fer my age, I wouldn't ax nobody fer nothing. De Lawd done spared
me fer somethin' and I carries on de best dat I can. Doctor say he
couldn't do no good. Dat been five years ago de fust time I tuck down.
Doctors steadies about money too much. I trustes de Lawd, He spare me to
dis day. I can't hardly walk, and I jus' can't bear fer nothing to touch
dis foot. I has to use two sticks to walk. (Uncle Brack punched his foot
with a stick; then looked up and saw two negro girls approaching.)

"As the girls got opposite Uncle Brack, he threw his stick in front of
them and they exclaimed, "Is dat you, Uncle Brack? How did you get up
here?" Uncle Brack replied, "I never meant fer you to git by me. Jes
kaize I'se ole, ain't no reason fer you not speaking to me." As the
girls walked on, Uncle Brack said, "I flirts wid all de colored gals,
and I also has a passing word for de white ladies as dey goes by."

"I used to work at the baker shop over dar when Mr. James' chilluns was
little saplings. I'se gwine on eighty-six and dem big boys raise dey
hats to me. White people has respec' for me kaize I ain't never been in
jail. I knows how to carry myself, and I specs to die dat way if I can.
Lil chile what jus' could talk good gived me a penny dis mawning.

"I used to could read. I learnt to read in Aiken, when school fust broke
out to de colored people. Northern people teached me to read long time
ago. Now my eyes is dim."

=Source:= JOHN GRAVES, (Col. 86) N. Church St., Union, S.C.
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. (2/27/37)

Project 1885-1
FOLKLORE
Spartanburg, Dist. 4:
Sept. 8, 1937

Edited by:
Elmer Turnage

STORIES OF EX-SLAVES

"Miss Alice Cannon give me my age from de foundation of my mother. Dey
been bringing my things out to me--is dat what you'se doing, setting
down here by me? I was born on de first Christmas Day, I means de 25th
of December, 1855; in Newberry County on de Sam Cannon place. You had to
turn off de Ashford Ferry Road about seven and a half miles from de town
of Newberry. My mother was Frances Cannon of near Cannon Creek Church.

"I'll try to give you a straight definition. Old man Sim Gallman was my
old missus' brother; she was Miss Viny Cannon. My boss was overseer for
Mr. Geo. Gallman. We was on Mr. George's place. When Mr. Gallman started
overseeing, Mr. Sim Gallman come over dar for dem to take his place and
care for him.

"My boss, Sam Cannon, promised m