i0o153
	.	J..	356



	In recalling habits of work and play, marriage customs, arid like rremories of Southern life beford the Civil War, Richmond Countyts ex-slaves tall varied stories. One said: “I didn‘t start workin‘ ‘tu I was ‘bout nine years old. Before that I had watched chickens, carried in wood, gathered eggs and sueb~ light work as that. But when I was nine I started workin‘ in the field. I didn‘ t p1~ then be~ oauee I was too small, but I hoed and did other light jobs.

	SOur marster made our shoes. for f~~S dut of raw cow hide. Us got two pairs of shoes a year, one for every day and one for Sundays Us made everythin‘ us needed. The old women, who couldn‘t work in the field, would make cloth on the looms and the 5pjfl~j~t • whe eis • Us didn‘ t have chaire ; us made benches and stools to sit on. Us didntt know what swings was. Us used to tie ro~pes in trees and swing in ‘em.

	NEverybody had his own tin plate and tin cup to

eat out of. On Saturday they would give everybody three pounds of meat, twelve pounds of flour, twelve pounds of meal, and one quar t of syrup • Thi s wa s t o las t a we ek • Us always had p le nty to eat ‚ tu the war .8tarted, then us went hungry many a day because they took the food and carried it to the soldiers. Us stole stuff from everybody dunn‘ that time.

	“They always blowed a horn for you to go to work by and get off for dinner by and stop work in the evening by. Then that horn b].owed ‚ you oouldn‘ t get them mule s to plow another