ame way yer brung h'it in, fer dat
'ill kill de bad luck."

When asked if she believed in ghosts or could "see sights" she said:
"Well, Miss, yer know if yer is borned wid er veil over yer face yer can
see sights but I has never seed any ghosts er sight's, I warn't born dat
way, but my niece, here has seed ghostes, en she can tell yer 'bout
dat."

When we were ready to leave we said, "Well, Aunt Fanny, we hope you live
for many more years." She replied: "I'se willin' ter go on livin' ez
long ez de Marster wants me ter, still I'se ready when de summons comes.
De good Lawd has allus giv' me grace ter liv' by, an' I know He'll giv'
me dyin' grace when my time comes."

[HW: Dist. 6
Ex-slave #94]

Alberta Minor
Re-search Worker

SHADE RICHARDS, Ex-slave
East Solomon Street
Griffin, Georgia

September 14, 1936
[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]

Shade Richards was born January 13, 1846 on the Jimpson Neals plantation
below Zebulon in Pike County. His father, Alfred Richards had been
brought from Africa and was owned by Mr. Williams on an adjoining
plantation. His mother, Easter Richards was born in Houston County but
sold to Mr. Neal. Shade being born on the plantation was Mr. Neal's
property. He was the youngest of 11 children. His real name was
"Shadrack" and the brother just older than he was named "Meshack".
Sometimes the mothers named the babies but most of the time the masters
did. Mr. Neal did Shade's "namin'".

Shade's father came two or three times a month to see his family on Mr.
Neal's plantation always getting a "pass" from his master for "niggers"
didn't dare go off their own plantation without a "pass". Before the war
Shade's grandfather came from Africa to buy his son and take him home,
but was taken sick and both father and son died. Shade's earliest
recollections of his mother are that she worked in the fields until "she
was thru' bornin' chillun" then she was put in charge of the milk and
butter. There were 75 or 80 cows to be milked twice a day and she had to
have 5 or 6 other women helpers.

Mr. Neal had several plantations in different localities and his family
did not live on this one in Pike County but he made regular visits to
each one. It had no name, was just called "Neal's Place." It consisted
of thirteen hundred acres. There were always two or three hundred slaves
on the place, besides the ones he just bought and sold for "tradin'". He
didn't like "little nigger men" and when he happe