ou some more
but I can't." Smiling broadly, he bade the interviewer a pleasant
good-bye.

EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW

IKE DERRICOTTE, Age 78
554 Hancock Avenue
Athens, Georgia

Written by:
Miss Grace McCune
Athens

Edited by:
Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
Athens

and
John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Federal Writers' Project
Residencies 6 & 7
Augusta, Georgia

August 19, 1938

[TR: One page of this interview was repeated in typescript; where there
was a discrepancy, the clearer version was used.]

Ike Derricotte's brown-painted, frame bungalow, well back from the
street, faces a wide grassy yard where tall pecan trees provide summer
shade and winter nuts.

A mulatto woman answered the knock at the front door. Her long,
straight, white hair was neatly arranged in a low-pinned coil at the
back of her head. Her print frock and white shoes were immaculate. "Yes
Mam, Ike is at home," was the answer to the inquiry for her husband.
"Jus' have a seat on de porch here 'cause it's so much cooler dan inside
de house, and I'll call Ike. He's jus' piddlin' 'round de back yard dis
mornin'."

Almost at once a tall, well-built man of gingercake color appeared. He
wore an old black cap, blue work shirt, blue wool trousers, and black
shoes. "Howdy-do, Miss! Did you want to see me?" was his greeting. His
eyes sparkled when he learned that we wished to record the story of his
life. "Yes Mam, I'll be glad to tell you what I kin," he promised, "and
Miss, I'll jus' bet I kin tell you somepin dat very few folks kin say
'bout dem old days. I was born right here on dis same street, and I'm
still livin' on it, but dis house and lot ain't my birthplace. When I
was born, dis section was mostly in woods. Jus' look at it now; houses
has been built up and down both sides of what was den jus' de big road.
Times has changed in lots of ways since dem days.

"My mother's name was Myra, and she was a laundry 'oman owned by Mr.
Stevens Thomas. Mr. Thomas was one of de biggest merchants in Athens dem
days. He owned de square between Thomas Street and Wall Street, and it
s'tended back to Clayton Street.

"William Derricotte was my father, and he belonged to Col. Robert
Thomas. My father spent most of his time beautifyin' de yards 'round de
big house, and in dese days and times he would be called a landscape
gardener. Dey jus' called 'em yard boys den. Atter Pa and Ma was
married, Marster Stevens sold Ma to Marster Robert, so dat dey could be
t