" An' I stood
down there at the front so happy an' duh yuh know one little chile and
two women come down an' shook hands wid me, I jes didn't know whut tuh
think. Yoh know when I wuz young and a body got happy evuh body did an'
dey made a noise but not so now. An' tuh think dey couldn't turn
praises.
You say yo' wants tuh talk tuh Tom? Well he's out dar in de back yard
but he aint well and I specks he won't talk tuh but if you mus' come on.
Tom here is a lady wants tuh talk tuh you. I'll go back an talk tuh de
lady whuts waitin' in de car.
(The above written just as Sarah Douglas expressed it).
(Taken down word for word.)
(August 11, 1937.)
Interviewer: Pernella M. Anderson
Person interviewed: Tom Douglas
Route 2, Box 19-A, El Dorado, Arkansas
Age: 91
"I was born in Marion, Louisiana September 15, 1847 at 8 o'clock in the
morning. I was eighteen years of age at surrender. My master and missus
was B.B. Thomas and Miss Susan Thomas. Old master had a gang of slaves
and we all worked like we were putting out fire. Lord child, wasn't near
like it is now. We went to bed early and got up early. There was a gang
of plow hands, hoe hands, hands to clear new ground, a bunch of cooks, a
washwoman.
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