*Interview with Uncle Gable Locklier, age 86*
*Gourdin, S.C.*
--_H. Grady Davis and Mrs. Lucile Young, Florence, S.C._
"I born in Clarendon county, 50 yards of Davis Station. Massa Henry
Bethune dat have big plantation dere was my first boss en after he died,
Mrs. Bethune sold everything en moved to Summerton. Stayed dere till she
married Mr. Thomas, de preacher, dat have big place in Summerton wid
trees in long row right up to de door. He bought place three miles from
Summerton called de Bashet place. Mrs. Bethune was a sport lady en was
good to me en Mr. Thomas good man too, but he was a Yankee. He come to
Summerton to be a school teacher en won' long fore he commence to escort
my Missus en dey made up in a year or two, I hear ma say. I was in de
kitchen en I hear dem. She told ma, 'Eliza, I gwine marry Mr. Thomas.'
Ma say, 'You is.' 'Yes, you reckon he gwine be all right?' 'I reckon he
is, he looks all right.' 'Well, I gwine marry him en try him.' Mr.
Thomas, he Yankee, but he fought for de Confederates.
"Massa Henry Bethune had big plantation en had a right sharp of slaves
dere. De boss house was here en my house next en all de other slave
house was string along in row dat way. My white folks, dey didn' exactly
treat you as most of dem did. Dey come round en examine you house en see
what you needed. All us live in two room pole house dat have a wood
floor. Old people sleep on some kind of bed prop wid rope wind up like
cow yoke en have quilts en mattresses taking white homespun. De others
sleep on de floor. Dey give us good clothes made out of blue denim cloth
en some had checked or stripe goods. Den dey give us heavy woolen
clothes to wear in de winter time en had Sunday clothes too. My Massa
was good to his slaves all de time. Have own garden dat my mother en
sister would work en my mother done all de cookin for de slaves 'cause
our folks all eat out de same pot. Cook rice en fat meat en dese collard
greens en corn bread en cabbage. Make plenty of de cabbage en eat heap
of dem.
"I didn' never have to work hard, but dey work dem till dark come on
some places. Dey blow horn en us go to work after daylight en sometimes
get off in time to eat supper by sundown. I was so slow dat when de rest
knock off, dey make me work on. Mr. Thomas, he stand en look at me. My
hands just look like dey put on wrong. When I quit off, I eat supper en
den I go to bed.
"I ain' never see any slaves punished but I hear tell 'bout it. Some of
dem run away 'cause dey get tired of workin en if dey catch em, dey sho
whip em. Used to have to get ticket from boss or Missus to go any place
off de plantation widout you get punish for it. I hear tell 'bout de
overseer en de driver whip plenty of de slaves en some of de time, dey
would put em in de screw box over night. Sell em if dey didn' do like
dey tell em to do. Speculator come dere to buy slaves en dey sell em to
de highest bidder. I hear em say a certain one bring $1400 or $1500. I
know a man offered my boss $1000 for my brother, Joe, but he wouldn'
sell him.
"My Massa would give me money now en den. First money I remember he give
me was 75c paper money. He tell me to check his horse en bring him up to
de yard en give me 75c en said, 'I can' carry you wid me dis mornin.' I
was 'bout 9 or 10 years old den. I stood up on de block en wondered why
he couldn' carry me en when I go back to de house, I see my Missus cryin
en she say, 'We won' see him no more.' When he come back, he shot
through de foot. He tell me to go to de blacksmith shop en bring
crutches. Den he went to de war again en when he come back, he was shot
on de right side of de neck. Give me a quarter in silver money dat time.
I ain' never been to de store fore den, but I go to de storekeeper en I
say, 'Mr. King, half dis money mine en half Joes.' I thought it was his
place to give me what I wanted en when I walk out, he say, 'Come back en
get your money,' I carried it home en give it to brother Joe en he give
it to pa en don' know what come of it after dat. Bought plug of tobacco
for pa wid de other money I had.
"Our folks didn' get no learnin much nowhe' in dem days, but my Missus
sister child learn me right sharp. Dey was boardin at our house en when
I started to school, I didn' have no trouble. I remembers I found a
little book one time en man say he pay me 10c for it. Ma give me a
needle en thread en little sack en I sew my 10c in it. Put it in de
rafter en it stay dere till next Christmas. Believe I took it down en
tote it a long time fore man come by sellin tobacco en I bought piece en
give it to pa. Man give my sister bigger piece for a dime den he give
me.
"De slaves what belong to my white folks have frolicsome days all
through de year. Go to frolic on Saturday en go to white folks church on
Sunday en sit in portion of church in de gallery. Den on Christmas eat
en drink de best liquor dere was en de Fourth of July de one day dat dey
have to go to [HW: Eutaw] Springs. Dey go in buggies en wagons en have
plenty of everything to eat dat day. I know dere was a battle up dere,
although I didn' never go wid em. Cotton pickin en corn shuckin days
won' no work times, dey was big frolics. De first one shuck red corn had
to tell who his best girl was en all dem things. All dem come to cotton
pickin dat want to en pick cotton en cook big dinner. Pick cotton till
'bout 5:30 in de evenin' en den knock off for de eats en de dancin. Go
to all de slaves weddings too. Dey would mostly get married 'bout on a
Sunday evenin'.
"I was 'bout 15 year old when freedom come, but I don' remember much
'bout dat day. I remembers de Yankees come to de house one day. De white
folks had a bull dog tied in de smoke house en one Yankee hold de gun on
de dog en another take de meat out de house. Den dey come out en set
table en eat. Dog didn' try to bite em 'cause dog know when to bite.
Somebody ask em to have some rice en dey say, 'I would cut my throat
fore I eat dat thing.
"I tell you de truth wid de treatment I been gettin I don' see why I
could fought slavery time. I lives here by myself en I used to get check
but check don' come no more en I just lives on what people gets me.
Government got woman bring me wood en bucket of water en niece give me
dis house en acre of land to live on my lifetime. Cook only one meal a
day 'cause I can' afford it. De water I got it ever since yesterday
mornin. Sunday mornin I had hominy en salt water fish en dat de last
time I had good meal. (Wednesday afternoon). Lady tell me dere ain'
gwine be no more checks. It be two months since I get check en lady come
en I tell her I hungry en she go to Gourdin en buy me two cans en loaf
of bread. Had two big watermelons en was saving one for Miss Lanes. Girl
come runnin in en say my niece house on fire en I go runnin to see 'bout
fire en my biggest watermelon gone. Dat de one I been saving for Miss
Lanes en den I wake up on Friday mornin en de other one gone. Next thing
I know, dey started on my late ones. One night woman come in patch en
thump en thump. I was standin at de peach tree in de patch en she have
one en when she get near me, she stoop down en pick another. I say, 'You
reckon dat one ripe?' She sho drop em en run dat time.
"Thank you, sir, your kindness will not be forgotten. Dis here dozen
matches last me till next week.
"Good-by. Yunnah come back."