Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States | Page 9

were brought in box cars. Mr. Masten paid their
transportation, but was to keep it out of their wages. My husband was
in that bunch, and the women folk stayed behind until their men could
earn enough for their transportation to Indiana."
"When they arrived about four miles east of Brazil, or what was known
as Harmony, the train was stopped and a crowd of white miners ordered
them not to come any nearer Brazil. Then the trouble began. Our men
did not know of the labor trouble, as they were not told of that part.
Here they were fifteen hundred miles from home, no money. It was
terrible. Many walked back to Virginia. Some went on foot to Illinois.
Mr. Masten took some of them South of Brazil about three miles,
where he had a number of company houses, and they tried to work in
his mine there. But many were shot at from the bushes and killed.
Guards were placed about the mine by the owner, but still there was

trouble all the time. The men did not make what Mr. Masten told them
they could make, yet they had to stay for they had no place to go. After
about six months, my husband who had been working in that mine, fell
into the shaft and was injured. He was unable to work for over a year. I
came with my two children to take care of him. We had only a little
furniture, slept in what was called box beds. I walked to Brazil each
morning and worked at whatever I could get to do. Often did three
washings a day and then walked home each evening, a distance of two
miles, and got a dollar a day.
"Many of the white folks I worked for were well to do and often I
would ask the Mistress for small amounts of food which they would
throw out if left over from a meal. They did not know what a hard time
we were having, but they told me to take home any of such food that I
cared to. I was sure glad to get it, for it helped to feed our family. Often
the white folks would give me other articles which I appreciated. I
managed in this way to get the children enough to eat and later when
my husband was able to work, we got along very well, and were
thankful. After the strike was settled, things were better. My husband
was not afraid to go out after dark. But the coal operators did not treat
the colored folks very good. We had to trade at the Company store and
often pay a big price for it. But I worked hard and am still alive today,
while all the others are gone, who lived around here about that time.
There has sure been a change in the country. The country was almost a
wilderness, and where my home is today, there were very few roads,
just what we called a pig path through the woods. We used lots of corn
meal, cooked beans and raised all the food we could during them days.
But we had many white friends and sure was thankful for them. Here I
am, and still thankful for the many friends I have."

Federal Writers' Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna
Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana
FOLKLORE MRS. CALLIE BRACEY--DAUGHTER [of Louise
Terrell] 414 Blake Street
Mrs. Callie Bracey's mother, Louise Terrell, was bought, when a child,
by Andy Ramblet, a farmer, near Jackson, Miss. She had to work very
hard in the fields from early morning until as late in the evening, as
they could possibly see.

No matter how hard she had worked all day after coming in from the
field, she would have to cook for the next day, packing the lunch
buckets for the field hands. It made no difference how tired she was,
when the horn was blown at 4 a.m., she had to go into the field for
another day of hard work.
The women had to split rails all day long, just like the men. Once she
got so cold, her feet seemed to be frozen; when they warmed a little,
they had swollen so, she could not wear her shoes. She had to wrap her
foot in burlap, so she would be able to go into the field the next day.
The Ramblets were known for their good butter. They always had more
than they could use. The master wanted the slaves to have some, but
the mistress wanted to sell it, she did not believe in giving good butter
to slaves and always let it get strong before she would let them have
any.
No slaves from