His bushy gray hair curls frizzily about the brim of an old hat, and hangs almost to his shoulders. Below the tousled mop of wool, the faded eyes of Allen Thomas , peer. This 97 year old Beaumont negro was once owned by several Jefferson and Orange county ranchers, but recalls Moise Broussard of Hamshire most vividly. Ill health has slowed his mental processes to such an extent that his story is not as coherent as some. He is a familiar figure about the streets of Beaumont, a small man, clad in none-too-clean and somewhat ragged apparel, and invariably bearing a gunny sack across his thin shoulders. Into this receptacle he puts such things as he may pick up on his daily wanderings about the city. Rumor has it that Allen is quite well to do and that his begging attitude is assumed only for reasons of policy. I figgers I gwine to be ninety-sebben year' ol' on de fo'th of Augus'. I was bo'n over in Duncan Woods, over in Orange county. My daddy was name Lockin Thomas . I nebber did see my daddy. He git drown in de ribber here at Beaumont. My mammy was Hetty Anderson . I b'longed to t'ree marsters. One was John Adam , and he was mean. Anudder was name' Stowers , I don' 'member he fus' name. He was mean but he warn't so mean to me. Den dere was Moise Broussard , he was pretty mean, but he nebber beat me. I don' 'member de other one. I don' 'member de house w'ere I's bo'n. W'en I was li'l, I jis' play 'roun', play house and stick sticks in de groun'. Atter w'ile w'en I git bigger I hafter watch de gaps in de hedges. De las' man dat finish' raise me he was name Amos Harrison , he' a pretty good man. he wife name Mag and dey lib on Tuttle (Turtle) Bayou over in Chambers county. He buy me from Lewis Pinder . He was good. He was a free cullud man. He uster lib 'tween here and Taylor's Bayou. My brudder was Kelly Idonia . I hab a sister name' Lessie Williams . Dey beat her wid clubs. I see slaves in chains but I dunno nuffin' 'bout no dogs bein' sic' atter 'em. I walk in blood up to my ankle w'ere it come up to here on my foot. I's walk over many a dead pusson. De reason dey beat 'em 'cause dey wouldn' wuk. Marsters dey hab nice house. Dey mek outen plank. De cullud man w'at had me, he hab nice house, too. I don' 'member wedder dey went to chu'ch or not. Dey uster go out in de woods and cut down a big pine tree. Den dey tek a frow and pestle and rive out boards. Dey mek boards for a reg'lar house, flo' and all. Us had tin dishes dem time, bofe marster and slave. Dey hab wooden paddles w'at us tek de food out de dishes and put it on de plate wid, and w'at we eat it wid. De w'ite folks sit at one table and de cullud folks dey hab dey table off to deyse'f but dey hab 'bout de same w'at de w'ite folks hab. De li'l chillen dey go 'roun' wid han's full of rations, eatin'. Us uster like to hab watermilion and sugar cane, and us hab plenty of milk and butter. Den us hab 'possum too--'possum big as a ol' 'coon. Us uster clean de 'possum den atter he clean us put him up on de house and let de fros' fall on him. Den dey fill him full of salt and pepper and put him in de ubben (oven) to cook. Sometime' dey put sweet 'taters all 'roun' him. Sometime' dey smoke him up de chimbly. Dey uster hab a long square ubben wid a led (lid) on it. Us wo' knitted shu't dey mek on dem weaver--looms w'at you call 'em. Dey gib us batchler shoes and boots wid brass toes on 'em. Me and my mammy work on de spinnin' wheel many a night--sometime' up to one or two 'clock. I uster card de bats.

Amos Harrison allus uster carry us to chu'ch and Sunday School. Dey didn' had no gallery in de chu'ch. De cullud folks sot off to deyse'f or stan' 'round outside. I didn' hafter mind no li'l w'ite folks. I nebber see no sojers' but I hear de cannon. I dis 'member w'en peace was corral'. My marster he didn' got to de war but I dunno 'bout de boys. I uster see my mudder in Beaumont. I come to Beaumont w'en I thunk (thought) I was a man and I's been here ev'ry God's since. Dey uster raise cotton, and co'n and cane and vegetable' and sweet and Irish 'taters. Dey was allus plenty of milk and butter. Den, dey had plenty of stock, hogs and hosses, and cattle, and dem cattle dey was longhorns, dey warn't no short horns in de bunch. I see some sperrits, but I kin see 'em only speshal times. You see 'em twict a year, once 'tween spring and summer and den ag'in 'twixt fall and winter. Sometime' dey comes right 'long and den sometime' dey jis' be stan'in' still. W'en you look at 'em dey looks kinder va-gish (vagueish). I kin allus tell w'en sperrits' 'roun'. Dey got a quire (queer) scent. W'en you walk 'bout twenty feet, steam gwineter hit you in de face. I kin tell w'en I right up on 'em eben iffen I ain't see 'em. Dey nebber say nuttin' tho', dey jis' pass by. Dey look like men. Dey ain't w'ite but dey got a pale look. Dey nebber look like anybody I knowed. Now, I dunno nuttin' 'bout dis rabbit foot bizness. I hear tell of some talk 'bout conjur. I dunno 'bout dat needer, but dey ain't nebber put no bad luck on me.