*Interview with Jane Holloway*
--_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_
_DEY BRUNG WHUPPIN'S ON DEYSELVES_
Jane Holloway was ill. For weeks she had been in bed, and the untidy
condition of her cabin brought profuse apologies when I entered.
"Jane, do you remember me?" I asked.
"I don't know, honey. I been sick so long wid de fluse I can't 'member
much of anything," she answered peering up at me from her pillow.
Suddenly she smiled, "Shucks. Co'se I 'members you, honey. Your daddy
sho' was good to my boys. Watt worked for him so long. Res' yourself in
dat cheer and I'll tell you all about myself and slavery times what I
can recollect.
"I'se all alone now 'ceppen for my grandson. He ain't but twelve and he
can't ho'p much. But I guess I got no right to complain I guess I done
got me plenty outa life.
"I was borned up in North Alabama. My mammy was Carrie Holloway and my
pappy was Traylor Holloway. I had a brother Maryland. Dere nebber was
but de two of us. Us lived in a mud and log house, jes' one room but it
sho' had a big fireplace. Us had a good old time den, effen us jes' had
knowed it, 'caze us was always fed good. Dey had long wooden troughs
what dey poured our bread and milk in and us eat it wid a wooden spoon.
When dey yell, 'Chillun, chillun! Bread!' you bet we jes' burnt de wind
getting dere, 'caze us was always hongry.
"We had high tester beds in all de houses, what was 'bout a mile from de
Big House. It had four rooms and was all planked up. Mr. Billy Taylor
was mighty good to his niggers. He didn't have so many slaves, he jes'
had a little plantation. Our oberseer was good, too. He had to whip some
of dem sometimes, but dey wouldn't work. Dey brung it all on deyselves.
[Illustration: _Jane Holloway, Opelika, Alabama_]
"When de Yankees come enduring de war, de men come arunning and a
screaming dat de Yankees coming. And dey did come on horseback and took
all our provisions what was in de smokehouse. Dey took everything we had
in de way of victuals and stock, too.
"I j'ined de church when I was ten years old, 'caze I was trying to live
right and do what de Bible said. De white folks had deir services in de
morning, and in de evening would let us niggers have ourn."
Jane forgot her misery long enough to come out to the porch of her
comparatively comfortable cabin and she was "plumb proud" to have her
"picture took."