3

-3-

The visitor suggested the trip north must have been a great
experience for Jaydy, and asked him how he liked it. He drawled:

"We kinda liked some uv it. But if I'd a-staid up there I'd a-had
to kill a whole passel o' niggers. Them Yankee niggers haint gotta
bitta manners. Why, the black sons-o-buzzards ull set right down by a
white man, in a street car er any place. I got arrested twice up there
fer kickin the tar outa niggers."

Asked what he had worked at in Florida, Jaydy pondered, as he took
a knife from his pocket, whetted the long blade on his shoe and began
whittling a pine stick:

"Man, I reckon I've done near about everthing. Never wuz no hand
fer settlin down fer long in one place. I spose that's why I always ben
pore. But by gravy I've had a heap-o fun in my time, " he chuckled, his
blue eyes twinkling reminiscently.

"Tell me about your life. I'll bet you've had a lot of adventures."

"Well," he cackled again, "if you aim to putt me in a book I better
leave out a lotta things I done, er they'll chunk me in the jail house
and thow the key away. But if you don't print my right name hit'll be
all right."

"I wuz bawn in 1903 bout ten miles outa Dade City, but don't recko-
leck much till I started to school in De Soter County. Off an
on I had around three years schoolin.

"When I wuz jist a yearlin boy about 16 my famly moved fum De Soter
County to Mannertee County. Up to then we'd ben raisin a few
hawgs an cows an doin a little farmin an stillin in De Soter an Glades
County, on shares, mostly.

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