a bit of work. I tries. Work
is hard fer some young folks to get yet.

"I love to be around young folks. Fer as I know they do all right. The
world looks nicer 'an it used to look. All I see wrong, times is
hard."

Interviewer: Zillah Cross Peel
Information given by: Aunt Susie King, Ex-slave.
Residence: Cane Hill, Arkansas. Washington County.
Age: about 93.

Across the Town Branch, in what is dubbed "Tin-cup" lives one of the
oldest ex-slaves in Washington county, "Aunt Susie" King, who was born
at Cane Hill, Arkansas about 1844.

"Aunt Susie" doesn't know just how old she is, but she thinks she is
over ninety, just how much she doesn't know. Perhaps the most accurate
way to get near her age would be go to the county records where one
can find the following bill of sale:

"State of Arkansas, County of Washington, for and in
consideration of natural affection that I have for my
daughter, Rebecca Rich, living in the county aforesaid above
mentioned, and I do hereby give and bequath unto her one negro
woman named Sally and her children namely Sam, and Fill, her
lifetime thence to her children her lawful heirs forever and I
do warrant and forever defend said negro girl and her children
against all lawful claims whatsoever.

July, 1840. Tom Hinchea Barker,
Witness, J. Funkhouser.

Filed for record,
Feb. 16, 1841.

When this bill of sale was read to "Aunt Susie" she said with great
interest,

"Yes'm, yes'm that sure was my Ma and my two brothers, Sam and Fill,
then come a 'nother brother, Allan, and then Jack and then I'm next
then my baby sister Milly Jane. Yes'm we's come 'bout every two
years."

"Yes'm, ole Missy was rich; she had lots of money, lots of lan'. Her
girl, she jes' had one, married John Nunley, Mister Ab, he married
Miss Ann Darnell, Mister Jack he married Miss Milly Holt, and Mister
Calvin he married Miss Lacky Foster. Yes'm they lived all 'round 'bout
us. Some at Rhea's Hill and some at Cane Hill," and to prove the
keenness of this old slave's mind, as well as her accuracy, one need
only to go to the county deed records where in 1849, Rebecca Rich
deeded several 40 acres tracts of land to her sons, James, Calvin,
William Jackson and Absaolum. This same deed record gives the names of
the wives of these sons just as "Aunt Susie" named the