d an sleeps like a baby, an dat old witch doan
bother me no more.

"Ony oncet. Soon's I wake up, I light me a lamp an look on de floor an
dere, side o' my bed was my dress, layin right over dat flaxseed, so's
she could walk over on de dress, big as life. I snatch up de dress an
throw it an de bed; den I go to sleep, an I ain _never_ been bothered no
more.

"Some folks reads de Bible backwards to keep witches fum ridin em, but
dat doan do me no good, cause I kaint read. But flaxseed work so good I
doan be studyin night-ridin witches no more."

FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT
American Guide, (Negro Writers' Unit)

Rachel A. Austin, Field Worker
John A. Simms, Editor
Jacksonville, Florida
October 27, 1936

SAMUEL SIMEON ANDREWS

For almost 30 years Edward Waters College, an African Methodist
Episcopal School, located on the north side of Kings Road in the western
section of Jacksonville, has employed as watchman, Samuel Simeon Andrews
(affectionately called "Parson"), a former slave of A.J. Lane of
Georgia, Lewis Ripley of Beaufort, South Carolina, Ed Tillman of Dallas,
Texas, and John Troy of Union Springs, Alabama.

"Parson" was born November 18, 1850 in Macon, Georgia, at a place called
Tatum Square, where slaves were held, housed and sold. "Speculators"
(persons who traveled from place to place with slaves for sale) had
housed 84 slaves there--many of whom were pregnant women. Besides
"Parson," two other slave-children, Ed Jones who now lives in Sparta,
Georgia, and George Bailey were born in Tatum Square that night. The
morning after their births, a woman was sent from the nearby A.J. Lane
plantation to take care of the three mothers; this nurse proved to be
"Parson's" grandmother. His mother told him afterwards that the meeting
of mother and daughter was very jubilant, but silent and pathetic,
because neither could with safety show her pleasure in finding the
other. At the auction which was held a few days later, his mother,
Rachel, and her two sons, Solomon Augustus and her infant who was later
to be known as "Parson," were purchased by A.J. Lane who had previously
bought "Parson's" father, Willis, from a man named Dolphus of Albany,
Georgia; thus were husband and wife re-united. They were taken to Lane's
plantation three miles out of Sparta, Georgia, in Hancock County. Mr.
Lane owned 85 slaves and was known to be very kind and considerate.

"Parson" lived on the Lane plantation until he was eight years