*Interview with Josh Horn*
--_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_
_CHASING GUINEA JIM, THE RUNAWAY SLAVE_
Seven miles East from Livingston on State Road No. 80, thence Left two
miles via a dim road through the woods to a cultivated section, the
beginning of a large plantation area, stands the old-timey cabin of Josh
Horn, a well known and influential figure in the colored community.
Vigorous and active despite his more than 80 years, Josh exemplifies the
gentleness with which time deals with those dwelling in a healthful spot
and living the simple lives of a rural people. I found him nodding on
his front steps.
"Josh," I said, "I've come to get you to tell me some old war-time
stories, and I want to ask you some questions about you and Alice and
how you-all are getting along. I just want to know all about you and
your family as far back as you can remember."
"All right, Miss Ruby, I's glad to tell you what I knows," said Josh,
"and it ain't gonna be a lot of fibbin', but jes' lak everything was.
I's telling you lak you axed me.
"Now, 'bout how us is getting along. I's telling you de troof, ef I was
took 'fore God, I'd say jes' lak I's saying now, ef my chillun ever et a
moufful dat wasn't honest, dey et it somewhar else, 'ca'se I ain't ever
stole a moufful somepin' t'eat for 'em in all my life. It's honest
vittles dey et, and varmints I's killed in de woods, 'ca'se us raised
chillun fast, and us had a heap of 'em, sixteen, if I 'members right,
and soon's I found out dat I could help feed 'em dat way, I done a heap
of hunting. And everybody knows I's a good hunter. Alice used to make me
go every Friday night; den us always had a 'possum or two for Sunday."
"Why," I asked, "didn't you go Saturday night?"
"Well, I'll tell you," Josh said, "Alice is a good Christian woman, and
she knowed I'd hunt mighty nigh all night, and she didn't want nobody
see me coming in Sunday morning wid no gun and no dogs; so I went every
Friday night and went in de week too, and dat holp a lot to feed de
chillun. I don't owe nobody, not a nickel.
"I lak to got in debt, when de Government come in and tried to help us
wid dat cotton doings. Dey cut it down so on me, tell I couldn't make
nothing; but I's getting on all right now, and so is my chillun. Us is
got fourteen living, and dey's all been to school, but ain't but one
been to Booker Washington's school, but dey kin all read and write, and
some of 'em teaching school out here in de country. De doctor, he come
clear out here to see us, 'ca'se I always pays him. He jes' here wid
Alice last night. It's nine mile and two of dem's back here in de woods
through Marse Johnnie's place, but he come when us went atter him 'bout
midnight, and dat's a comfort to know he come."