*Willie Williams, 78, was born a slave to Mr. William Maddox, who owned
about 90 slaves, including Willie's parents, five brothers and a sister.
The plantation was in Vermillion Parish, La., near Sparta. In 1867 Mr.
Maddox took Willie, who was still working for him, to Texas. Willie now
lives in Fort Worth.*
"Dis nigger am 78 years old, and I's born in slavery, down in old
Louisiana. Marster William owned me, and he am de father of Marster Ed
Maddox what now runs de Maddox Milk and Ice Company here in Fort Worth.
I knowed him when him and dis nigger am tiny chiles. I goes and visits
with him often and we talks 'bout old times and sich. We laughs 'bout
some things and de tears come in de eyes 'bout some things. Him allus
give dis nigger de quarter or de half dollar for old times sake.
"Marster William owns sich a big plantation dat it was miles and miles
'round and had 'bout 90 grown nigger slaves. I 'members it well and sho'
am glad for to tell yous 'bout it and how dey does. De marster have a
two-story house for his family and de place look like a town with all de
buildings. Dere was de nigger quarters with 30 cabins and de nursery for
de young niggers, de sheds and de smokehouse for de meat. Den dey have
de gin and de mill for to grin' de grist, de spinning house and de shoe
shop.
"Marster have a nigger what make de shoes out of hides tanned dere off
de cattle what am killed for meat. Him makes good shoes, they las' a
long time, but they sure is tough on de feets.
"Marster William raises de corn and rice and wheat and barley and
vegetables and honey, and lots of cotton. Dey works animals, de mules
and de oxen, but I seed de niggers hitched to de plow sometimes. But de
marster allus took good care of his niggers and him feeds plenty good
victuals. Every Sunday dey measures out de rations, 'cept de vegetables.
But if what dey give am not 'nough, we'uns calls for more. De marster
wants for we'uns to have plenty.
"All us am given de pass for to go to de church or to de party and
dere's a place near de quarters for de dance and sich. Some fool niggers
sneaks off without de pass sometimes and gits catched by de patter
rollers and gits couple passes from de whup.
"One time de niggers puts one on dem patter rollers. Dere am de dance
and some niggers has no pass and de patter rollers am a-comin'. De
niggers 'cide to best 'em and one gits de pan of hot ashes and when dem
patter rollers comes to de door de ashes am thrown in de face. De
niggers all rush out and knocks de rollers down, and de niggers am gone.
Dats once de niggers 'prise de rollers.
"On dat plantation dere am sort of hospital fix for to care for de sick.
Dey uses herbs and sich and sometimes calls de doctor. De small chillens
is kep' dere and de marster sho' am 'ticular 'bout dem. Lots of times he
look dem over and say, 'Dat one be worth a t'ousand dollars,' or 'Dat
one be a whopper.' You see, 'twas jus' like raisin' young mules.
[Illustration: _Willie Williams_]
"On dat plantation, dere am no weddin' 'lowed for to git married. Dey
jus' gits married, but some not 'lowed to git married, 'cause de marster
anxious to raise good, big niggers, de kind what am able to do lots of
work and sell for a heap of money. Him have 'bout ten wenches him not
'low to git married and dey am big, strong women and de doctor 'xamine
dem for de health. Den de marster picks out de big nigger and de doctor
'xamine him, too. Dat nigger do no work but watch dem womens and he am
de husban' for dem all. De marster sho' was a-raisin' some fine niggers
dat way.
"As for de whippin', dey gives dat punishment. Dey straps de nigger over
de barrel but de marster don't 'low for to draw de blood.
"Durin' de War, dere am de shortage of food and one time we is 'bliged
eat all de chickens, and 'twarnt hard to do. We hunts de wild hawg and
wild turkey and de deer and sich.
"When freedom come, dey tell all us niggers we's free and we can stay or
leave and work for wages if we stay. Three year after freedom de marster
sells de plantation and comes to Fort Worth and I and five other niggers
still with him. I works for him 'til he dies, 'bout 50 year ago."