*Interview with Abraham Jones*
--_G.L. Clark_
_THE PATRIARCH ABRAHAM SAW THE STARS FALL_
A lot of water passes under the bridge in 112 years. I thought of that
as I talked to Abraham Jones, 112-year-old ex-slave of Village Springs,
Alabama. "Uncle Abe" says he was born August 1, 1825, in Russell County,
Alabama. Perhaps the day, the month and the year may not be exactly
accurate. But they are near enough. He recalls the falling of the stars,
the removal of the Indians from Russell County and the settlement of
Auburn and other towns in that section. His great age is not apparent in
his looks, actions or natural faculties. His hair is thin and white, but
no more so than that of many men half his age, and his hearing is good.
The mellow voice so characteristic of his race, is strong. He stands as
straight as a soldier. And he works regularly to earn a living for his
family. When we found him he was laying a flagstone walk in hard clay
soil, and there was power in the swing of his pick and his tamping ax.
His regular daily chores include milking a cow and chopping wood.
[Illustration: _Abraham Jones, Village Springs, Alabama_]
He describes the phenomenon of falling stars as an event that occurred
when he was "a little shaver 'bout eight year' old." November 13, 1833
was the date.
"Yes, sir, I saw de stars fall. Some folks say dey didn't never fall but
I seen 'em. Dey fell jest like pitch from a torch, 'Z-z-z-z-zip,
z-z-z-z-zip!' and big cracks come in de ground. I was settin' on de end
of de porch, and I watched 'em. Dere was so many grown people crowdin'
into de house, 'twa'n't no use fer me to try to git in so I jest sot
still. We had a big sill under our house, more dan a foot thick, and so
many people crowded in de house till dere weight broke de sill. Dey was
cryin' and hollerin' but de stars didn't hurt nobody; dey jest fell and
went out, and I don't know where dey went den; maybe into dem cracks in
de ground. De cracks stayed a long time and it was dangerous for de
people to go about at night; dey might fall into de cracks. One of dem I
remember was two feet across and so deep dey couldn't find no bottom wid
a long pole. I reckon dem stars kept fallin' for about a hour. Folks
thought de end of time was comin' and ever'body got right after dat.
"Back at dat time de country was not settled much and dere was lots of
Indians. My grandpappy was a full-blooded Indian but I don't know what
kind. De Indians was good people but if dey thought you had done 'em
wrong dey'd kill you right now. I saw some of dem when dey left dat
country. Dey women carried de babies in some sort of sacks, hung down in
front of 'em, and de men carried some of de bigger chillun on dey
shoulders. Dey didn't have no property--jest lived wild in de woods.
[Illustration: _Abraham Jones' Back Yard, Village Springs, Alabama_]
"A few years after de stars fell, a passel of people from de other side
of Columbus, Georgia, moved over and started de town of Auburn so dey
could have a place for a school.
"Before de war my people took me up to Blount County, and when de war
come dey left me to run de grist-mill. I was de fust man in Alabama to
try to grind a bushel of oats. I ground 'em too. A lady brung de oats
and ast me could I grind 'em, and I told her I would try. She say dey
didn't had nothin' for de chillun to eat. I ground de oats, and told
her, 'Ole Mistis, I knows jest how 'tis and I'll be glad to give you a
peck of meal if you will use it.' She say, 'of course I will; jest put
it in with the oat meal, and I sure will appreciate it.' Her husband was
off to de war and she didn't had no way to feed de chillun.
"I was workin' on de road a long time after de war and was tellin' de
men about dat when her son hear me. She had told him about it and so he
went home and told her he had found me. She sent word back for me to go
to her house and let her see if I shore 'nuff was de same man. So I went
and when she seen me she say, 'Yes, he is the same man,' and she called
her husband and de other chillun and told 'em about it. Her husband say,
'Well, dey is jest one thing we kin do. If he ever need a place to stay
or vittles to eat, we must see dat he gits dem.'
"In slavery time I belong to Massa Frank Jones, and Timothy Jones was de
overseer on de place. Frank Jones had two plantations, de one whar I was
born and another one close to Columbus. People ax me sometimes what kind
of house I was born in and I tell 'em I wa'n't born in no house; and I
warn't, I was born in de middle of de big road.
[Illustration: _Abraham Jones' House, Village Springs, Alabama_]
"It's gittin' to where it's mighty hard for me to go now and do de work
to make sompen for us to eat. I can't git about so fast and my head
bother me a lot. I been workin' a long time now, and you does git tired
after a hundred years of workin'!"
On his wrists were circlets of heavy cord. I asked him why they were
there and he explained:
"To keep de pain out. Dey keeps it out purty good but if you can git a
little leather band wid a buckle on it, dat is better yet. I wears dese
all de time."