ABRAM SELLS 1773-TEX/#027 019 I WAS BIRTHED ON THE RIMES PLANTATION, NOW CALLED HARRISB !. *Y7GREAT- GRAND-DADDY'S NAME WAS BOWSER RIMES AND HE WAS BRUNG TO TEXAS FROM LOUISIANA AND DIE AT 138 YEAR OLD. HE'S BURIED ON THE OLD BEN POWELL PLACE CLOSE TO JASPER. M Y GRAND-DADDY, THAT'S JOHN, HE LIVES TO BE 103 YEAR OLD AND HE BURIED ON THE EDD Y PLANTATION AT JASPER. MY DADDY, MOSE RIMES, HE DIE YOUNG AT 86 AND HE BURIED I N JASPER COUNTY, TOO. MY MAMMY'S NAME WAS PHOEBE AND SHE WAS BIRTHED A RIMES NIG -GER AND BRUNG TO TEXAS BACK IN LOUISIANA. THE YEAR SLAVES WAS FREED I WAS INHER IT BY A MAN NAMED SELLS, WHAT MARRY INTO THE RIMES FAMILY AND THAT'S WHY MY NAME 'S SELLS, 'CAUSE IT CHANGE 'LONG WITH THE MARRIAGE. US WAS JES' READY TO BE SHIP BACK TO LOUISIANA TO THE NEW MASSA'S PLANTATION WHEN THE END OF THE WAR BREAK UP THE TRIP. YOU SEE, WE ALL HAD PURTY GOOD TIME ON MASSA RIMES'S PLANTATION. NONE O F THEM CARIN' 'BOUT BEING SOT FREE. THEY HAS TO WORK HARD ALL TIME, BUT THAT DON ' MEAN SO MUCH, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK IFFEN THEY WAS ON THEY OWN, TOO. THE OL D FOLKS WAS 'LOWED SATURDAY EVENIN' OFF OR WHEN THEY'S SICK, AND US LITTLE ONES, US OT DO MU.H BUT RING9IN ,HE WOOD AND KINDLE THE FIRES AND OTE6WA R NDHE 'P WASH CLOTHES AND FEED THE LITTLE PIGS AND CHICKENS. US CHILLEN HANG ROUND CLOSE TO THE BIG HOUSE AND US HAVE A OLD MAN THAT WENT ROUND WITH US AND LOOK AFTER US, WHITE CHILLEN AND BLACK CHILLEN, AND THAT OLD MAN WAS MY GREAT GRANDDADDY. US SHO' HAVE TO MIND HIM, 'CAUSE IFFEN WE DIDN' T, US SHO' HAVE BAD LUCK. HE ALLUS HAVE THE POCKET FULL OF THINGS TO CONJURE WIT H. THAT RABBIT FOOT, HE TOOK IT OUT AND HE WORK THAT ON YOU TILL YOU TAKE THE CR EEPS AND GIT SHAKIN' ALL OVER. THEN THERE'S A POCKET FULL OF FISH SCALES AND HE KIND OF SQUEAK AND RATTLE THEM IN THE HAND AND RIGHT THEN YOU WISH YOU WAS DEAD AND PROMISE TO DO ANYTHING. ANOTHER THING HE ALLUS HAVE IN THE POCKET WAS A LI'L OLD DRY-UP TURTLE, JES' A MUD TURTLE 'BOUT THE SIZE OF A MA)'S ,HUM[, ,HE >HOLE & ,HING JES' DRY UP AND DEAD. WITH THAT ,HING SAY HE COULD DO O\' A)Y, I !,2BU T HE NEVER USE IT IFFEN HE AIN'T HAVE TO. A FEW TIMES I SEED HIM GIT ALL TANGLE UP AND BODDERED AND HE GO OFF BY HISSELF AND SOT DOWN IN A QUIET PLACE, TAKE OUT THIS VERY TURTLE AND PUT IT IN THE PALM OF THE HAND AND TURN IT ROUND AND ROUND AND SAY SOMETHIN' ALL THE TIME. AFTER WHILE HE GIT EVERYTHING ONTWISTED AND HE C OME BACK WITH A SMILE ON HE FACE AND MAYBE SHISTLIN'. ,H(Y FED ALL US NIGGER CHILLEN IN A BIG TROUGH MAKE OUT'N WOOD, MAYBE M ORE A WOOD TRAY, DUG OUT'N SOFT TIMBER LIKE MAGNOLIA OR CYPRESS. THEY PUT IT UND ER A TREE IN THE SHADE IN SUMMER TIME AND GIVE EACH CHILE A WOOD SPOON, THEN MIX ALL THE FOOD UP IN THE TROUGH AND US GOES TO EATIN'. MOS' THE FOOD WAS POTLICKER , JES' COMMON OLD POTLICKER; TURNIP GREEN AND THE JUICE, IRISH 'TATERS AND THE J UICE, CABBAGES AND PEAS AND BEANS, JES' ANYTHING WHAT MAKE POTLICKER. ALL US GIT ROUND LIEK SO MANY LI'L PIGS AND THEN US DISH IN WITH OUR WOOD SPOON TILL IT AL L GONE. WE HAS LOTS OF MEAT AT TIMES. OLD GRANDDADDY ALLUS KETCHIN' RABBIT IN S OME KIND OF TRAP, MOSTLY MAKE OUT'N A HOLLER LOG. HE SOT 'EM ROUND IN THE GARDEN AND SHO' KOTCH THE RABBITS. AND POSSUMS, US HAVE A GOOD POSSUM DOG, SOMETIMES TW O OR THREE, AND EVERY NIGHT YOU HEERED THEM DOGS BARKIN' IN THE FIELD DOWN BY TH RAN.H. \H;'8'NUF ,H(Y GIT POSSUM TREED AND US GO GIT8HIM AND7PARBILE8HIM ANDPP UT HIM IN THE OVEN AND BAKE HIM PLUMB TENDER. THEN WE STACKS SWEET 'TATERS ROUND HIM AND PO' THE JUICE OVER THE WHOLE THING. NOW, THERE IS SOMETHIN' GOOD 'NUF FO R A KING. ,H RE WAS OTS6OF DE R AND T RK(Y AND \QUIRREL9IN ,HEWIL' WOO D AND SOM EBODY OUT HUNTIN' NEARLY EVERY DAY. COURSE MASSA RIME'S FOLKS COULDN'T EAT UP AL L THIS MEAT BEFO' IT SPILE AND THE NIGGERS ALLUS GIT A GREAT BIG PART OF IT. THE N WE KILT LOTS OF HAWGS AND THEN TALK 'BOUT EATIN'] O, THEM CHITLIN'S, SOUSEMEAT AND THE HASLETS, THAT'S THE LIVER AND THE LIGHTS ALL BILED UP TOGETHER. US LI'L NIGGERS FILL UP ON SICH AS THAT AND GO TO BED AND MOS' DREAM US IN LI'L PIGS. US ALLUS HAVE PLENTY TO EAT BUT DIDN'T PAY MUCH 'TENTION TO CLOTHES. BO YS AND GALS ALL DRESS JES' ALIKE, ONE LONG SHIRT OR DRESS. THEY CALL IT A SHIRT IFFEN A BOY WEAR IT AND CALL IT A DRESS IFFEN THE GAL WEAR IT. THERE WASN'T NO D IFFERENCE, 'CAUSE THEY'S ALL MADE OUT'N SOMETHIN' LIKE DUCK AND ALL WHITE. THAT IS, THEY'S WHITE WHEN YOU FUS' PUT THEM ON, BUT AFTER YOU WEARS THEM A WHILE THE Y GIT KIND OF PIG-CULLUD, KIND OF GREY, BUT STILL THEY'S ALL THE SAME COLOR. US LL GO BAREFOOT IN SUMMER, LI'L ONES AND BIG ONES, BUT IN WINTER US HAVE HOMEMAKE SHOES. THEY TAN THE LEATHER AT HOME AND MAKE THE SHOE AT HOME, ALLUS SOME OLD NI GGER THAT KIN MAKE SHOE. THEY WAS MORE LIKE MOC'SIN, WITH LACE MADE OF DEERSKIN. THE SOLES WAS PEG ON WITH WOOD PEGS OUT'N MAPLE AND SHARPEN DOWN WITH A SHOE KNI FE. US HAVE HATS MAKE OUT'N PINE STRA>, LO G LEAF7PINE STR >, IED E,( R IN LI'L BUNCHES AND PLATTED ROUND AND ROUND TILL IT MAKE A KINDER HAT. THAT PINE STRAW GREAT STUFF IN THEM DAYS AND US USE IT IN LOTS OF WAYS. US KIVERED SWEET ' TATERS WITH IT TO KEEP THEM FROM GIT FREEZE AND HOGS MADE BEDS OUT'N IT AND FOLK S TOO. YES, SIR, US SLEP' ON IT. THE BEDS HAD JES' ONE LEG. THEY BORED TWO HOLE IN THE WALL OLE IN THEM HOLES AND LAY PLANK ON T AT LIKE SLATS AND PILE LOTS OF PINE STRAW ON THAT. THEN THEY SPREAD A HOMEMAKE B LANKET OR QUILT ON THAT AND SOMETIME FOUR OR FIVE LI'L NIGGERS SLEP' IN THERE TO KEEP US WARM. THE LI'L FOLKS SLEP' MOS' AS LONG AS THEY WANT O rN D YL!H,,2BUT ,HE BIG NIGGERS HAVE TO COME OUT'N THAT BED 'BOUT FO' O'CLOCK WHEN THE BIG HORN BLOW . THE OVERSEER HAVE ONE NIGGER, HE WAKE UP EARLY FOR TO BLOW THE HORN AND WHEN H E BLOW THIS HORN HE MAKE SICH A HOLLER THEN ALL THE RES' OF THE NIGGERS BETTER G T OUT'N THAT BED AND 'PEAR AT THE BARN 'BOUT DAYLIGHT. HE MIGHT NOT WHIP HIM FOR BEING LATE THE FUS' TIME, BUT THAT NIGGER BETTER NOT FORGIT THE SECON' TIME AND BE LAT(] MASSA9RIMES ID)'T >HIP ,HEM MU.H, BUT IFFEN ,H(Y6WAS BAD NGGERS8HE-JE S' SOLD THEM OFFEN THE PLACE AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE DO THE WHIPPIN'. NEVER HAVE N O CHURCH HOUSE OR SCHOOL, BUT MASSA RIMES, HE CALL THEM IN AND READ THE BIBLE TO THEM. THEN HE TURN THE SERVICE OVER TO SOME GOOD, OLD, 'LIGIOUS NIGGERS AND LET THEM FINISH WITH THE SINGIN' AND PRAYIN' AND 'ZORTING. AFTER AFTER PREACH CLEARE , A SCHOOL WAS 'STABLISH AND A WHITE MAN COME FROM THE NORTH TO TEACH THE CULLUD CHILLEN, BUT BEFO' THAT THEY DIDN'T TAKE NO PAINS TO TEACH THE NIGGERS NOTHIM' 'CEPTIN' TO WORK, AND THE WHITE CHILLEN DIDN'T HAVE MUCH SCHOOL NEITHER. HAVE A COMMISSARY OR STO' HOUSE, WHAR HE KEP' WHAT NOT THINGS - THEM WHAT MAKE O N THE PLANTATION AND THINGS THE SLAVES COULDN' MAKE FOR THEMSELFS. THAT WASN'T M UCH, 'CAUSE WE MAKE US OWN CLOTHES AND SHOES AND PLOW AND ALL FARM TOOLS AND US EVEN MAKE OUR OWN PLOW LINE OUT'N COTTON AND IFFEN US RUN SHORT OF COTTON SOMETI ME MAKE THEM OUT'N BEAR GRASS AND WE MAKE BUTTONS FOR US CLOTHES OUT'N LI'L ROUN D PIECES OF GOURDS AND KIVER THEM WITH CLOTH. THAT WASN'T SICH A BIG PLANTATION, 'BOUT A T'OUSAND ACRE ANDONLY 'BOUT FORTY NIGGERS. THERE WAS'N NO JAIL AND THEY DIDN'T NEED NONE. US HAVE NO REAL D OCTOR, BUT OF COURSE, THERE WAS A DOCTOR MAN AT JASPER AND ONE AT NEWTON, BUT A NIGGER HAVE TO BE PURTY SICK 'FORE THEY CALL A DOCTOR. THERE'S ALLUS SOME OLD TI ME NIGGER WHAT KNOWED LOTS OF REMEDIES AND KNOWED ALL DIF'RENT KINDS OF YARBS AN D ROOTS. MY GRANDDADDY, HE COULD STOP BLOOD , AND HE COULD CONJURE OFF THE FEVER AND RUB HIS FINGERS OVER WARTS AND THEY'D GIT AWAY. HE MAKE ILE OUT'N RATTLESNAK E FOR THE RHEMATIS'. FOR THE CRAMP HE GIT A KIND OF BARK OFFEN A TREE AND IT DON E THE JOB, TOO. SOME NIGGERS WO' BRASS RINGS TO KEEP OFF THE RHEUMATIS' AND PUNC H HOLE IN A PENNY OR DIME AND WEAR THAT ON THE ANKLE TO KEEP OFF SICKNESS. 'MEMBER THE WAR? COURSE I DOES. I 'MEMBER HOW SOME OF THEM MARCH OFF IN THEIR UNIFORMS, LOOKIN' SO GRAND, AND HOW SOME OF THEM HIDE OUT IN THE WOOD TO K EEP FROM LOOKIN' SO GRAND. THEY WAS LOTS OF TALKIN' 'BOUT FIGHTING, AND RUBBING AND SCRUBBING THE OLD SHOTGUN. THE OLDES' NIGGERS WAS SETTIN' ROUND THE FIREL AND SCRUBBING THE OLD SHOTGUN. THE OLDES' NIGGERS WAS SETTIN' ROUND THE FIRE LAT E IN THE NIGHT, STIRRIN' THE ASHES WITH THE POKER AND RAKIN' OUT THE ROAS' 'TATE RS. THEY'S SMOKING THE OLD CORN COB PIPE AND HOMEMADE TOBACCO AND WHISPERIN' RIGHT LOW AND QUIET LIKE WHAT THEY'S GWINTER DO AND WHAR THEY'S GWINETER TO WHEN MISTER LINCOLN, HE TURN THEM FREE. THE MORE THEY TALK, THE MORE I GIT SCARED THAT THE NIGGERS IS GOING TO GIT SOT FREE AND WONDERING WHAT I'S GWINE TO DO IF THEY IS. NO, I GUESS I DON'T WANT TO LIVE BACK IN THEM TIMES NO MO', BUT I SHO' SEED LOTS OF NIGGERS NOT DOIN ' SO WELL AS THEY DID WHEN THEY WAS SLAVES AND HOT HAVIN' NIGH AS MUCH TO EAT. X XXX STP