“I farmed, cleaned house and yards for these Helena people.  I was janitor at the Episcopal church in Helena sixteen years and four months.  They paid me forty-five dollars a month.

“Yes ma’am, I have heard about the Ku Klux.  Heard talk but never seen one.

“I never been in jail.  I never been drunk.  Folks in Helena will tell you John Patterson can be trusted.

“I saved up one thousand dollars, just let it slip.  The present times are hard.  Times are hard.  I get ten dollars and comissary helps.  I got one in family.

“I think mother said she was treated very good in slavery.  She didn’t tell me much about it.

“I own a home.  It come through a will from my aunt.  My uncle was a drayman here in Helena and a close liver.  I want to hold to it if I can.

“If you’d ask me what all ain’t took place since I been here I could come nigh telling you.  We had colored officers here.  Austin Barrer was sheriff.  Half of the officers was colored at one time.  John Jones was police.  No, they wasn’t friends of mine.  I seen these levies built.  One was here in 1897.  It was rebuilt then.

“It seems to me the country is going down.  When they put in the Stock Law people had to sell so much stock.  Milch cows sold for six dollars a head.  People that want and need stock have no place to raise it.  People are not as industrious as they was and they accumolate more it seems to me.  We used to make our living at home.  I think that is the best way.

“I voted a Republican ticket years ago.  I don’t believe in women voting.  The Lord don’t believe in that.  I belong to the Baptist church.

“Young folks don’t act on education principles.  Folks used to fight with fist.  Now one shoots the other down.  Times are not improving morally.  Folks don’t even think it is wrong to take things; that is stealing.  They drink up all the money they can get.  I don’t see no colored folks ever save a dollar.  They did long time ago.  Thaes worse in some ways.

“I forgot our plough songs: 

  ‘I wonder where my darling is.’

  ’Nigger makes de cotton and de
   White man gets the money.’

“Everybody used to sing.  We worked from sun to sun; we courted and was happy.  People not happy now.  They are craving now.  About four o’clock we all start up singing.  Sing till dark.”

Interviewer:  Samuel S. Taylor
Person interviewed:  Sarah Jane Patterson
                    2611 Orange Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas
Age:  90

“I was born in Bartow County, Georgia, January 17, 1848.  You can go there and look in that Bible over there and you will find it all written down.  My mama kept a record of all our ages.  Her old mistress kept the record and gave it to my mother after freedom.

Parents

“My parents were Joe Patterson and Mary Adeline Patterson.  My mother’s name before she married was Mary Adeline Huff.  My grandfather on my mother’s side was named Huff.  My mother’s sisters were Mahala, and Sallie.  And them’s the onliest two I remember.  She had two brothers but I don’t remember their names.