Scott Martin
From:
Tennessee
INTERVIEW
SCOTT MARTIN
438 Fifth Ave., No.
"I'se 90 y'ars ole and wuz bawn in slavery in Sumner County, Tennessee
and I b'long to Marster Dr. Madison Martin an' mah Misses Mary. And I
wuk'd wid de stock an' wuz de houseman."
"I hab neber been in any truble, neber 'rested en neber bin in jail. I
knows how ter behave, but de young peeples ob terday ain' dun rite en
dey don' 'mounts ter much. Dar am a few dat am all rite. In de ole
days dey wer' bettuh dan dey ez terday. De white and black ougher not
ma'rie."
"I has voted two times, but I disremembers who I voted fer. Neber
hadney frens in office en I nebr met any of de Klu Klux men. I didn'
go out much en I neber wuz kotched w'en I did git out. I heered lots
'bout nigger uprisin' but dey wuz away off."
"I b'long ter de Missionary Baptist chuch an' I useter preach in mah
chuch 'ouse en udders w'en called. Once a y'ar I wud be at de
Cumberland Riber wha'f en' baptiz' culled peeples all da'. We useter
hab camp meetin' in de ole days en hab good things ter eat en I would
preach all day. I went ter schul two sessions en den I went to wuk."
"I member de fust street kar line that run on East side of Cumberland
Riber ter East end ob de ole wood bridge dat de 'arly settlers build.
De kars wer' pulled by hosses en' mules. De whites en blacks mixed
tergedder en den de law made de whites rid' in frunt en the blacks in
de rearuh. I think dat wuz rite, but sum ob mah race wuz mad 'bout
hit. I wuz on a kar one day and mules run'd 'way en de ole red mule
got loose frum de kar en run'd ober a mile 'fore dey ketched him en
dey brot 'im ba'k en de kar' pas' on. I members de ole L & N Railroad
on de East side. W'en my folks wud ride de train dey had 'ter hold me
tite or I wuld git 'way frum dem en run en hide 'hind sum logs. I wuz
scar'et ter ride on de kars."
"Atter freedum de slaves had'n no truble ter go whar dey wan'. Menny
lef' but menny stay wid der ole marsters. I stay wid my marster tell
he d'ed. I den kum an' lib wid mah daddy on Lebanon Road. Atter dat I
libed on Gallatin Road an' den I kum ter Nashville, an' wuk wid pic'
and shovel on streets, sewers an' udder jobs. I heered dem sez dat de
slaves wud git lan', hoss, money er sumpin' but I neber heerd ob
nobody gittin nuthin'. Dere wuz not slave 'raisings eroun' whar I
wuz."
"De fallin' st'ars wuz 'fore mah time, but I'se heer'd mah daddy tole
'bout hit. I se'd de comet wid hit shinnin' tail an' I fust b'leevd
sumbody put hit up dere."
"Good luck sign wuz w'en a stray cat kum ter yo' house an' stay dere.
Bad luck sign wuz a black kat crossin' yo' path in frunt ob yer. Ter
ke'p frum havin' de bad luck yo' back up pas' whar hit crossed yer
path en den spit an' yer hab no bad luck."
"Dem air ships luk nice but dey ez spoke 'boud in de Holy Bible, dat
sum day dere wud be flyin' things in de air'h an' I think dat dese
things am it. De otomobeels kiver nuder passag' in de Bible which seze
de peeple 'll rid' on de streets widout hosses en mules."
"Mah fav'rite songs am "I Gwine to Jine de Gideon Band," and "Keep Yo'
Lits Bunnin'."
"Ter ole now ter wuk an' mah haid don' se'm ter be tergedder an' I'se
gits he'ps frum de Welfare."
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Ann Matthews
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Ellis Ken Kannon
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