30727
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	Interviewer	Mias Irene RObertsOn

	Person interviewed    lawson semai‘, Edfl~cr45p~ 4rk~a~USa~S

	Age~~~~66





	“Papa had twelve children and ehen he died. he let‘ two an~ now I em all the big family left.

	“Mama was born in Huntsville, Alabama. I was born there too. She was Liza, b‘long to Tom and Unis Martin. Papa b‘long to Mistress Sarah and sack Jemar. They had to work hard. They had to do good work. They had to not sl1g~it their work. Papa‘s main job was to carry water to the hands. He said lt kept him on the go. They had more than one water boy. They had to ~o to the wash hole before they went to bed and wash clean. The men bad a place and the women had their place. They didn‘t have to get in if‘ it was cold but they had to wash off.

	“They hauled a wagon load of axes or hoes and let‘ ‘em in the field so they could get ‘em. Then they would haul plows, hoes or axes to the shop to be fixed up. They had two or three sets, They worked from early till late. They had a cook house. They cooked at their own houses when the work wann‘ t pushing. I~hen they got behind they would work in the moonlight. If they got through they all went and help scme neighbor two or three nights and have a big supper sometimes. They done that on Saturday nights, go home and sleep all day ~inday.

	“If they didn‘ t have time to wash and clean the houses and. the beds sox!1~ older women would do that and. tend to the babies. They had a hard time during the War. It was hard aftar the War. Papa brou~ght me