She said she would be right back in the field when her baby was two weeks old.  They didn’t wont the slaves to die, they cost too much money, but they give them mighty hard work to do sometimes.  Grandma and grandpa was heap stronger I am at my age.  They didn’t know how old they was.  Her master told her how long he had her when they left him and his father owned her before he died.  I think they had a heap easier time after they come to Arkansas from what she said.  I can’t answer yo questions because I’m just tellin’ you what I remembers and I was little when they used to talk so much.

“If the young generation would save anything for the time when they can’t work I think they would be all right.  I don’t hear about them saving.  They buys too much.  That their only trouble.  They don’t know how to see ahead.

“I owns this house is all.  I been sick a whole heap, spent a lot on my medicines and doctor bill.  I worked on the farm till after I come to Brinkley.  We bought this place here and I cooks.  I cooked for Miss Molly Brinkkell, Mr. Adams and Mrs. Fowler.  I washes and irons some when I can get it.  Washing and ironing ’bout gone out of fashion now.  I don’t get no moneys.  I get commodities from the Sociable Welfare.  My son works and they don’t give me no money.”

Interviewer:  Thomas Elmore Lucy
Person interviewed:  Mose Moss, Russellville, Arkansas
Age:  65

“Mose Moss is my name, suh, and I was born in 1875 in Yell County.  My father was born in old Virginny in 1831 and died in Yell County, Arkansas, eight miles from Dardanelle, in 1916.  Yes suh, I’ve lived in Pope County a good many years.  I recollects some things pretty well and some not so good.

“Yes suh, my father used to talk a heap about the Ku Klux Klan, and a lot of the Negroes were afraid of em and would run when they heard they was comin’ around.

“My father’s name was Henry Moss.  He run away from the plantation in Virginia before the War had been goin’ on very long, and he j’ined the army in Tennessee—­yes suh, the Confedrit army.  Ho suh, his name was never found on the records, so didn’t never draw no pension.

“After he was freed he always voted the Republican ticket till he died.

“After the War he served as Justice of the Peace in his township in Yell County.  Yes suh, that was the time they called the Re-con-struc-tion.

“I vote the Republican ticket, but sometimes I don’t vote at the reg’lar elections.  No, I’ve never had any trouble with my votin’.

“I works at first one thing and another but ain’t doin’ much now.  Work is hard to get.  Used to work mostly at the mines.  Not able to do much of late years.

“Oh, yes, I remember some of the old songs they used to sing when my parents was living:  ‘Old-Time Religion’ was one of em, and ’Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ was another one we liked to sing.”

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed:  S.O.  Mullins, Clarendon, Arkansas
                    Janitor for Masonic Hall
                    He wears a Masonic ring
Age:  80