operty of deir own for a long
time 'cause dey didn't have no money to buy it wid. Dem few what had
land of deir own wouldn't have had it if deir white folks hadn't give it
to 'em or holp 'em to git it. My uncle, Carter Brown, had a plenty
'cause his white folks holped him to git a home and 'bout evvything else
he wanted. Dem Morton Negroes got ahead faster dan most any of de others
'round here but dey couldn't have done it if deir white folks hadn't
holped 'em so much.

"Soon as I got big enough, I started cookin' for well-off white folks.
Fact is, I ain't never cooked for no white folks dat didn't have jus'
plenty of money. Some of de white folks what has done et my cookin' is
de Mitchells, Upsons, Ruckers, Bridges, and Chief Seagraves' fambly. I
was cookin' for Chief Buesse's mammy when he was jus' a little old
shirttail boy. Honey, I allus did lak to be workin' and I have done my
share of it, but since I got so old I ain't able to do much no more. My
white folks is mighty good to me though.

"Now Honey, you may think it's kind of funny but I ain't never been much
of a hand to run 'round wid colored folks. My mammy and my white folks
dey raised me right and larned me good manners and I'm powerful proud of
my raisin'. I feels lak now dat white folks understands me better and
'preciates me more."

Why, jus' listen to dis! When Mr. Weaver Bridges told me his mother had
done died, he axed me did I want to go to the funeral and he said he was
goin' to take me to de church and graveyard too, and sho' 'nough dey did
come and git me and carry me 'long. I was glad dey had so many pretty
flowers at Mrs. Bridges' funeral 'cause I loved her so much. She was a
mighty sweet, good, kind 'oman.

"All my folks is dead now 'cept me and my chillun, Archie, Lila, and
Lizzie. All three of 'em is done married now. Archie, he's got a house
full of chillun. He works up yonder at de Georgian Hotel. I loves to
stay in a little hut off to myself 'cause I can tell good as anybody
when my chillun and in-laws begins to look cross-eyed at me so I jus'
stays out of deir way.

"I'm still able to go to church and back by myself pretty reg'lar. 'Bout
four years ago I jined Hill's Baptist Church. Lak to a got lost didn't
I? If I had stayed out a little longer it would have been too late, and
I sho' don't want to be lost."

PLANTATION LIFE

Interview with:

ALICE GREEN
156 Willow Street
Athens, Georgia

Written by: Sadie B