I always eat in the nursery with young Master
Billy.
"They had big old fireplaces in Master's house and I never seen a stove
till after the war.
"I member bein' down at the quarters one time and one of the women had
the sideache and they put poultices on her made out of shucks and hot
ashes and that sho'ly did ease the pain.
"The pickaninnies had a time playin'. Seein' these peanuts minds me that
they used to bust the ends and put them on their ears for ear rings.
Course Master Billy had to try it too, then let out a howl cause they
pinched.
"Lan', but them was good old days when Master Billy was alive."
Texarkana District
FOLKLORE SUBJECTS
Name of Interviewer: Mrs. W.M. Ball
Subject: Anecdotes
Story:
Information given by: Albert Cummins
Place of Residence: Laurel St., Texarkana, Ark.
Occupation: None (Ex-Slave)
Age: 86
[TR: Personal information moved from bottom of second page.]
An humble cottage, sheltered by four magnificent oak trees, houses an
interesting old negro, Albert Cummins.
Texarkana people, old and young, reverence this character, and obtain
from him much valuable information concerning the early life of this
country. This ex-slave was freed when he was fifteen years old, but
continued to live in the same family until he was a man.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93