Ex-Slave Stories		  ~	. ~ ~		page 4.
	District #5	‚ 				I:!
	Vanderburgh County	~  			~	~‚
	Lauaxia Creel •	The Life	Story oC George Taylor	Burns.


working on a boat.“ “People used to corne do‘wn to the landings to see boats come in,“said Uncle George. George and Liza were free, they married and made New Albany the ir home ‚ unt il 1 88]. when they caine to Evansville.

	Uncle George said the Eclipse was a beautiful boat, he remembers the 1etter~.. ing in sold and the bright lights and pollshed.rails of the longest steam boat

ever built in the weit. Measuring 365 feet in length and Uncle George declares, ttpor speed she just up and hustled.“

	“Louisville was one of the busiest towns in the Ohio Valley.“ says Uncle George, but he reinember8 New Orleans as the market place where almost all the surpl~~produots were marketed.

	Uncle ‘George has many friends along the water~front to~vns. ~e ad~iires the Felker family of Tell City, Indiana. He is proud of his own race and rejoices‘ in their opportunities, lie remembers his fear of the Ku Klu~, his horror of the

.	~atrol and other clans united to make life dangerous for newly einanci.pated negroes George Taylor Burns draws no oldage pension. He o~wns a building located

at Canal and Evans Streets that n houses a number~of~.egro families. He is glad to say his credit is good in every market in the city. Although lamed by r1i~imatic pains and hobbling on feet toeless from his young childhood he has led a useful life. “Don‘t forget I knew Pilot T.oiu Ballard, and Aaron Ballard on the Big Eagle in l858,‘~ warns Uncle George. “We Negrøea carried passes so we could save our skins if we were caught off the boats but we had plenty of good food on the boats.“ • ~

	Uncle George said the roust~bouta sang gay songs ~vrhile loading boats with heavy freight and proviaioz~ but on account of his crippled feet he could not
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