F ~	53
		Interview9r~~•~	Mj~ fr~. ~
		Person interviewed	Bess Mathls, Hazen,Arkau8aa
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	“I was born in De Sota County, Miesissippl. My parents‘ owners was Mars Haxieoek. Mama was a cook and field hand. Papa milked and i~rked In the field. Mama had jes‘ one child, that me. I had six childern. I got five liviii‘ . They kri~owed they tree • It wexït rou.nd from mouth to mouth. Mama said. ~4arø Hancock was good er slave holder as ever lived she recken. I heard her come over that er good many times. Dit they wanted to be free. I jea‘ heard em talk bout the Ku Klux. They said the Ku Klux made lot of em roainin‘ round go get a place to live and start workin‘ • They tell how they would ride at night and how scarry lookin‘ they was. I heard em say if Mars Hancock didn‘ t want to give em meat they got tree a coon or possum. Cut the tree down or climb it and then come home and cook it. They had no guns. They had dog$ or could get one. Game helps out lots.

	“The women chewed for their children after they weaned. em, They don‘t none of ei~n do that way now. Women wodn‘ t cut the baby‘ a fjnger nails, They bite em off. They said if you cut its nails off he would steal. They bite its toe nails off, too. ~nd if they wanted the children to have long pretty hair, they would trim the ends off on the now of the moon. That would Cauae the hair to grow long. White folks and darkies both done them things.

	“I been dom‘ whatever come to hand -~ farmin ‚ ‚ cookin‘ ‚ washin „ iror~j~‘~
“I never expects to vote neither. I sure ain‘t voted.