t the dining table to hold grease lamps for the white
folks to see to eat. And we would use brushes to shoo away the flies.

In 1869 I left the plantation to go on my own. I landed in Heart County,
Ky. and went to work for Mr. George Parish in the tobacco fields at
$25.00 per year and two suits of clothes; after working two years for
Mr. Parish I left. I drifted from place to place in Alabama and
Mississippi, working first at one place and then another, and finally
drifted into Franklin in 1912 and went to work on the Fred Murry farm on
Hurricane road for 10 years. I afterwards worked for Ashy Furgerson, a
house mover.

I have lived at my present address, 651 North Young St. since coming to
Franklin.

(Can furnish photograph if wanted) [TR: no photograph found.]

Archie Koritz, Field Worker
Federal Writers' Project
Porter County--District #1
Valparaiso, Indiana

EX-SLAVES
REV. WAMBLE [TR: above in handwriting is 'Womble']
1827 Madison Street
Gary, Indiana

Rev. Wamble was born a slave in Monroe County, Mississippi, in 1859. The
Westbrook family owned many slaves in charge of over-seers who managed
the farm, on which there were usually two hundred or more slaves. One of
the Westbrook daughters married a Mr. Wamble, a wagon-maker. The
Westbrook family gave the newly-weds two slaves, as did the Wamble
family. One of the two slaves coming from the Westbrook family was Rev.
Wamble's grandfather. It seems that the slaves took the name of their
master, hence Rev. Wamble's grandfather was named Wamble.

Families owning only a few slaves and in moderate circumstances usually
treated their slaves kindly since like a farmer with only a few horses,
it was to their best interest to see that their slaves were well
provided for. The slaves were valuable, and there was no funds to buy
others, whereas the large slave owners were wealthy and one slave more
or less made little difference. The Reverend's father and his brothers
were children of original African slaves and were of the same age as the
Wamble boys and grew up together. The Reverend's grandfather was manager
of the farm and the three Wamble boys worked under him the same as the
slaves. Mr. Wamble never permitted any of his slaves to be whipped, nor
were they mistreated.

Mr. Westbrook was a deacon in the Methodist Church and had two slave
over-seers to manage the farm and the slaves. He was very severe with
his slaves and none were ever permitted to leave