I don't know nothin' 'bout him
scusin' dat he er white man an' he named 'Bill Ward'. My steppappy, he
was name John Sanders, an' he married my mammy when I 'bout four year
old, an' dat was atter de slaves taken outen dey bondage.
"My steppappy, he was a fine carpenter an' could do most anything dat he
want to do with an axe or any kind of a tool dat you work in wood with.
I riccolect dat he made a heap of de culberts for de railroad what was
built through Marvell from Helena to Clarendon. He made dem culberts
outen logs what would be split half in two. Then he would hew out de two
halves what he done split open like dey used to make a dug-out boat. Dey
would put dem two halves together like a big pipe under de tracks for de
water to run through.
"There was several white mens dat I knowed in dis part of de county what
raised nigger famblys, but there wasn't so many at dat. I will say this
for them mens though. Whilst it wasn't right for dem to do like dat, dem
what did have 'em a nigger woman what dey had chillun by sure took care
of de whole gang. I riccolect one white man in particular, an' I knows
you is heered of him too. How-some-ever, I won't call no names. He lived
down on de ribber on de island.
Pages:
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146