Source: Silas Smith (N, 85), Gaffney, S.C.
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. (11/27/37)

=Code No.=
=Project, 1885-(1)=
=Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis=
=Place, Marion, S.C.=
=Date, May 17, 1937=

=No. Words _____=
=Reduced from ____ words=
=Rewritten by=
=_____________=

=MOM JESSIE SPARROW=

=Ex-Slave, 83 years.=

"Honey, my white folks been well-to-do peoples. Dey ain' been no poor
white trash. Dey hab 'stonishing blood in dey vein. I been b'long to
Massa Sam Stevenson wha' lib right down dere 'cross Ole Smith Swamp. Dey
ain' hab no chillun dey own, but dey is raise uh poor white girl dere,
Betty. Dey gi'e (give) she eve'yt'ing she ha'e en dey school she too."

"De ole man, he mind ain' been zactly right when he die. Dey say he bury
some o' he money down dere on he place jes 'fore he die. Coase I dunno
nuthin 'bout it, but dats wha' dey tell me. Dey say dey never is find
dat money a'ter he been dead. Reckon it dere yet, I dunno. Peoples
use'er aw de time be plough up kegs en box full o' money en va'uables
wha' de well-to-do folks been hide dere."

"De white peoples use'er bury dey silver en dey money en aw dey
va'uables late on uh evenin' er early on uh mornin' when de Yankees come
'bout. De Yankees 'stroy aw us white peoples va'uables wha' dey is see.
Um----dem Yankees sho' was 'structive whey dey is went."

"My ole mammy been Sally Stevenson 'fore she marry en den she wuz Sally
Bowens. My ole Missus take she 'way from her mammy when she wuz jes uh
little small girl en never wouldn't 'low her go in de colored
settlement no more. She been raise up in de white folks house to be de
house girl. Never didn't work none tall outside. She sleep on uh pallet
right down by de Missus bed. She sleep dere so she kin keep de Missus
kivver (cover) up aw t'rough de night. My mammy ain' never do nuthin but
been de house girl. My Missus larnt (learned) she how to cut en sew so
she been good uh seamstress is dere wuz anywhey. She help de Missus make
aw de plantation clothes en dere ain' never been no better washer en
ironer no whey den my ole mammy wuz."

"When I wuz uh little small girl, us lib right dere in my ole Missus
yard. Dey le' us chillun play aw us wanna den. Never did hadder do none
hard work tall. My Massa is some uh time send we chillun in de field to
scare de crow offen de corn. Ain' never been no hoe hand in me life.
When dey send we to scare de crow 'way, we is go in de field when