Slave Narratives, Oklahoma | Page 8

waited table and churned in the Big
House.
I ate at the table with my mistress and her family and nothing was evah
said. We ate bacon, greens, Irish potatoes and such as we git now. Aunt
Chaddy was the cook and nurse for all the chillun on the place.
We used to hear slaves on de other places hollering from whippings,
but master never whipped his niggers 'less they lied. Sometimes slaves
from other places would run off and come to our place. Master would
take them back and tell the slave-holders how to treat them so dey
wouldn't run off again.
Mistress had a little stool for me in the big house, and if I got sleepy,
she put me on the foot of her bed and I stayed there til morning, got up
washed my face and hands and got ready to wait on the table.
There was four or five hundred slaves on our place. One morning
during slavery, my father killed 18 white men and ran away. They said
he was lazy and whipped him, and he just killed all of 'em he could,
which was 18 of 'em. He stayed away 3 years without being found. He
come back and killed 7 before they could kill him. When he was on the
place he jest made bluing.
My mother worked in the field and weaved cloth. Shirts dat she made
lasted 12 months, even if wore and washed and ironed every day. Pants
could not be ripped with two men pulling on dem with all their might.
You talking 'bout clothes, them was some clothes then. Clothes made
now jest don't come up to them near abouts.

Doing of slavery, we had the best church, lots better than today. I am a
Baptist from head to foot, yes sir, yes sir. Jest couldn't be nothing else.
In the first place, I wouldn't even try.
I knows when the war started and ceaseted. I tell you it was some war.
When it was all over, the Yankees come thoo' singing, "You may die
poor but you won't die a slave."
When the War was over, master told us that we could go out and take
care of the crops already planted and plant the ones that need planting
'cause we knowed all 'bout the place and we would go halvers. We
stayed on 3 years after slavery. We got a little money, but we got room
and board and didn't have to work too hard. It was enough difference to
tell you was no slaves any more.
After slavery and when I was old enough I got married. I married a gal
that was a daughter of her master. He wanted to own her, but she sho'
didn't return it. He kept up with her till he died and sent her money jest
all the time. Before he died, he put her name in his will and told his
oldest son to be sure and keep up with her. The son was sure true to his
promise, for till she died, she was forever hearing from him or he
would visit us, even after we moved to Oklahoma from Texas.
Our chillun and grandchillun will git her part since she is gone. She
was sure a good wife and for no reason did I take the second look at no
woman. That was love, which don't live no more in our hearts.
I make a few pennies selling fish worms and doing a little yard work
and raising vegetables. Not much money in circulation. When I gets my
old age pension, it will make things a little mite better. I guess the time
will be soon.
Tain't nothing but bad treatment that makes people die young and I ain't
had none.

Oklahoma Writers' Project Ex-Slaves [Date stamp: AUG 19 1937]

FRANCIS BRIDGES Age 73 yrs. Oklahoma City, Okla.
I was born in Red River County, Texas in 1864, and that makes me 73
years old. I had myself 75, and I went to my white folks and they
counted it up and told me I was 73, but I always felt like I was older
than that.
My husband's name is Henry Bridges. We was raised up children
together and married. I had five sisters. My brother died here in
Oklahoma about two years ago. He was a Fisher. Mary Russell, my
sister, she lives in Parish, Texas; Willie Ann Poke, she lives in
Greenville, Texas; Winnie Jackson, lives in Adonia, Texas, and Mattie
White, my other sister, lives in Long Oak, Texas, White Hunt County.
Our Master was named Master Travis Wright, and we all ate nearly the
same thing. Such things as barbecued rabbits, coon, possums baked
with sweet potatoes and all such as