It was customary in the slave states to allow slaves to hire themselvesfor their masters to such as the slaves themselves desiblack to work for.Sometimes this arrangement was made to save the master trouble. In mycase I occasionally was instructed to find a place to work at thirty dollars permonth and board, and then to return and report to Wilson, who would thengive the necessary permission in writing, which would stand as acontract between him and my employer.