0498-ALA/#199
     WHITE FOLKS, I'SE GLAD YOU DRAPPED BY TO HAVE A TALK WID ME.  I WAS GITTIN'
 POWERFULLY LONELY.  SHO' I'LL BE GLAD TO TELL YOU SOME BOUT DE SLAVE DAYS.  I S
HO' 'MEMBERS PLENTY.  WELL, TO BEGIN WID, I WAS BORN IN 1850 NEAR WEST POINT.  D
AT'S IN CLAY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, YOU KNOW.  I B'LONGED TO MISTER TOM HOLLINGSHE
AD WHO WAS KILLED IN DE CIVIL WAR.  I 'MEMBERS ALL DE SLAVES AGOIN' IN TO TAKE A
 LAST LOOK AT HIM ATTER DEY DONE BRUNG HIS BODY HOME.



     US SLAVES LIBED IN LOG CABINS WHAT WAS DAUBED WID CLAY TO KEEP OUT DE RAIN
AN' WIN' OUT, AN' DE CHIMNEYS WAS MADE OF CLAY AN' STICKS.  DE BEDS WAS HOME-MAD
E AN' NAILED AGIN' DE WALL WID LEGS ON DE OUTER SIDE.  DE MASSA'S HOUSE WAS BUIL
T OF LOGS TOO, BUT IT WAS MUCH BIGGER'N DE NIGGER CABINS AN' SOT WAY OUT IN FRON
T OF OURN.  ATTER DE MASSA WAS KILT, OLD MISS HAD A NIGGER OBERSEER AN' DAT WAS
DE MMEANEST DEBIL DAT EBER LIBBED ON DE LAWD'S GREEN YEARTH.  I PROMISE MYSELF W
HEN I GROWED UP DAT I WAS AGOIN' TO KILL DAT NIGGER IFFEN IT WAS DE LAS' THING I
 EBER DONE.  LOTS OF TIMES I'SE SEEN HIM BEAT MY MAMMY, AN' ONE DAY I SEEN HIM B
EAT MY AUNTIE WHO WAS BIG WID CHILE, AN' DAT MAN DUG A ROUN' HOLE IN DE GROUN' A
N' PUT HER STUMMICK IN IT, AN' BEAT HER FOR A HALF HOUR STRAIGHT TILL DE BABY CO
ME OUT RAGHT DERE IN DE HOLE.
     WHY DE MISTIS 'LOW SUCH TREATMENT?  A HEAP OF TIMES OLE MISS DIDN'T KNOW NU
THIN' 'BOUT IT, AN' DE SLAVES BETTER NOT TELL HER, 'CASE DAT OBERSEER WHUP 'EM I
FFEN HE FINDS OUT DAT DEY DONE GONE AN' TOL'.  YASSUH, WHITE FOLKS, I'SE SEED SO
ME TURRIBLE THINGS IN MY TIME.  WHEN DE SLAVES WOULD TRY TO RUN AWAY OUR OBERSEE
R WOULD PUT CHAINS ON DERE LEGS WID BIG LONG SPIKES 'TWEEN FEETS, SO DEY COULDN'
T GIT AWAY.  DEN I'SE SEEN GREAT BUNCHES OF SLAVES PUT UP ON DE BLOCK AN' SOL' J
US' LAK DEY WAS COWS.  SOMETIMES DE CHILLUNS WOULD BE SEPARATED FROM DERE MAWS A
N' PAWS.
     I COME PRETTY NEAR TO BEIN' TUK AWAY FROM MY MAW.  WHEN DE SLAVES WAS BEIN'
 'VIDED, ONE OF OLE MISS' DATTERS WAS AGOIN' TO TEXAS, AN' I WAS GOIN' TO HAVE T
O GO WHEN SOMEBODY HOLLERED "FREEDOM", AN' I SHO' WAS GLAD 'CASE I COULD STAY WI
D MY MAMMY NOW.
     IN DOSE DAYS US HAD PLENTY OF GOOD, PLAIN FOOD; SUCH AS POT LIKKER, GREENS,
 CORNBREAD, 'TATERS, PEAS, PEARS, AN' AT HOG KILLIN' US HAD CHITTLIN'S AN' PIG J
OWLS AN' BACK BONE.  DEN US WOULD COTCH 'POSSUMS AT NIGHT WHEN DEY COME UP IN DE
 CORN FIEL'.  US NEBER SEED NO FLOUR DOUGH.
     AS FOR FISHIN', WE NEBER DID NONE, 'CASE WE HADDA WORK TOO HARD.  WE WORKED
 FROM CAN TO CAN'T.  GIT UP AT SUNRISE, GO TO DE FIEL' AN' STAY TILL DARK.  IN D
E MIDDLE OF DE DAY DEY WOULD SEN' OUR SOMP'N T'EAT TO DE FIEL' WID A BARREL OF W
ATER.  BUT FOR BREAKFAST AN' SUPPER, US HADDA COOK OUR OWN GRUB DEY GIB US.
     OUR CLOS WARN'T MANY.  US CHILLUNS WO' A ONE-PIECE SUIT MADE OUTEN AUSENBER
G, AN' US WOULD HAB TO TAKE DAT OFF AT NIGHT, WASH IT AN' PUT IT BACK ON DE NEX'
 DAY.  AS FOR SHOES, CHILLUN NEBER HAD NONE.  YOU SEE, WHITE FOLKS, I WAS JUS' A
 CHILE, JUS' BIG ENOUGH TO TOTE WATER TO DE FIEL'S.
     I 'MEMBERS WHEN DE YANKEES WAS ACOMIN' TH'OUGH I HOPED TO CA'Y DE HOSSES TO
 DE WOODS AN' HOPED TO HIDE DE MEAT AN' BURY DE VALU'BLES, 'CAZE DEM YANKEES TUK
 WHATEVER DEY WANTED, AN' YOU BETTER NOT SAY NOTHIN' NEITHER 'CAZE DEY HAD DEM L
ONG SWYORDS AHANGIN' AT DERE SIDES.
     IN DEM DAYS, DE SLAVES DONE ALL DE WORK AN' CARRIED ALL DE NEWS.  DE MARSTE
RS SONT NOTES FROM ONE PLANTATION TO ANUDDER, AN' WHEN DEY WANTED DE NIGGERS TO
COME TO DE BIG HOUSE DEY WOULD BLOW AN OLE COW HORN.  DEY HAD CERTAIN NUMBER OF
BLOWS FOR CERTAIN NIGGERS.  DAT IS, DE NIGGER DAT WAS SOMP'N.  DEY WOULD ALSO US
E DIS HORN FOR 'POSSUM AN' COON HUNTIN' AT NIGHT.  DE LI'L NIGGERS AT NIGHT WENT
 TO DE BIG HOUSE TO SPIN AN' WEAVE.  I'SE SPUN A MANY ROLL AN' CARDED A MANY BAT
 OF COTTON.  I'SE ALSO MADE A MANY TALLER CANDLE BY TYIN' STRINGS ONTO A LONG ST
ICK AN' DROPPIN' DEM DOWN INTO MOULDS FILLED WID TALLER.  I'SE HID MANY A NIGHT
IN DE FENCE CORNERS WHEN I'D BE AGOIN' SOM'ERS TO GIT MY MAMMY SOME 'BACCO.  DE
PATTYROLLERS WOULD BE OUT LOOKIN' FOR SLAVES DAT DIDN'T HAB NO PASS FROM DERE OB
ERSEER, AN' I'D HEAR DEM ACOMIN' AN' I'D HIDE TILL DEY PASS ON, 'CAZE IFFEN DEY
COTCH ME I SHO' GWINE HAVE A SOUND BEATIN'.
     DE OWNERS ALWAYS TUK CARE OF US, AND WHEN US GOT SICK DEY WOULD GIT A DOCTO
R, AN' OLE MISS WAS ALL RIGHT, BUT DAT OBERSEER WAS A DEBIL.  HE WOULDN'T 'LOW N
O MEETIN' ON DE PLACE.  SOMETIMES US WOULD SLIP DOWN DE HILL AN' TURN DE WASH PO
T, AN' HAVE A SINGIN' AN' PRAYIN' RAGHT DERE.
     MOS' OF DE SLAVES COULD GO SOMETIMES TO DE WHITE FOLKS CHURCH WHEN DEY GITS
 A PASS FROM DERE MASSA, BUT DAT MEAN OBERSEER ALWAYS TRIED TO KEEP US FROM GOIN
' SO'S US COULDN'T LEARN NOTHIN'.  HE DDN'T WANT US TO LEARN TO READ OR WRITE N
EITHER.
     NO'M US DIDN'T HAVE NOTHIN' LAK MATCHES TILL I WAS GROWED.  IS USED FLINT R
OCKS AN' COTTON TO START DE FIRES.
     US DIDN'T HAVE NOTHIN' BUT FOOD AN' CLOTHES.  WE DIDN'T HAVE NO GARDEN OF O
UR OWN AN' DERE WAN'T NO CELEBRATIN', 'CEPTIN' AT HOG KILLIN'.  DAT WAS DE BIGGE
S' DAY OF DE YEAR.
     ON SAT'DAY AFTERNOON WE WAS 'LOWED TO PLAY, BUT I CAN'T 'MEMBER NONE OF DE
GAMES.  US JUS' PLAYED LAK ALL LI'L NIGGERS DID DEN.  AT NIGHT TIME US JUS' WENT
 TO OUR CABINS AN' WENT TO BED, 'CAZE WE WARN'T 'LOWED TO DO NO SINGING.  MOS' O
F DE SINGIN' WAS DONE IN DE FIEL'S.
     CORNSHUCKIN' TIME COME WHEN DEY WANTED TO GIT DE SEED CORN FOR PLANTIN', AN
' US WOULD COMMENCE DE SHUCKIN' WHEN IT COMMENCE RAININ'.
     YOU AXED ME 'BOUT FUNERALS AN' WEDDIN'S.  US NIGGERS NEBBER MA'IED AN' DON'
T 'MEMBER ANY BIG WEDDIN'S OF DE WHITE FOLKS.  BUT DEY BURIED FOLKS DEN DE SAME
AS DEY DOES NOW, IN A BOX.  DEY WOULD BURY DE SLAVES SOME AS DEY DONE DE WHITE F
OLKS, BUT US DIDN'T EBEN HAVE NO BAPTIZIN' ON 'COUNT OF DAT OBERSEER.  HE DIDN'T
 LAK FOR US TO GIT NO RELIGION.  COSE ALL SLAVES DIDN'T HAVE HARD TREATMENT LAK
US DID, 'CAZE DERE OBERSEER AN' MARSTER WARN'T AS MEAN AS OURN.
     NO'M WE DIDN'T KNOW NOTHIN' 'BOUT NO HOODOO STUFF IN DEM DAYS.  DEY ONLY HA
D HOMEMADE MEDICINES, DAT IS UNLESS DEY GOT SHO' NUFF POWERFUL DICK AN' DEN DEY
WOULD GO TO SEE A DOCTOR.  US USED BONESET TEA MADE FROM A WEED.  LAWD, IT WAS B
ITTERER DAN QUININE, AN' IT WERE GOOD FOR DE CHILLS AN' FEVER, AN' IT WOULD PURG
E YOU TOO.  DEN US USED LIFE-EVERLASTIN' TEA FOR FEVER, AN' JERUSALEM BRESHWEED
TO GIT RID OF WORMS.
     BUT, MISS, I KNOWS DERE IS GOSTES, 'CAZE WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY MY MAMMY C
OME IN FROM DE FIEL' AN' LAID ACROSS DE BED AN' I WAS SITTIN' IN FRONT OF DE FIR
EPLACE AN' A BIG SOMP'N LAK A COW WIDOUT NO HAID COME IN DE DO' AN' I COMMENCE T
O BEAT ON IT WID MY FISTS.  DEN MY MAMMY SAY:  "WHAT MATTER WID YOU, NIGGER?"  D
EN DAT CRITTER HE WALK RAGHT OUT DE DO'.  I LOOKED OUTEN DE WINDOW AN' DERE IT W
AS AGOIN' IN AUNT MARFA'S CABIN.  I NEBER DID SEE IT NO MO'.  DEN ANUDDER TIME A
 WHITE MAN DIED AN' MY MAMMY WAS A STAYIN' WID HIS SISTER AN' DIS SPIRIT LAK AN
AGEL COME TO MY MAMMY AN' TOL' HER TO TELL DE WHITE LADY TO READ DE BIBLE BACKAR
DS THREE TIMES, 'CAZE DERE WAS ONE TALENT 'TWEEN HER AN' JESUS.  ATTER DAT SHE W
ERE COMFORTED.  ANUDDER TIME, MY PAPPY, SAM CHEATAM, WHO WAS A WICKED MAN, WAS A
SITTIN' INFRONT OF DE FIRE AN' A BIG BRINDLE DOG COME TO DE DO' AN' STARTED BARK
IN'.  MY PAPPY SAY:  "WHAT IN DE HELL AM DAT?"  AN' SNAPPED HIS FINGERS AT DE DO
G.  DE DOG HE DEN DROPPED DAID.  SOME FOLKS SAY DAT DERE AIN'T NO SICH THINGS AS
 GOSTES, BUT I KNOW DERE IS, 'CAZE DERE IS GOOD SPIRITS AN' BAD SPIRITS.
     DEM WAS GOOD OL' DAYS, MISTIS, EVEN IFFEN US DID HAVE A HARD TIME, AN' I DO
N'T KNOW IFFEN IT WARN'T BETTER'N IT IS NOW.  I HAS TO ALMOS' GO HONGRY, AN' I C
AN'T GIT NO HE'P FROM DE GOVERNMENT, 'CAZE I IS OVER 65 YEARS OLD.  FACT IS, I B
ELIEVE I DRUTHER BE ALIVIN' BACK DERE DAN TODAY 'CAZE US AT LEAST HAD PLENTY SOM
P'N T'EAT AN' NOTHIN' TO WORRY ABOUT.  AN' AS FOR BEATIN'; DEY BEATS FOLKS NOW I
FFEN DEY DON'T DO RAGHT, SO WHAT'S DE DIFFERENCE.  YASSUM, MISTIS, I WORKED AS L
ONG AS I WAS ABLE AN' DIDN'T AXE NOBODY FOR NOTHIN', BUT NOW IT'S DIFF'RENT, 'CA
ZE I AIN'T ABLE TO DO NO WORK.  I'STRIED TO DO RAGHT AND AIN'T NEVER BEEN IN BUT
 ONE FIGHT IN MY LIFE.  I NOW BELONGS TO DE CORINTHIAN BAPTIST CHURCH, AN' I'SE
TRYIN' TO LIVE SO WHEN DE GOOD LAWD CALLS I'LL BE READY TO ANSWER WID A CLEAN SO
UL.
     I'SE HAD TWO WIVES, BUT I WAS ONLY A YOUNG NIGGER WHEN I HAD DE FUST UN, AN
HAD TWO CHILLUNS BY HER, DEN I LEF' HER 'CAZE SHE WARN'T NO 'COUNT.  DATS BEEN
FORYT YEAR AGO, AN' I AIN'T NEBER SEEN MY CHILLUNS IN ALL DEM YEARS.  MY SECOND
WIFE I GOT WHEN I LIVED TH'RTY MILES BELOW BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AT DE OL' BANK M
INES.  DATS BEEN THIRTY-FIVE YEAR AGO AN' US IS STILL TOGETHER.  US AIN'T NEBER
HAD NO CHILLUNS.  NO'M, I DON'T KNOW NOTHIN' 'BOUT ABE LINCOLN 'CEPTIN' DEY SAY
HE SOT US FREE, AN' I DON'T KNOW NOTHIN' 'BOUT DAT NEITHER.
   X   XXX