fum
one year end to de odder. Anodder auntie wus a loomer."

"And where did you go to church?"

"We went to de Salem Chu'ch. Yas'm we all go to chu'ch. Marster want us
to go to chu'ch. We sit on one side--so--and dey sit over dere. Dey wus
Methodis'. My mother was Methodis', but dey gib her her letter when
freedom come."

"How about dances, Auntie? Did they have dances and frolics?"

"Yassum, on Sadday night. But boys had to git a pass when dey go out or
de Padderola git 'em."

"So you had a happy time in those days, eh?"

"Lawdy, yas'm. If de world would done now like dey did den de world
wouldn't be in such a mess. I gwine on eighty-five, but I wish de young
ones wus raise now like I was raise. Marster taught us to do right."

"How many children have you?"

"I had 'leben--seben livin now." Then she laughed. "But I wus ole maid
when I git married."

"I wus twenty years old! In dem days all dey hadder do to git married
wus step over de broom."

"Step over the broom. Didn't your master have the preacher come and
marry you?"

"Lawdy, no'm. De broom wus de law!" Then she laughed. "Jus' say you
wanner be married and de couple git together 'fore witnesses and step
ober de broom."

"Do you remember when freedom came?"

"Lawdy yas'm. Mr. DeLoach come riding up to de plantachun in one o' dem
low-bellied ca'yages. He call to Jo and James--dem de boys what stay
round de house to bring wood and rake de grass and sich--he sont Jo and
Jim down to all de fields to tell all de hands to come up. Dey unhitch
de mules fum de plows and come wid de chains rattlin', and de cotton
hoers put dey hoes on dey shoulders--wid de blades shinin' in de sun,
and all come hurrying to hear what Mr. DeLoach want wid'em. Den he read
de freedom warrant to 'em. One man so upset he start runnin' and run
clear down to de riber and jump in."

EUGENE WESLEY SMITH, 1105 Robert Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852

Eugene is 84 years old. He has thin features, trembling lips and a
sparse beard. His skin is a deep brown, lined and veined. His legs
showing over white socks are scaly. His hands are palsied, but his mind
is intelligent. He shows evidences of association with white people in
his manner of speech, which at times is in the manner of white persons,
again reverting to dialect.

Eugene stated that his father was a slave who belonged to Steadman Clark
of Augusta, and acted as porter in Mr. Clark's jewelry store on Broad
Street. His