*Louise Mathews, 83, is a sister of Scott Hooper. Her owner was the Rev.
Robert Turner. Louise married Henry Daggett when she was twenty, Jim
Byers when she was thirty-one and Bill Mathews when she was
thirty-three. She lives alone at 2718 Ennis Ave., Fort Worth, about a
block from Scott.*
"Sho', I 'members dem slavery times, 'cause I's eleven when de break-up
come. Everybody call my massa Jedge Turner, but him am a Baptist
preacher and have de small farm and gen'ral store. My pappy and mammy
don't live together, 'cause pappy am own by Massa Jack Hooper. Massa
Turner done marry dem. Mostest de cullud folks jus' lives together by
'greement den, but massa have de cer'mony.
"Us live in log cabins with de dirt floor and no windows, and sleep on
straw ticks. All de cookin' done in de eatin' shed but when pappy come
over twict de week, mammy cooks him de meal den.
"Let me tell yous how de young'uns cared for. Massa give dem special
care, with de food and lots of clabber and milk and pot-liquor, and dey
all fat and healthy.
"Massa am a preacher and a farmer and a saloonkeeper. He makes de
medicine with whiskey and cherry bark and rust offen nails. It mus' be
good, 'cause us all fat and sassy. Gosh for 'mighty. How I hates to take
dat medicine! He say to me, 'Take good care de young'uns, 'cause de old
ones gwine play out sometime, and I wants de young'uns to grow strong.'
"Massa Turner wants de good day's work and us all give it to him. Every
Saturday night us git de pass if us wants to go to de party. Us have
parties and dancin' de quadrille and fiddles and banjoes.
"On Sunday massa preach to us, 'cause he de preacher heself. He preach
to de white folks, too.
"I 'member dat surrender day. He call us round him. I can see him now,
like I watches him come to de yard, with he hands clasp 'hind him and he
head bowed. I know what he says, 'I likes every one of you. You been
faithful but I has to give you up. I hates to do it, not 'cause I don't
want to free you, but 'cause I don't want to lose you all.' Us see de
tears in he eyes.
[Illustration: _Louise Mathews_]
"Mos' everybody leaves, and us go to pappy's place, den comes here in
1872, right here where us live now. My sister, Scott, she lives up de
street. It warn't no houses here den.
"I gits married in 1874 to Henry Daggett and he dies in 1884. Den I
marries Jim Byers in 1885 and he am lazy and no 'count. He leaves on
Christmas Day in de mornin', and don't come back. Dat de only present he
ever give me! He am what you calls de buck passer. I does de washin' and
ironin' and he passes de bucks I makes. I marries Bill Mathews and he my
las' husband. He dies on May 15th, dis year. I has seven chillen and
four of dem am right in dis town.
"I never votes but once, 'bout four years ago. I jus' don't care 'bout
it. Too much fustin' round for me. My husband allus voted de Lincoln
ticket.
"I gits 'round and it won't be long 'fore I goes to de Lawd's restin'
place. My sister am 81 and I's 83, and she lives in de next block yonder
way. Us am de cons'lation to each other."