n. Once she
got so cold, her feet seemed to be frozen; when they warmed a little,
they had swollen so, she could not wear her shoes. She had to wrap her
foot in burlap, so she would be able to go into the field the next day.

The Ramblets were known for their good butter. They always had more than
they could use. The master wanted the slaves to have some, but the
mistress wanted to sell it, she did not believe in giving good butter to
slaves and always let it get strong before she would let them have any.

No slaves from neighboring farms were allowed on the Ramblet farm, they
would get whipped off as Mr. Ramblet did not want anyone to put ideas in
his slave's heads.

On special occasions, the older slaves were allowed to go to the church
of their master, they had to sit in the back of the church, and take no
part in the service.

Louise was given two dresses a year; her old dress from last year, she
wore as an underskirt. She never had a hat, always wore a rag tied over
her head.

Interviewer's Comment

Mrs. Bracey is a widow and has a grandchild living with her. She feels
she is doing very well, her parents had so little, and she does own her
own home.

Submitted December 10, 1937
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ex-Slave Stories
District #5
Vanderburgh County
Lauana Creel

A SLAVE, AMBASSADOR AND CITY DOCTOR
[DR. GEORGE WASHINGTON BUCKNER]

This paper was prepared after several interviews had been obtained with
the subject of this sketch.

Dr. George Washingtin [TR: Washington] Buckner, tall, lean, whitehaired,
genial and alert, answered the call of his door bell. Although anxious
to oblige the writer and willing to grant an interview, the life of a
city doctor is filled with anxious solicitation for others and he is
always expecting a summons to the bedside of a patient or a professional
interview has been slated.

Dr. Buckner is no exception and our interviews were often disturbed by
the jingle of the door bell or a telephone call.

Dr. Buckner's conversation lead in ever widening circles, away from the
topic under discussion when the events of his own life were discussed,
but he is a fluent speaker and a student of psychology. Psychology as
that philosophy relates to the mental and bodily tendencies of the
African race has long since become one of the major subjects with which
this unusual man struggles. "Why is the negro?" is one of his deepest
concerns.

Dr. Buckner's first recollections c