-5-

      "Atter de wah, de Klu Klux Plan burned homes an' stirred up lots of

folks.  Dey wuz a dirty lot of low down trash.  But de gon'ment soon put a

stop to dat."

      "I'se glad chillun today had eddication, better'n we had when we

wuz comin' 'long.  Slavery wuz sho' de worst thing I ever heard of, an'

I nebber cud tell how some de slaves wuz treated, but it sho' wuz jes'

awful. I'll be 93 nex' Monday May  10th, an' I aint much 'count fur

nothin' but jus' set roun'.  All de res' of my sisters an' brothers

is daid. De Lawd had be'n good to me, an' I'm sho! happy to be a livin',

an' kin set here yit, an' tell 'bout whut I went t'rough."

Interviewed at the residence of his son, Guy L. Emmons, 1588 Charles St.

Editor's notes:

      William Emmons is 93, small, bent and crippled by rheumatism

and other infirmities of old age.  He is bald, has a heavy gray moustache,

and walks with the aid of a cane.




			

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Ex-Slave Narratives

William Emmons, Ex-Slave Narrative