CLARA BRIM          1574-TEX/#033                                  0S22
         OLD MASSA'S NAME WAS WILLIAM LYONS. I DIDN'T HAVE NO OLD MISSUS, 'CAUSE
 HE WAS A BACHELOR. HE HAD A BIG PLANTATION. I DON'T KNOW HOW BIT BUT DEY SOMETH
IN' LIKE TWENTY FAM'LIES OF SLAVES AND SOME DEM FAM'LIES HAD PLENTY IN DEM. MY M
         SOME DE HOUSES LOG HOUSE AND SOME PLANK, BUT DEY ALL GOOD. DEY WELL2BUI
LT AND HAD BRICK CHIMNEYS. DEY HOUSES WHAT DE WIND DIDN'T BLOW IN. US HAD BEDS,
TOO, NOT DEM BUILT IN DE WALL. US SHO' TREAT GOOD IN SLAVERY TIMES, YES, SUH. OL
D MASSA GIVE US PLENTY CLOTHES TO KEEP US GOOD AND WARM. HE SHO' DID.
         OLD MASSA, HE WASN'T MARRY AND EAT DE SAME THINGS DE SLAVES EAc.&HE&DID
N'T WORK DEM IN DE HEAT OF DE DAY. 'BOUT ELEVEN O'CLOCK, WHEN DAT SUN GIT HOT, H
E CALL DEM OUT DE FIELD. HE GIVE DEM TILL IT GIT KIND OF COOL BEFO' HE MAKE DEM
GO BACK IN DE FIELD. HE DIDN'T HAVE NO OVERSEER. HE SEED 'BOUT DE PLANTATION HIS
SELF. HE RAISE COTTON AND CORN AND SWEET 'TATERS AND PEAS AND CANE, DIDN'T FOOL
WITH RICE. HE DIDN'T GO IN FOR OATS, NEITHER.
         WHEN SUNDAY COME OLD MASSA ASK WHO WANT TO GO TO CHURCH. DnM WHAT fjN S
COULD RIDE HOSS-BACK OR WALK. US GO TO DE WHITE FOLKS CHURCH. DEY SOT IN FRONT A
ND US SOT IN BACK. US HAD PRAYER MEETIN', TOO, REG'LAR EVERY WEEK. ONE OLD CULLU
D MAN A SORT OF PREACHER. HE DE LEADER IN 'LIGION.
         WHEN DE SLAVES GO TO WORK HE GIVE DEM DE TASK. DAT SO MUCH WORK, SO MAN
Y ROWS COTTON TO CHOP OR CORN TO HOE. WHEN DEY GIT THROUGH DEY CAN DO WHAT DEY W
ANT. HE TASK DEM ON MONDAY. SOME DEM GIT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. DEN DEY CAN HIR
E OUT TO SOMEBODY AND GIT PAY FOR IT.
         OLD MASSA EVEN GIT DE PREACHER FOR MARRYIN' DE SLAVES. AND WHnN A sLAVE
DIE, HE GIT DE PREACHER AND HAVE BIBLE READIN' AND PRAYIN'. MOSTEST DE MASSAS DI
DN'T DO DAT-A-WAY.
         I AS BIG IN WAR TIME AS I IS NOW. I USED TO DO ANYTHING IN DE FIELD WHA
T DE MEN DONE. I PLOW AND PULL FODDER AND PICK COTTON. BUT DE HARDES' WORK I EVE
R DONE AM SINCE I FREE. OLD MASSA, HE DIDN'T WORK US HARD NOWAY.
         HE ALLUS GIVE US DE PASS, SO DEM PATTERROLLnRS-NOT lOTCH  b. DEY ( OUT
SIX MEN ON HOSS-BACK, RIDIN' DE ROADS TO COTCH NIGGERS WHAT OUT WITHOUT DE PASS.
 IFFEN DEY COTCH HIM IT AM DE WHIPPIN. BUT DE NIGGERS ON US PLACE WAS GOOD AND C
IV'LIZED FOLKS. DEY DIDN'T HAVE NO FUSS. OLD MASSA ALLUS LET DEM HAVE DE GARDEN
AND DEY CAN RAISE THINGS TO EAT AND SELL. SOMETIME DEY HAVE SOME PIG AND CHICKEN
S.
         I BEEN MARRY HIS' ONE TIME AND HE BEEN DEAD 'kOUT oORTy-ONE YEjSNOW.
I STAY WITH OLD MASSA LONG TIME AFTER FREEDOM. IN 1913 I COME LIVE WITH MY YOUNG
EST GIRL HERE IN BEAUMONT. YOU SEE, I CAN'T 'MEMBER SO MUCH. I HAS LIVED SO LONG
 MY 'MEMBERANCE AIN'T SO GOOD NOW.
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