New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-16
WHOLE NUMBER S42.


We received a call the other day from a
full black man named Charles Latting, and
being ourselves not little interested, we
give his story for the encouragement of our
colored people and their friends. Mr. Lat.
ting was born and raised in ChiCot county.
Arkansas, one Of the most benighted sections
OF that State. When tWenty.eight years of
age he bought his own freedom and that of
his wife for fifteen hundred dollars. Having
been allowed to hire his time he had then
accumulated some little money, and ia two
years was enabled to pay off the entire sum.
he then learned the trade of a ginwright,
ana at the same time ATTEMPTED to learn to
read. When he had mastered his trade he
determined to educate himself and went
TO school at Oberlin, Ohio. He attended
sChool there during the summer. and work
ed at his trade in Arkansas during the
winter. Having obtained a good business
gqucauon, he moved to Chatham, Canada
west and bought three farms in three diff
terent townships, besides a house and lot
IN the village of Chatham. This entitled
him to four votes, according to the fran.
chlse laws OF the province, but he never
cast at any election more than three as
the fourth township was so very far dis
tant. ln 1864 he sold all his real estate
except his house and lot in Chatham,
winch he still owns, and went to St. Louis
to hunt up his relatives. In this search
he found sister at Cairo, a brother in
Memphis, and a sister in New Orleans.
He at length settled down at Cairo, ard
opened an eating house, in which he made
money rapidly. In a few months he closed
out and determined to invest in land in his
native county of Chicot He went down
there, but was so roughly treated that he
left on the first passing boat, and this
brought him to Helena. He here read
an advertisement of a plantation for sale
near the mouth of the St. Francis, offered
| at great bargain. He called upon the
! agent at Helena, who could not believe his
! eyes when he saw full black "nigger'
| before him, with the etfrOntery to ask him
to sell him-a "nigger"-six hundred and
| eighty nine acres of land, and rather re
buted him until Mr.. Latting told him he
had the money to pay for it. The agent
could not then be too mplaisant-showed
| him the locality Of the land on the map,
ard in day or two took him up in a boat
to show it to him. Mr.. Latting was pleased
with the place, and in ten days had placed
| the purchase money in the hands Of the
! agent, and received properly acknowledged
| deed to it. He worked a plantation ad-
| Joining last year for $1,000 and has
added one hundred and eighty-fve
more acres to his place, SO that he now
| owns eight hundred and seventy-four
acres. For all this he owes but $500, which
is not, however, due until next January.
He is cultivating his own place this year,
and is putting in fifty acres of corn and
fifty acres of cotton, besides running two
woodyards on the Mississippi river He
meantime keeps his children at school in
Helena. Mr.. Latting is quiet, unassuming,
and evidently a hard-worker. He values his
word and pays his debts more like an hon.
est man than many high-toned gentleman.
His career is certainly cheering encourage
ment to every colored man who will be
honest industrious, and enterprlsing. Just
think OF a colored man the owner of nearly
nine hundred acres of rich land, as lordly &
domain as that of many of the slayehOlding
aristoCracy.-M Post.