I'se Marshall Showers . I'se past eighty-six years old. Yassuh I was a slave. Slave ob Marster Hargroves . We's in Gawgia whar I was born. Dis Hargroves sells out and comes to Texas. After we's here some time my daddy buys me for hisself 'cause he knows I'se a good wukker. Daddy puts me to wuk on a stock farm. And I has to wuk, sure 'nuff. Den Hargroves comes on a cole, drizzly day and he say: Daddy Tony , I kin offer 'nuff to buy dat boy. I wants him to wuk for me. Dat boy's good wukker.' Daddy, he's feared it won't last. Hargroves say, 'Hire 'im out. What you takes for 'im? What price?' Daddy say, 'Iffen I tell you de price you won't gimme what I got figured out.' Hargroves say, 'Tony, you ole rascal I knows what's in your mind. I knows your price.' No,' daddy say, 'I knows you won't pay 'im. An' kin you tell me de age ob dat boy?' Cause I'se born on dis Hargroves Plantation. Marse Hargroves he 'low dat he got de age in a book. Iffen daddy sell me he tell daddy de age. Dey stays out dere in de rain, talkin' an' talkin' an' daddy say, 'Better git a stick ob wood.' Den de rain git wusser an' dey gits in de door an' daddy 'low he aint gwinter sell me less dan fifteen dollars a month. An' dis Hargroves laugh like he drunk. 'You ole rascal,' he say to daddy, 'I knowed all de time what price you got in your mind.' An' he take me away wid 'im an' he aint tell daddy how old I is an' I gotter learn 'im later. So, I stays wid Hargroves twel I'se free an' long after. Dis is when I'se half grown boy. I'se fifteen year ole. I'se fooled 'round all de time. When I'se wukkin' good, I cuts two cords ob wood a day. De boss man say, 'Boy I pays you fifteen dollars a month.' When he git de wood he say, 'I can't do nuthin. I pays one dollar a month.' Dats what he say. Marse Hargroves gotter big plantation an' he got one hundred slaves. When he bring us all to Texas he buy great big plantation 'twixt here and an' Halletsville. Dey builds log houses for de quatahs an' dey builds a big log house for de boss man. De houses for de slaves got one room. De whole family live dere. Sleep togedder, eat togedder. Dis Hargroves got his own corn mill, an' he gotter cotton mill. An' de cotton jenny's pulled by hosses. Down dar dey's Karankawa Injuns. Dey's great, big, tall men. We plants de earth so we's got no doctor bill. I wears good clothes. Better dan dese times. I lives better den. I sells cattle an' you kin git ober de fence an' milk de cows and nuthin' come ob it. Dey don't say nuthin' if dey ketches you. Now dey takes de milk an' de eatin' outer de chilluns' mouths. Things is goin' down to de dust an' you gotter scratch for it. Marse Hargroves got black land an' he level it out on de prairie. No sah, we aint paid nuthin' in slave times. Sometimes de boss man let you make a little money hirin' out. Den I cuts wood. I wish I'se young again like I useter be, only I was all foolish. Is I sure I seen dem Karankawa Injuns? Why I seen 'em. Down by de ribber dey has houses under de ground. De cook go er long 'cause I'se feared. De big Injun come upstairs an' before he go back down he raise his hat an' say, 'Good evenin.' Down dere in de Injun's house dey's all kinds ob blankets and' bows an' arrers an' funny stones. Dey's got funny baskets too. Yassuh, I gits married at Halletsville. Dey wasn't no fuss at de weddin'. When dey reads de proclamation de boss man hire you back. He say, 'Stick like a hoss but run on a race. He buy you an' carry you back wid 'im.' In de slavery days de boss man buy you den he come an' beat you up. Dey say you can't see your family. It don't make no diffrance. You runs off den you gits a whippin'. Iffen you wants to see your mammy you better git a pass. Dere's a paytroll wid a long bull whip. An' he walk up an' down de road, up an' down, up an' down. He run up on you an he say, 'What you doin' out dis time er night?' You better talk nice. Iffen you don't he open you back wid de bullwhip. De paytroll listen while you's talkin' to you wife an' you gotter talk, 'ch, ch, ch.' An' he walk up an' down wid de ole bullwhip, tryin' to hear what you say, 'ch, ch, ch.' You sass de boss man an' dey whips you. You sass his wife an' dey stakes you face down on de ground. Den dey takes down you britches an' cuts your ass all to pieces wid a bullwhip. An' dat aint all. Times de boss's wife she make up stories 'bout you, say you lazy, say you hides out, say you sass 'er when you aint done it. Den dey stakes you out again an' de ole bullwhip make de blood fly. An' you lay dere on de ground bellerin', 'Oh marster, oh, marster!'

My mammy git de measles an' she stick in bed. It's cole an' freezin'. Fore she git sick my mammy wash de clothes an' hang 'em on de line. Dere was nobuddy in de house only me holding de chillun 'round. De boss man's wife she come to de cabin an' say, 'What you lyin' in bed for dis time ob day?' 'Cause I'se sick,' my mammy say. 'I git you up,' de boss man's wife say. So she take my mammy clothes offen de line an' stomp 'em in de mud. Den my mammy got only wet clothes to put on. An' dat was how my mammy come to die. Is you courtin' de paytroll is de same. He walk up an' down, up an' down and you talk to you girl, . An' de paytroll he listen to see if you talkin' 'bout gittin' free. When I'se free I sells cattle. An' I has a farm. Den when I gits too old I come to San Antonio to live wid my chillun. I git a pension, fifteen dollars a month. An' twel I pay de rent an' buy a few groceries it's all gone. I like de old time best. Den I has plenty to eat and good clothes an' a good time.