Lees
Ohio Guide, Special
Ex-Slave Stories
August 17, 1937
JULIA WILLIAMS
(Supplementary Story)
"After de War deh had to pick their own livin' an seek homes.
"Shuah, deh expected de 40 acres of lan' an mules, but deh had to work
foh dem."
"Shuah, deh got paht of de lan but de shuah had to work foh it.
"After de war deh had no place to stay an den deh went to so many
diffrunt places. Some of dem today don't have settled places to live.
"Those owners who were good gave their slaves lan but de othahs jus
turned de slaves loose to wander roun'. Othahs try to fine out where
dere people were and went to them.
"One day I seed a man who was a doctor down dere, an' I says, 'You
doktah now?' An says 'No, I doan doktah no mow.' I work foh him once
when I was slave, few days durin de war. I say, 'Member that day you
gonna lick me but you didn', you know I big woman an fight back. Now de
war ovah and you can't do dat now'.
"Slaves didn get money unless deh work for it. Maybe a slave he would
work long time before he get eny pay."
"Lak you hire me an you say you goin to pay me an then you don't. Lots
of them hired slaves aftah de war and worked dem a long time sayin deh
gwine pay and then when he ask for money, deh drive him away instead of
payin him.
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