say nothing.

Doing one 'lection they sung:

Clark et the watermelon
J. D. Giddings et the vine!
Clark gone to Congress
An' J. D. Giddings left behind.

They hung Jeff Davis up a sour apple tree. They say he was a
president, but he wasn't, he was a big senator man.

Booker T. Washington was all right in his way, I guess, but Bruce and
Fred Douglass, or big mens jest sold us back to the white folks.

I married Haywood Telford and had 13 head of chillun by him. My oldest
daughter is the mammy of 14. All my chillun but four done gone to
heaven before me.

I jined the church in Chapel Hill, Texas. I am born of the Spirit of
God sho' nuff. I played with him seven years and would go right on
dancing at Christmas time. Now I got religion. Everybody oughta live
right, though you won't have no friends iffen you do.

Our overseer was a poor man. Had us up before day and lak-a-that. He
was paid to be the head of punishment. I jest didn't like to think of
them old slavery days, dogs' days.

[Illustration: Katie Rowe]

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
[HW: (photo)]
[Date stamp: AUG 16 1937]

KATIE ROWE
Age 88 yrs.
Tulsa, Oklahoma

I can set on de gallery, whar de sunlight shine bright, and sew a
powerful fine seam when my grandchillun wants a special purty dress
for de school doings, but I ain't worth much for nothing else I
reckon.

These same old eyes seen powerful lot of tribulations in my time, and
when I shets 'em now I can see lots of l'il chillun jest lak my
grandchillun, toting hoes bigger dan dey is, and dey pore little black
hands and legs bleeding whar dey scratched by de brambledy weeds, and
whar dey got whuppings 'cause dey didn't git out all de work de
overseer set out for 'em.

I was one of dem little slave gals my own self, and I never seen
nothing but work and tribulations till I was a grown up woman, jest
about.

De niggers had hard traveling on de plantation whar I was born and
raised, 'cause old Master live in town and jest had de overseer on de
place, but iffen he had lived out dar hisself I speck it been as bad,
'cause he was a hard driver his own self.

He git biling mad when de Yankees have dat big battle at Pea Ridge and
scatter de 'Federates all down through our country all bleeding and
tied up and hungry, and he jest mount on his hoss and ride out to de
plantation whar we all hoeing corn.

He ride up and tell old man Saunders--dat de overseer--to bunch