The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-06
Another!

When YOU have read VI. \. b. Brough
toms article in our last paper read th's'
and reflect what you will do with your
children
The following brief but interesting
autobiography of the late Senator HUI
was written and given by him TO ms
friend. the late DIR. w. II. White. In
1879. and it was found among bis papers:
at was born in Jasper county, Geor-
pia. September IA, 1928. | was the Sc.
yenth of nine children, and the NTH OF
six brothers. My father was 8 small
farmer. owning a few slaves only. All
his sons therefore, did all the farm work.
and all his daughters did all the house
hold work. My mother cut ana mace tue
clothes we wore, and most OF them were
spun and wove on the plantation. L was
eight years old, and black ana wnite
came and went alike in all work. My
father was a man of common education,
but was extensively read. and of great
Influence In his prighb'Th1od. When
was ten yars old TN 1889 my father
moved to the County Of Troup, a ne"
count and his lands were all In the
woods, and | helped clear them. wal
ked the entire distance from the old to
the new home, over one hundred miles,
helping to drive the cattle.
INV father would always have a
school house, a church and a temperance
society near his house. He was always
trustee of the school, class-leader and
stewart in the church and president oi
the temperance society. Some of my
earliest and sweetest recollections are
connected 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 en-
couraged to become members at very
early ages. The rule o! the children was
to work in the farm until the crop was
made and her 90 to school until plan
ting time for another crop.
'sThis was my life until | was sixteen
years old. [ was then continued a:
school all the time with a view to a col
legiate education. My father was not
able 10 send all his children to college;
only one besides myself desired q college
course, and 1 alone graduated. After
was pronounced prepared to enter col
lege my father decided he was not able
to send me. A family consultation
was held. Mn mother insisted on my go
ma. She had always had what was call
ed her patch which was near the house,
and was cultivated by her house hands
when not needed at hOus work. This
patch had always been my mothers pin
money, amounting from $50 to 500.
NV mother said she would contribute
this to my college expenses, and would
make my clothes at home besides.
IAN old aunt OF my mothers, who
lived in a small house in my fathers yard,
and hsd some means (small) and no chill
dren, agreed to contribute as much more.
My father agreed to add the balance,
and | promised that all my college ex-
penses of any kind should not exceed
$500 per annum. | promised my mother
would take the first honor in my class.
| redeemed this promise. The prouiest
day of my life was when l wrote to my
parents that [ had taken the first honor
in nv class and all the honors of the
The cook, Maria, came by my mother
and was near her age. She also raised
nine children Just the number my moth-
er raised. One of the cooks children
from birth was assigned t. one of my
mothers children. From our childhood
we played together, worked together,
and would light for each other against
all the world. Stronger ties than these
were never formed. 1t was an alliance
offensive and defensive. | married in
lS45. My wife had seven slaves large
and small, left her by her father, who
died when she was an infant. We thus
began life with eight slaves. When my
father and mother died the slaves select
ed their owner among the children, and
| had to take two more, who would go
with no o,her child, and paid for them.
MY wife had another brother left an
orphas with her. He married several
years after we did, and determined not
to keep his slaves. They were not will
ling to go out of the family and | bought
them. | now had fourteen slaves. l was
a professional man living in town and
hire them out. The result was | bought
some land near the town and moved on
it with the slaves and told them to sup
port themselves under my protection.
The slaves increased and married wives
and husbands and raised children, and
to keep them together | bought them all.
[ ais bought several others who had to
be sold, and who selected me as their
owner. In a few years my small place
was insufficient for them, and rather than
part with them l bought a large planta-
ton in the county and placed them on
it. and removed with my family back to
town. / was thus a STAKEHOLDER from
1915 to 1865, just twenty years. My
slaves increased from eight to sixty seven.
and during all that time there were but
two deaths among them. | realized no
profit from them, and all of them will
testify that | cared better for them than
they have been able to care for them
selves since freedom came.
DID GREAT BRITAIN DO This ?-Loa>
don, Aug. 30. "A dispatch to the Times
from Durham states that besides the
Kaf6r, Chief ecocoeni, his son. and four
49, Ill 4" IN