Aunt Jane likes to tell of those days of long ago. Her memory is
excellent and she talks well. She says she is living out her Miss Jane's
time. "Yassum, my Miss Jane died when she wuz so young, I specks I jess
livin' out her days kase I named fer her. But I does miss dem good ole
days whut's gone. I'se hungry fer de sight ov a spinnin' wheel--does you
know whare's one? Things don't look lak' dey use ter, an' as fer whut we
has ter eat, dare ain't no victuals ever smelled an' et as good as dem
what dey use ter have on de plantation when I wuz a comin' on. Yassum,
folkes has got wiser an' know mo' dan dey did, but dey is wickeder--dey
kills now 'stid er conjurin' lak' dey did me."




[HW: Dist. 7
Ex-slave #108]
District 7
Adella S. Dixon

PHIL TOWNS
OLD SLAVE STORY
[Date Stamp: -- 8 1937]

[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
transposed, meaning was significantly changed, or the edit could not be
clearly read, it has been noted.]


On June 25, 1824, a son was born to Washington and Clara Towns who
resided in Richmond, Virginia. This was the fourth child in a family