Julia Gurdner Ex-Slave Narrative

              Harold J. Pugh                                           Special Topic 
Editor- in -  Charge.                                    Allen County 
District 1 
Ex-Slaves. 
Julia Gurdner, Ex-Slave 
82 Years of  Age. 
Mrs. Julia Gurdner resides at the home of her daughter at 
1222 South  Main Street, Lima, Ohio.  She was the property of Dr. 
Gurdner.  One is  immediately impressed by the lack of the features 
which are usually found in the colored race.  She is very fair in 
complexion with a thin nose, and very thin lips.  Her hair however 
is very kinky and snow white.  She has an outstanding personality, 
is very intelligent and happy.  She sometimes becomes vexed over the 
fact that her daughter will not allow her to work. The only work that 
she every did was housework, before and after her marriage. 
"I was born in the year of 1855, but I don't know what month or 
what day.  Folks say it must have been sometime in July,  'cause it sho 
was hot and I first seen the light of day on a plantation just east of 
Knoxville in good old Tennessee. 
Yo' all ask me about de times when I was a slave.  Of course, 
I was very young an' don't remembah a whole  lot.  My paw and maw was 
owned by Dr. Gurdner, a well known doctor in those parts.  He was always 
good to his slaves and we worked for him an' I never 'membah only once 
when he got mad and beat one of his slaves. This was a young slave an' 
Lawd, he was mean, The master tole him an' warned him not to do certain 
things.  Dis boy when he got a change he would run away, sometimes as far