Texas Slave NarrativeHenderson 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. BACK TO TEXAS "B" SLAVE NARRATIVE INDEX |