s unable
to work for over a year. I came with my two children to take care of
him. We had only a little furniture, slept in what was called box beds.
I walked to Brazil each morning and worked at whatever I could get to
do. Often did three washings a day and then walked home each evening, a
distance of two miles, and got a dollar a day.

"Many of the white folks I worked for were well to do and often I would
ask the Mistress for small amounts of food which they would throw out if
left over from a meal. They did not know what a hard time we were
having, but they told me to take home any of such food that I cared to.
I was sure glad to get it, for it helped to feed our family. Often the
white folks would give me other articles which I appreciated. I managed
in this way to get the children enough to eat and later when my husband
was able to work, we got along very well, and were thankful. After the
strike was settled, things were better. My husband was not afraid to go
out after dark. But the coal operators did not treat the colored folks
very good. We had to trade at the Company store and often pay a big
price for it. But I worked hard and am still alive today, while all the
others are gone, who lived around here about that time. There has sure
been a change in the country. The country was almost a wilderness, and
where my home is today, there were very few roads, just what we called a
pig path through the woods. We used lots of corn meal, cooked beans and
raised all the food we could during them days. But we had many white
friends and sure was thankful for them. Here I am, and still thankful
for the many friends I have."

Federal Writers' Project
of the W.P.A.
District #6
Marion County
Anna Pritchett
1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana

FOLKLORE
MRS. CALLIE BRACEY--DAUGHTER [of Louise Terrell]
414 Blake Street

Mrs. Callie Bracey's mother, Louise Terrell, was bought, when a child,
by Andy Ramblet, a farmer, near Jackson, Miss. She had to work very hard
in the fields from early morning until as late in the evening, as they
could possibly see.

No matter how hard she had worked all day after coming in from the
field, she would have to cook for the next day, packing the lunch
buckets for the field hands. It made no difference how tired she was,
when the horn was blown at 4 a.m., she had to go into the field for
another day of hard work.

The women had to split rails all day long, just like the me