way to cotch them, 'cause they so wild you couldn't git a fair shot
with a rifle.

"Massa Rogers had a 300 acre plantation and 200 in cultivation and he
had a overseer and Steve O'Neal was the nigger driver. The horn to git
up blowed 'bout four o'clock and if we didn't fall out right now, the
overseer was in after us. He tied us up every which way and whip us, and
at night he walk the quarters to keep us from runnin' 'round. On Sunday
mornin' the overseer come 'round to each nigger cabin with a big sack of
shorts and give us 'nough to make bread for one day.

"I used to steal some chickens, 'cause we didn't have 'nough to eat, and
I don' think I done wrong, 'cause the place was full of 'em. We sho'
earned what we et. I'd go up to the big house to make fires and lots of
times I seed the mantel board lined with greenbacks, 'tween mantel and
wall and I's snitched many a $50.00 bill, but it 'federate money.

"Me and four of her chillen standin' by when mammy's sold for $500.00.
Cryin' didn't stop 'em from sellin' our mammy 'way from us.

"I 'member the war was tough and I went 'long with young massa Dick when
he went to the war, to wait on him. I's standin' clost by when he was
kilt under a big tree in Pittsburg, and 'fore he die he ask Wes Tatum,
one the neighbor boys from home, to take care of me and return me to
Massa George.

"I worked on for Massa Rogers four year after that, jus' like in slavery
time, and one day he call us and say we can go or stay. So I goes with
my pappy and lives with him till 1871. Then I marries and works on the
railroad when it's builded from Longview to Big Sandy, 'bout 1872. I
works there sev'ral years and I raises seven chillen. After I quits the
railroad I works wherever I can, on farms or in town.

420092

[Illustration: James Jackson]

JAMES JACKSON, 87, was born a slave to the Alexander family, in
Caddo Parish, La. When he was about two, his master moved to Travis
County, Texas. A short time later he and his two brothers were
stolen and sold to Dr. Duvall, in Bastrop Co., Texas. He worked
around Austin till he married, when he moved to Taylor and then to
Kaufman. In 1929 he went to Fort Worth where he has lived ever
since.

"I was bo'n at Caddo Parish, dats in Louisiana, on de Doc Alexander
plantation. My mother says I was bo'n on de 18th day of December, in de
year of 1850. I guess dat's right, 'cause I's 87 years ole dis comin'