Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-27
+ "CEsAR JONES'.
A Colored Gentleman, Philosopher
and Scholar.

L JlIle IllIltlnOIldls 4nci0 dI0 tuOec WHO
| firmly believe that he was kicking up bis
| heels and toasting his shins before the cabin
| fire at the time the foundation for that little
romance about Pocabontas and Capt.
| John Smith was laid, while others insist
upon it that when "Christipho Columbo"
discovered America, Cesar Jones had al
ready preceded him, and was engaged
at that time in drawing up the
papers necessary to secure land
grant for several million acres of very desir-
able real estate situated in the vicinity of
| Albemarle Sound, in the territory since
called North Carolina. However IL may be
with regard to these matters, certain it is
that Caesar used to hunt lions, tigers and
boa constructors in the jungle which then
covered the spot where the city of Nash
vile now stands. At that time the Cum
berland river was an Insignificant rivulet,
which child could step across, and the
State house, which now looms up so grand
~, and whose magnificent proportions are
the wonder and admiration of the civilized
world, was but small stone building, and
no one then supposed either would grow to
its present dimensions. r
Old Cesar is direct descendent, by In
ter-marrisge of that old Roman rooster,
who remarked to friend one day, "Et tn
Brute" (and you, too, are brute), and
then died, covered with glory and his
mantle. The surname, Jones, Cesar adopt
ed because Ola desire he bad to possess q
cognomen Gall bis own" SO that, If through
carelessness, any of his numerous cores
poldents should address him as plain
iMr," the letter would not fail to reach
him, and no better evidence that the sub
jet of this veracious Biographical sketch is a
man of uncommon judgment and business
foresight, can be asked than is found in
| this fact.
About the beginning ofthe present CEN
fury, Caesar paid for himself, giving his
master sat his own request" Ito use Ce-
sar's own laDguege) enc thousand Mexican
| and Spanish dollars. Thus we see that he
was, at one period of his eventfnl life, a
dealer in
SLAVE PROPERTY,
and, if We take his word for 1t, his specula-
ton in that sort of goods, was fortunate
one. IT. is very natural, under these cir
cumstances, that Mr.. Jones should look
with no small degree OF contempt, upon
''dem niggers" who were freed by the late
war, and whom he calls ode
new ISSUE" Caesar glories
greatly in the fact that during the
slate unpleasantness," he was Southern
| sympathizer," and that be was 'pressed"
into the military service of the Yankees
thirty-nine times, and that he was prodded
up with ''duck bill," Gas he facetiously
calls bayonet), more times than one.
The subject of this sketch is not an IN
educated man; he has had the advantages
of schools-or to he more exact (and this
article is nothing if not eXact), of school,
be having been entered as pupil in an ed
vocational establishment presided over by
| one Daniel Watkins. To be sure, Caesar
did not remain at that institution of
le4ining that length of time which
might havs been desired, perhaps
for as he honestly acknowledges, he only
got 'as fur as a, b, C and Isreal, }" when he
abruptly determined to pursue his studies
no farther. And in this connection we are
called upon to speak of the one tender cpl
sode of old Caesars life-the bright oasis of
his existence, when the torch of love lighted
bis pathway and cast its glamour over the
rude experiences and incidents of his other
wise hum drum life.
CESAR LOVED,
and the fact that that love was
true and sincere is demonstrated by
the quick flush of his swarthy
cheek, the bright fash of his dark eye, and
the tremulOusness of his voice SIS he speaks
of this beautiful and -Lder experience of
''the long ago." Cesar loved, and Caesar
was beloved in return, and as all this oc-
CURED just as he was entering upon his
scholastic pursuits, it proved the rock upon
which sll bis ambitious aspirations to excel
ON odnaafod man yunra XvTopErod for no
fingered so long, and at such frequent in
terVals in the fascinating presence of bis
charmer, that he loon fell behind
moment of disbursement
and despon lency, he resigned his position
as pupil of that school.
For years and years Cesar has lived in
room by himself, doing his OVID cooking,
minding bis own business, and, by his gen
eral department, winning the good will,
confidence and esteem of the best people of
Nashville. He has been presented with
number of gold-headed canes and other
valuable tokens of regard by prominent
citizens; and as for hats, articles of clothing
and presents of that character, he has re.
ceived more than three mules can carry.
He has visited New York, Saratoga,
Montreal, Canada, Philadelphia, St.
Louis, Boston, Pittsburg. Baltimore,
Washington City, Richmond-in fact all
the leading cities of the Union, and he says
re could have gone to England if he had
wanted to. He is always invited to attend
the weddings which occur in all the old fam
lilies of Nashville, and is regular attend
ant at the First Presbyterian church, al
though, as he says, be "rather leans to the
Methodist" He says that be heard FOunt-
ain E. It's preach over twenty years ego.
Sand tell ye, honey" adds C@ser, 'dat
was preachin' fur ye. Why, he'd make
yer
HAR STAND RIGHT STRAIGHT UP
on yer head, and then after be sot down,
yer jist wanted to git Pettiway up thar,
and let him talk to 'em, tell ye, chile,
dat was preachni'. Ye don't hear nothin'
like it desc days. You ak Mrs. s. eff
she don't know Old Cesar Jones. Go
way honey l bet pint she'll say she
does"
For ten years past, Old Cesar has been
in the employ of Cheatham 81 Woods, and
during thai time has occupied a room on
the second floor of their wholesale liquor
house, on the corner of Church and Col
lege. he takes great prids in the fact that
he carries his own keys, and has full liber-
ty to go anywhere about the estab-
lishment. But little work is requir-
ed of him, and be is in
his element, when he can get party of
white people in his comfortable quarters,
and tell stories by the hour of the early
settlement of this country. He don't have
anything to do with the colored people of
the city, as he says he don't think much of
the present generation of niggers, "case
they's so sassy"
At the close of the war, he was very anx-
ious to get "stif7cate," so that he could
vote the same as the white folks, but here
his excessive loyalty to the South stood in
the way, as the black folks had told the
Federal authorities that he was a bitter
rebel. Finally, by threatening to
sue the entire Radical party, |
if the Governor did not at once do
the fair thing by him, he procured the all
important document.
EOld Caesar Jones is decidedly character
-one worth cultivating by such persons as
are interested in stories of by-gone days.
His recollection of past events is remarkable,
and his conversation is characterized by a
dash of quaint, philosophical reasoning
rarely met With. 1t is to be hoped that he
will be spared to us for several centuries