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"Ma muther was in a log cab'n east ob Farmington an when Frice's sclders com thru frum Fredericktown, one ob de soldiers climb'd ober de fence an robbed de hen house ob eggs an he put de eggs in his boots, Den when he climb'd ober de fence to git back to de road he mashed de eggs in his boots. De soldier tox off his boots an turned dem up-side-down to git de broken eggs out an ma muther ran out ta de fence an hallored, "Goody, goody."
"Ma muther say dat de worse side ob slabery was when de slabes war 'farmed out'. A master or slabe holder wud loan or sub-let slabes ta a man fur so many months at so much money. De master agreed ta supply so many clothes. De man who rented de slabes wud treat den jus lik animals.
"Ma muther was sole twice. De furst time she was 14 years ole. She was tak'n 26 miles to de new owner, an hit took all day. She tied all her belongings up in a red bandanna handkerchief an went on horseback. One stream was so high dat when dey cross'd hit dey got all wet. Den as soon as she got to de new owner she was ship'd de follin' day. One ob ma muther's owners was so good ta her dat she quz treated as one ob de family."
REFERENCE: - The above information was received from Chas. Baker, who is the brother of Dayse Baker, principal of the colored Douglass School in Farmington, Missouri. Thus these facts are concerned with their mother, Mrs. Jane Baker, an Ex-Slave, who died at the age of 103.
