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Work Projects Administration

"Arkansas Narratives, Part 2"


It was ten years before he got a start. It was hard to get ahead then
because the niggers had just got free and didn't have nothin' and didn't
know nothin'. My father had two brothers that just stayed on with the
white folks. They stayed on till they got too old to work, then they had
to go. Couldn't do no good then. My father was always treated well by
his master.
"I got my schooling at Warren. I went to the tenth grade. Could have
gone farther but didn't want to. I was looking at something I thought
was better than education. When I got of age, I come up here and just
run about. I was what you might say pretty fine. I was looking so high I
couldn't find nothing to suit me. I went 'round to a number of places
and none of them suited me. So I went on back home and been there ever
since.
"I married once in my life. My wife is still living. My wife is a good
woman. No, if I got rid of this one, wouldn't do to take another one. I
am the father of ten living children. I made a living by doing anything
that come up--housework, gardening, anything.
"I don't get no government help. I don't want none yet. God has seen me
this far. I think He'll see me to the end. He is good to me; He's given
me such a good time I couldn't help but serve Him.


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