bout all us slaves that was going to take the name
Fitzpatrick. I made up my mind I'd find me a different one. One of my
grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be
Jackson."

After this clear-headed Negro had posed for his photograph, the
researcher took his leave and the old blind man bade him a gracious
"good-bye." He stood as if watching his new friend walking away, and
then lighted a cigarette.

"How long have you been smoking, Martin?" called back the researcher.

"I picked up the deadly habit," answered Martin, "over seventy-five
years ago."

420137

NANCY JACKSON, about 105 years old, was born in Madison Co.,
Tennessee, a slave of the Griff Lacy family. She was married during
slavery and was the mother of three children when she was freed. In
1835, Nancy claims, she was brought to Texas by her owner, and has
lived in Panola Co. all her life. She has no proof of her age and,
of course, may be in the late nineties instead of over one hundred,
as she thinks. She lives with her daughter about five miles west of
Tatum, Tex.

"I's live in Panola County now going on 102 year and that a mighty long
time for to 'member back, but I'll try to rec'lect. I's born in
Tennessee and I think it's in 1830 or 1832. I lives with my baby chile
what am now 57 year old and she's born when I's 'bout 'bout 33. But I
ain't sho' 'bout my age, noways.

"Massa Griff fetches us to Texas when I a baby and my brudders what am
Redic and Anthony and Essex and Allen and Brick and my sisters what am
Ann and Matty and Charlotte, we all come to Texas. Mammy come with us
but pappy was sold off the Lacy place and stays in Tennessee.

"Massa had the bigges' house in them parts and a passel of slaves.
Mammy's name was Letha, and we have a purty good place to live and massa
not bad to us. We was treated fair, I guesses, but they allus whipped us
niggers for somethin'. But when we got sick they'd git the doctor,
'cause losin' a nigger like losin' a pile of money in them days.

"Massa sometimes outlines the Bible to us and we had a song what we'd
sing sometimes:

"'Stand your storm, Stand your storm,
Till the wind blows over,
Stand your storm, Stand your storm,
I's a sojer of the Cross,
A follower of the Lamb.'

"We was woke by a bell and called to eat by a bell and put to bed by
that bell and if that bell ring outta time you'd see the niggers jumpin'
rail fen