ash cake dat de people used
to cook way back dere, I say. Oh, dey would mix up a batter just like
dey was gwine make a hoecake en wrap it all up in oak leaves or a piece
of dis here heavy brown paper en lay it in de hot ashes. Den dey would
rake some more hot ashes all over de top of it. Yes'um, de dampness out
de hoecake would keep de wrappin wet en when it would get done, de paper
would peel right off it. I tell you, honey, I mighty glad I been come
along in dat day en time. Mighty thankful I been a child of de olden
ways."

"Yes, child, de people what been raise de slavery way, dey been have a
heap of curious notions en some of dem was good, I say. Yes, mam, dere
one sign dat I remembers bout en I follows dat up right sharp dese days.
I sho watches dat closely. Say, somebody have a mouthful of rations en
sneeze, it a sign of death. I finds dat to be very true to speak bout.
Yes'um, I notices dat a good one, Miss Davis."

"Den I got another one comin. Always say, when you see bout a dozen
buzzards moesin (flying) round a house en den dey break off en make a
straight shoot for a graveyard, dere somebody out dat house gwine be
bury dere soon. Cose dat what I hear talk bout, but I ain' watched dat
so much."

"No, mam, dat ain' half de signs what de olden people used to have cause
dat all what dey know to tell dem what to do en what was gwine happen.
Dem what was wise, dey followed dem signs closely, too. Yes, you come
back another time, child, en I'll see can I scratch up a heap of dem
other sign to tell you. When I gets to talkin to you bout old times, my
mind, it just gets to wanderin over dem old fields whe' I run bout as a
little small child en I can' half remember nothin to speak to you bout."

Source: Lizzie Davis, colored, Marion, S. C.--Age 70 to 80.
Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, Dec., 1937.

Code No.
Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S. C.
Date, December 21, 1937
No. Words ----
Reduced from ---- words
Rewritten by ----

LIZZIE DAVIS
Ex-Slave, Age ----

"My parents, dey was sho raise in de South. Been come up on de old man
Foster Brown's plantation. Ain' you know whe' Mr. Foster Brown used to
live? Yes, mam, down dere in dat grove of pecans dat you see settin side
de road, when you be gwine down next to Centenary. I remember, I hear my
father tell bout dat his mammy was sold right here to dis courthouse, on
dat big public