SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

Interviewer Thomas Elmore Lacy
Person interviewed Sam Scott» Russellvllle, Arkansas
Age 79
"Hello dar, Mistah L——- I Don f you dare pass by widout speakin 1 to
dis old niggah friend of yo* chil'hood! No suh! Yah can't git too big
to speak to met
"Reckon you've seen about all dar is to see in de worl' since I seen
you, ain't you? Wellf mos' all de old-time niggahs and whites is both
gone now* I was born on de twentieth of July, 1879. Count up—dat makes
me 79 (born 1859), don't it? My daddy's name was Sam, same as mine, and
manmy's was Mollie* Dey was slaves on de plantation of Capt* Scott—yes
suh, Capt* John R* Homer Scott*—at Dover* My name is Sam, same as my
father's, of course. Everybody in de old days knowed Sam Scott* My
father died in slavery times, but mother lived several years after*
"No, I never did dance, but I sure could play baseball and make de
home runs! My main hobby, as you calls it, was de show business* You
remember de niggah minstrels we used to put on. I was always stage
manager and could sing baritone a little* Ed Williamson and Tom Nick
was de principal dancers, and Tom would make up all de plays* What?
Stole a unifawm coat of yours? Why, I never knowed Tom to do anything
like that! Anyway, he was a good-hearted niggah—but you dunno what
he might do* Yes, I still takes out a show occasionally to de towns
around Pope and Yell and Johnson counties, and folks treat us mighty
fine* Big crowds—played to #47.00 clear money at Clarksville.
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