Document text
RICItio(930M,
t, a
'"de
MULB3RAY IMOV1 PLAMT,TDA
Ma y 00, 1969.
Milledge Itiohardson
(Colored) 64
Yukon, ilorida
House*); and Waiter
A Mulberry Grove
laantation.
Rose hhepherd, writer
Milledgs Hichardson came to the office und was in-
terviewed ty or. Oarita ooggett uorsio, baturday afternoon,
may 00th.
In answer to questions, he said:
"1 was born in 1076 and came to mulberry urove Ylan-
tation when L was nine yours old.
"I fed the chickens, swept the 7,4404,41, washed dishes,
and when I was older, waited on the table. I was one of
two waiters, Ike sumps was the other one.
"Th* other negro servants and help were: charity miles, and
Maria 1,11es, her daughter; the first housemaid and dairy -maid,
and the daughter a housemaid. ohs is now a cook in the cummer
family.
."Haney tossoe was the cook, aLA aem.neeoe, sr„ her husband,
W66 the 4ardner. .Annie brown was the washwoman, Mz hit husband,
Uorneliusoured for the horses, und was knoon as the 'lot man.'
Jack masce was the carpenter; Abe A0000, dairyman; the farmers
and field hunts were trunk Asecs, WAM, Jack, and aeorge, Jr.
all eons of ueorm and nanoy ueece. uther farmers were:
Henry bird. Minus lass, TOM itilipletUO, viL tam miles, Joe Platy,
26074
Milletge siehardson 2.
John /woos, son of ueorge, or., A.brahaa, Jr., and J00 Jackson.
"The ASCU entertained u lot and had big parties and
Minot's. The &Gino.. were held in the long shed -like house
near the river, where the oranges were packed for shipping.
sill bird Played the fiddle for the donee*. They also had
picnics, barbacues, and fish -fries.
"The 20th of may was always celebrated as a big day
for the negro**. we were given a big pionio, and there were
hero* moss, foot races, baseball, danoes -(breakdowns).
Mr. Reed had a big rowboat, the Yannie ~ref, eighteen or
twenty feet long and with a four foot beam. It took five
men to row this bout, mut we used to race it on the river.
"144, I never saw any ghosts, but ono* there was a Joke
played on *me of the durkies that wat,, half believed. Cornelius
brown and sOne of the boys were returning from church one night.
Their way led through a swamp. as they walked they started
talking about ghosts, *hen suddenly in a wet slough on ahead,
brown saw three white ghostly figures rise out of the swamp.
He called the other newel's' attention to the sight, and they
started yelling at the top of their voices, running as fast as
they could. One looked back to see if he was followed, jumped
a six foot gate, fell ka,d called for help. When he finally
got home he was so frightened he was afterwards sick for nix
months. The three white figures were need Pearson, with bAM
and Joe ABOOO, draped in sheets. Cornelius had been told they
were going to pull offtthis stunt, but the others did not knew
about it, and forever afterwards thought they, had really seen
ghosts in the *Ramp.
gilledgo alehardion a.
"One of the songs that bill eird tiood to Ary on the
flAdlo w s up,
"Teo, is used to veto, but beforehand a five -gallon
jug of whiskey would be portioned out.
"Thorn were also big parties hold ,,aring the tine
of 'he ionanish-.nerioan ear. TO, stormier, oUburrY, mud
of yeeksonville used to bring orowds of people out to sow
the plant tion, 'Mob was one of the finest in Acrid*.
"They did not he any tennis 3ourts, but there were
smoothed off orogust ()curt*.
"I will try to oolleot scan of the old sungs we used
to sing songs sung while working in the fields, rowing
'mugs. 101re OMR*. and, (VILA' turn.
"Among the stories we used to tell the ohildren were
t', on, faont the rabbit and the fox: $illre_PoxAz wet to bros.
Rabbits unel said by didn't you go to tLis dance? Those
was plenty girls and otly a fors boys. Qin,/ on out, veers
havin. another. COMO on out. kris. Rabbit looked out
mn4 he mmY -.NOUS All the trasks go in, but none of 'en
oome out."
"Another was about the turkey, the Yox Alia the mubbit.
DO FOX said: 'Heard about de new law !NIA *Kt no more
Turkey, hounds don't bother lox, and iox don't bother nabbitT
"one on down and we'll talk about it.' 'HO,' said ire:.
Turkey, We'll talk ri ht vhere we aro.' Just then dogs were
hoard, and baser. 'ox said, 'roll. guess be gain' 'long.'
Turkey say, 'Why do low et q no sore fox hunt., den the
xiohardsom
lox say: 'leak, but tern dogs will run right over ths* law.'
"I do not know how the post offic) at iukon got its
name. 4,11 in lir neighborhood petitioned for u post offius
to be establishod, and stohn knight, a novo from Hibernia
was the first postmaAer and named it in 1693."
(Attached is ii plat of the plantation with location of
varioue buildings as Hillodge nichardson remembers its.
North
rejlii ;aro. n...11T.,. 10N
1
Lild orange
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main use
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Corn nouse
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Mulberry Trees UTIf.,,hed
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Big eield 100 words of corn
Indian mound
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