Annie Bridges

Interview with Annie Bridges,

age 81, Farmington, Missouri.

"I's born on March 6, 1855; on Wolf Crick, in St. Francois County. My muthuh, Clausa McFarland Bridges, wuz borned on Wolf Crick too, but mah fauthar, Jerry Bridges, kum from Californie. William McFarland wuz our boss, and he had a lotta' slaves. Us liv'd in a log cabin, with two rooms. Yep, there wuz a floor an' we had a bed, but hit hadn't no mattress; jus' roped an' cord'd. Holes wuz in de side ob de bed, soo's de ropes cud go thru'. We all wore 'jeans' an' wrap'd an' ole sack 'round our legs; most time we went barefoot. We al's used catnip tea ta cure mos' ever'thing. Our boss wuz purty good ta us, but we larned dat ole M.P. Cayce, he wuz a slaveholder, wud beat 'Hunter' Cayce, an' ole 'nigger' man, every Monday mornin' 'til his back bled. Den he tuk salt an' put hit in de gashes. My brudders war, Alvin, Jerry, Rubin, Louis, an' Nat. Ma sista' Mary, she went to Rolla an' married. Me an' ma bruvver Jerry air de only ones a-livin'.

"I married Overdie Southerland wen I wuz 26 years ole. Abe Koen married us, but we are not a-livin' togeth'r now. I never had no childr'n by him. Ma furst job wuz with Dr. Jim Braham fur one year, an' nine months. I got $2.50 a week. I did all de housework thar.

"After de war wuz over my muthuh went to Pilot Knob to wurk in a hotel. Me, an' my muthuh went hup on Pilot Knob, berry huntin', one day, an' we seen de leg ob a man an' his ankle bone wuz stickin' in his shoe. Thar warn't any flesh on de leg. Hit wuz near de ole Fort (Fort Davidson)." (Note: This must have been a portion of a soldier, from the Battle of Pilot Knob!)

"Ma muthuh tole' me dat dey used ta sell de little childr'n away fum de breasts ob der muthuh's. Ma muthuh plow'd in de fiel' an' wud leave her baby layin' at one end ob de fiel', while she plow'd clear ta de odder end an' kum back. She know'd a man who had a child by one ob his slaves an' den sole de chil' as a slave. Wasn't dat turrible, sellin' his own son?

"De young folks calls us 'ole fogies', but we knew how ta act, an' lots ob de young-un's don't know dat now. When I wuz growin' hup we had company an' would hav' ta wait 'til de ol' folks wuz thru' eatin' 'fore we cud eat. Sum' ob my muthuh's friens' kum one day with their 'redique'; ([TR: reticule] bags which held knitting and sewing, and were tied with a draw-string, at the top.) "They war eatin' an' I wuz sittin' on a ladder dat led hup to de attic. I come down de ladder and wuz sittin' near de bottom an' dese grown people's was eatin', den dey lean back ta rest a-while, den eat a little more, an' res' a-while. I had ta sit dare an' watch dem. After a-while I says: 'My time now'. Well, jus' for dat, my muthuh give me one ob de worse whippin's dat I ever had. Sometimes I had ta stan' in de closet, or stan' on de floor an' hol' one foot, when I wuz punished.

"Ma muthuh's stepfather wuz poisen'd in whiskey. His name wuz 'Charlie Gipson'. Onc't a man held hup a bottle an' said: 'I'm drinkin' de poisen off'. But he wuz puttin' de pois'n in. After dat, Charlie Gipson drank de whiskey out ob de bottle an' in nine months he wuz daid.

"Simon cud call de snakes an' dey wud kum frum all directions. He wud tak' de skins ob dese snakes an' put dem on de roof ob de shed, an' den when dey wuz dry, he wud mak' powder out ob dem an' 'hoodoo' people.

"We all went tuh a pahty one time an' Scot Cole's sistah et a big apple thar. After a little while, she died. So's ma muthuh tole us to not eat anythin' dat people give you; hit might be poisen'd.

"I'se been tole dat if people dies satisfied, dey don' kum bak, but if dey don' dies satisfied, dey kum back. But I never seed nothin'."

(One of the religious songs used to be):

"Jesus in his chariot rides

He had three white horses side by side

When Jesus reached the mountain top

He spoke one word, the chariot stop

He's the lily of the valley, O my Lord."

(Following, is a 'Love Song' she sang; which she learned as a girl when attending play-parties):

"I'm wandering down to Graybrook Town,

Where the drums and fifes are beating

The Americans have gained the day

And the British are retreating.

 

My pretty little pink,

I used to think that you and I would marry,

But since you told me so many faults

I care nothing about you.

 

I'll take my knapsack on my back

My rifle on my shoulder

I'll open up a ring and choose a couple in

To relieve the broken hearted."

(Following is a song she learned as a child):

"I'll tune up my fiddle

I'll rosin my bow

I'll make myself welcome

Wherever I go

 

Rye whiskey, rye whiskey,

Ain't no friend of mine,

He killed my old daddy

And he injured my mind."

(Following is a song she learned as a child):

"Rain, rain, rain all around

Ain't goin' rain no more

And what did the blackbird say to the crow?

You bring rain, and I'll bring snow

 

Rain, rain, rain all around

Ain't goin' a-rain no more

Old Hawk and buzzard went to roost

The hawk came back with a loosened tooth.

 

Rain, rain, rain all around

Ain't goin' a-rain no more

I had an old hat and it had a crown,

Look like a duck's nest sittin' on the ground.

 

Rain, rain, rain all around,

Ain't goin' a-rain no more."

(Following is a speech she gave as a small child) [HR: Not ex-slave]:

"I love the cheerful summertime,

With all the birds and flowers.

I love the gentle flowing streams,

I love the evening breeze,

I love to go to school.

 

To read, write and spell

I love my teacher's smile again

And get my lessons well."

(Following is a speech given as a child) [HR: not ex-slave—white version]:

"Hear the children gayly shout

Half past four, school is out

Merry, merry, playful girls and boys

Thinking of games and toys

Slates, sleds, dolls and books

Oh how happy each one looks

'Now for snowballs', Harry cried

And to hit his sister tried

Sister Flora full of fun

With her little hand making one

At her brother Harry threw

Swift it flew and hit his nose

'Have I hurt you brother dear?'

Asked his sister running near

'No indeed', said he

'This is only sport for me.'"

(Following is a familiar prayer when she was a child) [HR: not ex-slave]:

"Savior, tender shepherd hear me

Bless the little lambs tonight

Through the darkness be they nearest

Watch my sleep 'til morning light

Bless the friends I love so well

Take me when I die to heaven

Happy there with thee to dwell."

(Following is a very familiar song:)

"'Dear mother,' said a little fish

'Pray, is this naughty fly

I am very hungry and I wish

You would let me go and try.'

 

'Sweet innocence', the mother cried,

And started from her nook,

'The hurried fly is but to hide

The sharpness of the hook'.

 

So he thought he'd venture out

To see if it was true

Around about the hook he played

With many a long look.

 

'Dear me', to himself he said

'I'm sure it's not a hook'

So as he fainter, fainter grew

With hallowed voice, he cried,

'If I had minded you

I would not then have died'."

Following are some old riddles, they may be of no value.

Riddle—'I rode over the bridge, and yet I walked.'

Answer—'Yet I' was the name of the dog with me.

 

Riddle—'Big at the bottom

Little at the top,

Something in the middle

Goes flippity flop.'

Answer—Churn.

 

Riddle—'Way down yonder in the meadow is a little red heifer.

Give'r her some hay she will eat it.

Give'r her some water she will die.'

Answer—Fire.

 

Riddle—'I went over Hefil Steeple

Then I met a heap of people

Some were k-nick

Some were k-nack

Some were the color of brown tobacco

They were neither men, women, nor children.'

Answer—Bees.

(Note:—Annie Bridges is quite a character. When giving her speeches and singing her songs she dramatizes them while walking across the room. She is hard of hearing and can be heard for quite a distance. She receives an old-age pension. She is considered by many, a sort of nuisance around town, since she is always begging for something. Some are afraid of her.)

(Following is a song of Abraham Lincoln she sang):

"If it hadn't been for Uncle Abraham

What would we a'done?

 

Been down in de cotton field,

Pickin' in de sun."