went to the Camp Grounds for two weeks. They took the children, Minnie
for nurse, a stove, a cow and everything they needed for that time.

She was nearly grown before she went to a colored church and "baptisin'"
and it frightened her to see a person immersed, and come up "shoutin'".
Minnie thought they was "fightin' the Preacher" so she didn't go back
anymore.

Minnie firmly believes if a woman comes in your house first on New Years
Day, it will bring you bad luck, and she has walked as far as 10 miles
to get a man in her house first. If she meets a cross eyed person, she
crosses her fingers and spits on them to break the bad spell. "Hooten'
owls" are sure the sign of death and she always burns her hair combins
because if you just throw them away and the birds get them to put in
their nests, you'll have a "wanderin' mind."

Minnie is 72 years old, very active physically and mentally, lives among
the Negroes now but greatly misses her "white folks."

Minnie Green
503 East Chappell Street
Griffin, Georgia
August 31, 1936.

WHEELER GRESHAM of WILKES COUNTY
GEORGIA

by

Minnie Branham Stonestreet
Washington-Wilkes
Georgia

Dec. 14, 1936.

Wheeler Gresham, 82 years old, tall, very erect, has white hair and
beard, a quiet dignified manner, and faded old eyes that seem ever to be
gazing back on those happy days he told about "when we war' in slavery."
He is uneducated, having gone to school only one week in his life--gave
up "tryin' to larn out er books."

Wheeler claims the distinction of having had three masters and loving
them all equally well; he belonged to one and lived with the other two.
It all happened in this wise:

His mother, Barbara Booker, belonged to "Marse Simmie and Marse Jabie
Booker"--("Marse Simmie wuz the one what named me") his father, Franklin
Gresham belonged to "Marse George Gresham." The Bookers and Greshams
lived on adjoining plantations and were the best of friends and
neighbors. They would not sell a slave no matter what happened, so when
Barbara and Franklin wanted to marry they had the consent of their
owners and settled down on the Booker plantation where Barbara continued
her work and Franklin spending all his spare time with her, although he
belonged to the Greshams and kept up his work for them. He had a pass to
go and come as he pleased.

Wheeler tells of his life on the plantations for his time was spent
between the two where he played wit