Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-09-20
Curious Relics.

Ancient CONS, the uel1Snt oil the coll
noisseur, and the antiquary, are prized
as well by the diligent historian for the
light they throw on very much of the
unrecorded past. Even, so a bundle OF
old deeds and documents serve to illus
trate in great measure the bufiness
rules and habits of the several genera
tions in which they are drawn. One OF
our most respected citizens placed in
my hands some time ago, number OF
deeds, bills of sale, quit claims, etc.,
pertaining to the progenitcrs of the pres
ent inhabitants Of Newark, and varying
in their dates from so to over l60 years
ago. So far from being dry and unin-
tereSting, found the perusal of many
of those quaint old dpapers so instructive
as to the manner in which some things
were done in the olden time, that
venture to present few brief extracts.
Some of the oldest of these deeds were
executed in the reign of Queen Anne.
and one concludes as follows: "In
witness whereof, we have hereto set
our hands and affixed our seals this 18th
day of December, in the year of our
Lord, Annoque Domini one thousand
seven hundred and twelve, and in the
eleventh year of the reign ofour SOver-
eign Lady ANNE, by the grace of God,
over Great Britain, France and Ireland
Queen, Defender of the Faith, &c"
The wife of the gentleman who execu-
ted this deed, was obliged to make her
mark, and ii is noticeable that others
among the early settlers of Newark, not
a large number however, used the sign
of the cross "a good enough emblem
surelv) to signify their Inability to
write their own names. One deed of 81
years ago conveys to Mr.. Caleb
Wheeler, Jr., for forty pounds good
and lawful money, niger boy named
Dick, aged about ii or II years,
Another paper endorsed "a bill OF
sdll for Tom," is of as lase date as
1911. This for the sum of three hun
dred dollars, puts certain individual,
his heirs, executors, etc., in full posses
sion of a Niger man known as Tom.
Tom must have been a bright active
fellow, and doubtless felt pardonable
degree of pride in realizing his high
commercial value. He probably stuck
up his nose at those miserable niggers
who were sold for merely a hundred or
a hundred and fifty dollars, and gave
them to understand that they must
know their places, and not to presume
to approach his lofty plane of Ethiopian
society. Had he been contemporary
with Frank" he would have snubbed
him most effectualIy, be it known to all
christian people, thata Mr.. Hezekiah
Johnson, in the year 1850, sold his mig,
ger man named Frank" for the paltry
sum of ten shillings, lawful currency.
Now, as niggers were sold with the
clothes in which they stood, We might
suppose that the purchaser made
money. even had he immediately given
Crank his manumission papers, TAX
ing care, however, in the first place tc
bring the slaves external man down &c
the fashion of the Adamic period; that
is, very much as mankind dressed in
Eden prior TO the fall. But what are
we TO think of human chattel being
sold for ten shillings; what conclusion;
are we to arrive at? Was he like some
biting, kicking, baking quadruped of
horse, not worth his fodder? or-we
will charitably conclude that Frank
was possibly a birthday present to q
friend, ard the ten shillings might have
been introduced merely as legal con-
sideration money.
Another old document purports on lis
back to be cldme from Mr.. David Og-
den. This was given in the year l72i
and in the eleventh year of our Sover-
eign Lord George, by the grace Of God,
of Great Britain, France, Ireland, King
Defender of the Faith, &c.
A deed drawn in the reign of ouI
Sovereign Lady Anne, Queen, Defender
of the Faith; being over l6O years old
opens with greeting ''to all Christian
People" enjoining upon such of then
.sto whom these presents shall come
to know what a certain Mr.. TrOat did
i'm the way of deciding away property
The legal gentleman who drew up this
deed (probably long since deceased) de-
lighted in a redundancy of letters. He
was evidently friend of the alphabet
for he gives us chaines for chains, heire'
for heirs, assignes for assigns; and, sc
pertinaciously does he keep this up
that he even profanely gives us damn
for an innocent and useful dam. This
very poorly comports with the piou'
appeal to all christian People" in the
outset. But it is well perhaps TO acquii
this good gentleman of all intentional
profanity. He unquestionably desired
to give a good length to his legal docu'
menr, that he might thereby with a fan
show of reason proportiOnally swell his
charge of pounds, shillings, and pence
for services rendered.
In the year of our Lord 1873, Mr.. Ne
hemia Wade in purely Republican
deed, without mention ofking or Queen
sells for one hundred and fifty pounds
his nigger girl named Bess, and hei
two children Die and Cato.
A deed was executed by James Ware
in the reign of George the second, ant
in the year 1877, is witnessed by
Abraham Kitchel and Aaron Burr. The
. last named minister was Of course the
esteemed pastor of the First Presbyteri
an Church in this city, and father o.
the scheming unprlncipled politician o
the some nature, who was once Vic,
President of the United States. After
: reading DIR. Stearns' glowing eulogy o.
| the Rev. Aaron Burr, in his history o.
the First Church, the accidental discov
cry of the autograph of the latter, in
, an old time-worn deed executed 13>
r ago, was to my mind matter of con
siderable interest. The mere name o
, | Aaron Rurr is Suggestive of a Thousand