My birth am in de year 1851 on de plantation of Massa Fred Tate . what am on de Colorado River. Yes, suh, dat am in de state of Texas. My nammy am owned by Massa Tate and so am my pappy and all my bruddera and sisters. How many brudders and sisters? Lawd A-mighty! I'll tell you 'cause you asks and dis nigger gives de facts as 'tis. Let's see, I can't 'lect de number. My pappy have 12 chillen by my mammy and 12 by anudder nigger name Mary . You keep de count. Den dere an Liza , him have 10 by her, and dere am Mandy , him have 8 by her, and dere am Betty . him have six by her. Now, let me 'lect some mere. I can't bring do names to mind, but dere am two or three other what have jus' one or two chillen by my pappy. Dat am right. Clese to 50 chillen, 'cause my mammy dehe told me. It's disaway, my pappy am de breedin' nigger. You sess, when I meets a nigger an dat plantation, I's meet she' it am a brudder er sister, so I don't try keep track of 'em. Massa Tate didn't give rations to each family like lets of massas, but him have de cookhouse and de cooks, and all do rations cooked by dem and all us niggers set down to de long tables. Dere am planty, planty. I she' wishes I could have some good rations like dat now. Man, some of dat ham would go fine. Dat was 'Ham, what am. We'uns raise all de food right dere on de place. Hawgs? We'uns have three, four hundred and massa raise de corn and feed dem and cure de meat. We'uns have de cornmeal and de wheat flour and all de milk and butter we wants, 'cause massa have 'bout 30 cows. And dere am de good old 'lasses, too. Massa feed powerful good and he am not onreas'ble.

He don't whup much and am she' reas'ble 'bout de pass, and he 'low de parties and have de church on de place. Old Tom am de preacherman and de musician and him play de fiddle and banjo. Sometime dey have jig contest, dat when dey puts de glass of water on de head and see whe can jig de hardes' without spillin' de water. Den dere am jeyment in de singin'. Preacher Tom set all us niggers in de circle and sing old songs. I jus' can't sing for you, 'cause I's lest my teeth and my voice am raspin', but I'll word some, sich as In de new Jerusalem, In de year of Jubilee.' I done forgit de words. Den did you ever hear dis one: Oh, do, what Sam done, de dat again, He went to de hambene, bit off de end.' When Old Tom am preacherman, him talks frem he heartfelt. Den sometime a white preacherman come and he am de Baptist and baptist we'uns. Massa have de fine coach and de seat for de driver am up high in front and I's de coachman and he dresses me nice and de hesses am fine, white team, Dere I's sat up high, all dress good, holdin' a tight line 'cause de team am full of spirit and fast. We'uns goes lickity split and it am a purty sight. Man, 'twarnt anyone bigger dan dis nigger. Thas de bad luck jus' one time with dat team and it am disaway: massa have jus' change de power for de gin from hess to steam and dey am ginnin' cotton and I's with dat team 'side de heuse and de hesses am a-prancin' and waitin' for missy to come out. Massa am in de coach. Den, de fool niggers blows de whistle of dat steam engine and de hesses never heered sich befe' and dey starts to run. Dey have de bit in de teeths and I's lucky dat road am purty straight. I thinks of massa bein' inside de coach and wants to save him. I says to myself, 'Dem hosscs skeart and I don't want to skear 'em no more.' I jus' hold de lines steady and keep sayin'. 'Steady, boys, when boys.' Pin'ly dey begins to slow down and den stops and massa gits out and de hessee an puffin' hard and all fom. He turns to no and say, 'Boy, you's made a wonnerful drive, like a vet'ran.' New, does dat make me feel finel It she' de Then surrender come I's been drivia' 'bout a year and it's 'bout ll o'clock in de morain', 'cause massa have me ring de bell and all de niggers runs quick to de house and massa say dey am free miggors. It am time for layin' de crops by and he say if dey de dat he pay 'em. Some stays and same goes off, but manmy and pappy and me stays. Dey never left dat plantation, and I stays 'bout 8 years. I guess it dat coachman job what helt me. When I quits I gees to work for Ed Mattsen in La Grange and I works in dat cotton gin 18 years. Fim'ly I comes here to Fort Worth. Dat am 1896. I works for Armeurs 20 years but dey let as off six years age, 'cause I's too old, Siace don I works at any little old job, for to make my livia'. Sho', I's been married and it to Jane Owen in La Grange, and we'uns have three chillen and dey all dead. She died in 1931. It am hard for dis nigger to git by and sometime I don't know for sho' dat I's gwine git anudder meal, but it allus come some way. Yes, suh, dey allus come some way. Some of de time dey is far apart, but dey comes. De Lawd see to dat, I guess.

Lewis Jones , 86, was born a slave to Mr. Fred Tate , who owned about 100 slaves with Lewis' parents and a large plantation located along the Colorado River in Fayette Co., Tex. Lewis ' father was born a slave to Mr. H. Jones and later sold to Mr. Tate who used him as a breeder to build his slave stock. Lewis took his father's name after Emancipation and then married Jane Owen . She died in 1931. Three children were born to them but are dead now. As a free man, Lewis worked for 23 years in a cotton gin at LaGrange, Tex. He came to Ft. Worth in 1896 and worked at odd jobs until he secured work with Armour & Co., in 1911. He worked there until his age caused his discharge in 1931. He has worked at odd jobs since then and now resides at 3304 Loving Ave., Ft. Worth, Texas. His story:

My birth am in de yeah, 1851. I's bo'n on de plantation ob Marster Fred Tate . Dat am on de Colorado River in Fayette County, Yas Sar! In de State ob Texas. Sho, I's 'membahs de wah 'cause I's 10 yeahs ol' den. Yas Sar, I's 'membahs w'en dey stahts de fetin'. My mammy am owned by Marster Tate , so am my pappy an' all my brudders an' sistahs. How many brudders an' sistahs I's have? Lawd a mighty! Now, I's will tell yous 'cause yous ask an' dis nigger gives de facts as 'tis. Dat am w'at yous wants, 'taint it? Now, lets see. Lawd, I's can't 'collect de numbah. My mammy tol' me often but it am hahd fo' to keep in de mind. Now, dere am my mammy. My pappy have 12 chilluns by her an' 12 by Mary . Yous keep de count. Den dere am Eliza , him have 10 by her, dere am Mandy , him have 8 by her an' dere am Betty , him have five or six by her. Now, let me 'collect some mo'. W-e-l-l, I's can't bring de name to mind but dere am two or three wid jus' one or two chilluns. Now, how many dat make? Yas Sar. Dat am right. Close to 50 chilluns. Yous don't undahstand dat? 'Tis dis away, my pappy am de breedin' nigger. No, dis nigger don't have a hahd time keepin' track ob my brudders an' sistahs 'cause I's jus' don't do it. Yous see, w'en I's meet a cullud person on dat plantation, I's sho mos'ly, dat it am my brudder or sistah. Weuns live in de cullud quatahs. Dem am log cabins wid a dirt flooah an' a hole in de wall fo' a windah widout glass. Weuns sleep on bunks wid straw ticks.

Marster Tate don't give de rations to each fam'ly lak lots ob udder Marsters do. Him have de cookhouse an' de cooks. All de rations am cooked by dem an' allus sat down to de long tables fo' to eat de meals. Dere am plenty, plenty, Yas Sar, plenty good rations. I's sho wish I's could have good rations lak dat now. Man, some ob dat ham would go fine. Dat was,  Ham w'at am Weuns raise all de food right dere on de place. Hawgs? W'y, weuns have three or fouah hund'ed. Marster raised de co'n an' fed dem an' cured de meat. Tom am de meat curin' man an' de meat tender'. Ob co'se, him have he'p. Weuns have de co'n meal an' de w'eat flouah an' all de milk an' buttah dat weuns wants. Dere am fresh milk, buttah milk an' souah milk. Co'se de Marster have lots ob cows. Weuns milk 'bout 30 all de time. Den, dere am veg'tables, eggs, fruit, an' de good auld 'lasses an' de brown sugah. Marster feed powe'ful good an' him wo'k de niggers powe'ful hahd, too. He am not unreasonable an' he whups sometimes but dat am not unreasonable. De whuppin's am mos'ly fo' igno'in' de rules an' de o'dahs. Dere am two or three fool niggers dat gits mostest ob de whuppin's. Dey gits de pass, de Marster sho am reasonable 'bout de pass, an' dem ornery niggers all atime overstay de time. So, yous see, if de Marster 'lows dem to go widout de punishment, de udder niggers would do de same. Dat's w'y de Marster have to whups. He whups dem two or three times fo' overstayin' but 'twarnt no use. Deys jus' do it 'gain. Den de Marster 'fuses dem de pass an' deys goes widout de pass. So, it am hell wid dem ornery devils. De Marster says dat de trouble wid dem am dat dey is chasin' wenches. De Patter Rollers catch one ob dem out one time. Deys give him de whuppin' but dat don't cure him. De Marster says deys am a little teched in de head. De Marster 'lows de pahties an' have de chu'ch on de place an' gives de pass fo' to go to udder places, so 'twarnt any use fo' de chasin'. Weuns cullud fo'ks have a big time at de pahties. Ol' Tom am de preachahman an' de musician. Him play de fiddle an' de banjo. De cullud fo'ks dat come f'om de udder plantations, deys dance an' sings. Sometimes deys would have de jig contest. Dere am one contest dat am a heap ob fun. Dat am w'en deys put a glass ob wautah on de head an' see who can jig de hahdest widout spillin' de wautah. Den w'at great 'joyment am de singin'. Preachah Tom would sat all de niggers in de circle.

Maybe dere would be 25 or 30 ob dem an' den dey would sing de ol' songs. Shucks, dem was purtter dan sich dat am sung today. Dere 'tis. Now yous wants me to sing. I's jus' can't does it 'cause I's lost my teeth an' my voice am raspin'. Sho, I's will name some. Dere was sich as, In de new Je-ru-sa-lem. In de yeah ob de ju-be-lee. Did yous ever heah dis one? Oh, do, w'at Sam done, do dat again, He went to de ham bone, bit off de end.  Cept w'en dey am rushed wid de wo'k, always de Satid'y evenin' am free f'om wo'k. Den on Satid'y nights, weuns have de pahties or can go to some udder place. "On Sunday, regular, weuns have de chu'ch an' Tom, he preach. He can read de Bible but he ta'ks f'om his heartfelt. Den, once a month dere am a w'ite preachahman dat come an' preach de sermon. He am a Baptist an' he also baptize weuns. Some times dis nigger have to miss de chu'ch an' de pahties 'cause I's larnt to be de coachman an' I's have to took de Marster whar he wants to go, an' his fam'ly too. Sho, I's hate to miss de chu'ch an' pahties but I's lak to be de coachman too. De Marster had de fine coach. De seat fo' de drivah am up high in f'ont an' he dresses me nice. Him an' de fam'ly sat inside. De hosses am a fine w'ite team. I's think ob dat lots ob times. Dere I's sat up high, dressed good, hol'in' a tight line 'cause de team am full ob speert an' fast. W'en weuns goes down de road, weuns goes lickity split. It am a putty sight. No Sar! I's wouldn't trade dat job fo' to be President ob de Gove'nment. Did I's feel big? Man, 'twarnt any one biggah dan dis nigger. I's have de bad luck wid dat team jus' one time. It am dis away: De Marster had jus' change' de powah fo' de gin f'om hoss powah to steam. Dey am ginnin' cotton an' I's wid de team 'side de house, a sattin' up dere, hol'in' de lines tight. De hosses am prancin' an' waitin' fo' de Missy to come out. De Marster am already in de coach. Den, de fool niggers blows de whistle ob de steam engine. It comes so sudden dat I's not prepared fo' it an' de hosses never heahs sich befo'. Dey stahts to run an' I's couldn't stop dem. No Sar! Deys have de bet in dere teeths. I's lucky de road am putty straight an' weuns don't have to make a quick tu'n an' m'ybe tip over. I's think ob de Marster bein' inside an' wants to save him an' ever'thing else. I's think an' think w'at to do. I's says to myse'f, "Deys skeert an' I's don't want to skeer dem any mo'." I's jus' hol' de lines steady an' kep' saysin', "quietly, steady boys, steady, whoa boys, whoa". I's keep dat up an' act lak I's drivin' 'stead ob runnin' away. Finally, deys begin to slow down an' den I's gits dem stopped. De Marster gits out ob de coach an' looks at de team. Deys am puffin' hahd an' all foam. I's sho de Marster am gwine to give it to me fo' lettin' de team run away. He tu'ns to me an' says, "Boy, yous made a wondahful drive an' handled dat team lak a vet'ran". Now, does dat make me feel fine! It sho does! W'en surrendah comes, I's been drivin' 'bout a yeah. I's 'membahs dat well 'cause de Marster have me ring de bell, 'twas 'bout 11 'clock, to call all de slaves in to de house. De Marster den an' dere tol' dem dat dey am free niggers. It was time fo' layin' de crops by an' he tol' de slaves dat dey could stay an' gather de crop an' he would pay fo' de wo'k. Dere was some dat stayed an' some dat go off.

My mammy an' father stayed. Deys stayed on dat plantation 'til deys died. I's stayed wid de Marster fo' 'bout 8 yeahs. I's guess 'twas de coachman job dat hol' me. Aftah eight yeahs, I's guit an' goes to wo'k fo' Ed Mattson in LaGrange. He run a cotton gin an' I's wo'k dere fo' 18 yeahs. I's quit Marster Mattson an' wo'ked fo L.B. Zapp fo' five yeahs. I's come to Fort Worth in 1896. I's wo'ked heah an' dere fo' a while an' den I's goes to wo'k fo' Armours an' wo'ked dere steadily fo' 20 yeahs. Deys let me off six yeahs ago 'cause I's too ol' fo' to wo'k. Deys quit me col'. Since dat time, I's wo'k at w'at little jobs dat I's can find fo' to make my livin'. Sho, I's been mai'ied. I's mai'ied to Jane Owen in LaGrange w'en I's fust goes to wo'k fo' Marster Mattson . Weuns had three chilluns an' all ob dem am dead. My wife died in 1931. It am hahd fo' dis cullud person to git by. Sometimes I's don't know fo' sho dat I's gwine to git anudder meal but it always comes some way. Yas Sar, deys always comes some way. Some ob de times dey is far apart but deys come. De Lawd see to dat, I's guess.