We allus had hog-jowl and peas on New Years Day 'cause iffen you'd
have dat on New Years Day you'd have good luck all de year.

Iffen you have money on New Years' Day you will have money all de
year.

My husband, Lewis Wells, lived to be one-hundred and seven years old.
He died five years ago. He could see witches, spirits and ghosts but I
never could. Dere are a few things dat I've noticed and dey never
fail.

Dogs howling and scritch owls hollering is allus a warning. My mother
was sick and we didn't think she was much sick. A dog howled and
howled right outside de house. Old Master say, "Nellie gonna die."
Sure nuff she died dat night.

Another time a gentle old mule we had got after de children and run
'em to do house and den he lay down and wallow and wallow. One of our
children was dead 'fore a week.

One of our neighbors say his dog been gone 'bout a week. He was
walking and met de dog and it lay down and stretch out on de ground
and measure a grave wid his body. He made him git up and he went home
jest as fast as he could. When he got dere one of his children was
dead.

Iffen my left eye quiver I know I'm gwineter cry and iffen both my
eyes quiver I know I gwinter laugh till I cry. I don't like for my
eyes to quiver.

We has allus made our own medicine. Iffen we hadn't we never could
astood de chills and fevers. We made a tea out'n bitter weeds and
bathed in it to cure malaria. We also made bread pills and soaked 'em
in dis tea and swallowed 'em. After bathing in dis tea we'd go to bed
and kiver up and sweat de malaria out.

Horse mint and palm of crystal (Castor-bean) and bullnettle root
boiled together will make a cure fer swelling. Jest bathe de swollen
part in dis hot tea.

Anvil dust and apple vinegar will cure dropsy. One tea cup of anvil
dust to a quart of vinegar. Shake up well and bathe in it. It sure
will cure de worse kind of a case.

God worked through Abraham Lincoln and he answered de prayers of dem
dat was wearing de burden of slavery. We cullud folks all love and
honor Abraham Lincoln's memory and don't you think we ought to?

I love to hear good singing. My favorite songs are: "Am I A Soldier Of
The Cross", an "How Can I Live In Sin and Doubt My Savior's Love." I
belongs to de Baptist church.

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
Revision of story sent in 8-13-37.

JOHN WHITE
Age 121 years
Sand Springs, Okla.

Of all my Mammy's children I am the first born and th