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Circumstances of Interview
STATE - Arkansas
NAME OF WORKER - Carol Graham
ADDRESS - El Dorado, Arkansas
DATE -
SUBJECT - Ex-Slave
1. Name and address of informant---El Dorado Daily News, El Dorado, Arkansas.
2. Date and time of interview---December 2, 1934
3. Place of interview---El Dorado Airport
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant---
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you---
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Text of Interview
The following article appeared in the December 2, 1934 issue of El Dorado Daily News:
NEGRO WOMAN, 105, LIVES WITH NIECE AT LOCAL AIRPORT
"I'se lived a long time cause of good treatment and good livin'", stated Aunt Sally Field, negress, who is 105 years
old. Aunt Sally lives with her neice, Alice Neil, in the negro settlement on the outskirts of the airport here.
She was born on the plantation of "Marse" Angry Patterson in Alabama. The name of the town nearby has slipped
her memory.
The Civil War had no effect on the relations of Sally to her "Marse" and she stayed on with him after its close until
he was "too pore" to keep her any longer. Her recollections of the war are that all of Mr. Patterson's sons went
except one who "dodged in the bushes."
After she had left Mr. Patterson Aunt Sally married Gilbert Field with whom she came to Farmersville, Louisiana,
in the employ of Jim Taylor. She fell ill there and was forced to return to her people. In describing her treatment
Sally said, "They wouldn't give me nothing to eat and made me drink turpentine three times a day."
When she was well enough to work, Dr. Lawrence, who had cared for her during her illness, got a position for her
with Mrs. Sidney Griffin, whose husband had "fit in the war and got killed".
"Me and her couldn' gin, though," Aunt exclaimed with tears streaming down her face. There were seventeen
members of the family to care for and Sally was still weak from her illness. Another of her grievances was that she
was not paid fairly. Out of 33 yards of cloth which she weaved she would only get three.
"I'd make my little girl a dress out of those but that didn't leave me nothin' but blankets for my clothes," Aunt Sally
moaned.
Finally she packed her things and ran away, going back to one of Mr. Patterson's sons who was so aged that Sally
did not recognize him Receiving no aid there she went back to Mr. Taylor with whom she stayed until 22 years ago
when she came to Arkansas to live with her brother, Phil Mack. Phil Mack was a prominent land owner during the
boom days in El Dorado and is said to have amassed a small fortune from his holdings.
Sally lived with her brother until seven years ago, when he said he couldn't feed her any more. Since that time she
has lived with her niece in her present home. Age has made Aunt Sally blind and slightly deaf and for the last month
she has been "puny" with a cold. She cannot work any more and her activities consist mostly of sitting in her chair
by the stove, singing hymns, visiting next door and attending church. She is a member of the Evergreen Baptist
Church here.
Homes, Walter Hazen, Arkansas (Miss Irene Robertson)
