"I never seen inside a schoolhouse—allus looked on the outside.
"The general run of this younger generation ain't no good. What I'm speakin' of is the greatest mass of 'em. They ain't healthy either. Why, when I was comin' along people was healthy and portly lookin'. Why, look at me. I ain't never had but two spells of sickness and I ain't never had the headache. The only thing—I broke these three fingers. Hit a mule in the head. Killed him too.
"Yes'm, that was in slavery times. Why, they passed a law in Raleigh, North Carolina for me never to hit a man with my fist. That was when I was sold at one thousand nine hundred dollars.
"Ever' time they'd make me mad I'd run off in the woods.
"But they sure was good to their darkies. Plenty to eat and plenty good clothes. Sam Davis was my owner. And he wouldn't have no rough overseer."
FOLKLORE SUBJECTS
Name of interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Subject: Slavery Time Songs
Subject: Superstitions
Story:—Information
This information given by: Jim Davis
Place of residence: 1112 Indiana Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Occupation: None
Age: 98
[TR: Additional topic moved from subsequent page.]
[TR: Personal information moved from bottom of first page.]
[TR: Some word pronunciation was marked in this interview. Letters surrounded by [] represent long vowels.]
"I used to be a banjo picker in Civil War times. I could pick a church song just as good as I could a reel.