four sons down there. He thinks she
is still living. His Mistress went back to Roanoke, Va., and his
mother died at Marshall. Tom Marshall was his Master's name, but he
seems to have died in the Civil War. This old Uncle Jeff lived in
Alabama and has preached there and in northern Mississippi and near
Helena, Arkansas. He helped cook at Helena in a hotel. He preaches
some but the WPA supports him now. Uncle Jeff can't remember his
dreams he said "The Bible says, young men dream dreams and old men see
visions."

He had a real vision once, he was going late one afternoon to get his
mules up and he heard a voice "I have a voice I want you to complete.
Carry my word." He was a member of the church but he made a profession
and a year later was ordained into the ministry. He believes in
dreams. Says they are warnings.

Uncle Jeff says he has written some poetry but it has all been lost.

When anyone dies the sexton goes to the church and tolls the bell as
many times as the dead person is old. They take the body to the church
for the night and they gather there and watch. He believes the soul
rises from the ground on the Resurrection Day. He believes some people
can put a "spell" on other people. He said that was witchery.

[HW: Marshall County, Miss., named for John Marshall of Virginia,
Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, 1801-35. _History of
Marshall (County), Mississippi_, by Clayton M. Alexander.]

FOLKLORE SUBJECTS

Name of Interviewer: S. S. Taylor
Subject: [HW: Moses Jeffries]
Story--Information (If not enough space on this page add page.)

This information given by: Moses E. Jeffries
Place of Residence: 1110 Izard Street, Little Rock, Arkansas
Occupation: Plasterer
Age: 81 [TR: Age: 75 on 4th page of form.]
[TR: Personal information moved from bottom of form.]

"I was born in 1856. My age was kept with the cattle. As a rule, you
know, slaves were chattels. There was a fire and the Bible in which
the ages were kept was lost. The man who owned me couldn't remember
what month I was born in. Out of thirteen children, my mother could
only remember the age of one. I had twelve brothers and sisters--Bob
Lacy, William Henry, Cain Cecil, Jessie, Charles, Harvey, Johnnie,
Anna, Rose, Hannah, Lucy, and Thomas. I am the only one living now. My
parents were both slaves. My father has been dead about fifty-nine
years and my mother about sixty or sixty-one years. She died before I
married and I have been m