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EX~sI~i1ri~ STORI~8 ~	Page Orte 21G (Texas)


James G~. Woor11n~~ of Port Worth, Texas, tells the story of Uncle Dave, sne of the slaves that be~ lon~ed to Mr. Woor1in~‘s father, who owned a large plantat Ion near Point, in Raine County, Texas, The story relates how Uncle Day-s provLded for hi. family after they were freed, and. Is valuable ai an example of how many ex~.slaves
managed to secure a foothold. In.	a world for ihich slavery had~ aot prepared them.



	NDiirin~ pre-war days my father owned a plantatl0n near Point, in Rains County, as well as a large number of slaves, including one Uncle Dave. After the Negroes were emancipated, my father placed a large nui~ber of them on tracts of land within the plentation and ftirnisbed them with a nnile team, a few sheep, some chickens, and the implements needed to cultivate the land. me Negroes were privileged to occupy the land~ for seven years and to keep whatever they made during that time. After the expiration of the seven years they were to pay In money or percentage of crops for the use of the land. This plan was followed by a number of plantation owners.

	°Uncle Dave ~vas an exceptional Negro. He was a natural mechanic, but could do carpenter work, blackamithing, shoemaking and many other things equally well, le was a good. maxiager, frugal and Industrious, and it l. doabtfui if he paid out $50.00 in a year‘s time for food, clothing and other neces~ sities during the seven years that he lived on the seventy-fIve acres on our plantation,

	“Ee never bot~ght a horsocàllar, but made them himself, shaping them to prevent gRiling and packing them with corn husks. He made the hame~i from oak ti~‘øer axid made the ~ta1 accessories.