ob dere to de gin house. Dey'ud jes put de
cotton in dat gin en de seed go one way en de lent go de udder way.
Minus hadder feed de gin en dem udder helper hadder hand de cotton. Den
Bacchus hadder work de screw dat press de bale togedder. Yunnah chillun
ain' ne'er see nuthin lak dat dese days. Dem hosses pull dat t'ing round
en round en dat screw ge' tighter en tighter. Turn out pretty uh bale uv
cotton us yunnah e'er hear 'bout in no time tall. My Lawd, I 'member dey
is hab bale uv cotton pile up aw 'bout dat gin house."
"En dey is hab dey own blacksmith shop dere on de place down to de place
call de big water. Aw dem peoples from plantation aw 'bout come dere fa
Fortune to mend dey plow en t'ing lak dat."
"Yas'um, plantation peoples hadder go dere to de Ole Neck Chu'ch eve'y
Sunday. I hear em say dat wuz uh Methodist Chu'ch. Aw dem well to do
folks hab dey own pew up dere in de front uv de chu'ch wha dey set on
eve'y Sunday. Dey seat wuz painted pretty lak uh bedstead en den de poor
peoples set in de middle uv de chu'ch in de yellow kind uv seat. Aw de
colored peoples hadder set in de blue seat in de back uv de chu'ch.
Peoples ne'er rank togedder den lak yah see de peoples rank togedder
dese days. Miss Susan Stevenson en Miss Harriett Woodberry en Miss
Maggie McWhite wuz de ones wha' pull togedder den. Know dey chillun time
dey hit dat chu'ch door. C'n tell em by dey skin. My blessed, chillun,
dere wuz sech uh diffe'ence."
"Dat Ole Neck Chu'ch de same chu'ch wha' yunnah see stand two mile up
dat road. Dem peoples oughtna hadder move dat chu'ch neither cause it
been dere long time 'fore dey come heah. Ain' been right to do dat. Dem
wha' put dat chu'ch dere bury right dere in dat cemetery right 'bout
whey dey chu'ch wuz en dem udder peoples ain' hab no right to take dey
chu'ch 'way a'ter dey been gone."
"De peoples ne'er hab no cars lak dese peoples hab 'bout heah now. My
white folks hab carriage en two big ole white hosses wha' to ride to
se'vice en whey dey wanna go den. Coase dey ne'er go aw de time lak dese
peoples does dis day en time. Lawd, dem hosses could pull dat carriage
too. Dey wuz name Selam en Prince. My Massa en Missus hab seat in de
back uv de carriage en I hadder set up dere 'tween dem en de driver en
nu'se dem chillun. Isaac wuz Miss Susan driver en he hab seat aw uv he
own on de front whey he could mind de hosses. My Lawd, I 'member how I
did use'er lub to set up dere in Miss Susan carriage."
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