALE
 THREE AND FOUR TRIPS A MONTH.
     WHAT DID THE PASSENGERS LOOK LIKE?  I CAN'T TELL YOU ANY MORE ABOUT IT THAT
 YOU CAN, AND YOU WASN'T THERE. AFTER THAT FIRST GIRL ( NO, I NEVER DID SEE HER
AGAIN) I NEVER SAW MY PASSENGERS.  IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE BLACK NIGHTS OF THE M
OON WHEN I WOULD CARRY THEM OVER, AND I WOULD MEET THEM OUT IN THE OPEN OR IN A
HOUSE WITHOUT A SINGLE LIGHT.  THE ONLY WAY I KNEW WHO THEY WERE WAS TO ASK THEM
:"WHAT YOU SAY?" AND THEY WOULD ANSWER:"MENARE."  I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WORD ME
ANT, IT CAME FROM THE BIBLE.  I ONLY KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE PASSWORD I USED, AND
 ALL OF THEM THAT I TOOK OVER TOLD IT TO ME BEFORE I TOOK THEM.
     I GUESS YOU WONDER WHAT I DID WITH THEM AFTER I  OT ,HnMOOVnR ,(ERRIVn. 6W
ELL, THERE IN RRIPLEY WAS A MAN NAMED MISTER RANKINS.  I THINK THE REST OF HIS N
AME WAS JOHN.  HE HAD A REGUALR STATION THERE ON HIS PLACE FOR ESCAPING SLAVES.
 YOU SEE, OHIO WAS A FREE STATE, AND ONCE THEY GOT OVER THE RIVER FROM KENTUCKY
OR VIRGINIA, MISTER RANKINS COULD STRUT THEM ALL AROUND TOWN, AND NOBODY WOULD B
OTHER THEM.  THE ONLY REASON WE USED TO LAND THEM QUIETLY AT NIGHT WAS SO THAT W
HOEVER BROUGHT THEM COULD GO ON BACK FOR MORE, AND BECAUSE WE HAD TO BE CAREFUL
THAT NONE OF THE OWNERS HAD FOLLOWED US.  EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THEY WOULD FOLLO
W A BOAT AND CATCH THEIR SLAVES BACK.  SOMETIMES THEY WOULD SHOOT AT WHOEVER WAS
 TRYING TO SAVE THE POOR DEVILS.
     MISTER RANKINS HAD A REGULAR STATION FOR THE SLAVES.  HE HAD A BIG LIGHTHOU
SE IN HIS YARD, ABOUT THIRTY FEET HIGH, AND HE KEPT IT BURNING ALL NIGHT.  IT AL
WAYS MEANT FREEDOM FOR THE SLAVE IF HE COULD GET TO THIS LIGHT.
     SOMETIMES MISTER RANKINS WOULD HAVE TWENTY OR THIRTY SLAVES THAT HAD RUN AW
AY ON HIS PLACE AT A TIME.  IT MUST HAVE COST HIM A WHOLE LOT TO KEEP THEM AND F
EED THEM, BUT I THINK SOME OF HIS FRIENDS HELPED HIM.
     THOSE WHO WANTED TO STAY AROUND THAT PART OF OHIO COULD STAY, BUT DIDN'T MA
NY OF THEM DO IT BECAUSE THERE WAS TOO MUCH DANGER THAT YOU WOULD BE WALKING ALO
NG FREE ONE NIGHT, FEEL A HAND OVER YOUR MOUTH, AND BE BACK ACROSS THE RIVER AND
 IN SLAVERY AGAIN IN THE MORNING.  AND NOBODY IN THE WORLD EVnR pOT A CHjNCE tO
KNOW AS MUCH MISERY AS A SLAVE THAT HAD ESCAPED AND BEEN CAUGHT.
     SO A WHOLE LOT OF THEM WENT ON NORTH TO OTHER PARTS OF OHIO, OR TO NEW YORK
, CHICAGO OR CANADA.  CANADA WAS POPULAR THEN BECAUSE ALL OF THE SLAVES THOUGHT
IT WAS THE LAST GATE BEFORE YOU GOT ALL THE WAY INSIDE HEAVEN.  I DON'T THINK TH
ERE WAS MUCH CHANCE FOR A SLAVE TO MAKE A LIVING IN CANADA, BUT DIDN'T MANY OF
THEM COME BACK.  THEY SEEM LIKE THEY WOULD RATHER STARVE UO THERE IN THE COLD TH
AN TO BE BACK IN SLAVERY.
     THE ARMY SOON STARTED TAKING A LOT OF THEM, TOO.  THEY COULD ENLIST IN THE
UNION ARMY AND GET GOOD WAGES, MORE FOOD THAN THEY EVER HAD BEFORE, AND HAVE ALL
 THE LITTLE GALS WAVING AT THEM WHEN THEY PASSED.  THEM BLUE UNIFORMS WAS A NICE
 CHANGE, TOO.
     NO, I NEVER GOT ANYTHING FROM A SINGLE ONE OF THE PEOPLE I CARRIED OVER THE
 RIVER TO FREEDOM.  I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING.  AFTER I HAD MADE A FEW TRIPS I GOT
TO LIKE IT, AND EVEN THOUGH I COULD HAVE BEEN FREE ANY NIGHT MYSELF, I FIGURED I
 WAS NOT GETTING ALONG SO BAD SO I WOULD STAY ON MISTER TABB'S PLACE AND HELP TH
E OTHER GET FREE.  I DID IT FOR FOUR YEARS.
     I DON'T KNOW TO THIS DAY HOW HE NEVER KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING.  I USED TO TAK
E SOME AWFUL CHANCES, AND HE KNEW I MUST HAVE BEEN UP TO SOMETHING.  O WOULD NOT
 DO MUCH WORK IN THE DAY, WOULD NEVER BE IN MY HOUSE AT NIGHT, AND WHEN HE WOULD
 HAPPEN TO VISIT THE PLANTATION WHERE I HAD SAID I WAS GOING I WOULD NOT BE THER
E.  SOMETIMES I THINK HE DID KNOW AND WANTED ME TO GET THE SLAVES AWAY THAT WAY
SO HE WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSE
SO HE WOULD NOT HAVE TO CAUSE HARD     FEELINGS BY FREEING THEM.
     I THINK MISTER TABB USED TO TALK A LOT TO MISTER JOHN FEE.  MISTER FEE WAS
A MAN WHO LIVED IN KENTUCKY, BUT LORD] HOW THAT MAN HATED SLAVERY]  HE USED TO A
LWAYS TELL US ( WE NEVER LET OUR OWNERS SEE US LISTENING TO HIM THOUGH) THAT GOD
 DIDN'T INTEND FOR SOME MEN TO BE FREE AND SOME MEN TO BE IN SLAVERY.  HE USED T
O TALK TO THE OWNERS, TOO, WHEN THEY WOULD LISTEN TO HIM, BUT MOSTLY THEY HATED
THE SIGHT OF JOHN FEE.
     IN THE NIGHT, THOUGH, HE WAS A DIFFERENT ,MAN.  FOR EVERY SLAVE WHO CAME
THROUGH HIS PLACE GOING ACROSS THE RIVER HE HAD A GOOD WORD, SOMETHING TO EAT AN
D SOME KIND OF RAGS, TOO, IF THEY WAS COLD.  HE ALWAYS KNEW JUST WHAT TO TELL YO
U TO DO IF ANYTHING WENT WRONG, AND SOMETIMES I THINK HE KEPT SLAVES THERE ON HI
S PLACE TILL THEY COULD BE ROWED ACROSS THE RIVER.  HELPED US A LOT.
     I ALMOST RAN THE BUSINESS IN THE GROUND AFTER I HAD BEEN CARRYING SLAVES AC
ROSS FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS.  IT WAS IN 1863, AND ONE NIGHT I CARRIED ACROSS ABOU
T TWELVE ON THE SAME NIGHT.  SOMEBODY MUST HAVE SEEN US, BECAUSE THEY SET OUT AF
TER ME AS SOON AS I STEPPED OUT OF THE BOAT BACK ON THE KENTUCKY SIDE.  FROM THA
T TIME ON THEY WERE AFTER ME.  SOMETIMES THEY WOULD ALMOST CATCH ME.  I HAD TO R
UN AWAY FROM MISTER TABB'S PLANTATION AND LIVE IN THE FIELDS AND IN HE WOODS.  I
 DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A BED WAS FROM ONE WEEK TO ANOTHER.  I WOULD SLEEP IN A CORNFI
ELD  TONIGHT TONIGHT, UP IN THE BRANCHES OF A TREE TOMORROW NIGHT, AND BURIED IN
 A HAYPILE THE NEXT NIGHT.  THE RIVER, WHERE I HAD CARRIED SO MANY ACROSS-MYSnLF
, WAS NO GOOD TO ME.  IT WAS WATCHED TOO CLOSELY.
     FINALLY, I SAW THAT I COULD NEVER DO ANY MORE GOOD IN MASON COUNTY, SO I DE
CIDED TO TAKE MY FREEDOM, TOO.  I HAD A WIFE BY THIS TIME, AND ONE NIGHT WE QUIE
TLY SLIPPED ACROSS AND HEADED FOR MISTER RANKINS' BELL AND LIGHT.  IT LOOKED LIK
E WE HAD TO GO ALMOST TO CHINA TO GET ACROSS THAT RIVER.  I COULD HEAR THE BELL
AND SEE THE LIGHT ON MISTER RANKINS' PLACE, BUT THE HARDER I ROWED, THE FARTHER
AWAY IT GOT, AND I KNEW IF I      DIDN'T MAKE      IT I WOULD GET KILLED.  BUT I
 FINALLY PULLED UP BY THE LIGHTHOUSE AND WENT ON TO MY FREEDOM, JUST A FEW MONTH
S BEFORE ALL THE SLAVES GOT THEIRS.  I DIDN'T STAY IN RIPLEY, THOUGH.  I WASN'T
TAKING NO CHANCES.  I WENT ON TO DETROIT AND STILL LIVE THERE WITH MOST OF TEN C
HILDREN AND THIRTY ONE GRANDCHILDREN.
     THE BIGGER ONES DON'T CARE SO MUCH ABOUT HEARING IT NOW, BUT THE LITTLE ONE
 NEVER GET TIRED OF HEARING HOW THEIR GRANDPA BROUGHT EMANCIPATION TO LOADS OF S
LAVES HE COULD TOUCH AND FEEL, BUT NEVER COULD SEE.
   X XXX