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Biscoe, Arkansas
Story-
I wasn't born in slavery but I was born in the white folks kitchen. Bob Walker was ma mother's Master and James
Austin me father's Master. They said he wasn't good to none of dem, he was mighty tight. Now ma mothers white
folks was sho good to her. When de war was all over me family jined end worked fer people not berry far from ma
mother's masters. There was two brothers and a sister older than me. She thought her white folks do better by her
than anybody so she went back to em during her pregnancy and thats how come I was born in der kitchen a white
mid-wife tended on er. I never will forget her. She was named Mrs. Coffee. There wasn't many doctors in the whole
country then. I was born in Haywood county Tennessee in 1866. No'm I tell you when you first come I wasn't born
in slavery. My white mistress named me, the young mistress, she named me Callie. Bob Walkers girl married ben
Geeter. I was right in Ben Geeters kitchen when Miss Sallie named me. They seemed proud of the little black
babies.
Ma mother was a field hand and she washed and ironed. She was a good spinner. She carded and wove and spun all.
She knitted too. She knitted mostly by nite. All the stockings and gloves had to be knit. She sowed and I learned
from her. We had to sew with our fingers.
When I was a little girl I just set around, brought in wood. Yes mean we did play and I had some dolls. I was proud
of my dolls, just rag dolls. We use to drive the calves up. If they didn't come up they sent the dog fur de cows. One
of dem wore a bell.
They had shepherd dogs, long haired, gentle dogs, to fetch the cows when they didn't come.
Ma folks farmed in Tennessee till I married and den we famed. Agents jess kept comin after us to get us to come to
this rich country. They say: hogs jess walking round with knife end forks stickin in der backs beggin somebody to
eat em over in Arkansas.
No'm I aint seed none lack dat, I seed em down in the swamps what you could saw a go d size saplin down wid der
backbones. I says I bean I seed plenty raysor back hogs, and long noses and long straight ears. I show have since I
come here. The land was so poor in Tennessee and this was uncleared land so we come to a new country. It show is
rich land. They use gueno back in Tennessee now or they couldn't riase nuthin. Abe Miller an old slave owner what
we worked wid come out here. He was broke and be paid our way. We come on the Josie Harry boat. Der was
several families sides us come wid him. He done fine out here- we got off the boat at Augusta and I worked up there
in Woodruff county till me husbands brother's wife died and he had a farm his own. We raised his boys and our
family till dey was ob age. I left em. They went in big business here in Biscoe end lost de farm and everything. Ma
husband died I lives with ma girl. I got one boy married lives in Chicago, and a girl up there too. No'm dey aint rich.
Dem his children come home wid ma daughters on a visit - Little Yankees ain't got no manners.
I voted one time in ma life, in 1933, for Hoover. I don't know nothing about voting. I can read. I reads ma Bible. Ma
young mistress learnt me to read. I never got to go to school much. Whut my young mistress learnt me was ma A B
C's and how to call words. Yes maam I can write ma name but I forgot how to write, been so long since I wrote a
latter.
All the songs I ever sung was "In Dixie" Little Brown Jug" an mostly religious songs, Lawd I forgot em now. I
never knowd about no slave uprisings-white folks alway good to us. We misses em now. Times not lack dey useto
be.
Dese young generations don't take no interest in nothin no mo. Its kinder kritical. No use trying to tell em nuthin.
Dey's getting an education I don't know whut they'll do with it. If dey had somebody to manage fur them seem like
they kaint handle no business without getting broke. They work hard and make some seems lack they jes kaint keep
nuthin. No'em I don't think they are so bad.
In 1893 me and ma husband worked on our own place till we come down here we sold it and went on his brothers
place. I owns ma house thats all. Ma daughters help me and we get a little provisions and clothes along from the
relief. If I could work I wouldn't ax nobody for no help. I jess past working much.
I jess don't know what is going to become of the present generation. The conditions are better than they use to be,
heep better. They have no education and don't have to work as hard as we useto. They seems so restless and don't
take no interest in nothin. They are all right. It is jess the times an the Bible full filling fast as it can.
Interviewer Samuel S. Taylor"
