en de cholera wuz 'yer, in 1870 en 1873.
Dey didn't hab coffins nuff ter put dem in, so dey used boxes en piled
de boxes in waggins lak hauling wood.

I'se aint worth a dime now w'en hit kums ter wukin' fer I'se aint able
ter do nuthin, thoo I can't complain ob mah livin' since de relief has
bin takin' keer ob me.

Dis young peeples, "Oh mah Lawd!" Dey ain' worth talkin' 'bout. I
tries ter shame deze 'omen, dey drink (I call hit ole bust haid
whiskey), en do such mean things. I'se disgusted at mah own color. Dey
try ter know ter much, en dunno muthin', en dey don' do 'nuff wuk.

I nebber voted en dunno nothin' 'bout hit. Hab nebber had any frens in
office. Cain' member nothin' 'bout re'structon. I hab bin sick en
still don' feel right. Sumtimes I feels krazy.

Hab bin tole dat black cat crossin' road in frunt ob you wuz bad luck.
I nebber did b'leeve in any signs. Ef I ez ter hab bad luck, ah'll hab
hit.

I b'long ter de Baptist Chuch.

De culored peeples useter hab camp meetin's, en dey'd last fer two
weeks. Lawd hab mercy did we hab a time at dem meetin's, preachin',
singin', en shoutin'. En ovuh sum whar neah dey would be cookin'
mutton en diff'ent good things ter eat. Sum ob dem would shout 'til
dere throats would be sore en hit seemed dat sum ob dem niggahs didn't
keer ef dey got home ter wuk er not.

I sumtimes wish fer de good ole days. Deze days folks don't hab time
fer 'ligion. De dog-gone ole radio en udder things ez takin' hits
place.

Oh Lawdie how dey did baptize down at de wha'f! De Baptist peeple
would gather at de wha'f on de fust Sunday in May. Dey would kum fum
all de Baptist Chuches. Would leave de chuch singin' en shoutin' en
keep dat up 'til dey got ter de river. Hab seen dem wid new clothes on
git down on de groun en roll en git covered wid dirt. Sum ob dem would
almos' luze dere clothes, en dey'd fall down lak dey wuz dying.

Deze last few y'ars dey hab got ter stylish ter shout.

INTERVIEW
Precilla Gray
807 Ewing Ave.
Nashville, Tenn.

I think I'se 107 Y'ars ole. Wuz bawn in Williamson County 'fore de
Civil wah. Guess de reason I hab libed so long wuz cose I tuk good
keer ob mahself en wore warm clo'es en still do, w'ar mah yarn
pettycoats now. Hab had good health all mah life. Hab tuk very lettle
medicine en de wust sickness I eber had wuz small-pox. I'se bin a
widah 'bout 70 y'ars.

Mah mammy d'ed w'en I wuz young but mah daddy libed ter be 103 y'ars
ole. I nebber wen