Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Henderson Bates

Henderson Bates counts himself an "old timer" in Whichita Falls. He lives at 402 Sullivan Street, in a fairly comfortable house that he "built when I was workin' at de barbershop right back behin' de White Elephant saloon. Bought de lot fr'm fellow name O'Riley ." Henderson iswellpreserved for his years a large man slightly overweight. His kinky wool is more gray than black, as is also his mustache. He is looked on as an outstanding personage in his community."I was bo'n in Rappee Parish, Louisiana, about 1864. My pa'ents was Henry and Marcella Bates . My pappy died when I was 'bout ten yea's ol'. My mother an' her mammy was bought by her own gran'daddy whiles she wus jes' a little baby in her mammy's arms. My mother worked as a free nigger' on a farm 'joinin' Polk's plantation wha' her folks worked as slaves. How somever, she managed to get over to de plantation at 'ration time.' No, Sir, de didn' have to set my mother free. She already free. My mother never married after my pappy was sol' away. She lived to be a hun'ered an' fo' yea's ol'."My two oldes' brothers, John and Henry , farmed and brought the family up. I never went to school. I worked on de farm wid my brothers in Louisiana 'til I was twelve yea's ole. 'Bout dat time my brother Harry went to Texas wid a white man. He liked Texas so well dat he 'behoove' our mother to sell out ever'thing we had an' come to Sulphur Springs to settle. We rented a farm whar I spent the two following years, den a drought struck, and I lef outta dare.
"I come to Greenville, an' worked at de Beckham Hotel washin' dishes. At dat time I was about fo'teen yea's ol'. De nex' few yea's was spent awonderin' here and dere over a good po'tion of de no'th an' east' part ob Texas."In 1881, I had a letter fr'n my brother, Dick , wantin' me to come out to Wichita Falls, where Dick been workin' at de depot." (Discrepancy in date. The first R.R. did not reach Wichita Falls until 1882.)"I was here when Wichita Falls celebrated her secon' anniversity in 1882. It was two years ol' den. Lawyer Boyd perdicted de celebration. Dey had a big barbecue out on de river. Everybody went out dere. Dey had speakin' an' plenty to eat an' talkin' ol' times. Not ovah fo' collud people here den. Us collud boys conducted de waitin' on de tables. Great time! It sho' a crackerjack. Plenty money here den. Dey made a picture ob de celebration, but I didn' get none. P. P. Boyd got killed not long after de celebration. Grave up on de hill, now." (Riverside Cemetery) "He got killed 'fendin' a fellow name Bob Ingersall . Pellow name of Offit done de shootin'. I seen 'em when de shootin' taken place right out on de square. Right out fr'm de bank on Indiana where de drug sto' is now."People nice to me here. I worked long time for a man runnin' a wholesale grocery sto', name H. G. Robertson. I cleaned de sto' up. Sto' on corner ob Sixth and Ohio."I married up wid Mattie don' know whut her name was jus' Mattie Bates all I c'n 'member. She been gone, think now, 'bout fo' years. I didn't have to bury her. We quit. She married again, an' lived over in de Kemp Addition. Me? I aint never married no mo'.

"I worked at de depot 'bout a year. Den I lef' and went up to Clarrington (Clarendon) and worked in saloon for about one or two year, and then come back to a good town. (Wichita Falls) Worked in White Elephant saloon for Gus Newby before Billy Keys bought it out. Biggest saloon here. Six others."Plenty Indians come in here big droves of 'em. Come and give Indian dances. Used to see Quanah Parker 'n lots other Indian chiefs. Knew 'em all. Remember Too Nicey . She one of ol' Quanah's squaws. Indians come to town to get somethin' to drink 'firewater.' Chief alway had frien's to get firewater for him, but lots of Indians couldn' get it.
"I've seen the banks here robbed twice. Why, they (robbers) come in here  P. P. Langford conducted de bank. He in dere workin'. I owned and run de white barbership across de street when de gun went off. Robber was holdin' gun on Dorsey , and Langford started out de do'. When Langford clacked de do' to de robber looked up and seen Langford , and cracked him ovah de haid. Langford hollered, 'Fire.' Guess he aimed to yell, 'Robber.' Robbers run down back of St. James Hotel, then out Sullivan Street, headin' for down here 'bout nine miles. Never did ketch 'em till de rangers come."De oder robber de firs' one I was workin' for Robertson on corner o' Sixth and Ohio. They come there right down de hill to de 'good time house' fancy house, you know. Fust they got de hosses out ob de stable and got a boy to join up wid 'em to make it fo. Den dey went on down to 'good time' house, and danced around and played de music. Den dey got on dey hosses an' rid up to de bank, an' deman' de money. Word had come from Iowa Park to look out for robbers. De men at de bank loaded deyselves up. Changed money, and made it lesser dan it would have been. De robbers went in and ordered and got de mon'y, and rid off down by de boxcars. A lot of us climbed up on boxcars here close to town, and watched 'em. De officers and some other fellows lit in after de robbers and shot one or der hosses out fr'm under him. Den dey met an ol' man who was drivin' a truck o' vegetables. They took his mare to place de hoss dat got shot Don' 'member which bank dat was, but it was on Seventh Street and Indiana where Fanous sto' used to be."When pro'bition come in I was runnin' a saloon o' my own. Ever'body try to 'pare deyselves 'gainst pro'bition. I tried to s'ply my own self, but it didn't las' long. It behoove me to 'vide; 'cose I did. You know what it allers do."I got lots o' fren's here. Judge Barwise was here when I come. I alluz help 'lect him  you know get ever'body whut I could to vote for him."I talked to 'em on de radio here not so long ago. I talked to 'em 'bout de big 'washout' down at Galveston. De 'man on de street' give me a ticket to de show movin' picture show, you know. It was sho' good. Don' go much to de show. Takes money, and I hain't worked now'n, now, in 'bout two yeahs."


BACK TO TEXAS "B" SLAVE NARRATIVE INDEX