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Work Projects Administration

"Arkansas Narratives, Part 2"

Miss Patsy done
run an' hid. I stood about. I had no sense. They done a lot every time
they come. I watched see what all they would do. They burnt a lot of
houses.
"A little white boy said, 'I tell you something if you give me a
watermelon.' The black man give the boy a big watermelon. He had a big
patch. The boy said, 'My papa coming take all your money away from you
some night.' He fixed and sure 'nough he come dressed like a Ku Klux. He
had some money but they didn't find it. One of the Ku Kluxes run off and
left his spurs. The colored folks killed some and they run off and leave
their horses. They come around and say they could drink three hundred
fifteen buckets of water. They throw turpentine balls in the houses to
make a light. They took a ball of cotton and dip it in turpentine, light
it, throw it in a house to make a light so they could see who in there.
A lot of black folks was killed and whooped. Their money was took from
them.
"The third year after the War ma and pa come and got me. They made a
crop for a third. That was our first year off of Rook's place. I love
them Rook's girls so good right now. Wish I could see them or knowd
where to write. I had to learn my folks.


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