Nothing was given to my parents at freedom. None of the niggers got
anything. They didn't give them anything. The slaves were hired and
allowed to work the farms on shares. That is where the system of share
cropping came from. I was hired for fifty dollars a year, but was paid
only five. The boss said he owed me fourteen dollars but five was all
I got. I went down town and bought some candy. It was the first time I
had had that much money.
I couldn't do anything about the pay. They didn't give me any land.
They hired me to work around the house and I ate what the boss ate.
But the general run of slaves got pickled pork, molasses, cornmeal and
sometimes flour (about once a week for Sunday). The food came out of
the share of the share cropper.
You can tell what they did by what they do now. It (share cropping)
hasn't changed a particle since. About Christmas was the time they
usually settled up. Nobody was forced to remain as a servant. I know
one thing,--Negroes did not go to jail and penitentiary like they do
now.