cents a day.  But the nigger is coming anyhow.  He is stinching hisself and doing without.  The young folks ain’t doing it though.  These young folks doing every devilishment on earth they can.  Look at that boy they caught the other day who had robbed twenty houses.  This young race ain’t goin’ to stan’ what I stood for.  They goin’ to school every day but they ain’t learning nothin’.  What will take us through this tedious journey through the world is his manners, his principle, and his behavior.  Money ain’t goin’ to do it.  You can’t get by without principles, manner, and good behavior.  Niggers can’t do it.  And white folks can’t either.”

Pine Bluff District
folklore subjects
Name of Interviewer:  Martin — Barker
Subject:  (Negro Lore)—­Ex-Slave
Story:—­information

This information given by:  Alfred Wells
Place of residence: 
Occupation: 
Age 77
[TR:  Information moved from bottom of first page.]

I has de eye of an eagle.  One in my haid, de other in my chest.  Sometimes us slaves would stay out later at night than ole marster seid we could and they send the patrols out for us.

And we started a song; “Run nigger run, the petlo’ catch you, run nigger run, its almost day.”

My brother run off and hid in the pasture.  I wuz a small boy, dey called me nigger cowboy, cause I drive de cows up at night, and took em to de paster in the mornings.

I knowed my brother runned off, but I wouldn’t tell on him.  He run off to join the Yankees.  They never found him, although, they used the nigger dogs, who were taken out by men who were looking for runaway nigger slaves.

Ef I had my choice, I’d ruther be a slave.  But we cant always have our ruthers.  Them times I had good food, plenty to wear, and no more work than was good for me.

Now I is kinder miliated, when I think of what a high stepper I used to be.  Having, to hang around with a sack on my back begging de government to keep me fum starving.

Interviewer:  Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed:  Douglas Wells
                    1419 Alabama Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age:  83

“I’se just a kid ’bout six or seven when the war started and ’bout ten or twelve when it ceasted.

“I’se born in Mississippi on Miss Nancy Davis’ plantation.  Old Jeff Davis was some relation.

“My brother Jeff jined the Yankees but I never seen none till peace was declared.

“I heered the old folks talkin’ and they said they was fightin’ to keep the people slaves.

“I ’member old mistress, Miss Nancy.  She was old when I was a kid.  She had a big, large plantation.  She had a lot of hands and big quarter houses.  Oh, I ’member you could go three miles this way and three miles that way.  Oh, she had a big plantation.  I reckon it was mighty near big as this town.  I ’member they used to take the cotton and hide it in the woods.  I guess it was to keep the Yankees from gettin’ it.