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Betty Bormer, 80, a typical negro mammy, was born a slave to Col. M.T. Johnson, who farmed at Johnson Station
in Tarrant County. He owned Betty's parents, five sisters and four brothers, in addition to about seventy-five others.
She spent her entire slave life nursing the Johnson children. When the Emancipation Act became effective, all the
slaves moved onto and worked a parcel of land Col. Johnson allowed them the use of until his demise. Since that
time Betty married three times, divorced twice, the third husband died March 26, 1937. She has one child which
was born out of wedlock. She now lives in a negro settlement at Stop Six, a suburb of Fort Worth. Her principal
means of support is an eleven dollar pension received from the State of Texas.
"I'se bo'n April 4, 1857 at Johnson Station. Dat am south ob A'lington, but 'twarnt no A'lington den. Dey named
Johnson Station aftah my Marster, Cun'nul M.T. Johnson. Marster owned my pa'ents, my five sistuhs and foah
brudders. He had 'bout sebenty-five slaves on hims fahm, 'twas a big 'un. I'se don' know how many acres.
"Marster had seben chilluns. Three boys, Ben, Tom, and Mart; de foah girls am Eliz'beth, Sally, Roddy, and
Veanna. Ben an' Tom gits ol' 'nuff an' dey goes to de ahmy aftah de wah stahts, but dey comes back wid out gittin'
hurt. De soldie's come dere durin' de wah. Dey drive off ober de hill some ob de cattle, cows, and steers fo' to kill fo'
to eat. Once dey took some ob de hosses. I'se hear de Marster ses dem was de Quantrell mens. Dey comes seb'ral
times, de Marster don' like dat, but he caint he'p it.
"Eliz'beth an' Roddy, dey gits mai'ied jus' 'bout de las' yeah ob de wah. W'ite mans, you jus' shoulda seen dem
weddins. Man, 'twas big 'uns. Lots ob w'ite fo'ks come. Some f'om fah away, Austin an' sich. Dey sets de table wid
lots ob good things fo' to eat. Dey eats an' dances all day an' night. De girls gits lots ob p'esents. Eberbody was sho
happy! W'en de boys come f'om de wah 'twas de same. We'uns hab big time fo' de welcome home.
"Durin' de wah I'se don' notice any diff'ence in de vittles. If dere was any, den I'se don' 'membah. Marster was good
to us cullud fo'ks. He feeds an' treats we'uns jus' lak hims own chilluns. We'uns hab jus' lak de family gits, meat,
milk, veg'ables, w'ite flouwah fo' de biskits, lasses, co'n meal, an' sich. De marster hab heap lots ob hawgs, dat
makes de meat. In de smoke house am hung up meats 'nuff fo' to feed de ahmy, it looks lak. He hab big herd ob
cows fo' de milk. We'uns hab all de clothes we'uns needed. Dey was all made on de place. My mammy am de
seamstress, my pappy de shoemaker. My wo'k 'twas nuss fo' de small chilluns ob de Marster, dey was Mart, Sally,
and Veanna. Dat am my wo'k all de time till freedom.
"On Sattidy we'uns am let off f'om wo'k. Lots de time, some ob de cullud fo'ks come to Fo't Wo'th wid de Marster
an' he gibs dem a nickel or dime fo' to buy candy. Fo't Wo'th am jus' small place den. 'Twarnt much to it as I'se
'membahs.
"Yas sar, dey whups de niggers sometime, 'twarnt hard. Dey jus' stands dem up an' whups like dey co'ect de
chilluns. You know de nigger gits de debilment in de haid, like fo'ks do sometime. De Marster hab to larn 'em
better. De Marster does dat hisse'f. He hab no oberseer. No, 'twarnt neber no nigger tries to run away. 'Twarnt no
need to, 'cause each fam'ly hab a cabbin wid bunks fo' to sleep on an' we'uns all lib in de quahtahs. Sich nigger dat
wants to larn to read an' write, de Marster's girls an' boys larns 'em. De girls larned my Auntie how to play de
pianner.
"Dere am lots ob music on dat place. Fiddle, banjo, an' de pianner fo' de cullud fo'ks. Singin', we'uns had lots ob dat.
You know, songs lak Ol' Black Joe, Swanney Ribber, 'eligious songs an' sich. Of'n de Marster hab we'uns come in
his house and clears de dinin' room fo' de dance. His daughtahs, dey plays de pianner, an' wid de fiddle an' banjo,
we'uns hab fine music. Dat am big time on special 'ccasion. Dey not calls it dance dem days, dey calls it de "ball".
"Sho, we'uns goes to chu'ch. Dere am a chu'ch on de place fo' de cullud fo'ks and we'uns hab de cullud preachah.
His name,
'twas Jack Ditto.
"Marster, him goes to Austin 'bout eber quahtah. I'se don' know what fo', but hes driv' dere in de hack. Dat's what
dey calls dat what he driv'. He hab fine hosses fo' de hack. He hab lots ob hosses, mules, and oxen fo' to wo'k, too.
"W'en freedom come de Marster tells all us fo' to come to de f'ont ob de house. We'uns go dere, all de ol' niggers an'
chilluns stan' in de yahd. De Marster am standin' on de po'ch. Him 'splains to we'uns 'bout freedom and sez, "You ah
now free. You can go whar you please." Den him tells we'uns dat he hab larned us not to steal and to be good and
we'uns should 'membah dat. He sez dat we'uns gwine fin' it diff'ent 'cause we'uns hab to take care ob ourse'fs, but if
we'uns get in trouble, 'membah to come to him and he will he'p us. He sho do dat, 'cause de nigger goes to him lots
ob times an' he always he'p.
"De Marster tells we'uns dat him need he'p on de place and sich dat stays, he would pay dem fo' de wo'k. Dere's
whar lots ob dem stayed, but some lef'. To dem dat leaves, de Marster gibs a mule, cow, and sich fo' de staht. To my
fo'ks, De Marster gibs some lan'. He does not gib us de deed, but de right to stay till he dies.
"Sho I'se seen de Klux aftah de wah. I'se hab no 'sperience wid 'em, but my uncle, he gets whupped by dem. He am
den wo'kin' fo' Marster Johnson. What fo' dey whupped my uncle I'se don' know 'zactly, but I'se think 'twas 'bout a
hoss. Marster sho raved 'bout dat, 'cause uncle warnt to blame fo' what happen'.
"When de Klux come do no 'count nigger sho make de scatterment. I'se hear 'bout some dat climb up de chimney,
jump out de winder, hide in de dugout and sich. De nigger dat got out ob line, 'twas dem dey am aftah. De nigger
date stays whar him belong and min' him own business hab no trouble. Like de case ob my uncle, dey sometime
make de mistake.
"De Marster dies 'bout seben yeahs aftah freedom. Eberybody am heap sorry w'en de Marster dies. Him die in
Austin, an' dey hab some kind fune'al dere. Aftah dat, dey brings him home. I'se neber seen sich a fune'al, lots ob
big men f'om Austin come. All us cullud fo'ks cry like 'twas our pappy dat am daid. He was de blessed man.
"I'se mai'ied de second yeah aftah de TP (Ry) come to Fo't Wo'th. I'se mai'ied Sam Jones, he wo'k on de Burk
Burnett stock ranch. We'uns sep'rated aftah five yeahs. I'se not mai'ied 'gain till twelve yeahs aftah dat, den I'se
mai'ied Rubbin Felps. Aftah two yeahs, we'uns sep'rated. I'se hab no chilluns wid dem husbands. I'se hab only one
chile. His name am George Pace. I'se neber mai'ied to his pappy. I'se mai'ied de third husband fo'ty-one yeahs ago.
His name am Jack Borner. He done eber kin' ob wo'k. He died March 26, 1937.
"I'se all de time gits 'long fair, 'cause aftah freedom I'se keeps on wo'kin' doin' de nussin'. Sometimes 'twas hard to
make it an' looks lak I'se not gwine to make it, but I'se did. Now I'se gittin' elebben dollahs f'om de state fo' pension.
I'se gits dat eber month, so now I'se sho ob somethin' fo' to eat, an' dat makes me happy.
Alex Hampton, P.W. Marshall, Texas, Harrison County (December 4, 1938 (No))
Bormer, Hetty -- Additional Interview
HETTY BORMER, 80, was born a slave to Col. M.T.Johnson, who farmed at Johnson Station in Tarrant County.
He owned Betty's parents, five sisters and four brothers, in addition to about 75 other slaves. After the family was
freed, they moved with the other slaves to a piece of land Col. Johnson allowed them the use of until his death.
Betty lives in a negro settlement at Stop Six, a suburb of Fort Worth.
"I'se bo'n April 4th, in 1857, at Johnson Station. It was named after my marster. He had a big farm, I'se don' know
how many acres. He had seven chillen; three boys, Ben, ton and Mart, and four girls, Elizabeth, Sally, Roddy and
Veanna.
"Marster Johnson was good to us cullud folks and he feeds us good. He kep' lots of hawgs, dat makes de meat. In de
smokehouse am hung up meat enough for to feed de army, it looks like. We'uns have all de clothes we need and dey
was made on de place. My mammy am de sewing woman and my pappy am de shoemaker. My work, for to mos de
small chillen of de marster.
"On Sat'day we's let off work and lots de time some of us come to Fort Worth wid de marster and he gives us a
nickel or a dine for to boy candy.
"Day whips de niggers sometimes, but 'twarn't hard. You know, de nigger gits de devilment in de head, like folks
do, sometimes, and de marster have to larn 'em better. He done dat hisself and he have no overseer. Mo nigger tried
run away, 'cause each family have a cabin wid bunks for to sleep on and we'uns all live in de quarters. Sich nigger
as wants to larn read and write, de marster's girls and boys larns 'em. De girls learned my mastic hew to play de
piano.
"Dere am lots of music on dat place: fiddle, banjo and de piano. Singin." we had lots of dat, songs like Ole Black
Joe and 'ligious songs and sich. Often de marster have we'uns come in his house and clears de dinin' room for de
dance. Dat an big time, on special occasion. Dey not calls it 'dance' dem days, day calls it de 'ball.'
"She', we'uns goes to church and de preacher's name, it was Jack Ditte.
"Durin' de war, I notices de vittles am 'bout de same. De soldiers come dere and day driv' off over de hill some of de
cattle for to kill for to eat. Once day took some houses and I hears marster may dem was de Quamtrell mens. Dey
comes several times and de marster don' like it, but he cain't help it.
"When freedom come marster tells all us to come to front of de house. He am standin' on de porch. His 'splains 'bout
freedom and says. 'You is now free and can go whar you pleases.' Dan he tells as he have lerned us not to steal and
to be good and we'uns should 'number dat and if we'uns gets in trouble to come to him and he will help we. He sho'
do dat, too, 'cause de niggers goes to him lots of times and he always helps.
"Marster says dat he needs help on de place and sich dat stays, he'd pay 'dem for de work. Lots of dem stayed, but
some left. To dem dat leaves, marster gives a mule, or cow and sich for de start. To my folks, marster gives some
land. He doesn't give us de deed, but de right to stay till he dies.
"Sho', I seen de Klux after de war but I has no 'sperience wid 'em. My uncle, he gits whipped by 'em, what for I don'
know 'zactly, but I think it was 'bout a hose. Marster sho' rave 'bout dat. 'cause my uncle weren't to blame.
"When de Klux come de no 'count nigger sho make de scatterment. Some climb up de chimney or jump out de
winder and hide in de dugout and sich.
"De marster dies 'bout seven years after freedom and everybody sorry den. I never seen such a fun'ral and lots of big
men from Austin comes. He was de blessed man!
"I married de second year after de T.P. railroad come to Fort Worth, to Sam Jones and he work on de Burk Burnett
stock ranch. I'se divorseted from him after five years and den after 12 more years I marries Rubbin Felps. My las'
husban' a named Joe Borner, but I'se never married to the father of my only chile. His name am George Pace.
"I allus gits long fair, 'cause after freedom I keeps on workin' doin' de nussin'. Now I'se gittin' 'leven dollars from de
state for pension, and gits it every month so now I'se sho' of somethin' to eat and dat makes me happy.
