“They raised sheep and they wove and spun wool altogether.  They didn’t fool with cotton.  Never did, not even down to my time.  That carding machine I’m telling bout turned out rolls of wool.  It was right pretty.  They made all kinds of wool things and sold them.  The old man had three or four boys.  Mr. Jim Teague run a wood and blacksmith shop.  He sold plows, wagons, hoes.  They made spoons, knives, and forks out of sheets of some kind of metal.  Everything they used they made it and they sold mighty near every thing folks wanted.  The servants stayed on after the war.  My ma stayed till she died.  My family had a little dispute when I was twelve years old and I left.  Ma died and I never went back.  I come to Forrest City and got work.  I been farmin’ and working on the railroad.  I have done track work.  I got 10 acres land and a house.  I don’t need on the relief.  If I need it I would want it.  The reason I ain’t got a garden and cow is I work out and not there to see after it.

“Some times I vote.  You make enemies cause they all want you to vote for them and I can’t do that.  I don’t care nothin’ bout votin’.  I don’t enquire no more bout politics.

“The fellow what raises things to sell is better off with prices high but if he is working for money, times is hard for him.  Cause the money is hard to get and hard to keep now.  The young folks morals ain’t like young folks used to have.  Seemed like young folks too smart to be trained in morals like they was when I was comin’ up.”

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed:  Mary Teel
                    Holly Grove, Ark. 
Age:  74

“Our Masters was Wade and Curls.  Miss Fannie was Master Wade’s wife.  They was kin somehow.  I heard Ma say they wouldn’t let their boys work.  We girls growd up together.  They called Ma ‘Cousin’.

“Ma say she come from Marshal County Tennessee to Holly Springs Mississippi.  She never did see her pa.  My papa’s papa was a white man.  My pa was Lewis Brittman.  He was a carriage driver.  He made and mended shoes.  My Ma was a fine cook.  She had nine children but jes three living now.  One of the girls—­Miss Fannie’s girls—­married bout when I did.  We jes growd up lack that.  I left the girls at Mt.  Pleasant, Mississippi.  I stayed on their place a while.  I wish I had money to go back to my old home and see all ’em livin’.  I never heard ’em say if they give ’em somepin.  Pa lernt us to do all kinds of work.  He knowd how to do nearly everything cause he was brought up by white folks.  Measles broke out, then small pox and the white folks put us in a room all together at the white house so we could be seen after.  We lay on the same beds.  My brother would whistle.  I was real little but I member it well as yesterday.  Ma say stop whistlin’ in that bed and Miss Fannie say let him whistle I want to hear him cause I know he better.  They say it bad luck to sing in bed or look in the lookin’-glass (mirror) if you in the bed.  We all got over it.