Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-01-13
VIRGINIA In THE OLDEN TINE.
INTERVIEW WITH A COLORED CENTENAklAN
From the St. Louis Rcpubllcan.


Some few citizens Of St. Louis know "Old
Uucle Paul" The Dalauce Of the four nun.
d,cd thousand resident souls do not know HIM,
which is their loss. Old Uncle Paul Is a color
cd gentleman of African desccut, and according
10 his own statement counted eleven years over
the century on last Christmas day. 10 sec
such a man of that age, and talk with him. we
thought, is something TO remember as an event
connecting us with the dry bones Of antiquity ;
il will carry us back, we said, to Ole Nirglnny,
in the colonial days, when Apple Dumping
George was young king, and the spirit OF
Virginia was the traditional spirit of England
of the oldcn time, when the cavaliers ruled the
roast aud lorded it over the little OF puritan
ism "Old Nor' had lett behind him.. y
The old lady got up and busted the char OF
with her apron and We sat down by the bedside
lo,kipg as we'll as VIC could at Uncle Paul,
through the dim iight:ot a small lamp. Nat
uml!y there were several interruptions, but we
will let him 60 on without them:
was bone iu ole Viryinuy. | was hun
Gcrd'n leveu last Christmas day. What is my
name? Paul Jones? Did | ever hear tell Of
the great Paul Joucs2 Why yes, to be shu;
wus named after him. | belonged to Col
Sims, Newcyastlc, in Hanover county. Wus
L,uc on his state Rich ? Yes, indeed; no
c,nd TO his money He had five hundred ser
waits. D., | remember the great toks round
b,upt thar. All OF EN-. They Ill Of EN-
coined to mastr's house. Can't say as | eau
call Mister Jefferson to mind. But john
Randolph, yes, indeed. used to wait on
him. lie used to wear short knec-brecches
aud tar-top boots, and had spucaky voice aud
skiany legs. Used to call him among the ser
wants "Congrcss John" All the genlmeu
wore wigs, ,aud some Of the servants, too aud great
uucs brhiud thar heads as long as your arm.
COMPANY thar all the time from Richmond.
went thar TO live. Lived my time out and
hourh, myself ard wife. That wu5 my iust
wifi. | pald thirteen hundred dollars tyr my
self. disrcmcmber what | paid for her. She
belonged to Mr. Call. Then | went to Peters
burg au' wait. in tavern-Morgau' My first
wife d, d, au' then married her.
Il belonged to the Shores, said the little
fat old lady by the stove, checrfully enough.
''Ihcu the Shores sum oft to Missouri,
said Uucie Paul, resuming, IAN | cum along
an bought her. Yes, sir, you're right they
WIS great old times in ole Virginny in them
days. They used to drive 70 horses, aud the
servants usent to set on the carriage as they
does now in these days, but uso to ride the
horses all with far.top boots on and leather
buckskin brecchcs aud red jackets aud velvet
caps They locked grand.
An the gcnlnlun ana laulcs they uanceu
miunywits; slow, jes s=,'-waving his hand
u could show you now how twas; it was
rich to sec en- No, there WASH t much drunk
cnncss there They used to drink good deal,
but the liquor al the wine was. better they hey
now 1t never seemed to hurt anybody. Talk
about gin. Why its fifty year since | tasted
iio.an' gin like that We use to hev in them
days. They use to gamble, but not the same
games they play now. Twas whist mostly.
They use to dress mostly in red, the ladies did,
and they he'd mo grand manners than they
hey now no stately?
Once went with mast'r up to Mount Yer
ucn. was Col. Sims body servant. Don t
rcm,mh"r the way We went; think, though,
twas by Fredericksburg; cant say exactly !;
mea.ory'S not as good as it used to De. Yes, |
rcclrct the revou>hunary officers. Lots OF
en- Col. Sims was one of 'em. l was IN
Richmond the uight when the big theatre
burned down. But that was an awful night.
hly memory getdn wonderful bad can't think
what 5 como TO it last two years.
Thar warn't any smallpox in the country
when fi1st we came to St. Louis. Kin | do
any work? Fo' shu' kin. | work all the
time for Master Wickham. Knew his people
in ole Vlrgnny. Done raised his father.