Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-03-24
EXHIBITION AND ExAMINATIoN OF THE
SLAVES.


They were brought in thus early that buy
ers who desired TO inspect them might en-
JOY that privilege, although none of them
were sold at private sale. For these pre-
liminary days their shed was constantly
visited by spectators. The negroes were
examined with as little consideration as if
they had been brutes indeed; the buyers
pulling their mouths open to see their teeth,
pinching their limbs to find how muscular
they were, walking them up and down to
detect any signs of lameness, making them
stoop and bend in different ways that they
might be certain there was no concealed
rupture or wound; and in addition to all
this treatment asking them scores of ques-
tions relative to their qualifications and ac-
complishments. All the humiliations were
submitted to without murmur, and in some
instances with good-natured cheerfulness
where the slaves liked the appearance of
the proposed buyer, and fancied that he
might prove kind ''mas'r."
SCENE BEFORE THE SALE.
The following curiously sad scene is the
type of score of others that were then
and there enactet:
Elisha chattle No. in the catalogue,
had taken fancy to benevolent looking
middle aged gentleman, who was inspecting
the stock, and thus used his powers of per-
suasion to induce the benevolent man to pur-
chase him, with his wife, boy and girl, Mol
ly, Israel, Sevanda, chattles Nos. 6, and
s. The earnestness with which the poor
fellow pressed his suit, knowing, as he did,
that perhaps the happiness of his whole
life depended on his success, was interest
ing, and the arguments be used were most
pathetic. He made no appeal to the feel
lngs of the buyer; he rested no hope on
his charity and kindness, but only strove
to show how well worth his dollars were
the bone and blood he was entreatiag him
to buy.
"Look at me, Mas'r; am prime rice-phn:-
er; 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
work, too, little; better buy me,
Mas'r Fse be good sarvant, Mas'r. Molly,
too, my wife, Sa, fus rate rice hand; mos
as good as me. STAN out yer, Molly, and
let the gem'lm'n see."
Molly advances, with her hands crossed
on her bosom, and makes quick, short
curtsy, and stands mute, looking appealing
ly in the benevolent mans face. But Eli
sha talks all the faster
"Show mas'ryer arm, Molly-good arm
dat, mas'l-she do heap of work mo-
with dat atm yet. Let good mas'r see yer
teeth, Molly dat mas'r, teeth all reg
lar, all good-she '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 on'y chile yet; make
prime gal by-and by. Better buy us mas'r,
we'm 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 praisiug the
strength and cleverness of their children,
and showing off every muscle and sinew to
the very best advantage, not with the ex-
,usable pride of other parents, but to make
hem the more desirable in the eyes of the
and, on the other hand, chill
iren excusing and mitigating the age and
inability of parents, that they might be
more marketable and fall if possible, into
Kind hands. Not unfrequently these rep
if borne out by the facts, Sc
cured pursbaser.
THE MANNER OF THE SALE.
1t had been announced that the negroes
would be sold in families" that is to say,
/ man would not be parted from his wife.
Or mother from very young child. The
manner of buying was announced to be,
bidding certain price apiece for the whole
OF. Thus George and bis family were
started at $500, and were finally sold at
$500 each, being 81, 400 for the four.
The expression on the faces of all who
stepped on the block was always the same,
md told more of anguish than it is in the
,ower of words to express. Blighted homes,
ausbed hopes and broken hearts was the
ad story 10 be read in all the anxious ia
es. Some of them regarded the sale with
'erfect Indifference, never making motion
ave to turn from one side to the other at
vord of the dapper Mr.. Bryan, that all the
rowd might have fair view of their pro-
'ortions, and then, when the sale was ac-
stepping down from the block
Without caring to cast even a look at the
uyer, who now held all their happiness in
is hands. Others, again, strained their
yes with eager glances from one buyer to
mother as the bidding went on, trying with
arrest attention to follow the rapid voice
f the auctioneer. Sometimes two persons
My would be bidding for the same chattle,
II others having resigned the contest, and
aen the poor creature on the block, con-
Giving an instantaneous preference for one
the buyers over the other, would regard
,e rivalry with the intensest interest, the
xpression of hit face changing with every
id, setting into half smile of joy if the |
svorite buyer persevered unto the end and
scured the property, and sitting down in I
look of despair if the other won the
ictory.
HE LOVE STORY OF JEFFREY AND DoRcAs. !
Jeffrey, chattel No. 219, marked as a
prime cotton hand" aged % years, was S
ut up. Jeffrey being a likely lad, the
ompetition ran high. The first bid was {