“We uster use grease lamps, dese war made outer iron, wid a piece of cotton rope down in de grease on dis jes send out a puny smelly light.  Dem de brass lamp came erlong hit war a little lamp wid a wich wid a handle in er stem, no burner or nuthin hit burned coaloil but had no chimney.”

“Hee, Hee, Hee, I remember arbout a story Mary Beard told ter me erbout a slave woman dat war foolish.  Her Massa couldn’t git no body ter buy her, hee, hee, hee, so he dresses her up nice en buys her a thimble en gives her a piece of cloth ter sew on.  It war right here in Hopkinsville in front of de court house dat de block war en he sold dis woman as a “sewing slave”, en her war foolish en couldn’t take er right stitch en she sho brought a good price en wen her new Massa found out she war foolish he sho war mad.  He tried ter sell her but pshaw he bought something he couldn’t git rid of, Hee, Hee.”

“Dese ole nigger slave traders uster so my Mammy said, steal de niggers from one Massa and dey would leave at night en stay in “Campbells Cave” den dey would take dese niggers wid a promise of freedom to Clarksville, Tenn., sell dem again on “Mr. Dunk Morr’s” slave market.  Sometimes dese niggers if dey got a new Massa dat war mean would run erway en come back tar dar ole Massas.”

“Yes I believe you can be hauted, I aint neber seed one tho but I’se heard dem en I jest git creepy en I no’s dey is around.”

“Cos dreams come tru, I dont remember one now but if I’se had one ergin I will try ter remember en tells you.”

“No I aint neber seed a ghost.  I feels dem sometimes en I jis shot my eyes en pray de “Good Lawd” ter send dat ghost away.”

“If youse find a horse shoe er put eber de door you will sho has good luck.”

“Thirteen has always been my lucky number.  Dats follish ter thing ‘Thirteen is unlucky’.  Seben is lucky ter me ter.  I always win when I think of a seben.”

“Of cos now if youse breakes a mirror you cant keep from having bad luck.  Nuthin you do will keep you from hit.”

“Sho is bad luck ter meet a cross-eyed pusson er blue gummed niggers is pizen cause if one bites you youse will sho ter die.”

“My Mammy sho did hev a big wedding my Pappys Massa ask my Mammy Massa foh her en den my Mammy Massa give her a big infair dat cost him $200.00 wid de bridal supper en all.”

“Dey uster do niggers pretty bad erbout dat funerals.  Wen a nigger did die why de rest of de niggers hed ter work en one nigger made de box whiler ernother nigger dug de grave en the nigger war jes civered up en den on de Fourth Sunday in August ebery year all de colored folks would take a basket dinner ter de church en each family dat had buried a nigger would pay de preacher ter preach the sermon foh dat darkie dat died.  We ate dinner en supper at de church en sometimes the funeral foh some fo de darkies wouldn’t git preached till next August.  We went to dis funeral why we had big time talking wid our neighbors en of de dead.”