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

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much policy as humanity in this arrange
ment, for thereby many aged and unserv-
iceable people are disposed Of, who other
wise would not find a ready sale.
The first family brought out were an
nounced on the catalogue as
NAME. AGE. REMARKS.
l. George II Prime Cotton Planter
2 Sue % Prime Rice Planter
g. George 6 Boy Child.
A. Harry 2 Boy Child.
The manner Of buying was announced
to be, bidding a certain price apiece for
the whole lot. Thus George and his fam
lily were started at $500, and were finally
sold at $500 each, being S2,400 for the
four To get an idea of the relative val
ue of each one, we must suppose George
worth $1,000, Sue worth 5000, Little
George worth $500, and Harry worth
8l60 Owing, however, to some misap-
prchension on the part of the buyer, as to
the manner of bidding, he did not take
the family at this figure, and they were
put up and sold again on the second day,
when they brought 1920 each, or S2,4S0
lor the whole--an advance of $50 over
the first sale.
1t seems as If every shade of character
capable of being implicated in the sale of
human flesh and blood, was represented
among the buyers. There was the Geor-
gia fast young man, with his pantaloons
tucked into his boots, his velvet cap jaun-
tily dragged over to one side, his cheek
full Of tobacco, which he bites from a
HUGE plug, that resembles more than any
thing else an old bit OF a rusty wagon tire,
ana who is altogether all animal of quite
a different breed from your New York
fast man. His ready revolver or his con-
venieut knife, is ready for instant use in
case Of a heated argument White neck
clothed, guild specialized and silver-haired
old men were there, resembling in appear
ance that noxious breed of sanctimonious
deacons we have at the North. who are
perpctualy leaving documents at your
door that you never read, and the bust
ness of whose mendicant life is to eternal
lv solicit subscriptions for charitable as
sociations, Of which they are the treas
urers. These gentry, with quiet step and
supducd voice, moved carefully about
among the live stock, ignoring, as gen
eral rule, the men, but tormentlng the
women with questions which, when acci
dentally overheard by the disinterested
spectator, bred in that spectators mind
an almost irresistible desire to knock
somebody down. And then, all magma
bic varieties of rough backvoods rowdies,
who began the day in dispirited man
ner, but who, as its hours progressed, and
their practice at the bar became more pro-
life in results, waxcd louder and talkier
and more violent, were present, and added
a characteristic feature to the assemblage.
Those Of your readers who have read
"Uncle Tom"-aud who has not will
remember with peculiar feelings, Legree,
the slave-driyer and woman-whipper.-
That that character is not overdrawn or
too highly colored, there is abundant tes-
timony. Witness the subioined dialogue :
A party of men were converSlng on the
fruitful subject of managing refractory
"nicgers :" some were for severe whip
ping, some recommending branding, one
or two advocated other modes of torture /;
but one huge brute of man, who had not
taken an active part in the discussion,
save to assent with approving nod to any
unusually barbarous proposition, at last
broke his silence by saying in an oracular
way, "YJu may say what you like about
managing niggers m driver myself,
and I've had some experience, and l
ought to know You can manage ordi-
nary niggers by licken EN- and givin' 'em
taste of the hot iron once and awhile
when they're extra ugly; but if niger
really sets himself up against me, | can't
never have any patience with him. /
Just get my pistol and shoot him right
down, and that's the best way.
And this brute was talking to gentle
men and his remarks were listened to
with attention, and his assertions Assem-
ted to by more than one in the knot OF
listeners. But all this time the sale was
going on, and the merry Mr.. Walsh, with
many a quip and jest, was beguiling the
time when the bidding was slow, The
expression on the faces of all who stepped
on the block was always the same, and
told of more anguish than it is in the
power of words to express. Blighted
homes, crushed hopes aud broken hearts
was the sad story to be read in all the