"My father had to walk seven miles every Saturday night to see my mother, and be back before sunrise Monday.
"My parents had at least three or four children born in slavery. I know my father said he worked at night and made shoes for his family.
"My father was a mulatto. He had a negro mother and a white father. He had a mechanical talent. He seemed to be somewhat of a genius. He had a productive mind. He could do blacksmithing, carpenter work, brick work and shoe work.
"Father was married twice. He raised ten children by each wife. I think my mother had fifteen children and I was the the thirteenth child. I am the only boy among the first set, called to the ministry. And there was one in the second set. Father learned to read and write after freedom.
"After freedom he sent my oldest brother and sister to Hampton, Virginia and they were graduated from Hampton Institute and later taught school. They were graduated from the same school Booker T. Washington was. He got his idea of vocational education there.
"I haven't had much education. I went as far as the eighth grade. The biggest education I have had was in the Conference.
"I joined the Little Rock General Conference at Texarkana in 1914. This was the Methodist Episcopal, North, and I was ordained as a deacon and later an elder by white bishops. Then in 1930 I joined the African Methodist.
"By trade I am a carpenter and bricklayer. I served an apprentice under my father and under a German contractor.
"I used to be called the best negro journeyman carpenter between Monroe, Louisiana and Little Rock, Arkansas.
"I made quite a success in my trade. I have a couple of United States Patent Rights. One is a brick mold holding ten bricks and used to make bricks of concrete. The other is a sliding door. (See attached drawings) [TR: Drawings missing.]