Sam Keaton
From:
Arkansas
Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed: Sam Keaton,
Brinkley, Ark.
Age: 78
"I was born close to Golden Hill down in Arkansas County. My parents
names was Louana and Dennis Keaton. They had ten children. Their
master was Mr. Jack Keaton and Miss Martha. They had four boys. They
all come from Virginia in wagons the second year of the war--the Civil
War. I heard 'em tell about walking. Some of em walked, some rode
horse back and some in wagons. I don't know if they knowed bout slave
uprisings or not. I know they wasn't in em because they come here wid
Mr. Jack Keaton. It was worse in Virginia than it was down here wid
them. Mr. Keaton didn't give em nothing at freedom. They stayed on
long as they wanted to stay and then they went to work for Mr. Jack
Keaton's brother, Mr. Ben Keaton. They worked on shares and picked
cotton by the hundred. My parents staid on down there till they died.
I been working for Mr. Floria for thirty years.
"My father did vote. He voted a Republican ticket. I haven't voted for
fifty years. They that do vote in the General election know very
little bout what they doing. If they could vote in the Primary they
would know but a mighty little about it. The women ain't got no
business voting. Their place is at home. They cain't keep their houses
tidied up and like they oughter be and go out and work regularly.
That's the reason I think they oughter stay at home and train the
children better than it being done.
"I think that the young generation is going to be lost. They killing
and fighting. They do everything. No, they don't work much as I do.
They don't save nothing! They don't save nothing! Times is harder than
they used to be some. Nearly everybody wants to live in town. My age
is making times heap harder for me. I live with my daughter. I am a
widower. I owns 40 acres land, a house, a cow. I made three bales
cotton, but I owe it bout all. I tried to get a little help so I could
get out of debt but I never could get no 'sistance from the Welfare."
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Tines Kendricks
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Oscar Felix Junell
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