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	:E~L.sLAvE STORIES	Page One	515
	  (Texas)		t
		CHRIS ~R~.NKLIN, 82, ;v~s born
		a slave of Judge Pobert J.
	~	Looney, in Bossier Parish,
		Louisiana. Chris now lives
		in Bea.unont, Texas, and sup-.
		ports himself by gardening
		and yard work, He is thr1~ty
		and~ owns his own home.




	“yes suh, cils is Chris FrankUn. I signs my n~ie O. C, Franklin, dat for Christopher Columbus Franklin. l‘s born in Bossier Parish, up in Louisit~na, jest twerity-.five mi1~s c~e other side of Shreveport. Ps born dere in 1855, on Christmas Dey, hut I‘ s raise up in Caddo Parish. Old. massa move over dere when I ‘bout a yenr old,

	“Old massa n~ie Robert J. Looney and he & jédge an~ l~wyer. He have a boy naine R. J., Jr., but I‘s t~kin1 Ibout d~ old head, de old ‘riginal. Dc missy, her naine Lettie Looney. Re weren‘t no farmer, jes‘ truck farm to raise de livint for he household and slaves. ITe didn‘t have over a half dozen growect up slaves, Course, dey rears a lot of young‘uns.

	ttMy pappy‘s name Solomon Lawson. He ‘long to J~ge Lawson, ~&hat live

near us, ~hen frct~ ~ ~ he done take de name Sol ~‘ranklin, what he saiy ~L1 he pappy‘s n~uae.

	“Jed~e Looney h‘~ve de ord‘nary Prame ho~ise. Dey ‘bout six, seven rooms in it, all under one roof. ~» dinth‘room and cook room wasntt built off to deyse].f, like TQOSt big houses, It was a raise bouse, rrise up on high pillars and dey co~4ic~ drive a hoss and buggcr under it. He live on ~e Fairview Road.

	“Us slaves all live in on~ bi~ slave cabin, built out of plank. It built sort-.a like de ‘partinent house, Dey four rooms and each fa~a‘ly have one room. De;i heve e l~nip and a candle for our comfort. It jes‘ a li‘l, ord‘nary brass lamp . Dey ~.sed to make ‚ em out of w~x and tallow . Dey raise dere own bees and when dey rob de bee gtims dey strain de honey and melt de waX with
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