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HARRE QUARLS                 1754-TEX/#206
     MASSA QUARLS, HE LIVE IN MISSOURI.  PLACE CALL FLARDICE.  HE DONE GIVE ME T
O HE SON, BEN, AND HE SOLD ME TO MASSA CHARLEY GUNIOT.  MASSA CHARLEY COME TO TE
XAS BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN.  IT'S BEFO' DE FREEDOM WAR, DAT ALL I KNOWS.
     MY DADDY NAME DAN AND MAMMY HANNAH.  SHE WAS BLIND.  I 'MEMBER US HAVE SMAL
L ROOM IN THE BACK OF DERE HOUSE, WITH DE BED MAKE FOR POLES AND COWHIDE OR DEER
HIDE.  OUR MASSA GOOD TO US.
     I MUST BE PURTY BIG WHEN US COME TO TEXAS, 'CAUSE I PLOWS AND IS STOCKMAN B
ACK IN MISSOURI.  I DON'T KNOW 'XACTLY HOW OLD I IS.  BUT IT PROB'BLY 'BOUT 96.
 I THINK DAT 'BOUT RIGHT.
     SIR, US GOT ONE DAY A WEEK AND CHRISTMAS DAY, WAS ALL DE HOLIDAY US EVER HE
ERED OF, AND US COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE 'CEPT US HAVE PASS FROM OUR MASSA TO 'NOTHE
R.  IF US SLIPS OFF DEM PATTERROLLERS GITS US.  PATTERROLLER HITS 39 LICKS WITH
 RAWHIDE WITH DE NINE TAILS.  PATTERROLLER GIT FIFTY CENTS FOR HITTIN' US 39 LIC
KS.  CAPTAIN, HERE AM DE WORDS TO DE PATTERROLLER SONG:  RUN, NIGGER, RUN, PATTE
RROLLER COTCH YOU, HOW KIN I RUN, HE GOT ME IN DE WOODS AND ALL THROUGH DE PASTU
RE?  WHITE MAN RUN, BUT NIGGER RUN FASTER.
     SIR, US HAVE EVERYTHING TO EAT WHAT'S GOOD, BUT HERE IN TEXAS EVERYBODY EAT
 BEEF AND BREAD AND IT AM COOKED IN OVEN IN DE FIREPLACE NAD IN WASHPOT OUT IN D
E OPEN.  SIR, DE GREAT DAY AM WHEN MASSA BRUNG IN DE GREAT, FAT COON AND POSSUM.
     CAPTAIN, US HAS NO WEDDIN' DEM DAYS 'MONG DE SLAVES.  I'D ASK MASSA COULD I
 HAVE A GAL, IF SHE 'LONG TO 'NOTHER MASSA, AND SHE ASK HER MASSA COULD I COME S
EE HER.  IF DEY SAYS YES, I GOES SEE HER ONCE DE WEEK WITH PASS.  BOSS, SAY, I H
AD THREE WIVES.  WHEN I'S SOT FREE DEY WOULDN'T LET ME LIVE WITH BUT ONE.  CAPTA
IN, THAT AIN'T RIGHT, 'CAUSE I WANTS ALL THREE.
     MY MISSUS LARNED ME READIN' AND WRITIN'.  AFTER FREEDOM I TAUGHT DE FIRST N
IGGER SCHOOL.  DAT IN MADISON AND LEON COUNTIES.  I'S DE ONLY NIGGER WHAT CAN RE
AD AND WRITE IN TWO SETTLEMENTS.  THEY WAS THOUSANDS COULDN'T READ AND WRITE.
     I 'LIEVE IT'S 1861 WHEN US COME TO TEXAS.  US CAMPS AT NEASHO IN ARKANSAS A
ND THEN COME THROUGH THE INDIAN NATION.  MASSA WAS PURTY GOOD.  HE TREATED US JU
S' 'BOUT LIKE YOU WOULD A GOOD MULE.
     US WORE HORSESHOES AND RABBIT FEET FOR GOOD LUCK.  THEN US HAVE DE HOODOOIS
M TO KEEP MASSA FROM BEIN' MEAN.  US GIT DE STICK AND NOTCH SO MANY NOTCHES ON I
T AND SLIP UP TO MASSA'S FRONT STEPS WITHOUT HIM SEEIN' US, AND PUT THIS STICK U
NDER HIS DOORSTEPS.  EVERY NIGHT US GO BACK TO DE STICK AND DRIVE IT DOWN ONE NO
TCH.  BY TIME DE LAST NOTCH DOWN IN DE GROUND, IT MAKE MASSA GOOD TO US.  DAT CA
LLED HOODOOISM.
     MASSA TELLS US WE'S FREE ON JUNE 'TEENTH.  I LEAVES.  I MADE A FIDDLE OUT O
F A GOURD 'FORE FREEDOM AND LARNS TO PLAY IT.  I PLAYED FOR DANCES AFTER I'S FRE
E.
     I MARRIES EMILY UNIONS AND US HAVE DE HOME WEDDIN' BUT NOT ANY PREACHER.  U
S JUS' 'GREED LIVE TOGETHER AS MAN AND WIFE AND THAT ALL THEY WAS TO IT.  US HAV
E ONE GAL AND ONE BOY.
     EMILY LEAVES AND I MARRIES LUCINDY WILLIAMS.  PREACHER MARRIES US.  US HAVE
 THREE BOYS AND TWO GALS.  DEY ALL FARMS NOW.  I HAS SOME SIXTY ODD GRAND AND GR
EAT GRANDCHILLEN.
     SAY, BOSS, I WANTS TO SING YOU 'NOTHER SONG 'FORE YOU GOES:  WALKIN' IN DE
 PARLOR, LIGHTNIN' IS A YALLER GAL.  SHE LIVE UP IN DE CLOUDS.     THUNDER HE IS
 BLACK MAN, HE CAN HOLLER LOUD,  WHEN HE KISSES LIGHTNIN'.     SHE DART UP IN WO
NDER, HE JUMP UP AND GRATE DE CLOUDS;  THAT WHAT MAKE IT THUNDER.
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