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Hattie Gates
"I was born in de town of Jefferson, Texas. I disremember de exact date, but I wus old enough ter 'member de
soljers as dey passed by our house an 'member de things dey talked 'bout befo' freedom.
"My pappy an Mammy was Austin an' Elizabeth Johnson, dey was den sold ter a Mr. John Ford who brung dem
from Louisiana ter Texas befo' dey was set free. I lived wid my folks an we worked fer Mr. Ford after freedom until
I was grown an went ter cookin fer de white folks.
"W'en we lived at Jefferson, I kin member de Yankees stoppin' an paradin' de streets an gittin' de niggers ter go an
help dem fight. Dey tole dem dat e'fn dey go an help dem dey would be free befo' long, dat de war would soon be
over, an some of de niggers went with dem.
"One time a big General cum ter town wid de Yankee soljers, dey was all dressed up in de blue uniforms an' dey
told us hit was General Grant, but I don't know fer sure who hit was, dey paraded up an down de street an he made a
speech ter de crowd, den dey went away on de steamboat back ter de Missippi ribber.
"I lived near Jefferson whar I could see de steamboats w'en dey cum from Shreveport ter bring de supplies ter de
people. I has seen de long wagon trains of cotton an corn cumin from udder parts of Texas bringin' hit ter de
markets ter be shipped from Jefferson.
"Dey shipped hit ter Memphis, Tennessee, New Orleans, Louisiana, an' many odder places. W'en de boat-men an de
wagon trains met at Jefferson, den dey has a big supper an sometimes dances on de boat, de white folks has dey
good times an' de niggers do too, fer dey had de nigger boat hands an white too.
"I kin member goin' ter de dances, I went ter de dances fer de niggers an den I went ter de white folks dances an
helped ter wait on de tables w'en dey had suppers, sometimes dey had big suppers we served at midnight with de
wine an drinks, we did dis mos' of de time on Thanksgivin' and Chrismus, w'en dey dance, dey had a man dat did de
callin, fer dey danced de square dance dem days. I kin member two songs dat he sing an call by,
"Setch a kickin up san', Jonahs Band, Setch a kickin' up san', Jonahs Band, Han's up sixteen, Circle ter de right!
We's gwine ter git big eatin's here tonite,
Setch a kickin up san', Jonahs Band, Setch a kickin up san', Jonahs Band, Raise up yer right foot, kick hit up high,
Knock dat Mobile buck in de eye.
Setch a kickin up san', Jonahs Band, Setch a kickin' up san', Jonahs Band, Stan' up, flat foot, Jump dem bars, Karry
back'ards a train of kyars.
"Setch a kickin' up san', Jonahs Band, Setch a kickin' up san', Jonahs Band, Dance 'roun' show em de pint, Dat
nigger don't know how ter coon jaunt.
"De dance callers wore de big boots, an de red handkerchiefs tied 'roun dey necks, an de big cowboy hats fer dey
was begginning ter have de cowboy styles den. Yes'm I kin tell yer 'nuther call song, hit was about de birds an hit
goes like dis,
"De Jaybird died wid de whoopin cough, De Sparrer died wid de colic, Long cum a Red-bird skippin 'roun', Sayin'
'Boys git ready fer de frolic, De Jaybird died wid de whoopin' cough, De Blue-bird died wid de measles, Long cum
a nigger wid a fiddle on his back, 'Vitin crews ter dance wid de Weasles.
"Dat Mockin'-bird he roam an' sing, De ole Gray Goose cum prancin, Dat Thrasher stuff his mouf' wid de plums,
Den he caper on ter dancin'. Dey hopped hit high an' dey hopped hit low, Dey hopped hit ter an' dey hopped hit by,
Dey hopped hit far an' dey hopped hit nigh, Dat fiddle an bow, jes make 'em fly.
"Dem was de good times we had w'en I was a girl at Jefferson, Texas. Dey had dem befo' freedom too, de Marster
let de niggers have de dances in de barn, an dey called hit de Barn Dance, den w'en de Haloween cum dey dress up
in de spooks clo's an' dey dance den go out ter skeer de white chillun an dat is de way dat dey started de spooks
walkin 'roun at dat time, so my folks tell me 'bout de times befo' freedom.
"De ole Marster dat sold my pappy an mammy ter Mr. Ford had lots of horses an de niggers all rode dem, dey
plowed wid de oxen an kept de horses ter ride an train fer de races, some of de ole Marsters had dar own race tracks
ter train de horses on, dey sent dem ter de big races at Hot Springs, Arkansas, an Louisville, Kentucky, dey had de
jockey boys, dey had ter practice ridin an dey jes et 'special things so dey don't git too fat, dey wear de jockey suits
wid de gold an silver trimmin' an black boots an little jockey cap, dey sho do look fine, an dey feel fine a struttin'
roun' so big.
"Back in Louisiana de ole Massa an Mistis had a fine chestnut colored team dey drive ter de big fambly kerriage;
dey had long laigs, slim backs, high arch necks an w'en dey hitch dem ter de kerriage dey prance so de boy dat
harness dem up fer de coachman kaint hold dem hardly. Dey had two coachmen, de boy dat hitch dem up an dat
take de chillun ter school in de little buggy an' de ole nigger dat done git too ole ter do anything but drive de Massa
'roun an' be waited on too. He drove de massa on de big occasions ter de Court house, ter his business, de fambly
ter church an ter de society doin's. De livery boy would drive de horses 'roun ter de door, den de Massa an Mistis an
de fambly would cum an de ole head coachman would hand de wimmen in de coach in grand style, w'en he han'
dem in he would have to step lively fer de horses won't wait, dey in sich a hurry ter be off.
"I hear my folks tell all dis an' talk 'bout dem days, I kin member w'en dey had de big kerriages in Texas, too, hit
was not like 'tis now, w'en dey goes anywahr, dey goes in de autymobile an dey goes so fast dat de wimmen had ter
hold on ter keep from being blown out de car. Dey don't have time ter go courtin like dey did in de ole times wid de
horses an de buggies, after dey quit drivin de big fambly kerriage.
"Mr. Ford cum ter Texas ter raise stock mostly an he did not have a big plantashun like my folks had lived on. In
Louisiana, dey had big pasture an cattle an horses, hogs an sheep, den he raised lots of corn an oats, cowpeas an
feed fer de stock, an jes had a little cotton at first, after freedom he bought more land an' had more cotton an' de
niggers begun ter cum ter dis part of Texas, an' so dey finally had a big place wid lots of niggers.
"W'en I lived at Jefferson dey jes had what dey called East Texas an' West Texas; de Trinity Ribber was 'bout de
dividin' line de bes I kin member, I never heard dem ever say anything about any Central Texas, hit was jes, West of
de Trinity, was West Texas.
"After de country aroun' Jefferson got so many people den dey commenced ter move whar dey could have more
pasture, 'specially de men dat wanted ter raise stock. Some went ter South Texas, some ter West Texas, an some ter
de Red River in North Texas.
"About dat time my folks died an I went ter Waco ter cook fer de white folks. I stayed in Waco an cooked for forty
years. I kin 'member lots an lots of things dat happened in dat time w'en I gits ter thinkin 'bout his. I will try ter tell
yo' some of dese things.
"As well as I kin 'member Governor Richard Coke was runnin fer de Governor, an' dey had big times w'en he was
'lected, dey had bonfires, an de band a playin, an everybody happy, I thinks he lived in Waco down near whar de
Cotton Palace grounds now is. I used ter go down that way w'en I lived on North Eighth Street. I cooked fer so
many people dat I kaint 'member der names. I know dat I cooked fer de Jurneys, a brother to de one dat had a drug
sto', but dat was a long time after de days w'en I fust went dar.
"I was livin in Waco w'en dey had de furst Cotton Palace, long time ago, been more dan thirty years I guess. De
people cum in de buggies an little carts an wagons. Hit burned down. Everybody cum ter hit den, only hit was
bigger befo' hit burned den hit was atter hit burned. Dey had de races too e'fn I member right.
"I kin member ole Dr. Burleson, de President of Baylor University. He let de nigger wimmen go ter de boys and de
girls dormitory ter get de washin's; dey allers gib dem plenty of work in dem days.
"Den I members Jedge Gerald dat used ter live in North Waco. I kin 'member de Mr. Brann who run de paper, he
lived on North Fifth Street, he got killed, but I don't 'member how hit 'twas.
"I jes can member w'en some of de railroads was built into Waco. I think hit was de Houston an' Texas Central, an
de udders I don't member which ones. I 'members w'en dey built de Suspenshun Bridge an hearin' dem talk 'bout hit
bein' de longest 'spenshun in de world.
"I kin 'member w'en de niggers make a little money an quits pickin cotton an' de Ku-Klux parades down de street in
Waco wid de signs dat dey must go ter work or leave town. I 'members one time dat dey was paradin' one night an I
was goin' home from my work. Dey had on de big tall white caps an long white robes an had de big red cross holdin
up in front of de parade, one of de Ku-Klux called out ter me an told me "I better git home", an' I knowed his voice
an' I tell him "he kaint skeer me, I knows him", he jes laughs an goes on.
"I kin member w'en dey had de school up in North Waco, old Add-Ran College, befo' dey called hit "Texas
Christian University"; when dey had de big base-ball games wid Baylor University. Dey had big times, everybody
dat could, hit seemed, went ter game, an' when hit was over den de Baylor boys an de Add-Ran, or T. C. U. boys
had some fight, dey jes fought ter keep up de school spirit we 'spose, dey mos' allers had de fights not big ones but
jes little fights after de game was over. De school dat wins would parade up an down Austin Street an we niggers
would all go ter town ter see de parade.
"We had our big meetin's in Waco too, w'en de young folks in de nigger crowd wanted ter have a good time goin'
ter de big meetins. We went ter see de Holy Rollers; an w'en de white folks wanted ter go ter de white folks meetin
whar dey had de shoutin' dey went ter de Holiness meetin's. Dey had dis meetin out from town few miles, an hit was
jes a good drive fer young folks.
"One of de songs dat de Holy-Rollers sung was, 'Gimme dat ole time religion'.
"Den anudder song was "Somebody's knockin at your door,"
"Somebody's knockin at yo' do', Oh, sinner, why don't Yer answer? Somebody's knockin at yo door.
"Knocks like Jesus, Somebody's knockin at yo' door, Knocks like Jesus, Somebody's knockin at yo door,
"De meetins seem nearer de Lawd den, maybe hit bekase I is gittin old an' cant hear good any more. Dey used ter git
happy an shout more, dey had regular shoutin songs, one was
"Dem Charmin Bells."
"Cum along my brother, cum along, de time is drawin' nigh, De angels say dar's nothin' ter do, but ring dem charmin
bells.
"Den we had de baptisin's on de Bosque ribber. Sometimes, e'fn hit was low on de Brazos, an' we sing as we march
down ter de ribber,
"Lets us go down ter Jordan, Lets us go down ter Jordan, Let us go down ter Jordan. Never ter return no more.
Fisherman Peter on de sea, on de sea, on de sea, Fisherman Peter on de sea, never return no mo'. Forsake yo' an'
foller me, foller me, foller me, Forsake yo' net an foller me, never return no mo'.
"When hit time fer de worshipers ter cum up ter de front an give de offerin' dis is one of de songs dey sing,
"You say you love yo' broth'ah, Dat is very true, Answer when yo' name is called. Put yo' money on de table too,
Whar you boun'? I'se boun fo' kingdom lan'.
"What is de custom of dem days fer a funeral?" Well most of de time dey don't have time fer de regular funeral w'en
de body is buried. Only a simple service is held w'en dey bury de body. De funeral cum sometimes weeks later; dey
has lots of things ter do befo' de real funeral service is read. First dey had ter find a time w'en de members of de
fambly's connection's could be dar', an' w'en de folks from de odder places could cum! De mournin' clo's had ter be
made, de preacher had ter be told all 'bout de departed ones good an bad qualities, de order of de procession wid de
principle monah's arranged fer, de march in de church, an de songs dat he sang; and de skripture dat he liked de
best.
"I married Grant Gates an' we had two chillun, dey both died w'en dey was infants. Wen he died an' I cum to Mart
ter live, 'bout twenty-five or thirty years ago, de people here have been good ter me, an' I am gittin old an deaf an
don't do any work, but de Lawd provided fer me w'en de Government give me a little pension ter buy somethin' ter
eat.
"Yes, I wears de pieces aroun' my neck bekase dey brung me good luck, one is a Catholic emblem dat brought me
luck w'en I was sick, 'tother is a nickel dat brought me luck w'en I was hungry, an de udder one I found, an' I feel
likes hit brung me good luck too.
I feel likes dey bring me good luck w'en I git ter heaven, fer dey show dat I has faith, I gwine ter sing,
"Walkin wid de angels, Yes, Lawd, Walkin wid de angels, Oh-Lawd, Won't we hab a time, Walkin wid de Angels.
Reference: Interview with Hattie Gates, Mart, Texas.
Alfred E. Menn (6-1-38 (No))
