The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-04-07

ways tndt tnCy mlgnt De certain thefe was
no concealed rupture or wound and in
addition to all this treatment, asking
them scores of questions relative to their
qualifications and accem plishments. An
these humilations were submitted to with
out murmur, and in some instances with
good natured cheerfulness - where the
Slave liked the appearance of the propos-
ed buyer, and fancied he might prove a
kind ''has'r."
The following curiously sad scene is
the type of a score of others that were
there enacted:
Elisha" chattel No 5 in the cata-
logue had taken fancy to benevolent
looking, niddle-aged gentleman, who was
inspecting the stock, and thus used his
powers of persuasion to induce the benev-
olent man to purchase him, with his wife,
boy and girl, Molly, Israel, Savanda, chat
tells No. 6. 7 and g. The earnestness with
which the poor fellow pressed his suit,
knowing, as he did, that perhaps the hap
piness of his whole life depended on his
success, was touching. and the arguments
he used most pathetic He made no APP
peal to the feelings of the buyer; he res
ed no hope on his charity and kindness,
but only strove to show how we'll worth
his dollars were the bone and blood he
was entreatlng him to buy.
Look at me nas'r; am prime rice
planter; sho' you won't find better man
den me; no better on de whole plantation
not a bit old yet do mo work den ever;
do carpenter work, too, little; better buy
me, Mas'r. Tse be good sarvant, Mas'r
Molly, too, my wife. Sa', fust rate rice
hand mos as good as me. Stan out yer,
Molly, and let the gentleman see"
Molly advances, with her hands crossed
on her bosom, and makes quick, short
curtsy, and stands mute, looking appeal
ingly in the benevolent mans face But
Elisha talks all the faster.
"Show Mas'r yer arm, Molly-good
arm dat Mas'r-she do heap of work
mo- with dat arm yet. Let good Mas'r
see yer teeth, Molly-see dat Mas'r, teeth
all rec lar, all good-ohe'm young gal yet.
Come out yer Israel, walk aroun' an let
the gen'lm'n see how spry you be-
Then, pointing to the three year old girl
who stood with her chubby hand to her
mouth, holding on to her mothers dress,
and uncertain what to make Of the strange
scene.
-" Little Vandy's only a chile yet; make
prime gal by and by Better buy US Mas'r,
VEIN fus rate bargain and so on. But
the benevolent gentleman found where he
could drive closer bargain, and SO bought
somebody else.
Similar scenes were transacting all the
while on every side-parents praising the
and showing off every muscle and slnew
to the very best advantage, not with the
excusable pride Of 9th r parents, but to
make item the more desirable in the eyes
of the man buyer; and, on the other
hand, children excusing and mitigating
the ages and inability of parents, that
they might be more marketable, and fall,
if possible, into kind hands Not uDfre-
quently these representations, If borne
out Cy the faces, secured a purchaser
The women never spoke to the white men
unless spoken to, and then made the con-
ference as short as possible. And not
one of them all, during the whole time
they were thus exposed to the rude ques-
tions Of vulgar men, spoke the first un-
womanly or indelicate word, or conducted
herself in any regard otherwise than as a
modest woman should do; their conversa-
tion and demeanor were quite as unex-
ceptionable as they would have been had
they been the highest ladies in the land,
and through all the insults to which they
were subjected they conducted themselves
with the most perfect decorum and self
respect.
The sentiment of the subjoined char
acteristic dialogue was heard more than
once repeated:
Well, Colonel, [ seen you looking
sharp at shoemaker Bills Sally. Going
to buy her p"
Well, Major, I think not Sally's a
good, big, strapping gal, and can do a
heap o work but its five years since she
had any children. She's done breeding,
/ rcckoh."
In the intervals Of more active labor,
the discussion of the re0pening of the
slave trade was commenced, and the opin-
ion seemed to generally prevail that its
reestablishment is a consummatiOn de-
voutly to be wished, and one red faced
Major or General or Corporal clenched
his remarks with the emphatic assertion
that " Well have all the niggers ia Afri-
ca over here in three years-we won't
leave enough for seed f"
Atll o'clock, the business men took
their places, and announced that the sale
would begin. The buyers who were pres
I