When asked how he got married he stated that he “broke off a love vine and throwed it over the fence and if it growed” he would get married.  The vine “just growed and growed” and it wasn’t long before he and Lucy married.

“A hootin’ owl is a sho sign of rain, and a screech owl means a death, for a fact.”

“A tree frog’s holler is a true sign of rain.”

Jack maintains that he has received “a second blessing from the Lord” and “no conjurer can bother him.”

Whitley
1-25-37
[HW:  Dis #5
Unedited]
Minnie B. Ross

Ex town slave Hannah Austin [HW:  about 75-85] [Apr 8 1937]

When the writer was presented to Mrs. Hannah Austin she was immediately impressed with her alert youthful appearance.  Mrs. Austin is well preserved for her age and speaks clearly and with much intelligence.  The interview was a brief but interesting one.  This was due partly to the fact that Mrs. Austin was a small child when The Civil War ended and too because her family was classed as “town slaves” so classed because of their superior intelligence.

Mrs. Austin was a child of ten or twelve years when the war ended.  She doesn’t know her exact age but estimated it to be between seventy and seventy five years.  She was born the oldest child of Liza and George Hall.  Their master Mr. Frank Hall was very kind to them and considerate in his treatment of them.

Briefly Mrs. Austin gave the following account of slavery as she knew it.  “My family lived in a two room well built house which had many windows and a nice large porch.  Our master, Mr. Hall was a merchant and operated a clothing store.  Because Mr. Hall lived in town he did not need but a few slaves.  My family which included my mother, father, sister, and myself were his only servants.  Originally Mr. Hall did not own any slaves, however after marrying Mrs. Hall we were given to her by her father as a part of her inheritance.

My mother nursed Mrs. Hall from a baby, consequently the Hall family was very fond of her and often made the statement that they would not part with her for anything in the world, besides working as the cook for the Hall family my mother was also a fine seamstress and made clothing for the master’s family and for our family.  We were allowed an ample amount of good clothing which Mr. Hall selected from the stock in his store.  My father worked as a porter in the store and did other jobs around the house.  I did not have to work and spent most of my time playing with the Hall children.  We were considered the better class of slaves and did not know the meaning of a hard time.

Other slave owners whipped their slaves severely and often, but I have never known our master to whip any one of my family.  If any one in the family became ill the family doctor was called in as often as he was needed.

We did not have churches of our own but were allowed to attend the white churches in the afternoon.  The White families attended in the forenoon.  We seldom heard a true religious sermon; but were constantly preached the doctrine of obedience to our masters and mistresses.  We were required to attend church every Sunday.