e didn't want nuttin'. He jes' want to see what I wuz
doin'.

"Abraham Lincoln done all he could for de colored folks. But dey cain't
none of 'em do nuttin' without de Lord."

Source: Isaiah Butler, Garnett, S. C.

Project #-1655
Phoebe Faucette
Hampton County
Approx. 800 Words

SOLBERT BUTLER EX-SLAVE OF 82 YEARS

Miles from the highway old Solbert Butler lives alone under the shadow
of the handsome winter home of an aged northerner upon the same soil
that he has seen pass from Southerner to Negro, to Southerner, to
Northerner. Though shrunken and bent with age he still enjoys talking.

"I lives in de Deer Country. A couple of months ago, I saw eight in a
drove at one time, like a drove of sheep, or sech like. You can't raise
nuthin' 'round here. Dey'll eat up your garden. And de wild turkey! And
de partridge! But you can't shoot 'em without de Cassels give you a
license to do it. Now he comin' next month and dere'll be more shootin'!
But he aint able to hunt none hisself. He kin ride 'bout in de woods in
de car. Dey are blessed people, though!

"Dis used to be de Bostick place. Old Massa Ben Bostick lived fourteen
miles from here. Dere was Ben Bostick, Iva Bostick, Joe Bostick, Mr.
Luther, Eddie Bostick, an' Jennie Jo Bostick. De place was divided up
between 'em. O-oh! I couldn't number de plantations old Mr. Bostick
owned. I think he owned fifteen plantations! He was de millinery
(millionaire)! Oh, de Bosticks, O-oh!! De house dey live in, dey call
um--what was it dey call um--de Paradise house. No one go to dat house
but only de rich.

"At Christmas dey'd go up dere. And oh, I couldn't number it! Oh, it was
paradise. He was good to 'em. An' he whip 'em good, too! Tie 'em to de
fence post and whip 'em. But I didn't' have anythin' of dat. I was a
little boy. Jes' 'bout six year old when de war broke out. But I got
plenty of whippin's all right.

"Massa take me as a little boy as a pet. Took me right in de carriage!
Had a little bed right by his own an' take care of me. Every morning dey
bring in dey tray, an' go back. My uncle was a carriage man. Dey kept
two fine horses jes' for de carriage. Massa'd come up to de Street every
Monday morning with big trays of rations. He'd feed his colored folk,
den go on back."

(Another old ex-slave from the same plantation had said that on Mondays
the week's rations were given out.)

"Dey planted cotton, corn, peas, potatoes, rice--an' dey'd lick