*Interview with Annie Bridges,*
*age 81, Farmington, Missouri.*
"I's born on March 6, 1855; on Wolf Crick, in St. Francois County. My
muthuh, Clausa McFarland Bridges, wuz borned on Wolf Crick too, but mah
fauthar, Jerry Bridges, kum from Californie. William McFarland wuz our
boss, and he had a lotta' slaves. Us liv'd in a log cabin, with two
rooms. Yep, there wuz a floor an' we had a bed, but hit hadn't no
mattress; jus' roped an' cord'd. Holes wuz in de side ob de bed, soo's
de ropes cud go thru'. We all wore 'jeans' an' wrap'd an' ole sack
'round our legs; most time we went barefoot. We al's used catnip tea ta
cure mos' ever'thing. Our boss wuz purty good ta us, but we larned dat
ole M.P. Cayce, he wuz a slaveholder, wud beat 'Hunter' Cayce, an' ole
'nigger' man, every Monday mornin' 'til his back bled. Den he tuk salt
an' put hit in de gashes. My brudders war, Alvin, Jerry, Rubin, Louis,
an' Nat. Ma sista' Mary, she went to Rolla an' married. Me an' ma
bruvver Jerry air de only ones a-livin'.
"I married Overdie Southerland wen I wuz 26 years ole. Abe Koen married
us, but we are not a-livin' togeth'r now. I never had no childr'n by
him. Ma furst job wuz with Dr. Jim Braham fur one year, an' nine months.
I got $2.50 a week. I did all de housework thar.
"After de war wuz over my muthuh went to Pilot Knob to wurk in a hotel.
Me, an' my muthuh went hup on Pilot Knob, berry huntin', one day, an' we
seen de leg ob a man an' his ankle bone wuz stickin' in his shoe. Thar
warn't any flesh on de leg. Hit wuz near de ole Fort (Fort Davidson)."
(Note: This must have been a portion of a soldier, from the Battle of
Pilot Knob!)
"Ma muthuh tole' me dat dey used ta sell de little childr'n away fum de
breasts ob der muthuh's. Ma muthuh plow'd in de fiel' an' wud leave her
baby layin' at one end ob de fiel', while she plow'd clear ta de odder
end an' kum back. She know'd a man who had a child by one ob his slaves
an' den sole de chil' as a slave. Wasn't dat turrible, sellin' his own
son?
"De young folks calls us 'ole fogies', but we knew how ta act, an' lots
ob de young-un's don't know dat now. When I wuz growin' hup we had
company an' would hav' ta wait 'til de ol' folks wuz thru' eatin' 'fore
we cud eat. Sum' ob my muthuh's friens' kum one day with their
'redique'; ([TR: reticule] bags which held knitting and sewing, and were
tied with a draw-string, at the top.) "They war eatin' an' I wuz sittin'
on a ladder dat led hup to de attic. I come down de ladder and wuz
sittin' near de bottom an' dese grown people's was eatin', den dey lean
back ta rest a-while, den eat a little more, an' res' a-while. I had ta
sit dare an' watch dem. After a-while I says: 'My time now'. Well, jus'
for dat, my muthuh give me one ob de worse whippin's dat I ever had.
Sometimes I had ta stan' in de closet, or stan' on de floor an' hol' one
foot, when I wuz punished.
"Ma muthuh's stepfather wuz poisen'd in whiskey. His name wuz 'Charlie
Gipson'. Onc't a man held hup a bottle an' said: 'I'm drinkin' de poisen
off'. But he wuz puttin' de pois'n in. After dat, Charlie Gipson drank
de whiskey out ob de bottle an' in nine months he wuz daid.
"Simon cud call de snakes an' dey wud kum frum all directions. He wud
tak' de skins ob dese snakes an' put dem on de roof ob de shed, an' den
when dey wuz dry, he wud mak' powder out ob dem an' 'hoodoo' people.
"We all went tuh a pahty one time an' Scot Cole's sistah et a big apple
thar. After a little while, she died. So's ma muthuh tole us to not eat
anythin' dat people give you; hit might be poisen'd.
"I'se been tole dat if people dies satisfied, dey don' kum bak, but if
dey don' dies satisfied, dey kum back. But I never seed nothin'."
(One of the religious songs used to be):
"Jesus in his chariot rides
He had three white horses side by side
When Jesus reached the mountain top
He spoke one word, the chariot stop
He's the lily of the valley, O my Lord."
(Following, is a 'Love Song' she sang; which she learned as a girl when
attending play-parties):
"I'm wandering down to Graybrook Town,
Where the drums and fifes are beating
The Americans have gained the day
And the British are retreating.
My pretty little pink,
I used to think that you and I would marry,
But since you told me so many faults
I care nothing about you.
I'll take my knapsack on my back
My rifle on my shoulder
I'll open up a ring and choose a couple in
To relieve the broken hearted."
(Following is a song she learned as a child):
"I'll tune up my fiddle
I'll rosin my bow
I'll make myself welcome
Wherever I go
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey,
Ain't no friend of mine,
He killed my old daddy
And he injured my mind."
(Following is a song she learned as a child):
"Rain, rain, rain all around
Ain't goin' rain no more
And what did the blackbird say to the crow?
You bring rain, and I'll bring snow
Rain, rain, rain all around
Ain't goin' a-rain no more
Old Hawk and buzzard went to roost
The hawk came back with a loosened tooth.
Rain, rain, rain all around
Ain't goin' a-rain no more
I had an old hat and it had a crown,
Look like a duck's nest sittin' on the ground.
Rain, rain, rain all around,
Ain't goin' a-rain no more."
(Following is a speech she gave as a small child) [HR: Not ex-slave]:
"I love the cheerful summertime,
With all the birds and flowers.
I love the gentle flowing streams,
I love the evening breeze,
I love to go to school.
To read, write and spell
I love my teacher's smile again
And get my lessons well."
(Following is a speech given as a child) [HR: not ex-slave--white
version]:
"Hear the children gayly shout
Half past four, school is out
Merry, merry, playful girls and boys
Thinking of games and toys
Slates, sleds, dolls and books
Oh how happy each one looks
'Now for snowballs', Harry cried
And to hit his sister tried
Sister Flora full of fun
With her little hand making one
At her brother Harry threw
Swift it flew and hit his nose
'Have I hurt you brother dear?'
Asked his sister running near
'No indeed', said he
'This is only sport for me.'"
(Following is a familiar prayer when she was a child) [HR: not
ex-slave]:
"Savior, tender shepherd hear me
Bless the little lambs tonight
Through the darkness be they nearest
Watch my sleep 'til morning light
Bless the friends I love so well
Take me when I die to heaven
Happy there with thee to dwell."
(Following is a very familiar song:)
"'Dear mother,' said a little fish
'Pray, is this naughty fly
I am very hungry and I wish
You would let me go and try.'
'Sweet innocence', the mother cried,
And started from her nook,
'The hurried fly is but to hide
The sharpness of the hook'.
So he thought he'd venture out
To see if it was true
Around about the hook he played
With many a long look.
'Dear me', to himself he said
'I'm sure it's not a hook'
So as he fainter, fainter grew
With hallowed voice, he cried,
'If I had minded you
I would not then have died'."
_Following are some old riddles, they may be of no value._
Riddle--'I rode over the bridge, and yet I walked.'
Answer--'Yet I' was the name of the dog with me.
Riddle--'Big at the bottom
Little at the top,
Something in the middle
Goes flippity flop.'
Answer--Churn.
Riddle--'Way down yonder in the meadow is a little red heifer.
Give'r her some hay she will eat it.
Give'r her some water she will die.'
Answer--Fire.
Riddle--'I went over Hefil Steeple
Then I met a heap of people
Some were k-nick
Some were k-nack
Some were the color of brown tobacco
They were neither men, women, nor children.'
Answer--Bees.
(Note:--Annie Bridges is quite a character. When giving her speeches and
singing her songs she dramatizes them while walking across the room. She
is hard of hearing and can be heard for quite a distance. She receives
an old-age pension. She is considered by many, a sort of nuisance around
town, since she is always begging for something. Some are afraid of
her.)
(Following is a song of Abraham Lincoln she sang):
"If it hadn't been for Uncle Abraham
What would we a'done?
Been down in de cotton field,
Pickin' in de sun."