ccupants pay no
rent. Neither of them are able to work. They have been fed by charity
and the W. P. A. for the past eighteen months.

(John talking)

"Where and when I born? Well, dat'll take some 'hear say', Mister. I
never knowed my mammy. They say she was a white lady dat visited my old
marster and mistress. Dat I was found in a basket, dressed in nice baby
clothes, on de railroad track at Dawkins, S. C. De engineer stop de
train, got out, and found me sumpin' like de princess found Moses, but
not in de bulrushes. Him turn me over to de conductor. De conductor
carry me to de station at Dawkins, where Marse Tom Dawkins come to meet
de train dat mornin' and claim me as found on his land. Him say him had
de best right to me. De conductor didn't 'ject to dat. Marse Tom carry
me home and give me to Miss Betsy. Dat was his wife and my mistress. Her
always say dat Sheton Brown was my father. He was one of de slaves on de
place; de carriage driver. After freedom he tell me he was my real
pappy. Him took de name of Brown and dat's what I go by.

"My father was a ginger-bread colored man, not a full-blooded nigger.
Dat's how I is altogether yallow. See dat lady over dere in dat chair?
Dat's my wife. Her brighter skinned than I is. How come dat? Her daddy
was a full-blooded Irishman. He come over here from Ireland and was
overseer for Marse Bob Clowney. He took a fancy for Adeline's mammy, a
bright 'latto gal slave on de place. White women in them days looked
down on overseers as poor white trash. Him couldn't git a white wife but
made de best of it by puttin' in his spare time a honeyin' 'round
Adeline's mammy. Marse Bob stuck to him, and never 'jected to it.

"When de war come on, Marse Richard, de overseer, shoulder his gun as a
soldier and, as him was educated more than most of de white folks, him
rise to be captain in de Confederate Army. It's a pity him got kilt in
dat war.

"My marster, Tom Dawkins, have a fine mansion. He owned all de land
'round Dawkins and had 'bout 200 slaves, dat lived in good houses and
was we well fed. My pappy was de man dat run de mill and grind de wheat
and corn into flour and meal. Him never work in de field. He was 'bove
dat. Him 'tend to de ginnin' of de cotton and drive de carriage.

"De Yankees come and burn de mansion, de gin-house and de mill. They
take all de sheep, mules, cows, hogs and even de chickens. Set de slaves
free and us niggers have a hard time ever since.

"My black