He look kinda slick an dressed-up-diffunt from de rest. Said he name Richard Green, an he been takin keer o' horses for a rich man what was gonna buy a plantation in dat county. One time there was a strange young man come to a party where I was. Ever time I think on dat game it gives me de shivers. De game what we use to play was spin de plate. "Fust time I ever knowed a hant to come into our quarters was when I was jes big nough to go out to parties. She sees em jes the same, but dey doan bother her none.
He watch her while she done it, an she ain never been worried wid hants no more. It raise three big ears o' corn, an when dey was good roastin size he pick em off an cook em an tell Teeny eat ever grain offn all three cobs. When it was growin good, he put leaf-mold roun de stalk, an watch it ever day, an tell us don't nobody touch de stalk. Den he planted it in de yard, an driv plenty sticks roun da place. My husban say he gonna cure her, so he taken a grain o' corn an put it in a bottle in Teeny's bedroom over night. "Use to worry Teeny right smart, seein sperrits day an night. Folks borned wid a caul can see sperrits, an tell whas gonna happen fore it comes true. I reckon das cause she been borned wid a veil-you know, a caul, sumpum what be over some babies' faces when dey is borned. "Some folks can jes nachly see hants bettern others. You put a broom acrosst your door at night an old witches gotta count ever straw in dat broom fore she can come in. One thing bout witches, dey gotta count everthing fore dey can git acrosst it. When mean folks dies, de old debbil sometimes doan want em down dere in da bad place, so he makes witches out of em, an sends em back. Dat seals de marriage, an at de same time brings em good luck. Mos folks dem days got married by layin a broom on de floor an jumpin over it. We was married in de court-house, an dat be a mighty happy day for me. I thought it was de prettiest dress I ever see. My mamy an granmamy an me done it in spare time. De thread was spun an de cloth wove right in our own home. Even in de winter she go barefoot, an I reckon cold didn't hurt her feet no moran her hands an face. "I doan recleck ever seein my mammy wear shoes. My stepfather went to work for a turpentine man, makin barrels, an he work at dat job till he drop dead in de camp. "I was ony five year old when dey brung me to Sanderson, in Baker County, Florida. I done de cookin, mosly, an helped my mammy spin. De boys had to mind de calves an sheeps, an Elsie nursed de missus' baby. I had two half-brothers youngern me, John Henry an Ed, an a half-sister, Elsie. My name was Josephine Anderson fore I married Willie Jones. He come fum Vajinny, but my mammy was borned an raised in Wilmington. My stepfather was Stephen Anderson, an my mammy's name was Dorcas. Granpa was old, an dey let him do light work, mosly fish an hunt. I was too young to remember much but I recleck seein my granma milk de cows an do de washin. HANTS "I kaint tell nothin bout slavery times cept what I heared folks talk about. Frost Tampa, Florida OctoJOSEPHINE ANDERSON McCray, Amanda Maxwell, Henry Mitchell, Christine Moore, Lindsey Mullen, Mack Napoleon, Louis Nickerson, Margrett Parish, Douglas Pretty, George Scott, Anna Sherman, William Smalls, Samuel Taswell, Salena Taylor, Dave Thomas, Acie Thomas, Shack Towns, Luke Williams, Willis Wilson, Claude Augusta COMBINED INTERVIEWS DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, EX-SLAVE STORIES Charley Roberts Jennie Colder Banana Williams Frank Bates William Neighten Rivana Boynton Salena Taswell DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, FOLKLORE Annie Trip Millie SampsonĪnnie Gail Jessie Rowell Margaret White Priscilla Mitchell Fannie McCay Hattie Thomas David LeeįOLK STUFF, FLORIDA Jules A. Squires Kemp, John Henry (Prophet) Kinsey, Cindy Lee, Randall Lycurgas, Edward Young Winston Dorsey, Douglas Douglass, Ambrose Duck, Mama Duck, Mama Dukes, Willis Everett, Sam and Louisa Gaines, Duncan Gantling, Clayborn Gragston, Arnold Gresham, Harriett Hall, Bolden Hooks, Rebecca Jackson, Rev. Eli Boynton, Rivana Brooks, Matilda Bynes, Titus Campbell, Patience Clayton, Florida Coates, Charles Coates, Irene Coker, Neil Davis, Rev. Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of FloridaĪnderson, Josephine Andrews, Samuel Simeon Austin, Bill Berry, Frank Biddie, Mary Minus Boyd, Rev. TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VOLUME III A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves