he middle--just like you belt to hold 'em. Chillun have not
a shoe! Not a shoe for chillun on us plantation to the Old Ark. First
shoe I have, Pa get a cow hide and tan it. And a man name Stalvey make
my first pair of shoes. I was way near bout grown. Make the sole out the
thickness of the cow hide. Short quarter. No eye--just make the hole.
Last! Yes man! Yes man! Yes man! Keep 'em grease! Them shoe never wear
out!

"We raise all we get to eat. Hominy, cornbread, peas, potatoes, rice.
Morest we plant this here yellow corn. I cry many a day bout that yellow
corn! We say, 'Pa, this here yellow corn make hominy look like he got
egg cook in 'em; red corn look like hominy cook in red molasses!'

"But yellow corn stronger feed! Stronger feed! And Pa know 'em.

"Sunday come go to church in that same blue shirt! Little old pole
church--(gone now)--call 'Dick Green Bay Church'. (Named for a local
character.) When we go to church before freedom, Mudder and them have to
have the ticket.

"Old man John Tilghman at the Ark Plantation have no overseer--have
'Driver'. Most folks on Waccamaw have overseer and 'Driver'. My Pa been
the Ark 'Driver.'

"Old man Zachariah Duncan been the preacher. That the same man build the
first 'Heaven Gate' church after freedom. He got drift lumber on the
river and on the beach. Flat 'em--make a raft and float 'em over to the
hill and the man haul 'em to 'Heaven Gate' with ox. Yes. 'Heaven Gate'
built outer pick up lumber.

"Before freedom Parson Glennie--he was 'Piscopal--he would come give us
a service once a month on the plantation--so mother said.

"Patches of indigo all through the woods. You know cow eat indigo. Us
have too much ox! Have to haul rail all the time keep up the old fence.
Woods full up with cow. Cattle loose--free. When you want beef have to
hunt for 'em like we hunts deer now. I member some ox I helped broke.
Pete, Bill, Jim, David. Faby was a brown. David kinder mouse color. We
always have the old ox in the lead going to haul rail. Hitch the young
steer on behind. Sometimes they 'give up' and the old ox pull 'em by the
neck! Break ox all the time. Fun for us boys--breaking ox. So much of
rail to haul!

"(You can't tell me bout this pension? Look like to me somebody trying
to smother something. Letters come. Cards come. My name on outside
alright. Tell me to put my name on cards and hand 'em out to my friends.
Say send twenty-five cents. Next time say 'Send thirty-five cen