The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-05-14
Percy Bysshe Shelley Pinchback.

After Grant and Sheridan, no one has ap
peared on the stage during the Louisiana
embroglio, who has attracted more public
attention than that negro acrobat Pinchback
whose name fully demonstrates his birth
He belongs to a piachback race-a cross be-
tween white and anegro of the third grade
None of his smartness is therefore inherited
from the African side. The Washington
correspondent of the Pittsburgh Leader,
photographs the colored "highhyer" in this
way:
Pinchback has hopes again. He thinks
that since Bruce from Mississippi has been
admitted, that it will in some way help him.
He is not so noisy as he was, and has as
sumed an air of patient waiting which has
been bred in him by the bulldog Morton.
He has been offered the postmastership at
New Orleans, but this he has scornfully re-
fused. The Senate he will have or nothing.
| HIS REMARKABLE HISTORY.
| Pinchback has very remarkable history.
He was once slave. His father was Ma
jor Holiness, a wealthy planter in Georgia.
His mother was aquadroon, the property of
his father. Major Holmes was classical
old dog, immensely fond of reading. He
tdubbed the young brat offspring of himself
and his quadroon slave with Shelly's high
sounding name by way of a joke, and wound
up the high sounding given names with u
surname of Pinchback, for the sake of the
ridiculous. The little brat who was in the
future to make so much trouble in Louisiana
and in the United States Senate was great
pet with his father, a sort of black foot ball
for the family to play with. He was called
| by them "Pinch., !" as heis to this day among
| his intimates.
LOST AT GAME OF POKER.
Major Holmes, like most southern gentle
men of his time, was very fond of card play
ing. His favorite game was poker When
engaged at this fascinating game he would
wager everything he had about him to re-
gain lost points. If he had been able he
would have staked his immortal soul many
times over during his poker playing life.
Pinch" was brought up by his father as
a special body servant, and he was a very
quick, bright lad, he always travelled about
with him wherever he went
One day when Pinch was in the neighbor-
hood of ten years of age, he was taken by
the Maj or down the river to New Orleans.
The steamer on which they travelled when
they reached the Mississippi was the red
steamer Magnolia, Captain st. Clair Tomas
son commanding. On the way down Major
Holmes got into game of poker with the
captain and lost very heavily. In the end he
lost all of his ready cash about him and had
| nothing left to bet. He wished to continue
the game, with the vain hope possessed by
veteran gamester, that he might win back
his losses. He said, after moments sullen
thought
Il have nothing to put up, captain"
"But there's your boy Pinch p
Holmes was so carried away with the ex-
citement of the game that he caught at this
idea and staked ''Pinch" then and there.
The result was not changed "Pinch" was
lost and he and his father parted company,
the chronicler says, forever.
iST-hRNi-Np ~ IohtR.
"Pinch." was brought up on the steamboat
and there is where he gained knowledge
of polite manners, and so thorough knowl-
edge of the game of poker He is to this
day great poker player, and only the other
night at Willard's hotel won 500 from Con-
gresham Sheldon, of Louisiana. If he
cannot become n Senator he will at least
make his expenses while here making the
attempt. "Pinch" remained on the steam
boat until he became of age and then he
purchased his freedom and went to New
Orleans. He had made much money by
gaming, and he proceeded to establish him
self in New Orleans by opening up one of
the finest restaurant establishments there,
equal to Welcker at Washington or Del
monico's in New York, so far as cooking
was concerned.
| HE ACCUMULATED WEALTH.
The first floor of his building was devoted
to restaurant purposes, the second to faro
and the third floor was let out to parties
about whom no questions We're asked so long
as they paid good rent He studied a great
deal and took pains to make himself great
man among the colored people of Louisiana.
He was well known among them all during
the days of the war, and through their aid
he made great deal of money. He was the
man who WAS the most successful in gettinp
dispatches of cotton through the lines. In
this way he made huge sums. His superior
| iptnllnst and aytanv;,.o
the negroes made him power He was
once arrested, during the latter days of tn,
war upon the charge of keeping disorder
ly house, and was sentenced to the peniten,
tiary. However, he did not stay there owe!
twenty days,
If 1t were not for shrinkage in values il
New Orleans he would now be worth upward
of S75O,OOO. As it is he is worth easil,
S250.0O0, and carries the colored vote of tn,
State of LOUISIANA in his breeches pocket
"PISCH's" MARRIAGE.
, "Pinch," married in New Orleans daugh
ter of one of the most aristocratic negr
families. These families are ones who hav
always been free. Their children are educa
ted in Paris, and in point of culture the
are the equals of any of the white familic
a of the land. They look down upon the con
5 traband element with quite as much scor
. as does the dominant white race. Whe
a ''Pinch." former contraband was announce
;, as married to one of the real families ,
a New Orleans, thearistocratic colored scciet
: there was shaken from centre to circumfe
) ence. The De 10 Croix, the Dumas, the n.
: ries, Joubarts, and the De Puys for Ion
: time refused to receive him, but since he h,
: achieved political prominence, they ha,
: deignel to take up with him.
r There is not more energetic unscrupu
J. lous politician in Louisiana than Pincl
back, but in business matters he is a ma