*Interview with Alonza Fantroy Toombs*
--_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]_
_HE BELONGED TO BOB TOOMBS OF GEORGIA_
"Missy," said Alonza Fantroy Toombs, "I'se de proudest nigger in de
worl', 'caze I was a slave belonging to Marse Robert Toombs of Georgia;
de grandest man dat ever lived, next to Jesus Christ. He was de bes'
stump speaker in de State, an' he had mo' frien's dan a graveyard has
ghosts. He was sho a kin' man, an' dere warn't no one livin' who loved
his wife an' home mo' dan Marse Bob.
"Missy," Uncle Lon continued, "he was near 'bout de greates' man dat
eber come outen de South. He were a good business man; he were straight
as dey make 'em, an' he sho enjoy playin' a good joke on someone. I
useta see him a-walkin' down de road in de early mornin' an' I knowed it
were him f'um a long distance, 'caze he was so tall. I guess you knowed
all 'bout his a-servin' in de State legislature an' in de United States
Congress an' a-bein' a gen'l in de war an' him bein' de secretary of
State in de 'federacy.
[Illustration: _Alonza Fantroy Toombs, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama_]
"I was bawn on Marse Bob's plantation in de Double Grade Quarters. My
pappy's name was Sam Fantroy Toombs an' my mammy was Ida-Belle Toombs.
In de slabery times I was too young to work in de fiel's, so my job was
to hunt an' fish an' feed de stock in de evenin'. My pappy was a
preacher an' Marse Bob learnt him to read and write, an' would let him
go f'um plantation to plantation on de Sabbath Day a-preachin' de
gospel. He was Marse Bob's carriage driver.
"Yas'm, white folks, Marse Bob was a good provider, too. Us niggers et
at home on Sundays, an' us had fried chicken, pot pies, bacon, beef,
pork, an' hot coffee. On de udder days, our meals was fixed for us so
dat de time us got for res' could be spent dat way. On Sadday us stopped
work at noon an' would come wid our vessels to git flour, sugar, lard
an' udder supplies. My mammy's pots an' pans was so bright dat dey
looked like silver, an' she was one of de bes' cooks in de lan'. She
useta cook fine milk yeast bread an' cracklin' bread. All us slaves on
Marse Bob's place was cared for lak de white folks. We had de white
folks doctor to treat us when we was sick. We had good clothes, good
food an' we was treated fair. Dere warn't no mean peoples on our
plantation.
"White lady, I 'members Marse Bob's smokehouse bes' of all. It had
ever'thing in it f'um 'possum to deer; an' de wine cellar! Don't say
nothin'! Dat was de place I longed to roam. But Marse Bob, he drink too
much. Dat was his only fault. He hit de bottle too hard. I couldn't
understand it neither, caze he lef' off smokin' in later years when he
thought it warn't good for him; but he keppa drinkin'!
"I been ma'ied twice, Mistis. De fus' time to Ida Walker. She died at
childbirth; de little fella died too. Den I ma'ied Alice James, an'
she's been gone nigh on to twenty year now. My pappy, Rev. Sam Fantroy
mai'ed me both times.
"Atter de S'render, nary a slave lef' Marse Bob. He gib eve'y nigger
over twenty-one a mule, some lan' an' a house to start off wid. Yassum,
Mistis, I kin read an' write; my pappy learnt me how. I'm eighty-six
year' old now an' still goin' strong, ceptin' 'bout six years ago I had
a stroke. But I come out all right. I lives here wid my sister an' she's
good to me. De only thing lef' for me to do is to wish dat when I cross
dat ribber I can slip back to de ole place to see some of my frien's."