While I was at Wheatley, there was a man by the name of Will Smith who married the daughter of Dr. Paster, druggist at Brinkley.  Now Jim Smith, poor white trash, attempted to assault Will Thomas’ daughter.  Negro girl.  When Thomas heard it, he hunted Jim with a Winchester.  When that got out, Deputy Sheriff arrested Will and they said that he was chained when he was brought to trial.  He got away from them somehow and went to Jonesboro.  I took my horse and rid seven or eight miles to carry his clothes.  Another Nigger who had promised to make a crop when he left had the blood beat out of his back because he didn’t do it.

The winter, I worked at the Gin and Black Saw Mills.  That spring I pulls up and goes to Brises.  That was in the year 1903.  I made a crop with old man Wiley Wormley one of the biggest Niggers there.  I fell short.  George Walker furnished what I had.

Then I left and went back to Brinkley and worked at the Sawmill again.  That was in 1904.  I went to Jonesboro.  I had just money enough to go to Jonesboro, and I had a couple of dollars over.  I had never been out before that; so I spent that and didn’t get any work.  I stayed there three days and nights and didn’t get anything to eat.  Lived in a box car.  Then I went to work with the Cotton Belt.

My boarding mistress decided to go up to fifteen dollars for board.  I told her I couldn’t pay her fifteen dollars for that month, but would begin next month.  She wouldn’t have that and got the officers to look for my money so I caught the train and went back to Brinkley and worked on the railroad again from the Cotton Belt to the Rock Island.

I was getting along all right and I done my job, but when the foreman wanted me to work on the roof and I told him if that was all he had for me to do he could pay me off because that was off the ground and I was fraid of falling.  He said that I was a good hand and that he hated to lose me.

In March, 4, 1907, I came here (Little Rock) and at first rolled concrete in Niemeyer’s at $1.50 a day where the other men were getting from two to two and a half dollars.  They quit for more wages and I had to quit with them.  Then I worked around till May 24 when I was hired at the Mountain Shops as Engine wiper for about six or eight months, then painted flues for three or four months, then was wood hauler for about thirteen or more years, then took care of the situation with shavings and oil, then stayed in wash room six or seven years until I was retired.  I had control of the ice house, too.

IDEAS ABOUT THE PRESENT

Young people are just going back to old Ante-Bellum days.  They are going to destruction.  They got a way of their own and you can’t tell them anything.  They don’t educate anything but their heads.  The heart isn’t educated and if my heart is black as my hat, can I do anything for God?  The old people are not getting a square deal.  Some of them are being moved.