No ma’am.  Nobody got discontented for a long time.  Then some men come in and messed them up.  Told us that we could make more money other places.  And it was true too—­if they had let us get the money.  By that time Mr. John, had died.  Bunk had died too, Miss Margaret had grown up and married.  Her husband was managing the farm.  He was good, but he wasn’t like Mr. John.  So lots of us moved away.

But about not making money.  Take me.  I raised 14-16 bales of cotton.  The man who owned the land, I worked on halvers, sold it on the Liverpool market.  But he wouldn’t pay me but about 1/3 of what he collected on my half.  And I says to him, ’You gets full price for your half, why can’t I get full price for mine?’ And he says, ‘It’s against the rules.’  And I says, ’It ain’t fair!  And he says, ‘It’s the rules.’  So after about six years I quit farming.  You can’t make no money that way.  Yes—­you make it, but you can’t get it.

I went to town at Pine Bluff.  There I got to mixing concrete.  I made pretty good at it, too.  I stayed on for some years.  Then I came to Hot Springs.  My brother was along with me.  We both worked and after work we built a house.  It took us four years.  But it was a good house.  It has six rooms in it.  It makes a good home.  My brother had the deed.  But his widow says I can stay on.  The folks what lives in the rest of the house are good to me.

When I got to Hot Springs I worked mixing concrete.  There was lots of sidewalks being made along about that time.  Then I scatter dirt all around where the court house is now.  Then I worked at both of the very biggest hotels.  I washed.  I washed cream pitchers—­the little ones with corners that were hard to clean.

No, I ain’t worked in three years.  It hard to try to get along.  Some states, they pays good pensions.  I can’t be here long—­don’t look like I can be here long.  Seems as if they could take care of me for the few days I’m going to be on this earth.  Seems like they could.

Interviewer:  Mrs. Carol Graham
Person interviewed:  Millie Evans
Age: 

[Illustration:  Millie Evans]

Yo’ say yo’ is in’rested in the lives of the slaves?  Well, Miss, I is one of ’em.  Was born in 1849 but I don’ know jus’ when.  My birthday comes in fodder pullin’ time cause my ma said she was pullin up till bout a hour ’fore I was born.  Was born in North Carolina and was a young lady at the time of surrender.

I don’ ‘member ol’ master’s name; all I ’member is that we call ’em ol’ master an ol’ mistress.  They had bout a hundred niggers and they was rich.  Master always tended the men and mistress tended to us.

Ev’y mornin’ bout fo’ ‘clock ol’ master would ring de bell for us to git up by an yo could hear dat bell ringin all over de plantation.  I can hear hit now.  Hit would go ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling and I can see ’em now stirrin in Carolina.  I git so lonesome when I thinks bout times we used to have.  Twas better livin back yonder than now.