Project #-1655	390107	Approx, 880	Words
	C • S • Murray		~ ~‚.	.~4! ‚ ~ ~
	Director		S € e ~ ~ ‚	  ~
Charleston, S. C.

FOL1~ŒL


FOLK TALES	Mike Lawrence belonged to what he calls ‘tde Murray state“ In slavery times, He was one of Major William I~ieggett ~urray‘s “fire boys“, who was chargedwith the specific duty of brinSl~ve coals to the master whenever he ~wanted to light his pipe. Mike was only asniall lad when war was declared, but he remembers ni~merous stories relating to “Mausea‘s niggers“, some of which : are worth récording. He $pealcs from first hand knowledge1he says, for the things that he tells about happened during his childhood and still stand out clearl~r in his mind.

H ere is one of MikeTs stories:
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	“Old 1îohn Drayto~,was de sxnaa‘test of all de ‚ nigger de Maussa place. He wuk so haa‘d some time dat Maussa jest got to stop him, or he kill heseif. I nebber see sech uh man fer wuk in all my life. Maussa t‘ink uh lot ob i~ni,

‚	‘cause he been uh good field hand, beside know lot ‘bout cutting ‘ood (wood) and building fence~ Vthat been more old John play fer ai]. de dance on de planta~iôn. He ‚ fair (really) mek 1~iddle tqlk. When Maussa gib uh dance he always call ‘pon ;J~ohn. .

	.	“Yas, suh dat man sure could play. W‘en he saw down on de‘ fiddle and pull out dat june (tune) “Oh, de Monkey Marry to de Babboon Sister ‚ „ he mek ‘ son (parson) dance.

	“One day more dan all, Maussa Murray send wud

.	(word) to Jc~hn dat de cow der break out ob de pasture, and he