e more ash. Yuh le' it cook right done en den yuh take it up en wash
it offen en it ready to eat. Us chillun lub dat den."

"Annuder t'ing dat eat right smart in dem days wuz dat t'ing call big
hominy. Dey jes ge' some whole grain corn en put it in de pot en boil it
long time. Den dey take it offen de fire en pour lye water aw o'er it.
Dey do dat to ge' de husk offen it. Soak ash outer de fire en ge' dat
lye water. Den dey hadder take it to de well outer in de yard en wash it
uh heap uv time to ge' dat lye outer it. A'ter dat dey season it wid
salt en pepper en cook it annuder time. No 'mam, dey ne'er eat it wid no
butter. Jes drap it in de grease wha' left in de pan a'ter dey fry de
meat en make it right brown lak. Dat de way dey cook dey big hominy."

"Folks don' hab time to do t'ings in de right way lak dey use'er cause
de world gwine too fas' dese day en time. Dese people comin' up 'bout
heah dese days ain' gwinna ne'er quit habin' so mucha belly ache long uz
dey ain' stop eatin' aw dem half done ration dey is eat. Coase de
peoples wiser now but dey weaker. De peoples wuz more humble in dem
days. When dey didn't hab no rain, dey ge' togedder en pray fa rain en
dey ge' it too. I tellin' yuh peoples gotta work effen dey gwinna ge' to
de right place when dey leab heah. Effen de peoples ne'er didn't go to
chu'ch in dem days, dey stay home. Ne'er see chillun in de road on
Sunday eve'y which uh way lak yunnah see em dese days. My pa say yuh
mus' train up uh child in de way he oughta go en den effen dey stray
'way, dey sho' come back a'ter while. I tellin' yuh de peoples ain' lak
dey use'er wuz. Dey sho' wickeder en worser in dis day en time den when
I raise up. Dey wuz more friendly den en do more favor fa peoples. It
jes lak dis, I ain' gwinna do nobody no harm. Effen I can' do em no
good, ain' gwinna do no harm en ain' gwinna 'buse em neither."

Source: Aunt Silva Durant, colored, Marion, S. C.
Personal interview, May 1937.

Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S. C.
Date, October 21, 1937

SYLVIA DURANT
Ex-Slave, 72 Years

"Well, I tell you just like it been. Dat was an unexpectin trip when you
come here dat day en I wasn' thinkin bout much dat I had know to tell
you. It been kind o' put me on a wonder."

"You see, child, I never didn' see my grandfather cause when I was born,
dey had done sold him away. I hear tell dat sometimes dey would take de
wife