42oo::~7
	EX-814&‘VE STORIBS	Page O~e	~
	 (Texas)			:. ~ ~

JOBDON SM ITH, 86 ~ was born in	. Georgia, a slave‘ o±1 the Widow
Hicks. When she died, Jordon, his mother and thirty other eI~ves were willed to Ab Smith, his Ownert ~ ~ nephew, and were later reftigeed from Georgia to Anderson Co. ‚ Texas, ~hen freed, Jordon worked on a steamboat crew on the Red Biver until the ~‘.dvent of railroads. For thirty~ yeare Jordon worked for the ~iIroad. He is now too feeble to work ~nd lives with his third wife ~d six children in Marshall, Texas, eup~ ported by the latter ~nd his pension of $10.00 a month.




	“I1~ borned in Georgia, next to the line of North Car‘lina, on Widow Hick‘s place. My papa died ‘fore le bomed but m~‘ mammy was called

~9L//	~ggie. My oie missiis died. and. us fell to her nephew, Ab Smith. My gra~ma and gr~npa was ±\ill-~blooded Africans and. I couldntt unnerstand their talk.

	“My miseus was borned on the Chattahoosa. River and. she had 2,000 acres of land in cultvation, a thou.sand on ~ach side the river, and. owned 500 slaves and 250 head. of work mules. She was the richest woman in the whole county.

	“Us slaves lived in a double row lo~ cabins facin‘ her house and our beds was made of rough plank and mattresses of hay and. lynn bark and shu~cks, make on a machine. I~e spinned many a piece of cloth and wove many

~	~ a brooch of thread.

	“Missus didn‘t ‘low her niggers to work till they‘s 21, and the chilien played marbles and ru.n round and kick their heels. The first work I

. .	done was hoeing and us worked I ong as we could eeé a ~ stalk of cotton or hill of corn. Missue ueed to call us at Chr~i8tmae and give the old~ ±‘oiksa dollar and the rest a ‘dinner, When ehe died me and my mother went • ta Ab Smith