Slave Interview	page 4
Viola B. MuBe	. . FEC
Jacksonville, Florida


coin. It waa eaaily noticed that the woman was an expectant mother. Mre. . Lincoln was ~orrified~ at the situation and. expressed herself as being 80, saying that she was going to tell the Prea~ ident as soon as she returned to the White House. Whether this ~noident had any bearing upon Mr. Lincoln‘s sotions or not, those slaves who were present and Irene says that they ail believed it to be the beginning of the President‘s activities to end slavery.

	Besides these incidenté, Irene remembers that women who were not strong and robust were given such work as sewing, weaving and minding babies. The cloth from which the Sunday clothes of the slaves was made was called aueenbur~and the elave women were very proud of this. The. older women w~i‘e required to do most of the weaving of cloth and. making shirts for the male slaves.

	The n an old. woman who had been sick,. regained her strength, she was sent to the fields the same as the younger ones. The ones who could cook and tickle the palates of her mistress and master were highly prized and were seldon if ever offered ~or sale at theatotion block.

	The slaves were given fat meat and bread made of husk of corn and wheat. This caused them to steal food, and when caught they were severely whipped,

	.	Irene recalls the practice of blowing a horn whenever a sud,den rain came. The overseer had a certain Negro to blow three times and if shelter could be found, the slaves were expected to seek it until the rain ceasŕd. •