Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-10-16

3
am sorry to say, with rather too many
of those Objectionable expletives that IN
ex-slave- overseer may be supposed to be
addicted t.. Swearing is a vulgar prac-
tice. and one for which there is no sort Of
Qualification; and yet. j must confess. it is
calculated to give a certain savage energy
to ones language when he has not very
copious vocabulary Of choicer epithets and
synonyms at command Oh course can
not do justice to Toms colloquial style in
print. but he proceeded:
Il was. as told you before. we'll ac-
Quainted with the slave-dealer, Meminger,
at Lexington. We boarded together at
M'Gowan's; and after my wife died went
about with him considerable.
One day. in the winter before 1 left
there to go to Mississippi. he and were
coming over from Danville. 1t was the
coldest day ever knew in Kentucky.-
Kentucky has o mild climate. and the win
ters are short and not very severe. Still
the weather is very variable, and there will
occasionally occur day in January which
is as cold as any where else, and which is
felt all the more for being an exception.
This day, when Meminger and I were
coming over from Danville. was one Of
those days. 1t was cold; l tell you, it was
and were bundled up with any amount Of
clothes and mufflers. and had leggins on
-as they always wear them IN Kentucky
when they 60 on horseback. We had got
1-yon know where the turnpike forks
south Of the Kentucky River. One branch
runs this way. to Danville; the other. that
way to Lancaster and Stanford. Right
here in the forks--that is the identical spot
where Camp Dick Robinson now is; but
there was no camp there then. by long
shot. Then as you approach the river.
you come down long hill, mile long,
at least. you know.
We'll. we had got nearly to the bottom
of this hill, and were coming along at a
pretty good Jog. when we heard some body
hallooing after US. and we held up
Looking around. we saw man running
side hill, little away from the road
May be you remember the house up there
Well, he was hallooing like q loon, and
we waited till he came up. Soon as he
! got near enough to talk. he says:
ANT one o. you Mr.. Meminger. the ne
gro trader from Lexingtoa?' 9 adi s..
My names Meminger.' said my COM
panion. 'and sometimes buy niggars.--
What do you want?'
i want to sell you woman replied
the man. a.rsre ia at,ta1
Where is she?' .e1,
up at my house. there il
We'll, fotch her down, then. You
don't suppose I'm going up there for any
ID niggar woman, such day as this.
do you? And be quick about it, for l
don't intend to stand here in the cold
The man started back for the house on
the run. and kept hallooing and motioning
to some one who met him on the way; and
he returned to where We stood on the pike
with as fine, healthy looking young
black girl as | have often seen. She was
dressed with a single garment. which hard
ly covered her; and she carried in her
arms a child. apparently about two or
three months old. which she wrapped up
il some rags to keep it warm.
This is the woman said the man.
'What do yon ask for her?' said Mem
niger.
.pll take eight hundred dollars for the
mother and child said the man. -
'D--n the childp said Meminger; do
you suppose want two months children
in my pen? If you do, you are cursedly
mistaken. What will you take for the
woman alone?'
L don't very well like to part them.
said the man hesitatingly. and promised
my wife l wouldn't. But if you won't
buy the child -
Il tell you I won't buy the child, and
that's enough broke in Meminger.
- I'll take seven hundred ollars fol
the woman ft
'Meminger threw his bridle-rein to me,
and slid down from his horse to look al
the girl. He stepped up to her. caught
her upper lip with one hand and her lower
with the other, and opened her mouth.
and examined her teeth in the same ma l.
ner that you or |. Owen, would o horss.-
Then he took her by the arm. twirled hel
round, struck her roughly on her back. felt
the muscle of her forearm, her thigh. and
calf; then stood back and examined her
all over moment, and said:
L suppose she is all right? I don'i
want her, but ] am going right home. and
l can take her along as we'll as not, and I'll
give you six hundred dollars for her. II
you want it, say so at once. for | ant 90.
ing to stand here talking all day!'
The man seemed reluctant to take the
sum offereJ--said she was worth more,
and he ought to give six hundeed and fifty
for her. 4..s.. tf...s. ..s.f.
.Meminger cut him short with savage
oath, telling him tha. if he wasn't going
to accent the six hunired. to say so, for be
would not stand there in the cold any long
er for the six hundred dollars, niggar and
all. and he moved toward his horse as il
to remaunt. refFr3 asv
/ We'll. then.' said the man, who seemed
determined to sell her at somo price. take
her at six hundred If that's all you'll give.
'Meminger drew out blank bill of sale
that the way they do it, you know,
have to have it in writing--snd said to
me;
Here. Tom. you ell ont this for me.
for my hands have got SO oold osn't
write M 81 fas
Il He took q peu md ink from his mock.