The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-11-08
UNCLE REMUS.
How He Forgot About Freedom and Saved
Mars Jeems's" Life.
From the Atlanta Constitution.

''Mars Jeems's" Life.
Prom the Atlanta constitutional
For several months old Uncle Remus
has been in the country raising, as he
modestly expresses it, ga 'ful o. CON
an piller-case full o. cotton" He
was in town yesterday with some chick
ems to sell, and after disposing of his
poultry called around to see US.
"Howdy, Uncle Remus."
"Po'ly, boss, poly. Desc here sud
den coolnesses in de wedder makes de
ole nigger feel like dere's sump'n outer
gear in his bones. Hit sorter wakens
up de roomatiz."
"How are crops, Uncle RemusP'
"Oh, craps is middlin'. Ole Master
'membered de ole niger wen he wuz
'stributin' de wedder. | amt complain
in, boss. But I'm done wild farmin'
arter dis, | is, fer fac. De niggers
don't gimme no peace. l can't res fer
um. Dey steal my shotes, an dey steal
my chickens No longerin las week |
wnz bleedzd ter fling ham full NV squill
shot inter a Niger what wuz runnin' off
wild TO- pullets an rooster. I'm a
gwine ter drap farmin' sho. I'm gwine
down inter ole Putmon County an live
alonger Mars Jeems."
" Somebody was telling me the other
day, Uncle Remus, that you saved your
young masters life during the war.
How was that?"
"Well, | dunno, boss" with a grin
that showed that he was both pleased
and embarrassed, 81 dunno, boss.
Mars Jeems an Miss Emily, dey say |
did"
Tell me about it,
You amt got no time fer ter set an
hear de ole niger run on wild lis mouf,
is you?"
"Oh, plenty of time"
"Boss, is you ever bin down to Put
mon County?"
GOTTEN
"Den you know where de Brad
Slaughter place is?'
Perfectly we'll"
4" An HARMONY"
Yes"
"Well, hit wuz right long in dere
whar Mars Jeems lived. Wen de war
come long, he wuz livin' wild ole Miss
and Miss Sally. Ole Miss wuz his ma,
an Miss Sally wuz his sister. Mars
.Jeems wuz les eatchin' fer ter 30 off an
fight, but ole Miss and Miss Sally, dey
TUX on so dat he couldn't get off de fus'
year. Bimeby times gun ter get putty
hot. an Mars JeemS he up an sed he
les had ter go, an 90 he did. He got a
overseer fer ter look arter de place, an
he went an jined the ahmy. An he
wuz a fighter, too, Mars Jeems wuz-
one er de wus kline. Ole Miss useter
call me to de big house on Sundays, an
read what de papers say bout Mars
Jeems.
90 Remus,' SEE she, there's wat de
papers say bout my baby an den
she'd 90 on an read ontwell she could
MT read fer cryin'.
" Hit went on dis way year in an
year ont, an dey wuz mighty lonesome
times. boss, sho's YOU bon. De con-
scrirtin' man come long one day, an
he jes everlastin'ly scOoped up dat over
seer, an den old Miss, she sont arter
me an she say:
"'Remus, / amt got nobody fer ter
look arter de place but you;' an [ say,
Mistis, you kin jes pen On de ole mig
ger-Q wus old den, boss, let alone what
] Is now an YOU better b'leve | bUSsed
dem hans. had dem niggers up TO
day, an de way they did wuk wuz a
caution. Dey had plenty bread and
meat, an good cloze ter war, an dey
was de fattes' niggers in de whole set
Element.
"Bimeby, one day old Miss she call
me up an tell me dat de Yankees done
gone an took Atlanty, an den pres
emily hear dat dey wuz marchin' down
lords Putmon, an de fus' thing
knows, Mars Jeems he rid up one day
wild a whole company NV men. He Jest
stop longer huff fer ter change bosses
an snatch up a mout'ull NV sump'n
feat. Ole Miss tole i'm dat ! wuz kin
der bossin' roun', an he call me up an
say:
"sDaddy'-an ole Miss's chillun call
me daddy-'Daddy,' he say, ''pears like
dere's goin' ter be mighty rough times
roun' here. De Yankees is done down
Ter Madison, an 'twont be many days
hefo' devil be all thu here. Hit amt
likely dat devil bodder mother er sis (;
but, daddy, eff de wuS comes ter de wuS,
spec YOU ter take keer un EN-
"Den say, you bin KNOWN me a
long time, amt you, Mars Jeems?'
- Sence wuz baby, daddy SEE
he.
"sWell, den, Mars Jeems,' sez L.
syou know'd 'twant no use fer ter Ak
me ter look arter ole Miss and Miss
Sally
"Den de tears came in Mars Jeems's
ewes an he sQuoze my ham an Jump on
de filly bin savin' fer i'm, an gallon
off. L know'd by de way he talk am by
de way he look DAT der was gwinter be
sho'nuff trouble, an so begun fer ter
nut de house in order as de Scripter sez.
rot all de cattle an de bosses togedder
an, | driven over to de fO' mile place.
| made pen in de swamp an dar | put
de hogs, an | haul nine Vaughn loads
nv CON an w'eat an fodder to de crib
on de fo' mile place, an den groun' my
AK.
sBimeby, one day here come de Yam
KEGS. Dey jes' swarmed all over kera-
ton. De woods wuz full un um an do
road was full un UNI, an de yard wuz
full un UNI. | done heered dey WI
comm fore dey got in sight, an wen
to de well an washed my face an hands
an den l went an put on my Sunday
close, an by de time de Yankees ned ar
rove, l wuz sittin in ole Miss's room wiC
my ak tween my knees.
g Dem Yankees, dey jes' ransack do
whole place, but dey didn't come in de
house, an ole Miss, she sed she hoped
dey wouldn't, Wen jes' den we heal
steps on de po'ch. an here come two
young fellers wild strops on dere Shout
ders an s'ords dragging on de do an
dere spurs rattlin'. won't say wu1
skeered, boss, cause l wuzent, out l haC