*Interview with wife of Charles Douthit,*
*Farmington, Missouri.*
Note:--While the interviewer was questioning Charles Douthit,
Farmington, Missouri, negro, who was born in 1865, his wife standing in
the door looked rather wild-eyed, and unable to stand it any longer,
finally broke out with the following:--"Say! What are they gittin' all
dis stuff fur anyway? I bet I know. They want ta find out how dey
treated de ole slaves so's dey'll know how to treat the young 'uns when
dey makes dem slaves. I bet they're goin' a try to have slaves again and
dere are some people who want slavery back but de people won't stan' fur
hit now. I don't know what de government wants to do but de people would
have a most turrible war if dey tried to have slaves again. But ma
muther who worked for John Coffman in Ste. Genevieve County, wuz well
treated. She war really owned by the Missus and de Missus would not sell
ma mamma. When de war wuz ober de missus gave ma muther some land an
built her a beautiful home down dare. Ma muther wuz treated so good dat
she stayed an worked fur de Missus til de Missus died. I was borned down
in dat dare house dat de Missus built fur ma Muthuh and ma son lives
dere now. I was down dere las week, an I calls hit home."