Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-08-10
AN EX-sLAVE'S CAREER.
His Old Master Listening to His Fourth of July
Grafton.

The Rock Island Gil J Union prints
the following singular and touching
story:
ave saw our colored fellow citizen,
Rev. Jackson Blackburn, speaking
from the stand in tho court house
square on the Fourth of July, with
his former owner, P. l.. Mitchell, Esq,
intently listening to him, and evident
ly pleased with his remarks. Mr..
Lincoln's language seemed to repeat
itself: 1--WE cannot fail to note that
the world moves" Mr.. Mitchell in
forms Us that Mr.. Blackburn was q
plantation hand reaf Georgetown,
Ky. About 1910 his owner died, and
in order to settle the estate all the
slaves bud to be sold. Between the
death and the sale some of them
scattered about the country and in
to town, hunting odd jobbs for them
selves. MIR. Mitchell was then keep
ing store in Georgetown. One day
likely-looking niger of some twen-
ty-seven years came in and asked
him for work. lie gave him load
of wood to saw, and the man worked
so much to his satisfaction that he
gave him other odd jobs about the
premises. As the dreaded day Of
sale approached, the man one day
begged Mr.. Mitchell to buy him and
save him from being sent down the
river and being separated forever
from his wife and children, who were
owned by neighboriDg planter.
MIR. Mitchell is New Highlander,
and had scruples against holding
slaves, but the man pleaded so pite-
ously that Mr.. Mitchell. finally agreed
to keep him from going down the
river. On the day of the sale Mr..
Mitchell was as good as his word,
and when Jack Was mounted on the
| auction box he was ON hand. A
likely niger was worth about 500
at that time, but there was sharp
competition between several slaYe
Traders who wanted good gang of
down river hands, and Jack was
finally knocked off to Mr.. Mitchell at
1910. He afterwards bought his wife
| and children, built them little bouse
on his own premises, and kept them
in his service. In the meantime Jack
somehow managed to louru TO read
ard write, without the aid of a school
house or school teacher. Then he
picked up the painl-brnsh, aud soon
handled it so we'll that be could make
| 50 or So day working tor others,
half of which Mr.. Mitchell allowed
him to retain for his own use. Jack
also 'jined the MothodIs;s and began
to oxhort IiLtle. Then no changed
his views on baptism and Joined the
Christian church, and it wasn't long
before he developed from an exhort-
or into fui-fedged preacher Then
Mr. Mitchell concluded to leave
Georgetown and removed to Rock
Island. 1t being against the laws OF
Kentucky to manumit slave, Mr..
| Mitchell told Jack TO choose his new
master, and whatever he was willing
to pay for him be would take. The
selection was soon made, the entire
Blackburn family passed over TO a
new owner, and at very much low
err figure than they had cost Mr..
MitchelI. The war brought emanci
patton the shackles were broken,
and Jack was free to go where he
pleased. Mr.. Mitchell sent him
money to bring his family to Rock
Island, ell of which has honestly been
repaid. Jack has worked industri-
ously at his trade, and has done well.
He has reared and educated his chill
dren, has been the means of securing
a little church for his people, and to-
day there is 10 man in this city who
stands higher in the estimation of oil
who know him than jackson Black
burn AS Mr. Mitchell expressed IL :
Il would tako lis word for anything
az soon as that Of any other man |
ever saw the only thing that isn't
"whito" about him is his skim And
| there stood the master looking to his
cid slavc making Fourth Of July
address in Court House square.
Can history pay grander tribute
| to Abraham Lincoln than the simple
story Of Jackson Blackburn and his
old master2"