“I was born in Boswell, Oklahoma.  My mother and father was both slaves some wha in the eastern states.  Soon as freedom was declared they kept going till I was born.  They finally come back and farmed round Pine Bluff.  My folks last time I heard from them was at Garland City.  There’s wha my mother died.  I had three brothers and one sister, but one brother died long time ago.  Oklahoma was pore farmin’.  The family could do pretty good farmin’ in Arkansas.  I come here from Pine Bluff.  I got a wife, two girls and a little grandchild.  When I first come to dis county I done public work—­piece work.  I handled cotton and cross ties.  I used to help load and unload the boats and I worked helpin’ build railroads.  Then I had to farm about a little fur a living.  I worked on Victor Gates place six years.  Then I worked on the widow Thomas place till the Government bought it.  Then the last eighteen months I got work wid the PWA on the rezer/va/tion.  They turned me off now and I ain’t got no place to work.

“I voted the Republican ticket the last time.  I don’t know nothing ’bout stricted sufage.  I voted in Oklahoma some and here some.  No I sho don’t think the women needs to vote.  They won’t let us vote in the Primary.  No I wouldn’t know who would suit in dem high offices.  I reckon it is all right.  We is in you might say a foreign country.  What I blames ’em fur is not puttin’ us in a country all to our selves and den let us run it all to our selves.  It is gettin’ us all mixed up here every year worse and worse.

“I don’t know nuthin’ ’bout the Civil War.  That was before I was born.  I heard my folks talk some ’bout it, been so long I forgot what they did say.  My folks owned a place in Oklahoma, at least I recken they did.  I never did own no home nor no land.  Well, missus, cause I never could get but berry little ahead ever and it takes all I makes to live on and I ain’t got nuthin’ to go on now.

“Times is changin’ so much I don’t know whut goin’ to happen to the next generation.  Prices is mighty high now the reason you have to spend every cent you makes fore you get paid off.  Dats the reason I don’t like the PWA work I done.  It cuts you off without a thing to go on.  I likes farm work whole heap the best.”

Interviewer:  Samuel S. Taylor
Person interviewed:  Mrs. Dicey Thomas
                    2500 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas
Age:  About 82

“I was born in Barbour County, Alabama.  When I was born, the white folks kept the children’s age, not that of their parents.  When the Yankees came through our white folks’ plantation, the white folks was hiding away things.

Father

“My father was named Ben See.  See was my maiden name.  Thomas comes from my marriage.

Yankees

“It was about twelve o’clock when the Yankees came through, because we had just gone to bring the bowls.  They used to serve us out of these gourds and wooden spoons.  Me and another little girl had gone to get some bowls and spoons and when we got back the Yankees were swarming over the place.  They said, ‘You are free.  Go where you please.’