Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-08-31

SOClcty oOLlC vi lily 6dTllGSb
and sweetest recollections are con-
nected with these institutions and
my fathers zeal in them. The black
people always attended church with
the whites, and all of US, black and
white, were encouraged to become
members at very eally ages. The
rule was for the children to work on
the farm until the crop was made,
and then go to school until it was
gathered; after the crop was gath
eree, go to school again until plant
ing time for AFRO, her crop.
I'll was my life unul l was six
teen years old. Twas oee1 continued
at scho d all the time with CIV 10
collegiate education. My father
was not able to send all his child ,en
TO col eye; only one beside my elf
&c a college course, and | alone
graduated. After I was pronounc ed
pr pared to G. college my father
decided that he was not able to send
Il e. A family consultation was held.
My mother insisted on my going.
She bad always had what was called
Ter patch, which was near the house,
and was cultivated by her house
hands when not needed at house
VIC k. This patch had always been
my mothers p,nsmoney, amounting
to from $50 to 500. My mother
said she would contribute this to my
college expenses, and would make
10 cloti es at home besides. An
old aunt of my mothers, who lived
in small house in my
fathers yard, and had some means
(smalD and no children, agreed to
contribute as much more. My father
agreed to add the balance, and I
promised that all my college expen-
ses of any kind should not exceed
$500 per annum. [ promised my
mother [ would take the first honor
Z my class. I redeemed this prom
Use. The proudest day of my life
was when wrote to my parents
that l had taken the first honor in
my class and the honors of the lit
erary society of which [ was a mems
Der.
1.-The cook, Mariah, came by my
mother, and was near her age. She
also 1aised nine children, just the
number my mother raised. One of
the cooks children from birth was
assigned to one of my mothers
children. From our childhood we
play ed together, worked together,
and would fight for each other
against all the world. Stronger ties
than these were never formed. 1t
Was an alliance offensive and defen-
sive.
II married in 1916. My wife had
seven sla yes, large and small, left
her by her father, who died Wien she
was an infant. We thus began life
with eight slaves. When my father
aud mother died the slaves selected
their owners among the children, and
I had to take two more, who would
go with no other child, and paid for
them. My wife had one other
brother left an orphan with her. He
married several years after rive did, and
determined not to keep his slaves.
They were not willing to go out of
the family, and l bought them T
now had fourteen slaves. l was
professional man, living in town, and
| did not need them. [ was not will
ling to hire them out The result
was, I bought some land near the
town, and moved on it with the
slaves, and told them to support
themselves under my projection
The slaves il CT eased and merried
wive and husba dds and raised clil>
dren, and to keep them togethe- I
bought them all. L also boush t
several others who had to be sold,
and who selected me as their owner
In few years my small place was
insufficient for them, and rather than
part with them [ bought a large
plantation in the country and placed
them on it, and removed with my
family back to town. [ was thus
slave holder from 1916 to 1865, just
twenty years. My slaves increased
from eight to sixty-sevel /, and DUR
ing all that time there were but two
deaths among them. l realized no
profit from them, and all of them will
testify that cared better for them
than they have been able to care for
themselves since freedom came ,"
Atlanta Dispatch to the Philadel-
phia Press.