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EXdu~$IJ~VE STORY


An interview with Ben. Johnson 85 of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20 ‚ 1937 .


	UncLe B~fl)WhO is nearly blind and wh~ walks with ~ a

3tiCk)W~ß assisted to the porch by his wife who sat down. near him in a protecting attitude. . }Ie is ntuch Less striking than his wife who is small and dainty witb. perfect features and snow white hair worn in two long braids down her backe She wore enormous heart shaped earrings, apparently of heaV goid i~hile Uncle Ben talked she occasioriafly prompted him in a soft voice.

	“I wuz borned in Orange Co~mty and I belonged ter Mr • Gilbert Gre~g~ near Hilisboro • I. doan. know nothin‘ !bou~t u~r u~ an‘~ daddy, butlhadabrotherim who ~uz ~ ter dress young xnissus ~er her weddin‘. De tree am still ani‘ ~har I set under an‘ watch ‚ era salI Jim • I set

dar an‘ I cry an‘ cry, ‘specially ‘when dey puts de. ehaiM. on him an~! carries him off, an‘ I ain‘t neber feitso lonesome in my whole life. I ain‘t neberhyar from Jim s ine.e an ‚ I wonder now sanie time s if ‚ en. he ‚ s sti li vin‘.