*Interview with Mary Divine,*
*St. Louis County, Missouri.*
_Was Nurse Maid At 4_
The subject of this sketch is Mary Divine, 85 years old. She lives at
8004 Elinore Avenue, St. Louis County, Missouri, with her son and
daughter-in-law.
Her home is an old fashioned 3-room slate dwelling, with an abundance of
old furniture for such a small place. The little old woman was
interviewed while mending the pockets in her son's trousers. Her story
follows:
"I was born May 24, 1852 in Carroll County, Tennessee. My mother's name
was Mary Whitehorn, 'cause she was owned by de Whitehorns in dat county.
My father's name was James Farrow 'cause he was owned by de Farrows. De
slaves had to carry dere owners' names, married or what not. My mother
had three children. My first owner's name was George Whitehorn and his
wife's was Jackie Whitehorn. When old Marse George died, we was handed
down to Joseph Whitehorn in Miss Jackie's will. She knowed long before
freedom we were going to be free, so she had in her will dat her
darkies,--she always called us darkies--had caused dem to have all dey
owned and it was no more dan right when we git free to divide up de
plantation so every one of us could make a good livin' on de livin' we
done made for dem, and dey still own and have plenty. She was a good old
soul. She didn't want a one of us to leave, even after freedom been
declared. She said she would never live to see it and she didn't
neither. She died 'fore we was free, and dem chillun never did carry out
her will neither.
"'Cause dey didn't give a one of us nothin', no, nothin' at all. Put us
out wid just what we had on our backs, and dat was most nothin'. At 4
years old I had to nurse old man George's son, Joseph's baby, and de
baby was most big as me, but I nursed it just de same, honey. Dey put me
in dat family nursin' dat baby 'fore I was four 'cause dey put me dere
in January and I wasn't four years old till de incoming May dat same
year. I 'member dat right well. I nursed dat baby for two years, too,
and it sure was crazy 'bout me. I loved it too, yes, I did. Den after
two years dey sent me to work for de old man's oldest son, Jacob. Dey
made me do all de cardin' and spinnin', make ropes and ply lines, two
cuts a day, was my task and I stayed dere in dat family until after the
Civil War was over.
"I heard my father got killed in de Civil War. I never knowed for sure,
'cause three months 'fore I was born, his owners carried him away to
some other part of de country and we never seen nor heard from him no
more. Mother never did know what happened him, no she didn't.
"Just 'fore war was declared I was still young and small but just de
same I had to help pack brick to de moulders where dey would be building
brick chimneys, and work in de field, too. I had it mighty hard in dem
days, yes I did but den it wasn't hard as some others had it.
"I 'member during de war days, my old miss use to boast 'bout her
littlest darkey, done spun enough thread to clothe her whole family for
de next three years to come. For two years after freedom was declared I
worked from farm to farm and de promise we was going to get paid, but we
never got nothin' from none of dat work but de old slave cabin to sleep
in and food enough just so we could work.
"We had noboby down in dat country to make folks keep dere word and pay
a nigger, so we just have to keep on travelin'. After 'bout three years
later I cooked in de same county for a Bill Green. Got my board and keep
and $1.00 a week. He kept me 'bout five months. Dey never did keep us
long for pay. Den I went to John Carney's plantation wid my mamma. I
card and spun dere for 'bout one year and some weeks. We got $1.00 a
week and he was supposed to give us home made cloth to make us some
clothes for our work, but he never did do it. After dat we went to work
on Sub Allen's farm for $1.00 week. I took sick dere and dey had to call
in a doctor. My mamma and me worked for him a long time, but we got
ready to go and want our money he said, while I was sick it taken all he
owed us to pay my doctor's bill so we didn't git nothin' dere, but a
place to stay and we shore did work like slaves in all dem places, from
sun up till sun down just like in slave days. Only difference was we
didn't git a beatin' when we didn't suit. I couldn't make no money for
clothes or nothing so I just up and married and had eleven children. Den
my husband died. I had a child in dis last World War. He was my ninth
child and got took in de last draft. I never heard of him no more. Dis
one I'm living with named Ulysses Divine. He's de only child I got
living I know anything about.
"I been here in St. Louis since Wilson's first administration and worked
in de nut factory five years. I like to sew and do general housework. I
read, write and spell a little but not enough to speak about. I know dis
young generation's got a mighty fine chance if dey 'cept of it and
'preciate it. Course some do and some don't. I prefer living in town dan
out here but my son bought dis spot. I can't make my own living no more,
so I got to live on it. I git what de relief pretend to call help,
'tain't nuff for nothin' though. Dey claim I'll git a pension, but I
never seen it yet. I'll be dead directly and I won't need it. I can't
answer dem other questions 'bout what us slaves expect and voting, I
don't know."