Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-26
SENATOR NORTHUMBERLAND
His Struggles for an EducattOn-HOw
He Became a STAKEHOLDER.


ography of the late Senator Hill was written
and gwen by him to his friend, the late DR.. w.
H. White, in 1879, and it was found among his
papers:
81 was born in Jasper county, Georgia. Sep
TENDER IA, 1928. l was the seventh Of nine
children. and the fifth of six brothers. My father
was small farmer, owning but a few slaves
only. All his sons. therefore. did oil the farm
work. and oil his daughters did all the house
hold work. My mother cut and made the
clothes we wore. and most of them were spun
and wove on the plantation. l worked I'm
the farm from the time was eight years old.
and black and white came and went alike in all
work. My father was man Of common educa-
ton. but was extensively read and of great in
fluence in his neighborhood. When was ten
years old Gin 1889 my father moved to the
county of Troup. new county. and his lands
were all In the woods and helped clear them.
| walked the entire distance from the old to the
new home, over 100 miles. helping to drive the
cattle.
my father would always have o school
house, church. and = temperance society near
his house. He was always trustee of the school.
class-eader and steward in the church. and
president of the temperance society. Some of
my earliest 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
to work in the farm until the crop was made
and then go to school until it was gathered.
After the crop was gathered, go to school again
until planting time for another crop.
''This was my life until [ was sixteen wears
old. [ was then continued at school all the time
with view to a collegiate education. My
father was not able to send all his children to
college only one besides myself desired a col
lege course. and alone graduated. After was
pronounced prepared to enter college NV father
6nd hn naf oh In IN 4 il,-
consultation was held. My mother insisted on
my going. She had always had what was called
her patch which was near the house. and was
cultivated by her house hands when not needed
at house work. This patch had always been my
mothers pin-money, amounting from S50to 500.
My mother said she would contribute this to MY
college expenses, and would make my clothes
at home besides
An old aunt of my mothers. who lived in a
small house in my fathers YARD and had some
means (small1 and no children. agreed to con-
tribute as much more. My father agreed to add
the balance, and promised that all my college
expenses of any kind should not exceed $500
per annum. | promised my mother / would
take the first honor in my class | redeemed
this promise. The prOudest day of my lie
was when ! wrote to my parents that | had
taken the first honor in my class and all the
honors CT the literary Society Of which l was
member.
1.-THE cock Mariah. came by my mother. and
was near her age. She also raised nine chill
dren-j Just the number my mother raised. One
OF the cook children from birth vas assigned
to one of my mothers children From our
childhood we PLAYED 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 de-
fensive. / married iii 1915. My wife had seven
slaves. large and small left her by her father,
who died when she was an infant. We thus be-
gan life with eight slaves. Whenmy father and
mother died the slaves selected their owner
among the children. and had to take tive more.
who would go with NO other child. and paid for
them.
My wife had one other hrotherieft N orphan
with her He married several years after we
did. and determined not to keep his slaves.
They were not willing to go out Of the family
and bought them. | now had fourteen slaves
| was professional man living in town and did
not need them. | was not willing to hire them
out. The result was bought some land near
the town and moved on it with the slaves and
told them to support themselves under E.y pro-
lection. The slaves increased auG man I'D
wives and husbands and raised children. and 10
keep them together | bought them all. also
bought several others who had to be sold, and
who selected NE as their owner. In few years
my small place was insufficient for them. and
rather than part with them bought a larger
plantation in the county and placed them OH it.
and removed with my family back to town. /
was thus "a Shareholder from 1915 to 1865 Just
twenty years. My slaves increased from eight
to siXty-sevcn. and during all that time there
were but two deaths among them. | realized
no profit from them. ana all of them will testify
that | cared better for them than they have
been able to care for themselves since freedom
came"