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		~X~SLAV~ STORIES	Page One	~	~Ç)
	~	  (Texas)


OB~1tA AL~XtE ~BANXS was born on the plantatio* of Valeri.a Martin, near Opelousas, Louis— tans. She does not know her age, but thinks ehe Is near
ninety. Her voice has the au~steal accent of the Prench Negro.
She has lived in Beaumont ‚ Texas, many years.




	u i‘s born on Mr • George Washingt on ‚ e bifthday, the t wenty~sec ~ ~ Pebru.ary b~dtt I don‘t ~a~tow what year. Uy old massa was Talerian }~iartin and he come from fore ign count ry • He come froD Canada and. he Canada French. He wife name Malite Guidry. Old massa a good Catholic and. he

taken all the li‘l slave chilien to be christen. 0h, he‘s a Christian massa and I used to be a Catholic but now I‘s a Apostolic, but I~s christen in St. Johns Catholic Church, what am cloas to Lafayette, where 1~i born.

	“lLy pa name Alexis Pranks and he was Aitierican and Creole. My ma name ?anire Martin and l‘s raise where everybo&7 talk French. I talks American but I talks Frenchgoodest.

	“Old massa ha big cane and cotton farmer and have big plantation and raise everything. and us all well treat. Dey feed us right ‚ too.

Raise big hawg in de pen and raise lots i beef. All jes‘ foe to feed he cullud folks.

	“Us quarters out behind de big house and old massa come round through de quarters every mornin‘ and see how us niggers is. If us sick he call nuls. She old slavery woman. She corne look at ‚ em. If dey bad sick dey send for de doct ~ • Us house all log house. Dey all dab with dirt ‚ tween

de loge. Dey have dirt chimney má~e out of sticks and dab with mud. Dey
lpu,lIpI.