*Yach Stringfellow, 90, was born a slave of Frank Hubert, in Brenham,
Texas. His memory is poor and, though he recalled a good many incidents
of slavery days, he had little to say about his life from 1865 to the
present. He now lives in Watt, Texas.*
"I'll be ninety-one years old next May, and I was borned in Brenham. My
massa and missus was Frank Hubert and Sarah Ann Hubert. My daddy come
from de old Africa and was tall and straight as a arrow. He was sold to
a man what tooked him to California in de gold rush in 1849 and me and
mammy stays with Massa Hubert. Dat how come my name ain't de same as
massa have.
"I got so much misery in de head I can't 'member like I should. But I
know us live in little log houses all kind of group together, and us eat
in a long lean-to builded on to the big house. Us chillen had a long,
scooped-out dish on a split log table. What we had to eat was dumped in
dat trough and us ate it like slop. But it sho' taste good when you been
huntin' for eggs or calves or gittin' in chips or breakin' bresh.
"When I's big 'nough I carries water, sometimes from de spring and
sometimes from de deep well. Dere danger a little child fall in and
drown and massa, he say niggers too valu'ble to risk dem dat way. It was
hard work to tote water for niggers workin', 'cause allus somebody
hollerin' for de water. I had to trot down de slippery bank through de
thorns to de spring or pull de heavy sweep to git it out de well, and
carry two buckets most de time.
"Us cut two saplin's de right size to fasten together at de end and
stick dem in holes in de wall, to make de bed. Us use lace cowhide
strings or any kind rope across de poles to hold de bed up. Den put hay
or corn shucks and a little cotton in de ticks.
"Us eat bacon and cornbread and greens, but de white folks had more'n
better. Dey didn't have to eat string victuals like us; us have to eat
something to stick to de ribs. Right 'bout de time dis state come to be
de United States, and de Mexicans raisin' de old billy, us cook most
usual on de fireplace and have ovens by de side to make bread, and
cranes for de pots.
"Us slaves used pine torches and sometimes a little bit of candle. De
women make all de candles demselves for de white folks. Us didn't need
much light at night, 'cause us tired after de long day, workin' from can
see to can't see, and us git in de bed early.
"I wore shirt tail till I's fourteen, den de homespun britches and
shirt. My weddin' suit was de dark jeans and I was fix up fine as any
nigger on de plantation. She wore white and massa fix supper and git de
fiddler and all sich.
"Massa have John to oversee, and he sho' de stepper. He be every place
you didn't think he gwine come. He have de big, boom voice and allus
slingin', and wail, 'Look along, black man, look along, dere trouble
comin' sho'.' Iffen de black boy or woman lyin' in de corn row, dey git
up quick and be mighty bust right soon, 'cause dat black snake whip
reach for dem. Dey scramble deyself together and be de busiest in de
bunch by time John git dere.
[Illustration: _Yach Stringfellow_]
"In de long winter days de men sat round de fire and whittle wood and
make butter paddles and troughs for de pigs and sich, and ax handles and
hoe handles and box traps and figure-four traps. Dey make combs to git
de wool clean for de spinnin'. Us take de long strip of leather and put
wire in it and bend dem so dey stay, den cut dem comb-like teef and dere
you are.
"Come Christmas us slaves have de big dinner and eat all day and dance
till nex' mornin'. Some de niggers from near plantations git dey passes
and come jine us. Course dey a drap egg nog round and candy for de
chillen. De white folks have dey big carriage full of visitors and big
goin's on dey come to from miles round. Us didn't have no money, but
didn't have no place to go to spend it, neither.
"At night, us sat round de fire sometimes and de women sew and knit and
de men whittle and told things. Dey talk 'bout charms and sich. You
gwine have lots of luck iffen you cotch de rabbit in de graveyard on de
dark of de moon and cut off he hind leg and wear it. Iffen you chews de
piece of shoe-string root, jus' you ask anybody a favor and you sho'
gwine git it."