p of salt melted in it. Us
keep de butter and milk in de spring house in dem days, 'cause us ain't
have no ice in dem time.
"Old massa, he name Adam and he brother name John, and dey was way up
yonder tall people. Old massa die soon and us have missy to say what we
do. All her overseers have to be good. She punish de slaves iffen day
bad, but not whip 'em. She have de jail builded undergroun' like de
stormcave and it have a drop door with de weight on it, so dey couldn't
git up from de bottom. It sho' was dark in dat place.
"In slavery time us better be in by eight o'clock, better be in dat
house, better stick to dat rule. I 'member after freedom, missy have de
big celebration on Juneteenth every year. [Handwritten Note: '?']
"When war come to Texas every plantation was conscrip' for de war and my
daddy was 'pinted to selec' de able body men offen us place for to be
sojers. My brother Keen was one of dem. He come back all right, though.
"When freedom come missy give all de men niggers $500 each, but dat
'federate money and have pictures of hosses on it. Dat de onlies' money
missy have den. Old missy Betty, she die in Sunnyside, Texas, when she
115 year old.
"When I's 18 year old I marry a gal by name Lucy Johnson. She dead now
long ago. I got five livin' chillen somewhere, but I done lost track of
'em. One of dem boys serve in de last war.
"I used to hear somethin' 'bout rabbit foot. De old folks used to say
dat iffen de rabbit have time to stop and lick he foot de dog can't
track him no more and I allus wears de rabbit foot for good luck. I
don't know if it brung me dat luck, though.
"I been here 36 year and I work mos' de time as house mover, what I work
at 26 year. I'll be honnes' with you, I don't know how old I is, but it
mus' be plenty, 'cause I 'members lots 'bout de war. I didn't see no
fightin' but I knowed what was goin' on den.
"I belong to de U. B. F. Lodge, what I pays into in case I gits sick.
But I never can git sick and I ain't have no ailment 'cept my feets jus'
swoll up, and I can't git nothin' for that.
420139
HARRY JOHNSON, 86, whose real name was Jim, was born in Missouri,
where he was stolen by Harry Fugot, when about twelve years old,
and taken to Arkansas. He was given the name of Harry and remained
with Fugot until near the close of the Civil War. Fugot then sold
him to Graham for 1,200 acres and he was brought to Coryell Co.,
Texas, an
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