clothes in de store. I so proud of it I 'fraid to sit
down in it. 'Terials in dem day was strong and last a long time. One
time I git de first pair shoes from a store. I thought dey's gold. My
daddy bought dem for me and dey have a brace in de toe and was nat'ral
black.

"When freedom come us family breaks up. Old missy can't bear see my
mammy go, so us stay. Dey give my daddy a place on credick and he start
farm and dey even 'low him hosses and mule and other things he need. My
massa good to de niggers. I stays with my mammy till she die when I ten
year old and den my brother Eb he take me and raise me till I sixteen.
Den I go off for myself.

"Dem young year us have good time. I fiddle to de dance, play 'Git up in
de Cool,' and 'Hopus Creek and de Water.' Us sho' dress up for de dance.
I have black calico pants with red ribbon up de sides and a hickory
shirt. De gals all wears ribbons 'round de waist and one like it 'round
de head.

"Us have more hard time after freedom come dan in all de other time
together. Us livin' in trouble time. 'Bout 15 year ago I lost a leg, a
big log fall 'cross it when I makin' ties. I had plenty den but it go
for de hospital.

420120

[Illustration: Bill Homer]

BILL HOMER, 87, was born a slave on June 17, 1850, to Mr. Jack
Homer, who owned a large plantation near Shreveport, La. In 1860
Bill was given to Mr. Homer's daughter, who moved to Caldwell,
Texas. Bill now lives at 3215 McKinley Ave., Fort Worth, Texas.

"I is 87 years old, 'cause I is born on June 17th, in 1850, and that's
'cording to de statement my missy give me. I was born on Massa Jack
Homer's plantation, close to Shreveport. Him owned my mammy and my pappy
and 'bout 100 other slaves. Him's plantation was a big un. I don't know
how many acres him have, but it was miles long. Dere was so many
buildings and sheds on dat place it was a small town. De massa's house
was a big two-story building and dere was de spinnin' house, de
smokehouse, de blacksmith shop and a nursery for de cullud chillens and
a lot of sheds and sich. In de nigger quarters dere was 50 one-room
cabins and dey was ten in a row and dere was five rows.

"De cabins was built of logs and had dirt floors and a hole whar a
window should be and a stone fireplace for de cookin' and de heat. Dere
was a cookhouse for de big house and all de cookin' for de white folks
was 'tended to by four cooks. We has lots of food, too--cornme