“Frank Houston was a neighbor of our’n.  He lived on my folks’ joining plantation close to Houston, Mississippi during slavery.  During or before the War come on he put his money in a barrel—­hogshead.  They said it was gold and silver.  I don’t know.  It might some been paper.  He rolled the barrel down to the river.  It was the Tallahassee (?) River eighteen miles northeast of Oxford, Mississippi.  He hid his barrel of money in the river.  They hunted and hunted it and never could find it.  It might sunk in the mud and quick sand.  Somebody might er hauled it out and stole it.  The whole neighborhood hope him hunt it.  They never did find it.  I seen the old man and Jim Smith heaps of times.

“I voted in Mississippi.  I couldn’t read.  They had a big fight in the country at Midway Church where we all voted.  It was out a ways from Oxford, Mississippi.  I never voted in Arkansas.  I pay poll tax.  Never ’lowed to vote.

“I never went to school a day in my life.

“I come to Forrest City fifty-four years ago.  Married here.  Never had a child.  Now my wife dead.  I farmed all my life.  I bought a farm but they never let me have it.  I never got it all paid out.  They took it.

“I get Welfare help.  I does some work.  I’m nearly past hard work now.”

Circumstances of Interview
state—­Arkansas
name of worker—­Carol N. Graham
address—­Rear 456 West Main Street, El Dorado, Arkansas
date—­November 1, 1938
subject—­Ex-slaves
[TR:  Repetitive information deleted from subsequent pages.]

1.  Name and address of informant—­Caroline Smith, Route 1, El Dorado.  (Lives with Negroes by name of Green about 1 mile from Smith’s Crossing)

2.  Date and time of interview—­November 1, 1938, Tuesday morning, 9:30-10:30

3.  Place of interview—­at the home of some Negroes named Green.

4.  Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant—­Had previously talked with Caroline.

5.  Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you—­Mrs. Ethel Depriest, 516 East Miles Street, El Dorado.

6.  Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.—­a typical Negro farm house.

Personal History of Informant

1.  Ancestry—­

2.  Place and date of birth—­Camden, Arkansas?  No date.

3.  Family—­one child.

4.  Places lived in, with dates—­Camden and El Dorado.  No dates.

5.  Education, with dates—­

6.  Occupations and accomplishments, with dates—­None

7.  Special skills and interests—­

8.  Community and religious activities—­

9.  Description of informant—­

10.  Other points gained in interview—­This slave old enough to remember Civil War.

Text of Interview (Unedited)