ere then. I worked eighteen years in McCloskey's
saloon, and he gave me ten dollars every Christmas 'sides my pay and a
suit every year. I wish he was livin' now. My wife and I was together
fifty-two years and then she died. After a long time I married again,
and my wife is out pickin' cotton now.

"It seem mighty hard to me now by side of old times, but I don't know if
it was any better in slavery days. It seems mighty hard though, since
I'm old and can't work.

420154

SALLY BANKS CHAMBERS, wife of Ben Chambers of Liberty, does not
know her age. She was born a slave of Jim Moore, in Oakland,
Louisiana. Sally has been married three times and has had seven
children, about 54 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Heavy
gold earrings hang from her ears and she dresses, even in
midsummer, in a long-sleeved calico shirt, heavy socks and shoes,
and a sweeping skirt many yards wide.

"Befo' I marry de first time my name am Sally Banks, and I's borned in
de old states, over in Louisiana, round Oakland. I ain't 'member nothin'
'bout dat place, 'cause I's so small when dey brung me to Texas.

"Old massa name Jim Moore. He a fair old gen'man, with a big bald place
on he head, and he am good to de slaves. Not even as stric' as old
missus, what was de big, stout woman. She am terrible stric', but she
whip de li'l white chillen too, so dey be good.

"My daddy name John Moore and mama name Car'line, and dey borned in
Louisiana. My grandpa was Lewis Moore and grandma name Polly, but dey
wasn't reg'lar Africy people. My grandma, she have right smart good
blood in her.

"When old massa come to Texas he brung us over first by wagon, a mule
wagon with a cover over de top, and he rent de house clost to Liberty.
But de nex' year he find a place on de river bottom near Grand Cane and
it jes' suit him for de slaves he have, so he brung all de rest over
from Louisiana.

"My mama have four chillen when us come to Texas, but she have eleven
more after freedom. When war broke out she have six, but she multiply
after dat. She de milker and washwoman and spinner, and make de good,
strong clothes.

"Dey have li'l separate houses make outten logs for us slaves. De white
folks house was one dese big, old double-pen house, with de hall down de
middle. Dey have right nice things in it.

"De white folks 'lowance out de food every Saturday night and dat spose
last de week. All de cullud folks c