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MARY KINDRED was a slave on the Luke Hadnet plantation in Jaspor, Texas. She dees not knew her age but
thinks she is about 80. She new lives in Besumont, Texas.
"My mind don't dwell back. The older I gite the lessen I thinks 'bout the old times. I ain't gittin' old. I's done get old.
I not been one of thea bad, outlawed fellers, so de good Lawd done 'lew no live a long time. Some things I knews I
heered from my mother and my grandma. They so fresh to them in that time, though, I mestly sure they's truth.
"My mother name was Hannah Hadnet and my daddy was Ruffin Hadnot and he used to carry the mail from Weiss
Bluff to Jasper. They waylay him 'long the read in 1881 and kill him and rob the mail.
"Luke Hadnot was our old massa. He good to my grandma and give her license for a doctor woman. Old massa
must of thought lots of her, 'cause he give her forty acres of land and a home for herself. That house still standin' up
there in Jasper, yet.
"Grandma used to sing a li'l song to us. like this:
"'One mernin' in May.
I spies a beautiful dandy.
A-rakin' way of de hay.
I asks her to marry.
She say, scernful, 'No.'
But befe' six months roll by
Her spron strings wouldn't tie.
She wrote me a letter,
She marry me them,
I say, no, no, my gal, net I.'
"Grandma git do bark offen do thera tree and bile it with turpentine fer de toothache. She used herbs fer de medicine
and they's good.
"Old missy was tall and slim, a rawbone sort of woman. Her name was Matilda Hadnot. Massa have as big a still as
ever I seed and dey used to make everything there. They has it civered with beards they rive out the weeds. There
wasn't no revenuors in dem days.
"Us gits de greceries by steambeat and the wagons go down the old Bevilport Read to the steambeat landin'. That
the Ang'leen River. One the biggest beats was own by Capt. Bryce Hadnet, the 'Old Grim.'
"I 'member back duria' the war the people couldn't git no ceffee. They used to take bran and peamts and okra seed
and sich and parch 'em for coffee. It make right driakable coffee. They gits sugar from the store or the sugar cane.
When they buy it, it's in a big, white lump what they calls 'sugar leaf.' When they has no sugar they uses the syrup to
sweeten the ceffee and they call syrup 'long sweetenin' and sugar, short sweetenim'.
"Us has lots of dances with fiddle and 'cerjum player. Us siag, 'Swing you partner, Promenade.' Another li'l song
start out:
"'Dimch get a meat skin lay away,
Grease dat wooden leg, Dinah.
Grease dat wooden leg, Dinah.
Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah,
Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah.'
I 'members this song:
"'Dewn in Shileh town.
Down in Shiloh town.
Do old grey mare come
Tearia' out de wilderness.
Dewn in Shiloh town,
O, beys, O.
O, beys, O.
Dewn in Shiloh town.'
"I's seed lots of blue gun niggers and they say iffen dey bite you dey pizen you. They hands diff'rent from other
niggers. Now, my hand's right smart white in the inside, but blue gum nigger hand is mere browner on the inside.
"I used to have a old aunt name Harriett and iffen she tell you anythin' you kin jes' put it down it gwineter come out
like she say. She have the big mele on the inside her mouth and when she shake her finger at you it gwise happen to
you jes' like she say. That whey they call puttin' bad mouth on thea and she sho' could do it.
"I's had 12 chillen. My first husban was Anthony Adams and the last Alfred Kindred. I only get three chillen livin'
new, though. One of the sons am the outer deer guard of the ledge here in Beaument.
Kindred, Mary -- Additional Interview
Flabby flesh hangs in pouches on her arms and about her swollen ankles. Above Mary Kindred's heavy, broad face,
her hair parts into kinky braids which extend behind her ears. Seated in a rocker, almost inadequate for her large
frame, Mary's bright yellow house apron billows. She was a slave on the Luke Hadnot place in Jasper and has vivid
recollections of tales her grandmother told her, as well as of her own experiences. The location of Mary's house in
Beaumont, sandwiched as it is between beer parlors and rooming houses of questionable repute, gives an insight
into the character of the aged negress.
"My min' don' dwell back. De ol'er I gits de less'n' I t'ink 'bout de ol' times. I ain' gittin' ol', I's done got ol'. I not been
one of dem bad outlawed fellers so de good Lawd done 'low me to lib a long time. T'ings I's gwineter tell, some I
'member myse'f an' some my gran' mudder an' my mudder tol' me. I be lyin' iffen I say I seed dem all. Dey so fresh
to dem in dem time though dat I mos'ly sure dey's troof."
"My mudder' name was Hannah Hadnot an' my father' name was Ruffin Hadnot. He uster carry de mail from Weiss
Bluff to Jasper. Dey kill him in 1881. Dey waylay him long de road an' kill him an' rob de mail."
"Luke Hadnot who hab a big plantation close to Jasper w'er I's bo'n, was de ol' marster. He was good to my Gramma
an' give her license for a doctor woman. He allus tell dem nebber to whip my Gramma. He nebber did hit her but
onct. He hit her 'cross de head onct wid de stall of de bridle. W'en he don' dat she clamp him. He nebber hit her no
mo' (more), cause dey carry him from dere to de grabeyard. He linger some li'l w'ile befo' he die. He tell dem not to
strike her or do nuthin' to her. Dey didn' do nuthin' to her. Didn' tek her befo' de co'te (court) needer. Ol' mistus sho'
cry den. Ol' marster muster thought lots of my Gramma cause he give her forty acres of lan' an' a home for herse'f.
Dat home still stan'in' up dere in Jasper yet."
"My Gramma was a ol' mid-wife. Us chillen uster ax her w'er she git de babies an' she tell us she treed dem in holler
logs. We'd git de dogs an' chase through de woods but de on'ies' t'ings we ebber tree' was rabbits. So we go'd back to
her an' tol' her we tuk de dogs an' couldn' tree no babies. Den she say she ketch dem on a hook so den we git hooks
an' go fishin' but all we ketch was minner perches. Fin'lly I say, 'I kaint ketch no baby wid dis hook. Gimmie de
kinder hook w'at you ketch dem wid.' Well, right dere w'en I ax her dat I jammed her. So she went to de trunk w'at
we call her med'cine ches' an' move t'ings 'roun' 'til she fin' a hook an' line dat she hab all ready fix an' give it to me.
I tuk it an' go fishin'. But I ain' ketch no babies to dis mawnin'. Not wid dat kinder hook."
"She uster sing us a li'l song too. Went like dis; 'One mawnin', one mawnin' in May.
I spy a bootiful (beautiful) dandy, A-rakin' 'way de hay.
I ask her if she marry me, So scornful she say 'No.'
But befo' six mont's Come rollin' by---
Her apron strings Dey wouldn' tie.
She wrote me a letter, She marry me bye an' bye.
I wrote her anudder an' said, 'No, no, my gal, not I.'"
"My ol' Gramma was a doctor woman. She go git de bark offen de tho'n (thorn) tree an' bile it wid tuppentine an' put
it in de folk's toofs to keep off de toof achin'. She could cup you or bleed you iffen you hab a misery in de head. I
seed her buckle dem down on a table an' cut off dey arm or dey leg an' sew dem up an' it do mos's good as dese
doctors now an' de people git well. Sometime' de ol' doctors would come through de country wid saddle pockets
'cross dey saddle wid dey med'cine in dem. My ol' Gramma though was jes's good for lots of sickness. I knows lots
of yerbs an' I could mek med'cine jes's good as my Gramma now, on'y I kaint git out in de woods an' git dem."
"All marster's nigger men an' women was good stout niggers. Dey uster put dem on a block an' bid dem off. I didn't
knowed 'bout any gittin' beat up but I hear dey uster whip dem 'tween de rows of co'n an' put dem 'cross a bo'de
(board). I nebber seed no slaves wukkin' wid chains or bells on dem but I heered 'bout dat too."
"Dey hab a few culled preachers in dem day but dey didn' know much. Dey uster hab prayer meetin'. One time dey
ax Marse Hadnot iffen dey could hab prayer meetin' dat night. He say to Alf, 'Now Alf, I tell you sing one song an'
pray one prayer.' Dey was lots of niggers dere from de Ryles an' Henderson an' Neylan' plantations, dey was de
plantations 'roun' all come to de prayer meetin'. Dey hab a wash pot tu'n bottom up to drown de noise. 'Reckly ol'
marster come to de do' (door) an' call, 'Alf, didn' I tol' you jes' one song an' one prayer?' Dere he's stan'in' in de do'
wid a whip. W'en he say dat dem niggers bust out cause he was gwineter beat dem w'en dey go pas'. Dey rush out so
fas' dat dey knock him down an' run right ober him. He didn' git to hit airy one a lick. Dey could jine de chu'ch in
dem day iffen dey wanter. An' shout---I he'p you to say dey shout."
"Dey wo' (wore) home-wove clo's dat dey mek on spinnin' wheel an' loom. Dat wheel uster talk, I mean. Mirandy
Hadnot was my gran'mudder. I 'member her jes' as well as I 'members tomorrow. My po' paren's (parents) say dat
some of de owners treat dem so bad, but others treat dem good."
"I 'member ol' mistus. She was tall an' slim, a rawbone sorter woman. Her name was Matilda Hadnot. I 'member dey
uster hab a pet deer. Dey got it w'en it was a li'l spotted deer an' dey raise' it. I 'member w'en de t'ings start domin'
out on he head, befo' dey git to be long ho'ns, de li'l startin' nubbins like. But w'en dat deer git growed up bigger it
uster run an' r'ar up on he hin'legs an' fight an' paw at mistus. She was de on'ies' one he fight an' he git so bad dat she
kaint go 'roun' in de yard. He seed her comin' an' run an' start fightin'. Young Marster he hab to kill him he git so
bad."
"My young marster was Bryce Hadnot. I 'member he uster hab he own boat. Dey call it, I t'ink it was de 'Ol' Grim.'
It sail on de Ang'leen Ribber an' sometime' on de Neches w'at de Ang'leen run inter."
"Young marster uster hab as big a still as I ebber seed. Dey uster mek mos' eb'ryt'ing dere. Dey hab it kiver over wid
bo'des dey rive out in de woods. Dey didn' hab no rev'nuers in dem days. I 'member de still hab a long crooked twis'
an' tu'n t'ing, w'at look like pewter to me. Dey mek co'n whiskey an' I dunno w'at all in it."
"Us allus gits us groceries by steam boat. De wagons go down de ol' Bevilpo't road to de steam boat landin'. Dat was
on de Ang'leen Ribber. De boats dat come up de ribber us knowed dem by dey holler comin' 'roun' de ben'. One of
de bigges' boats was Cap'n' Bryce Hadnot, de 'Ol' Grim.'"
"I 'member back endurin' of de war de people couldn' git no coffee. Dey uster tek bran an' peanut an' okra seed an'
sich an' parch dem an' mek coffee outn' dem. It warn'n' as good as coffee but it mek right drinkable coffee though.
Sometimes' dey hab sugar mek from sugar cane. Sometime' dey mek it from de sugarberry tree or de maple. W'en
dey buy it from de sto' it was in a big w'ite lump w'at dey call 'sugar loaf'. W'en dey couldn' git sugar to sweeten de
coffee dey put syrup in it. Dey call syrup, 'long'sweet'nin'' an' sugar 'short sweet'nin''."
"Us uster drink de juice from de oak tree an' call it 'cider'. At times of de year dey was lots of juices in de wood an'
dey ketch dem w'en dey's splittin' rails an' rive'n' out bo'des. Dey uster hab lots of pop co'n. Dey mek dat by de dish
pan full for us li'l chillen. Dat maple hab sweet black berry on it an' us chillen uster sho' like to eat dem berry."
"Dey uster hab lotser hoss racin' w'en I's young. I 'member dem hot time jes' like yestidday. My daddy, not my
individual daddy, but de nex' daddy, he own plenty race hosses. Co'se dat atter freedom. I kin 'member back in
slav'ry day though dey hab race out close to de town of Jasper. Dey hab a ol' goose tie up by de foot to a pos'. De
men on de hosses ride by an' snatch at de goose. De one w'at snatch de goos'head off, dat de winnah of de race. I
uster be a good hoss rider my ownse'f in my young day."
"De w'ite folks uster hab t'unaments (tournament). Dey hab pos'es set up an' li'l rings hangin' down from a cross
piece. De young marsters from all 'roun' come on dey bes' hosses an' a stick 'bout ten foot long w'at dey calls a
lance. Dey drive dey hosses fas' as dey kin race dem by dem ring an' tek dem off an de p'int of de lance. Dey try at
t'ree rings at a time. De one w'at git de mos'es' rings win de race an' he git to crown he gal de Queen of de
T'unament."
"Dey uster hab lotser dances. Dey hab fiddle player an' 'corjun (accordian) player. Dey sing "Swing you partner,
promenade." Dey uster hab a li'l song dat start out,
'Dinah got a meat skin lay away, Grease dat wooden leg, Dinah, Grease dat wooden leg, Dinah.
Dinah got a meat skin lay away, Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah, Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah.
Dey uster dance de fo' (four) double head w'at was done wid two couples. Dey hab a jig dance an' holler, an' dis is
w'at dey holler,
'Down in Shiloh town, Down in Shiloh town.
De ol' grey mare come Tearin' out de wilderness, Down in Shiloh town.
O, boys, O, O, boys, O, Down in Shiloh town.'"
"I's seed lots of blue gum niggers. Dey say iffen dey bite you dey pizzen you. Dey han's is diff'rent from other
niggers, too. Now, my han's right smart w'ite in de inside but blue gum nigger' han' is mo' browner on de inside."
"I uster hab a ol' aunt name' Harriett Hadnot, an' iffen she tell you anyt'ing you kin jes' put it down it gwineter come
out jes' like she say. She hab a big mole as de inside of her mout'. W'en she shake her finger at you an' say anyt'ing
gwineter happen to you it gwineter be jes' like she say. Iffen she say you gwineter be sick or die, it gwineter be jes'
dat way. Dat w'at dey call puttin' bad mou'f on dem an' she sho' could do it."
"I heerd tell of somebudy else git cunjur'. Dey didn' knowed who do it. It were a ol' man name' John Digglers, a ol'
slave. Somebody put de t'ousand leggers (thousand legged worms) in him. Dey sho' fix him up wid dem t'ings. Dat
ol' man jes' swell' up an' die an' dem t'ings was jes' a-crawlin' in an' out. He muster mek somebudy pow'ful mad or
sump 'n'."
"De fus' wuk I do was nussin'. Den I git a hoe an' go to de fiel' an' hoe an' pick cotton. I been yere in Beaumont
since 1919."
"I's had twel' chillen. My fus' husban' was Anthony Adams. My secon' was name Alfred Kindred but dey call him
'Fox' Kindred. I was bo'n an' raise' in Jasper almos' 80 year' ago, 'tween 75 an' 80. I marry dere de fus' time. I's a
member of de Chu'ch of God an' I uster b'long to de Easter' Star. My son's a member of de Masons an' dat's
huccome I jine de Easter' Star. He's de Outer Do' (Door) Guard of de lodge yere in Beaumont. I got t'ree chillen
libin, two of dem yere. Jes' one son lef'. I got gran'chillen an' great gran'chillen, too."
"I reckilleck lotser nannickdoats (anecdotes)."
"One time dey was a ol' sow an' she hab t'ree pigs. One was name' W'itey, an' one Bluey an' one Blacky. W'en dem
pig git big 'nuf dey buil' deyse'fs a house. W'itey she buil' her house outn' bark, an' Bluey she buil' her house outn'
wood, an' Blacky she buil' her house outn' i'on (iron). Den dey move in. De fus' night 'long come Mister Bear. He
come to Sister W'itey' house an' he call real sweet like for her to 'low him to come in. She didn' trus' dem honey
voice an' she say, 'No." Dat mek Mister pow'ful het up an' she sho' in bad. He rub an' he blow, an' he blow an' he
rub. Down come dat ol' bark house an' he done et up po' Sister W'itey."
"Nex' night de bear come to Sister Bluey' house an' call to her wid sweet words an' ax her for to let him in. But she
say, 'No.' She ain'
gwineter let him in needer. Den he blow' an' he rub' an' down come dat ol' wood house, an' he go'd in an' et up po'
Sis Bluey."
"Nex' night he go to Sister Blacky' house. He beg an' he beg for her to 'low him to come in. She say, real flat like an'
sarcacktic, 'Who, me let you in? You done et up my sister W'itey an' my sister Bluey.' An' he say, jes' like he tol'able
supprise, 'Why, Sis Blacky, you know I ain' done no such t'ing." But all dat talk ain' matter, she ain' 'low him to
come in. So he say, 'I's gwineter rub an' blow 'twill I mek you house fall down.' So he rub an' he rub 'twill he rub all
he hide an' hair off, an' he blow an' he blow' 'twill he ain' got no bre'f lef'. But de i'on house stan'."
"Den he go off an' he thought an' he thought. Den he come back an' say, 'Sis Blacky, Sis Blacky, I's col' out yere, I's
freezin' out yere.' But Sis Blacky she ain' answer. Den he mek he tee'f rattle an' he say, 'Sis Blacky, Sis Blacky, jes'
lemme git one my paw by de fire. I's so col' I gib you my fat cow an' caff iffen you jes' lemme git one han' in.' But
she ain' say nuthin'. Den he groan an' he groan an' he say, 'Sis Blacky, Sis Blacky, jes' lemme git one feets by de
fire. I's so col'. I give you my big butter chu'n iffen you let me git jes' one feets in.'"
"At las' she say, 'You better leave yere cause I see mens comin' wid dey guns an' dog'. 'So he runned off. W'ile he
gone she git a big box an' bo' (bore) it full of holes. Purty soon he come back an' kep' on a-worryin' her. She look
out de winder an' say, 'Dere de mens comin' wid de guns an' dog 'gin.' An' Mister Bear he scare an' say, 'Sis Blacky,
Sis Blacky, please hide me.' So she say, 'Well, git in my ches', den.' So he git in an' she lock him down. Den she
start de water in de pot to b'ilin'. Atter w'ile she go git he cow an' caff an' put dem in her pen. He say, 'Is de mens
still out dere?' She say, 'Yes.'"
"Den she go to Mister Bear' house an' git he big chu'n. W'en he git res'less an' t'ink it 'bout time de mens go 'way, Sis
Blacky she git in de chu'n an' roll down de hill, an' mek a big c'motion so he t'ink de mens still dere. Purty soon
Mister Bear say, 'Whaffo' you b'ilin' all dat water in de pot?' And she say, 'I's gwineter mek us some cawfee for to
wa'm us up.' Mister Bear he say, 'Now ain' dat fin' to be sociable?'
"But, Lawsy, w'en dat li'l black pig she git dat water bi'lin' real good, she tek de pot an' po' de water through all de
holes she done bo' in de box an' scal' Mister Bear plumb to de'f (death)."
"One time dey was a li'l gal an' her mamma. Her mamma say for her to go to de butcher man an' git some meat. So
de li'l gal she go an' say she want some 'mammy-loo-lay', but de butcher dunno w'at she mean an' nebber give her
nuthin'. She go home an' her mamma agivate', she sen' her back 'gin. She tol' de butcher 'gin, 'I want some
'mammy-loo-lay.' He say, 'Iffen you ain' quit bodder'n' me, I gwineter sen' de ol' ghos' atter you.' Her mammy sen'
her back 'gin an' de butcher sen' de ghos'. W'en she git home de ghos' already dere. He say, 'Ol' Ghos' on de from
step.' Den she run in her mamma' room, but de ol' ghos' say, 'Ol' Ghos' in you mamma' room.' Den she run in her
daddy' room, an' de ol' ghos' say, 'Ol Ghos' in you daddy' room.' Den she run in her room an' git in de bed an' pull de
kiver over her head. Ol' Ghos' say, 'I in you room.
I in de bed wid you. I GOT YOU.'"
"One time dey was Br'er Rabbit an' Br'er Fox an' Br'er Wolf. Dey uster git dey drinkin' water outn' de branch. But
dey 'cide to mek a well. Br'er Fox an' Br'er Wolf dey dig de well cause Br'er Rabbit he mek 'scuses an' ain' dig none.
W'en dey git de well done dig dey all glad dat dey don' hafter go to de branch no mo' for de water."
"Eb'ry night Br'er Rabbit he sneak to de well an' steal all de water he want. Br'er Wolf he fix a trap to ketch de t'ief.
He fix up a tar baby an' put him in de way w'er Br'er Rabbit hafter pass to git to de well. Dat night Br'er Rabbit go to
git he water an' dere de tar baby in de way. He say, 'Git outn' de pa'f (path), an' lemme go git some water.' But de tar
baby didn' say nuthin'. Br'er Rabbit he say, 'I gwine slap you iffen you don' git outn' de way', an' he haul off an' slap
dat tar baby a soun'in' one (sounding) an' dere he han' stick. Den he say, 'T'un me a-loose, t'un me a-loose. Iffen you
ain' I slap you 'gin'. Den he slap de tar baby wid he other han' an' dat stick too. Den he say he kick him iffen he don'
t'un him a-loose, an' he git fus' one foot an' den de other one stuck. Den he say, 'I still got my tail lef'. I slap you wid
dat iffen you don' tu'n me a-loose.' So den he flap he tail agin' de tar baby an' dat stick too."
"W'en Br'er Wolf come 'long in de mawnin' to git he water dat de fus' t'ing he see, Br'er Rabbit stickin' agin de tar
baby. He say, 'So, you's de one been stealin' my water. I gwineter git rid of you right now.' So he stick a stake in de
groun' an' tie Br'er Rabbit an' bu'n him up. An' dat de on'ies' time dat anybudy eber git de bes' of Br'er Rabbit."
"Den one time de Rabbit an' de Wolf dey was a co'tin' (courtin) de same gal. It were a long way up to de gal' house
so dey 'cide day one ride de other ha'f way, an' de other ride de res' of de way. So Br'er Rabbit tell Br'er Wolf to ride
him fus'. Br'er Wolf ride de fus' ha'f of de way. Den Br'er Wolf git off an' Br'er Rabbit ride Br'er Wolf. Atter w'ile
Br'er Rabbit put on he spurs. Br'er Wolf say, 'Whaffo' you put on you spurs?' Br'er Rabbit say, 'I jes' like to ride wid
spurs.' Den he git he ridin' quirk. W'en dey git mos' to de gal's house, Br'er Wolf say, 'Now, you git down.' But Br'er
Rabbit stick dem spur' in him an' ride him right up to de gal's house an' hitch him to de ol' hitchin' pos'. Den he go in
an' tell de gal dat Br'er Wolf was he ridin' hoss. Eb'rybudy dey mek fun of Br'er Wolf an' laff at him all de time.
Br'er Wolf out dere so shame, cause de gals mek fun of him for Br'er Rabbit' ridin' hoss."
Alfred E. Menn Travis County, Texas District No. 9 (November 2, 1937 (No))
