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(Alabama, Montgomery)
Elizabeth Thomas who lives at 2 Eugene Street, Montgomery, Alabama stuck up one finger when asked her age. That meant 100 she said. She is typical the oldtime Negro with head rag tightly covering her hair; carrying a slick old walking-stick whose bark is worn in places because of constant use. and little old straightcut full apron. Her memory is not clear but her hearing is perfect.
She stated: "I lived mighty fine in dem days, I tel' you Mister Ben Martin Jones was my Marster, and I was born on de Red Bridge Road. I was a house servant. All our clo'es was made at de quarters. My Mammy made mine an' all I wanted, too. I useter hear my mammy say, de patteroles (patrols) would git us ef we done wrong but I didn't know nothin' 'bout patteroles, 'cause dey wuzn't none on our place. Dey whipped you too, but my Marster could control all his niggers so he didn't 'low none uv 'em on our place."
"I was 21 years ole when de Yankees come but I didn't run and dey didn't do nuthin' to me but folks was in such a hurry they hid things dat ain't never been foun' yet. I liked meetin' on Sundays an' sometime we never got outer church tell daylight. I wants to live jes' es long as Jesus say an' when he say go. I'se ready. At Christmas times we always had good dinners and heap o' company; plenty uv it. My Missus died and atter dat my mother raised ole Marster's chile, Tommy John, right 'long wid me. O. dem was happy days, I tell you."
(Wash. Copy, 5/4/37, L. H.)
