Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-04-17

follow her example; so, turniag my fac
to the wall, feigned to be asleep. Thei
toilet was soon made, and they then qui
etly left Scip and myself in full possession
of the premises.
| The darkey rose as soon as they wert
gone, and coming to me said:
"Massa, we'd better be gwine. Fse GO
your clothes all dry, and you can rig uE
and breakfast at the Cunnel's.
The storm had cleared away, and the
sun was struggling 10 get through the dis
tant pines, when Scip brought the horse
10 the door, and we prepared to start
Turning to the old woman, said:
81 feel greatly obliged to you Madame,
for the shelter you have given us, and
would like to make you some reeompense
for your trouble. Please to tell me what
l shall pay you"
"Wal, stranger, we don't giuerally take
in dodgers, but seein' as how there are two
on ye, and we've had good night on ii, 1
don't care if you pay me two dollars"
That struck me as "rather steep" for
common doins', particularly as we had fur
nisbed the food and "the drinks" yet
saying nothing 1 handed her two dollar
bank note. She took it, and held it up
curiously to the sun, then in moment
handed it back, soyiDg 81 don't know moth
in bout money hain't you got no silver!"
l fumbled ir my pocket moment, and
found quarter eagle wnich.I gave her.
81 hain's got nary ftp o'change," she
said as she took it.
"Oh! never mind the change, madame;
l shall want to stop and look at you when
come back; returned good humorsdly."
"Ha! ha! yer chicken" }" said the wo-
man at the same time giving me a gentle
poke in the ribs. Fearing she might, in
the exhuberance of her joy at the sight of
the money, proceed to some more deci-
ded demonstration of affection, hastily
stepped into the wagon, bade her good bye
aud was of.
We were still among the pines which
lowered gigantically all around US but were
no longer alone. Every tree was scari6ed
for turpentine, and the forest was alive
with negro men and women gathering the
"last dipping" on clearing away the
stumps and underbrush preparatory to the
spring work. II was Christmas week but
as l afterwards learned, the Colonel's ne
groes were accustomed to doing "half
tasks" at that season, being paid for their
labors as if they were free. They stopped
:heir work as we rode by, and stared at US
with sort of stupid half frightened curios-
ity, very much like the look of COW when
a railway train is passing. 1t needed but
little observation to calculate that their
status was but one step above the level of
the brutes.
As we rode along said 10 the driver:
"Scip what do you think Of cur lodging"
"Mighly pore, Massa. Niggers live bet
tern dat"
"Yes," 1 replied, shut these folks des,
pise you blacks; they seem to be both poor
aud proud"
"Yes, massa, dey'm poor cause dey
won't work and dey'm proud cause dey'r
white. Dey won't work cause they see de
darkey slaves doin' it, and think il am be-
neaf white folks to do all the darkies do.
Dis habin' slaves keeps dis whole country
poor"
"Who told you that!" I asked, aston
ished at hearing remark showing so much
from a negro.
"Nobody, massa. l see it myself"
"Are there many Of ihsse poor whites
around Georgetown?"
"Not many round Georgetown, sar, but
great. many in de up-country har, aud
dey'rh all alike-porc and no account;
none OBJ 'em kin read, and dey all eat
clay"
"Eat elay," said "wbat do you mean
by thai9"
"Didn't you see massa, hew yaller all
dem wimmin war! OATS cause dey eat
clay. De little children begin fore dey |
can walk, and chew at it till they die; dey
chew it like 'backer. 1t makes all dar
slumacs big, like as you seedIeu> and
sliles -dere gestion. 1t am mighty un-
healfy."
"Can 1t be possible that human beings
do such things! The brutes wouldn't do
that"
''No, Massa, but dey do it; dey'm poor
trash. OATS what de big folks call 'em,
and it am true; dey'm along away lower
than the darkies."
By this time we had arrived at the run.
We found the bridge carried away, as
the woman had told us: but its abutments
were still standing, and over these planks
had been laid, which offered q safe crossing
for foot passengers. To reach these planks,
however, it wss necessary to wade into the
stream for full fifty yards, the run having
overfowed its banks for that distance on
either side of the bridge. The water was
evidently rising, but as We could not wait
like the man in the fable, for it all to run
by, we aIighted and ceunseled as to the
best mode Of making the passage.
Scipio proposed that he should wade in
to the first abutment, ascertain the depth
Of the stream, and then if it was not found
too deep for the horses to ferd to that
point, we could drive that far, get out, and
walk 10 the end of the planking, leading
Lhe horse, and then again mount the wagon
At the further end Of the bridge. We were
sure the horses would have TO swim in the
middle Of the current, and perhaps for
distance beyond; but having
his proficiency in acquatic per-
fermances, we had no doubt his getting
safely across,