t of the haunts.

When the War come along the Major got kinder mean with some of the
slaves, but not with me. I never did try to run off, but some of 'em
did. One of my brothers tried and got caught.

The old Master whipped him 'til the blood spurted all over his body,
the bull whip cutting in deeper all the time. He finish up the
whipping with a wet coarse towel and the end got my brother in the
eye. He was blinded in the one eye but the other eye is good enough he
can see they ain't no use trying to run away no more.

After the War they was more whippings. This time it was the night
riders--them Klan folks didn't fool with mean Negroes. The mean
Negroes was whipped and some of them shot when they do something the
Klan folks didn't like, and when they come a-riding up in the night,
all covered with white spreads, they was something bound to happen.

Them way back days is gone and I is mighty glad. The Negroes of today
needs another leader like Booker Washington. Get the young folks to
working, that's what they need, and get some filling in their pie
crust religion so's when they meet the Lord their soul won't be empty
like is their pocketbooks today!

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves

LEWIS BONNER
Age 87 yrs.
507 N. Durland
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I was born 7 miles north of Palestine, Texas, on Matt Swanson's place
in 1850, but I kin not remember the date. My mistress was name Celia
Swanson. My mistress was so good to me till I jest loved her.

My family and all slaves on our place was treated good. Mighty few
floggings went on 'round and about. Master was the overseer over his
darkies and didn't use no other'n. I waited table and churned in the
Big House.

I ate at the table with my mistress and her family and nothing was
evah said. We ate bacon, greens, Irish potatoes and such as we git
now. Aunt Chaddy was the cook and nurse for all the chillun on the
place.

We used to hear slaves on de other places hollering from whippings,
but master never whipped his niggers 'less they lied. Sometimes slaves
from other places would run off and come to our place. Master would
take them back and tell the slave-holders how to treat them so dey
wouldn't run off again.

Mistress had a little stool for me in the big house, and if I got
sleepy, she put me on the foot of her bed and I stayed there til
morning, got up washed my face and hands and got ready to wait on the
table.

There was four or five hun