.

Sept. 12, 1938

BILL HEARD
Ex-Slave--Age 73.

Bill Heard's blacksmith shop, a sagging frame structure, in the forks of
Oconee Street and Lexington Highway, is conveniently located for both
local and traveling clientele.

An old voice singing =Swing Low Sweet Chariot= in a low tone but with a
fervor known only to Negroes led the visitor through the shop, where
there was no sight of the singer. Bill was eventually discovered seated
on a cushion-covered nail keg beneath a large water-oak at the rear of
the building. A large hymn book was placed across his knees, and the old
Negro was happily singing away all by himself. His gray hair was partly
covered by an old black cap, and his faded blue work skirt and pants
showed evidence of long wear.

As the song ended Bill discovered that he was not alone. Off came his
cap, and he scrambled to his feet with a smile. "Good evenin', Missy,
how is you? Won't you have a seat and rest? Dese nail kegs makes a
mighty good place to set when you is tired out, and it's powerful nice
and cool under dis old tree." After his guest was comfortably seated on
another cushioned keg, the aged smith resumed his perch. "I didn't hear
you come into my shop, and I think dat's about de fust time anybody
ever did come in dar widout me hearin' 'em. I used to be in dar so busy
all de time, I never had no chance to rest up or practice my singin'.
Times has changed in lots of ways since dem good old days. Some folks
laughs when us calls 'em 'good old days,' and dey wants to know how come
us thinks dey was good old days, when us had such hard wuk to do den.
Course folks had to wuk hard and didn't have all dese new-fangled
gadgets to wuk wid lak dey got now, but I still calls 'em de good old
days 'cause folks was better off den; dey loved one another and was
allus ready to lend a helpin' hand, 'specially in times of trouble.

"I don't know nothin' 'bout slavery times 'cept what my Mammy and Daddy
told me. Daddy, he belonged to Marse Tom Heard down in Elbert County,
'bout 10 miles from Rucker place, nigh Ruckersville. Daddy said Marse
Tom had about a hunnerd and twenty-five slaves on his place. Daddy was
mighty little when Marse Tom got him, and he never bought none of
Daddy's other kinfolks, so it was right hard for de little boy all by
hisself, 'cause de other slaves on de plantation was awful mean to him.
Dey wouldn't let him sleep in deir quarters, so he stayed up at de big
house, and p