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"I was born in the section of Greenwood County called 'the promised land'. My parents were Henry and Julis Watkins. I married Frank Edwards when I was young. Our master, Marshall Jordon, was not so mean. He had lots o' slaves and he give 'em good quarters and plenty to eat. He had big gardens, lots of hogs and cattle and a big farm. My master had two children.
"Sometimes dey hunted rabbits, squirrels, possums and doves.
"De master had two overseers, but we never worked at night. We made our own clothes which we done sometimes late in evening.
"We had no school, and didn't learn to read and write, not 'till freedom come when a school started there by a Yankee named Backiastore. Later, our church and Sunday school was in de yard.
"We had cotton pickings, cornshuckings and big suppers. We didn't have to work on Christmas.
"One of de old-time cures was boiling fever-grass and drinking de tea. Pokeberry salad was cooked, too. A cure for rheumatism was to carry a raw potato in the pocket until it dried up.
"I had 1l children and 8 grandchildren.
"I think Abe Lincoln was a great man. Don't know much about Jeff Davis. Booker Washington is all right.
"I joined church in Flordia, the Methodist church. I was 50 years old. I joined because they had meetings and my daughter had already joined. I think all ought to join de church."
"Since, I have had pastorates at Aikon, Peak, Rock Hill, and Walterbore. From Walterbore I came to Columbia as pastor of St. Anna's Episcopal Church and the missions of Ann's at New Brookland and St. Thomas at Eastover. I presume I have done pretty well in this field, since the Rt. Rev. Bishop Kirkman G. Finlay, D. D., appointed me arch-deacon for Negro work in upper South Carolina.
"As I was coming away from the Bishop's office, I was accompanied by another colored roctor, who had very short legs. I am six feet, four inches in height, and he looked up at me as we walked along and asked quizzically: 'How long should a man's legs be?' I smiled and told him I thought, perhaps, every man should have legs long enough to reach to the ground. Yes, of course, we laughed at each other, but my argument won, because Bishop Finlay is about six feet, three inches, and I told my short friend: 'When Bishop Finlay and I talk, we are able to look each other in the eye on the level.'
"I married Susan McMahan, a colored school teacher, and the Lord has blessed us with a son, John B. Jr., a fine wood-worker, like his grandfather was, and two sweet daughters. Alice, the older one, is a teacher in the public schools of Columbia and Annie is a student. Our home life has always been pleasant and unusually sunny.
"I had one very humorous experience three years ago when I was invited to deliver an address near Mount Olive, N. C., to a convention of young people. Arriving about 10 o'clock that day, I was met by a citizen who told me he was assigned to introduce me that ovening. As we rode along, I cautioned him not to boost me too highly. He said little.
"When the big, and, I may say, expectant audience was seated that night, he arose and seemed much embarrassed, ultimately saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen, I have an unpleasant duty to perform this evening.' Then, pointing at me, he went on: 'I don't know this man, much. Fact is, I only know two things about him. One is, he has never been in jail; and the other is, I never could figure why.'
"No, I am not related to the late Robert Bruce Elliott by ties of consanguinity. He was successively twice a member of Congress from South Carolina, and a member and Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1876. Perhaps these honors came to him because he had a good education before he met the opportunity for service.
"When I think of the '60's - '70's period, I am surprised that recent slaves, suddenly placed in administrative positions of honor and truth, did as well as they did.
"In the seventy-two years since slavery, I have noted much improvement along the road, and I am sure that our nation has far less discord now, than it had when I was a small lad. And, when one can note progress in our march toward the light, I guess that ought to be sufficient for my optimism."
(Project 1885-1, Folklore, Spartanburg, Dist.4, 23 Dec. 1937, Edited by: Elmer Turnage)
