deleted: piece of] property and they received treatment as such. When
they were ill the doctor would be sent for or "Old Mistis" would come to
the cabins bringing her basket of oil, pills, and linament.

Food was always given out to the slaves from the commissary and the
smokehouse. There was flour and corn meal, dried beans and other
vegetables, and cured pork and beef in the winter. In season the
servants had access to the master's vegetable garden and they were
always given as much milk as they could use.

Life [HW: deleted: had indeed been; added: was] was very pleasant in
those times; but Uncle Robert, at ease in a comfortable rocker, would
not agree that it was more to his liking than this present-day
existence.

When the subject of signs and omens was broached he waxed voluble in
denying that he believed in any such "foolishment." However, he agreed
that many believed that a rooster crowing in front of the door meant
that a stranger was coming and that an owl screeching was a sign of
death. He suggested that a successful means of combatting the latter
omen is to tie knots in the bed sheets or to heat a poker in the fire.
In case of death, Uncle Robert says, to be on the safe side and prevent
another death in the family, it is wise to stop the clock and turn its
face to the wall and to cover all the mirrors in the house with white
cloths. Uncle Robert's highly educated daughter smiled indulgently on
him while he was giving voice to these opinions and we left him
threatening her with dire punishment if she should ever fail to carry
out his instructions in matters of this nature.

[HW: Robert Henry Ex-slave]

FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT
W.P.A. OFFICE
787 COBB STREET
ATHENS, GEORGIA
OCTOBER 16, 1936

Mr. John L. Peters, Director
W.P.A. District No. 2
708 Telfair Street
Augusta, Georgia

=Attention:=
Mrs. Carolyn P. Dillard
State Director
Federal Writers' Projects
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mr. Peters:

Attaching herewith story of an ex-slave prepared by Mr. John Booth from
my notes and is in accordance with the instructions contained in your
letter of October 13. The snap-shots are by Jaffee.

We have located a former slave of Dr. Crawford W. Long in Jackson county
and we plan to interview the 'darky' in the very near future. We are
anxious to get a very intimate picture of Dr. Crawford W. Long from the
eyes of one of his personal servants.

Very truly yours,