“Mama was owned by Master Barton.  She lived on the line of North Carolina and South Carolina.  Her husband was sold away from her and two children.  She never seen him no more.  Rangments was made with Master Barton to let Master Liege Alexander have her for a cook.  Then she went to Old Pickens, South Carolina.  Liege Alexander had a white wife and by her he had two girls and a boy.  He had a black cook and by her he had two boys and a girl.  One of these boys was my papa and I told you the old man bought my mama from Master Barton for his colored son.  My papa never was sold you see cause he was the old white man’s boy.  After his white wife died his two girls married and the boy left Old Pickens, and they told his colored wife and her two boys and girl if they would stay and take care of him as long as he lived they could have the property.  My papa went off five or six miles and built him a log house.

“The old man—­Master Liege Alexander—­was blind when his wife died and he had to be tended to like a child.  He would knock his stick on the wall and some of the small children would lead him about where he wanted to go.  His white children didn’t like the way he had lived so they didn’t want to be bothered with him.

“My parents’ names was Cheney Barton and Jim Alexander.  Papa was medium dark and so was his own brother but their sister was as white as the woman’s two girls and boy.

“After the railroads sprung up the town moved to New Pickens.

“Master Liege Alexander had lots of slaves and land.  I reckon the white wife’s children fell heir to the farm land.

“My aunt and grandma cooked for him till he died.  They kept him clean and took care of him like as if his white wife was living.  The colored wife and her girl waited on the white wife and her children like queens.  That is what papa said.

“Durin’ slavery there was stockmen.  They was weighed and tested.  A man would rent the stockman and put him in a room with some young women he wanted to raise children from.  Next morning when they come to let him out the man ask him what he done and he was so glad to get out.  Them women nearly kill him.  If he said nothin’ they wouldn’t have to pay for him.  Them women nearly kill him.  Some of the slave owners rented these stockmen.  They didn’t let them work in the field and they kept them fed up good.

“Fore the Civil War broke out mama said Master Barton hid a half bushel solid gold and silver coins over the mountains.  He had it close to the spring awhile.  Mama had to go by it to tote water to the house.  She said she never bothered it.  He said he could trust her and she wouldn’t tell a lie.  He took another sack of money over the mountains and the silverware.  His wife died during the war.  A lot of people died from hearing of the war—­heart failure.  I don’t know what become of his money.  He lost it.  He may forgot where he hid it.  It was after his wife died that he sold mama to Jim Alexander’s papa.