Tom relates the following story:

"My daddy was born in slavery and he was always treated good by his
master, de late Jimeson Chisolm, of Colleton County. He could read and
figure up 'most anything, when he was set free, and he had notions of
his own, too. For instance, he marry my mammy. She die soon after I was
born, and daddy say to me: 'Son, your mammy is gone, but you need not
fear dat any other woman will ever boss you. I's through with wives.'
And he never marry again.

"I come to Columbia with him, when he serve in de Legislature. When he
tell de niggers and white folks, back in Colleton, dat he was not aimin'
to run for de Legislature no more, they was sad. One time I go with him
to Smoak's, where Congressman George D. Tillman was to speak on one of
his campaigns. I felt pretty big, when Congressman Tillman smile and
grasp de hand of my daddy and say: 'You's goin' to say a few words for
me befo' I starts, eh, Chisolm?' 'I sho' will, if you laks,' say my
daddy. Soon he mount de platform, and befo' he say a word, both de white
and de niggers clap deir hands and stamp deir feets and smile. My daddy
bow, smile, and say: 'Ladies and gentlemen: We, us, and company sent
George Tillman to Congress long ago and knows what he has done. Now we's
gwine to send him back, and I is a little in doubt as to whether he is
gwine to take us to Washington, or bring Washington down here!' He say,
he jus' git started. But de crowd was laughin', dancin', and huggin' de
Congressman, and daddy laugh and set down.

"He introduce Master Duncan Clinch Heyward at Walterboro in 1902, when
Master Heyward was making his first race for governor. He raise such
laughter and pay so many witty compliments to Master Heyward, dat
Governor Heyward, when he was 'lected, appoint my daddy to an office in
Columbia, and we come to Columbia to live in 1903. My daddy retire at de
same time dat Governor Heyward quit office, in 1907. He later wrote
insurance on de lives of niggers, and he prosper.

"'Bout 1885, my daddy happen to be walkin' near de corner of Gervais and
Pulaski streets, and two niggers meet dere at de time and begin to
quarrel. My daddy stop and watch them awhile. One of them niggers kill
de other, and some time afterward a nigger lawyer come to see my daddy
and ask him: 'Wasn't you dere?' 'I sho' was,' say my daddy. De nigger
lawyer laugh and slap daddy on de back and say: 'Come on.' Daddy come
back in a few hours pretty tipsy. 'Dat lawye