I was born somewhere in Louisiana, but can't rec'lect the place exact, 'cause I was such a little chap when we left there. But I heared my mother and father say they belonged to Marse Merris , a fine gentleman, with everything fine. He sold them to Marse Jim Boling , of Red River County, in Texas. So they changes their name from Morris to Boling , Liza Boling and Charlie Boling , they was. Marse Boling didn't buy my brother and sister, so that made me the elderest child and the onliest one. The Bolings had a 'normous big house and a 'normous big piece of land. The house was the finest I ever seen, white and two-story. He had about sixty slaves, and he thought a powerful lot of my folks, 'cause they was good workers. My mother, special, was a powerful 'ligious woman. We lived right well, considerin'. We had a little log house like the rest of the niggers and I played round the place. Eatin' time come, my mother brung a pot of peas or beans and cornbread or side meat. I had 'nother brother and sister comin' 'long then, and we had tin plates and cups and knives and spoons, and allus set to our food. We had 'nough of clothes, sich as they was. I were shirttails out of duckings till I was a big boy. All the little niggers were shirttails. My mother had fair to middlin' cotton dresses. All week the niggers worked plantin' and hoein' and carin' for the livestock. They raised cotton and corn and vegetables, and mules and horses and hawgs and sheep. On Sundays they had meetin', sometimes at our house, sometimes at 'nother house. Right fine meetin's, too. They'd preach and pray and sing  shout, too. I heared then git up with a powerful force of the spirit, clappin' they hands and walkin' round the place. They'd shout. 'I got the glory. I got that old time 'ligion in my heart.' I seen some powerful 'figurations of the spirit in them days. Uncle Billy preached to us and he was right good at preachin' and nat'rally a good man, anyways. We'd sing:  Sisters, won't you help me bear my cross, Help me bear my cross, I been done wear my cross. I been done with all things here. 'Cause I reach over Zion's Hill. Sisters, won't you please help bear my cross. Up over Zion's hill?' seed a smart number of wagons and mules a-passin' along and some camp along the woods by our place. I heared they was a war and folks was goin with 'visions and livestock. I wasn't much bigger'n a minute and I was scared clean to my wits. Then they's a time when paw says we'll be a-searchin' a place to stay and work on a pay way. They was a consider'ble many niggers left the Bolings . The day we went away, which was 'cause 'twas the breakin' up of slavery, we went in the wagon, out the carriage gate in front the Beling's place. As we was leavin'. Mr. Boling called me and give me a cup sweet coffee. He thought consid'ble plenty of me. We went to a place called Mantun, or somethin' like that. My paw says he'll make a man of me, and he puts me to breakin' ground and choppin' wood. Then was bad times. Money was scarce and our feedin' was pore. My paw died and maw and me and the children, Nancy and Margina and Jessie and George , moves to a little place right outside Sherman. Maw took in washin' and ironin'. I went one week to school and the teacher said I learned fastest of any boy she ever see. She was a nice, white lady. Maw took me out of school 'cause she needed me at home to tend the other children, so's she could work. I had a powerful yearnin' to read and write, and I studied out'n my books by myself and my friends helped me with the cipherin'.

Mose Hursey , venerable visionary, believes he is 82 years old, but does not recall the date of his birth. He believes he is appointed by God to be the "Head Prophet of the World." He was born in slavery to a family named Morris somewhere in Louisiana. He lives with his daughter at 1120 10th St., Dallas, Texas. He receives a pension from the State. His features and coloring are pure African and his hair and beard grey.

I was born summers in Louisiana. I can't riccolect the place exact 'cause I was such a little chap when I left. But I heard my mother and father say they belonged to Mars Morris , a fine gentleman with everything fine. They worked the fields for Mars Morris but he sold them to Mr. Jim Boling of Red River County, Texas. My Mammy and daddy was named Liza and Charlie Morris and then they had to be named Boling when Mr. Jim bought 'em. One boy and one gal, which was my brother and sister, stayed 'cause they wan't sold. That makes me the olderest child and the onlies' one. I guess I was six or nigh on to seven when they shipped us to Texas. I dont ricollect so much about any of it. I don't ricollect how we come.

The Bolings had a 'normous big house and a 'normous big piece of land. The house was the finest I ever seen. It was white and two-storey. He had about sixty slaves. He thought a powerful lot of my folks 'mainly 'cause my mother and father were such good hands. They was good folks too. My mother special was a powerful 'ligious woman. We lived right well considerin'. We had a little log house like the rest of the Niggers. I played 'round the place with other Nigger younguns. Eating time come, my mammy 'ud bring a pot of peas or beans and corn bread or side meat. I had nother brother and sister coming along then, and we had tin plates and cups and knives and spoons then like folks nowadays. We could always set to food. We had beds that the mens made from wood off the place and nice mattresses made out of shucks. Used to make horse collars out of shucks too. We had enough of clothes such as they was. I wore shirt-tails out of duckings til I was a big boy. All the little Niggers wore shirt-tails. My mammy had fair to middlin' cotton dresses. They had looms and spinning wheels and the womens made their own cotton. They got the coloring for them out'n the woods. Things for making the stuff brown or red or blue. All the week the Niggers worked planting and hoeing and looking after the livestock. They raised cotton and corn and vegetables, mules, horses, cows, hogs, and sheep. On Sundays the Niggers dont work and they have meeting. Sometimes at our house sometime at 'nother house. Right fine meetings too. They'ud preach and pray and sing shout too. I heard them git up with a powerful force of the spirit clapping they hands and walking 'round the place. They shout "I got the glory. I got that old time religion in my heart. I seen some powerful 'figurations of the spirit in them days. Uncle Billy preached to us and he was a right good man at preachin' and nachly a good man anyways. We 'ud sing, Am I Soldier of the Cross, another one was: Sisters wont you help me bear my cross, Sisters wont you help me bear my cross. Help me to bear my cross-Help me to bear my cross-I'm been done wear my cross. I'm been done wear my cross. I'm been done with all things here. I'm been done with all things here. 'Cause I reach over Zion's Hill. 'Cause I reach over Zion's Hill. 'Cause I'm been done with all things here. Sisters wont you please help me bear my cross Up over Zion's hill . I seen a smart number of wagons and mules a passin' along and some of them would camp along the woods by our place. I heard 'ere was a war and that them was folks a'goen to the war with 'visions and livestock. I wasn't much biggern nuf to ride a horse in them days, 'cause I riccollect when an old man sot me up on one shortly to that time. I was scared clean to my wits. Then they was a time when my paw says we will be a searchin' a place to stay and work on a pay way. They was a considerable many Niggers left the Bolings . The day we went away which was 'cause twas the breakin' up of slavery, we went in the wagon out the carriage gate in the front of the Boling's place. As we were leaving Mr. Boling called me and gave me a cup of sweet coffee. He was so fond of me. He thought considerable plenty of me. We went to a place called Mantus (Collins Co. now extinct) or sumpin sounds familiar to that. My paw says he will make a man of me and he puts me to breaking ground and chopping wood. Them was bad times. Money was scace and our feeding was poor.

My paw died and maw and me and the other children, Nancy , Margina , Jessie and George moved to a little place right outside Sherman. Maw took in washings and ironings. I went one week to a school and the teacher said I learned the fastest of any boy she ever see. She was a nice white lady. My maw took me out of school 'cause she needed me at home to 'tend the other children so's she could work. I had a powerful yearnin' to know to read and write. I studied out'n my books by myself and my friends helped me with the 'cipherin. Once I went to sleep and the book fell out of my hands into the fire and burned up. I did what ever work I could find to do. But my maw said I was of a different mood to the other children. I was always of a 'ligious and serious turn of mind. I was Baptised when I was fifteen. Then when I was about twenty-five I heard a clear call to preach the Gospel-word. I went to preachin the word of God. I got married and raised a family of children. I farmed and preached. I was just a preacher until about thirty years ago and then God started making a Prophet out of me. Today I am Mose Hursey , Head Prophet to The World. They is lesser Prophets but I is the main one. I have become a great Prophet by fasting and prayin'. I fast Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I know that God is feedin' the people through me. I see him in visions and he speaks with me. In 1936 I saw him on Commerce and Jefferson Sts. (Dallas) and he had a great banner saying, All needs a Pension. Then in August (1937) I had this great vision of war in the Eastern corner of the world. I seen miles of men marching big guns and trenches filled up with dead men. God tells me to tell the people to be pipared 'cause the tides of war is rollin' this way and all the thousands of millions of dollars they spend agin it ain't goin' stop it. It is writ in the Book. I just live now to tell the people the word God speaks through me.