J (‚?i‘; I ~L;4




WH~KLER -GRKSBAM ot WILKES COUNTY GEORGIA




	Wheeler Grsham ‚ 82 years old ‚ tall ‚ ye ry erect ‚ has white hair and beard, a quiet d~1gnified manner, and fad~ed old eyes that sàem ever to be gazing back on those happy days he tOld ab out “when ws war ‚ In slavery . „ He I s uneducated ‚ having gone to school only one week In his life gate up “tryin‘ to lam out er books.“

	Wheeler claims the distinction of having had three maaters and loving them aU equally ‘eU; he belongedto one and lived with the other two • It ail happe ne à in t his wi se:

.	His mother, Barbara Booker, belonged to “Marse Simrnie and Marse Zrabie Booke r“ ( “Marie Siamie wuz the one ‚vhat named te“)

hi s father ‚ Franklin Greehem belonged to “Marss George Greaham.“ The Bookers and Greahams lived on adjoining plantations and. were the best o~‘ friends and neighbors. They would not sell a slave no matter what ha ppened ‚ so when Barbara and Franklin wanted to marry they had the consent of their ~wnera and settled down on the Booker plantation where Barbara continued her work and Franklin spendi zig all hi a spare this with her ‚ although he belonged to the Greeha~s and kept up his work for them. He had a pass to go and come as he pleased.

	Wheeler t.ll. of his life on the plantations for his tip.e

wee spent between the two where he played with the other little slaves and with the white boys near hie age. fie enjoyed mot