The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-08-22

DEATH OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS
a WODidn 1chO has See,J Three Generations
Come and GO.-''OId Aunt Della, - Il colored
woman known by everybody in this com
munity, departed this life ON "Wednesday
last at very advanced age. Like the ma
jOrity of the people OF her race who spent
the early years of their lives in slavery she
was unable to give the date of her birth
But from number of important events
IN the history of Our country which trans
pired during her life, the minute circum-
stances of which she called vividly to mind
even IN her declining years. she must have
1't oI; ,,os an & hnHlred years 9f
and served as a slave. She, with other
slaves owned by her mistress, was manu-
mitted, 70 take effect after certain period
of time. In the meantime the mistress
died, and a relative of the deceased sold
DeliR's ''time" to Mr.. Proctor of Bedford
who owned the property now in possession
of DR.. George Anderson. Mr. Proctor
sold her ''time" to a Mr. Mcdonald, of
Ebensburg While at Ebensburg she ran
away with her child, but was captured at
Wisegarver's bridge, and taken back and
lodged in Jail for a time. Serving out her
time with Mcdonald, she came back TO
Bedford, where she remained until the time
of her decease. All this selling of time
in this State must have taken place before
1892, as the traffic in slaves was prohibited
in that year.
cold Aunt Della was one of the few-Or
many-who remembered General Washing
ton. She often spoke of Washington S
march into Pennsylvania after the insurrec-
tionary ''Whisky Boys" and alleged that
her husband was Il cook in the army on that
occasion. OF course the exact age of Aunt
Della cannot be ascertained from any <nowl-
edge or papers in the possession of the
family. For the past teL years she has
claimed to be over hundred, and some five
or six years ago, from various circumstances
which she related her age was fixed at
81. NnF Il
she must have been in the neighborhood of
one hundred and ten pears old, if not more.
She will long be remembered for her eN-
treme politeness, chidlike simplicity and
Christian bearing under all circumstances.
All earthly that remained of poor "Old
Aunt Della" was consigned to the grave on
Friday last, in the Catholic cemetery, of
which Church she was humble and de-
Won't member.-Bedford Gazette.
The subject of the foregoing obituary
notice, Della Fortune, that being her
name, is well remembered by many of the
citizens of tLis place. The Gazette is
greatly mistaken in reference to her age.
Instead of being 10 years old, she was
only So. We arrive at this fact from an
inspection of the original paper by which
her services were transferred by William
Proctor, Jr., of Bedford county, to Owen
Mcdonald, deceased, of this place. This
document is in the possession of Mr. Nc
! Oonald's widow, residing here, by whom
we have been permitted to examine the
paper. 1t is dated February 18th, 1S19
and was acknowledged on the same day
before Christopher Kelley, Esq, Justice
of the Peace of Bedford county. In the
body of this ''bill of SALE" rs it is styled,
I Proctor states Delia's age at about 30.
Her birth would therefore date back to
about 1890, making her SO years old at the
| time OF her death. Negroes who live 10