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documents have proved otherwise.
William Henry Jett (Will Jett) became Bill Martin by the next described set of facts. It was probably 1910 or 1911 that Mr. John Bernard Martin came down to Poor Farm.
Bill told it this way: “Mr. Martin was in the Civil War. He didn’t have no sons (at home) so one day he come down there. He says, ‘How^ you like to stay with me, William?’ I heard he was right mean. I said (to myself) Lord how mercy, Lord how mercy, what made you say that. Well, my heart was in my mouth, but I told him I’d go on. I don’t-Mr. Martin said, ‘You wanta go, Bill?’ I said I’ll try it. So we went on in the horse and buggy. I was supposed to stay until I was 21 years old but he kept me until I was 31 years old.”
Thus, assuming or having it assumed upon him, Will Jett became Bill Martin in consequence of his stay with the Martin family.
Bill recalled many events, especially when he was at the old Sloan place. When fox hunting was THE sport of the day, Bill recalled being frightened one day by the chase and the horns. He mentioned Mr. Addison Bywaters telling him that they weren’t going to hurt him. Mr. Flint and Mr. By waters were also fond of the hunt.
Bill also remembered old man Tom Fletcher, as well as Eddie Green, some of the hired hands: Ben Myers, Scott Singleton, Bob Rutherford, Willie Rutherford, Manuel Newman (and his family Ed, Ham, Ben and Henrietta), Ash Wood, Huntin’ Wood, Noah Frazier, the Denton Jenkins family, Will Jenkins and his family-Jesse, Tom, Will, Louemma, Mary, Frances and John.
Yet, Bill seemed most grateful to Mr. Bernard Martin. As Bill said, “After Mr. Martin got hold of me he didn’t do nothing (to harm me). He put me to milking, learned me how to plow com. He had a mill (a grain mill and a saw mill together) run by water power. He had me grinding com and buckwheat. You see, that was teaching me how to go.”
Bill also served his country for awhile. Trying to get some fix on his age, I asked him what war he remem
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