The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-12-30
Southern Ire.

During the slavery days in this
country. the people North weFc often
horritird hy reports # crueltie- prac-
sieed upon the negroes in the South.
especially when ANY Of those Hnfortu-
mates trying u e>espe from their dread
fni lob Iagr we're rr'apic-res i'':s1
the lash sn1 hrsnding iron wcr~ ap-
piled witfa.,ut mercy. Tlt- ,.vsye
spirit. which was far sn many year,
uur@.,i AID iosteref in the planter :
breast by The uS9g,ss of slavery. is no,
yet quite extinct. In the lar Saah you
will yet fisd specimens Of the old time
planter ard oversser. There are r few
Legrces left. though the law has taken
all the Uncle Tons ouf Of hpDdage.
and the cruelties that they oEce prac-
ticed on their bondman they now oces-
sioDally wreak on their own ki;h and
kin. In the Southern part Of Florida.
near Tar-appa. lived an old planter,
who at the oa,break of the rebellion
owned some five hundred slaves The
emancipation sct ruined him, and he
swore q terrible oath that never as long
as be lived wouid he offer shelter, or
willingly shake hands with Northern
man.
For years he kept his oath 4, last
tate threw a stranger in his way He
was ont an his boat one day when q
norsher suddenly sprang up and cap
sized him. and left him struggling for
his life ia the waters Of the bay But
Providence intervened and sent young
stranger - rescue him from his peril
Gus position. When the planter came
to his senses he was IN strange boat
with young man bending over him
and trying TO force some brandy down
his throat. Of course from that mo-
ment the acquaintance ripened rapidly.
and from that time the young man was
domiciied in the planters house
Among the inmates Of the planters
mansion was a charming young girl of
twenty years, an Octoroon. the old
mans daughter by former Quadroon
slave. This beautiful creature was the
mistress of the house. and dispensed its
Inequalities with free and liberal
hand. She was the old mans darling.
and So intensely did he love her tina, it
was not safe for a man hardly to look 1t
her in his presence. SO jealous was he Of
her But to the preserver of his life he was
quite lcnient in this matter and never
objected TO his daughters driving or
boating with the stranger unaccom-
paried by third party. 1t soon be-
came apparent to the neighbors and
some of the household that the two
young people had fallen in love with
each other. and as this state of affairs
could not long be very well concealed
from the old man, the ardent lover went
directly to him and made clean breast
of it, and asked for the hand Of tho
beautiful Octoroon in marriage. Then
for the first time the old man asked the
suitor for his daughters hand about his
family and prospects. His prospects
were good enough but his family was
the bar. Strange TO say, during three
months acquaintance. no. family matters
had ever been spoken Of, and up to
this time the planter was unaware that
be had been entertaining what he term
cd "a blue-bellied Yankee" for such
was the bold lover, direct from Connec-
ticut, and what was wosre still. he had
served through the war as Colonel in
the Union army. This in tho old mans
mind at once raised an insurmountable
bar To the union of the two loving
hearts. and as mildly and firmly as be
could he turned the young man out Of
his house. His daughters tears and en-
treaties were in vain, and he put n stop
TO her opportunities by swearing that
he would kill her if TO him she ever
again mentioned her lovers name, and
she knew he would keep his word.
But one morning she was missing.
and from the surrounding circu'nstsn-
ces the planter concluded that she had
run away with her Northern lover
Mounting his heetest horse he set off
in pursuit. and after twenty miles of
hard r,iing he overlook them, A des-
pcrate igh, immediately took place
between the two men. which resulted in
a victory for the planter, he killing his
antagonis. with "A thrust of his formid-
able bowie knife. Taking his daugh
ter back he locked her up in room.
while he drank Unlimited quantities
Of Bour bon. and meditated on the hest
means of Furnishing her. When he had
come 10 satisfactory conclusion in his
OWN mind he found that the bird
had again flown-w where. and how. he
knew not, but by calling to his aid
pack of thirsty hloos!hounds. he soon
found . trail which led direct TO the IN
most recesses OF the great Everglades
swamp. Here the poor girl had taken
refuge. aui here the mercile>s blood
hounds and her more brutal father
found her. The dogs when they sight
ell ,lleir prey dashed ,nsdIy a, her, and
before they could be called off had torn