ELIZA JONES                  1176-ARK/#014                                   007
         YES MA'AM, THIS IS ELIZA. I WAS BORN IN SLAVE TIMES AND I KNOWED HOW  O
WORK GOOD.
         YOU KNOW I WAS GROWN IN TIME OF THE WAR 'CAUSE I MARRIED THE FIRST YEjR
 OF FREEDOM.
         BELONGED TO A WIDOW NAMED EDNA MITCHELL. THAT WAS IN TENNESSEE NEAR JAC
KSON. OH LAWD, MY MISSUS WAS GOOD TO ALL HER NIGGERS -- IF YOU SHOULD CALL 'EM T
HAT.
         SHE HAD TWO MEN AND THREE WOMEN. MY MOTHER WAS THE COOK. LET'S SEE -- S
ARAH WAS ONE, JANE WAS TWO, AND ELIZA WAS THREE. (I WAS ELIZA.) THEN THERE WAS D
OC AND UNCLE ALF. I RECKON HE WAS OUR UNCLE. ANYWAY WE ALL CALLED HIM UNCLE ALF.
8HE MAN GED ,HE BUSINESS -- HE WAS THE8HEAD MAN AND  OC6W S N X,. AND  SS5E NA
RAISED US ALL TO GROWN.
         NOW I' TELLIN' YOU RIGHT STRAIGHT ALONG. I TRY TO TELL THE TRUTH. I FOR
GITS AND I CAN'T REMEMBER EVER'THING LIKE IT OUGHT TO BE BUT I HIT AT IT.
         THINGS IS HARD THIS YEAR AND I DON'T KNOW HOW COME. I GUESS IT'S 'CAUSE
FOLKS IS SO WICKED. THEY IS LIVIN' FAST -- BLACK AND WHITE.
         HOW MANY CHILLUN? NOW, YOU'D BE S'PRISED. I HARDLY EVER TELL FOLKS HOW
MANY. I HAD FIFTEEN; I WAS A GOOD BREEDER. BUT THEY IS ALL DEAD BUT ONE, AND THE
Y AIN'T DOIN' ME NO GOOD. NEVER RAISED BUT TWO. MOST OF 'EM JUST DIED WHEN THEY
WAS BORN.
         I'D A BEEN BETTER OFF IF I HAD STAYED SINGLE A WHILE LONGER AND WENT TO
SCHOOL AND LEARNED HOW TO READ AND WRITE AND FIGGER. BUT I WNET TO ANOTHER KIND
OF A SCHOOL.
         BUT I SURE HAS BEEN BLEST. I BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, GOT A CHILE TO COOK
 ME A LITTLE BREAD -- DON'T HAVE TO WORRY 'BOUT DAT.
         I HAD TO SEND CLEAN BACK TO WHERE I J'INED THE METROPOLITAN TO GET MY A
GE. THAT WAS IN CAIRO, ILLINOIS 'CAUSE I'D LIVED THERE FIFTEEN YEARS. BUT WHEN M
Y DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND COME HERE AND GOT SETTLED, WHY I COME TO FINISH IT OU
T.
        8YES M 'A*, I SURE8HAVE WORKED HARD.  'VE P OWE<,  PLIT6WOO<, AND  ONE A



WAS A HOUSE GIRL. I TELL YOU I WAS A HEAP BETTER OFF A SLAVE THAN I WAS FREE.

         AFT    R  REEDOM WE8HAD TO GO AND7GET >HAT WE COULD7GET TO  O AND6RK8HR
D.

         THEY USED TO TALK 'BOUT HA'NTS AND SQUINCH OWLS. SAY IT WAS A SIGN OF S
OMEBODY DEAD. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT. 'COURSE WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IN SOMEB
ODY ELSE DOES.


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STP