Victor Duhon was born 97 years age in Lafayette Purish, La., a slave of the Duhon family. His blue eyes and almost white skin are evidence of the white strain in his blood. Even after many years of association with English speaking persons, he speaks a French patois, and his story was interpreted by a Beaumont French teacher.

My papa was Lucien Duhon and my mama Euripa Dupuis . I was born over in Louisiana in Lafayette Parish, between Broussard and Warville. I'm 97 years old now. I didn't have brothers or sisters, except half ones. It is like this, my mama was a house servant in the Duhon family. She was the hairdresser. One day she barbered master's son, who was Lucien . He says that he'll shave her head if she won't de what he likes. After that she his woman till he marries a white lady. grandmama was stolen from Africa and she lived to be 125 years old. She died last year in April. I think I'll live long as she did. There were fifteen slaves on the land what Duhon's had but I never ran around with them. I had room at the back of the big house. You knew, Madame Duhon was my grandmama. She was good to me. The only thing I did was look to my master's horse and be coachman for Madame. Master had four sons. They were Ragant and Jaques and Lucie and Desire . Desire was shot at the dance.

Master had about 100 acres in cotton and the corn. He had a slave for to hunt all the time. He didn't do other things. The partridge and the rice birds he killed were cooked for the white folks. The owls and the rabbits and the coons and the possums were cooked for us. They had a big room for us to eat in. Where they cook they had a long oven with 2 piece down the middle. They cooked the white folks things on one side. They cooked their own things on the other. They had each ones pots and skillets. I didn't play much with the black children. My time went waiting on my white folks. Sometimes the priest came to say Mass. The slaves went to Mass. The priest married and baptized the slaves. They gave a feast of baptizing. We all had real beef meat that day. When my mama had 22 years she married a Polite Landry slave. Then she went to the Landry plantation. There was often marrying between the two plantations. When they married the wife went to her man's plantation. That made no difference. It wouldn't be long before a girl from the other place marry into the man's plantation. That kept things in balance. My mama married Fairjuste Williams . They had two sons and a daughter. I didn't know them so mich. They were half brothers and sister. I had 22 years when war came. You know what war I mean. The war when the slaves were set free. I wasn't bothered about freedom. Didn't leave master till he died. Them I went to work for Mr. Polite Landry . I was always in good hands. Some slaves were treated bad. Mr. Natale Vallean beat up a slave for stealing. He beat him se hard he lay in front of the gate a whole day and the night.  I worked on farms all my life. Then I come to Beaumont. About 23 years age, it was. I worked at anything. Now I'm to old. I live with my daughter.

Victor Duhon , a strapping young man of 97 years, shows the white strain in his blood very definitely. His eyes are blue, and the skin of his body almost fair. An erstwhile white undershirt and khaki trousers, supported by suspenders, encase his body, while his bare feet benefitted from what cool breezes might be circulating on a mild afternoon in August. His short straight iron gray hair and stubby gray beard about a well-lined face, pursed lips and eyes are all in keeping with the years that have passed over his head. He is proud of the fact that he was brought up in the home of his white grandmother, and that his duties were not arduous. Even after his many years of association with the English speaking people, he has not acquired their language but speaks French patois. This story was interpreted by a Beaumont French teacher.

My father was Lucien Duhon and my mudder was Euripa Dupuis . I was bo'n over in Lou'siana, in LaFayette Parish 'tween Broussard and Warville. I's 97 year' ol' now. I didn' had no brudders or sisters. My mudder she uster be de house servant in de Duhon fam'ly. She was de hair-dresser for de folks. One time she was barberin' ol' marster' son, Lucien . He tell her he gwine shave her head iffen she don' do like he tell her. Atter dat she was his woman 'til he git marry to a w'ite lady. My gramma she was stole from Africa, and she live to be 125 year' ol'. She die las' year in April. I t'ink I gwine live long as she did. Dey was 'bout fifteen slaves on de lan' w'at de Duhon's own, but I nebber run 'roun' wid dem. I had a room at de back of de Duhon home. You know Missus Duhon she was r'ally my gramma. She was sho' good to me. Only t'ing I hafter do was to look atter my marster' hoss w'en he come in. W'en I git to be a ol'er boy I was coachman for my missus. I hafter look atter her hoss and karrige. Me, I was de one w'at allus hitch up for her. I t'ink dey was 'bout a hundred acres on de ol' place. Dey raise mos'ly cotton and co'n. Marster he had fo' sons. Dey was Ragant , Jaques , Lucien , and Desire . Desire he git shoot at a dance. Marster kep' a slave for to hunt all de time. He didn' do nuffin' else. De pa't'ige and rice bird w'at he kill', dey cook dem and de w'ite folks eat 'em. De owls and de rabbits and de 'coons and 'possums and sich dey cook up for de slaves to eat. Dey had a big room w'at de slaves eat in. W'ere dey cook dey food dey had a long ubben (oven) wid a piece down de middle. Dey cook de w'ite folks t'ings on one side. Dey had dey own t'ings to cook in. On de other side dey cook de vittles for de slaves. Dey didn' cook de w'ite folks t'ings in de same pan and skillet w'at dey cook de slaves' vittles in. Missus didn' like de smell of w'at dey was cookin' for de slaves sometime. I didn' uster play games and run 'roun' wid de other slave chillen. My missus she uster tell me stories and teach me how to be p'lite. Mos' of de time w'en I warn't out wid de kerrige, I'd ruther jis' sit in my room.

Sometime de pries' come 'roun' to marster's house to say mass. Den dey git de slaves dere on de front po'ch and dey 'ten' de service wid de w'ite folks. De pries' he marry and baptize de slaves, too. W'en I was baptize' he baptize' fo' others. I mean I 'member hearin' tell 'bout it. Dey tell 'bout de big baptizin' feas' dat time. Dat time dey give all de slaves some real meat. I mean dey give 'em beef meat for dinner. Mos' de time w'en de slaves git marry dey jis' jump de broomstick. W'en dey do dat dey married and den dey go to housekeepin. Eb'ry Sadday aft'noon dey grease up all de t'ings dey use on de farm, so it be all fix up for Monday mo'nin'. I was de one w'at hafter go fetch de taller dey use to grease de plows and t'ings wid. W'en my mudder was twenty-two year' ol' she marry a Polite Landry slave den she went over to de Landry plantation. Dey was right smart marryin' 'tween de two plantations. W'en dey marry de wife she go to her man's marster' plantation. Dat didn't make no diff'rence wid de marsters, 'cause twouldn't be long 'fo' a gal from de other place marry one of his mans and dey keep t'ings 'bout balance up dat way. My mudder she marry Fairjuste Williams. Dey had two son' and a daughter. I didn' know dem half-brudder and half-sister so good. Back in slav'ry times w'enebber a slave git sick de marster uster git Dr. DuBose to come and see 'bout 'em. Dat warn't so offen 'cause ol' marster tek keer of his slaves and dey warn't sick much.  was twenty-two year' ol' time of de war. You know w'at war I mean. Dat was de war w'en de slaves was sot free. I warn't boddered 'bout freedom. I didn' lef' my marster 'til he die. Den I went to wuk for Mr. Polite Landry ." Some of de slaves on other places was treat' bad by dere marsters. One of 'em, Mr. Natale Vallean , he beat up a slave one time for stealin'. He beat him so hard dat he couldn't git up and he jis' stay dere in front of de gate a whole day and a night. wukked on farm up 'til de time I come to Beaumont, time of de big war 'bout twenty-t'ree year' 'go. I uster plow mos'ly. Now I's too ol' to wuk and I jis' live here wid my daughter.