Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-09-22
OLD TIMES.
The Polk-Clay Ca"ipaigns-in Interesting
Recollecting of Ii,Lry A. NJ. Wise and
Wilss Booth.

Robert Williams, known to large
circle of acquaintance as "Uncle
Bob" is boss of the bootblacking de-
partment of the Riggs house. He
belongs to the remnant of typo OF
colored people now almost extinct.
Ho has turned so years of age, hav-
| ing been born 1892, eight years be
fore the death of Washington. 1t
| must be said, however, to tho credit
of Uncle Bob, that he does not affect
to belong to that numerous class OF
partriarcbal servants who lay claim
| to the honor of having waited upon
the first man of the republic. La
fact, the venerable shoeblack can not
recall to his mind any recollection of
Washington, though in his time he
has served many distinguished men,
and his memory is rich with the stir
ring events of seventy five and fifty
years ago.
BORN A SLAVE.
He was born the slave of Thomas
Sedden, in Fauquier county, Virgin
| ia, but upon his death became the in
herited property of James A. Sedden,
afterward Secretary of the Confeder-
ate States Treasury. During a great
part of his slave career he was hired
out to other people, one of his tenn
porary owners being Henry A. Wise.
to whom he bore the relation of body
servant while MIR. Wise was Governor
of Virginia. He was thus brought
into close communication with many
of the noted people of the Old Do
minion. Two years before the war
he was hired to MIR. Matthew Murray,
of Washington city, and he has been
a resident of the national capital
ever since.
BUT NEVER BELONGING TO A POOR MAN.
Recalling his early experiences as
q slave Uncle Bob said to reporter
yesterday afternoon: Il never was a
poor mans slave, and that was a
great thing for colored man in slave
times. If you wanted to insult a
darkey you just say, %, youse POI
mans nigger,' and then you'd see
two niggers go to kicking ono an
others shins until one hollers No,
sir, l tell you MIR. Sedden was gen
tleman, born gentleman, every inch
of him. He inhaled it from his
grandfather who was Virginny
gentleman before l was born. When
was Il young man James Sedden
made me his footman. He married
Miss Sallie Bruce, the peartest young
lady in Richmond. Ono day when
the family had been out riding the
carriage drove up to the front steps
and / got down and opened the car
riage door, but didn't help the la
dies out. MIR. Sedden came down the
long stone steps and says to me:
why, Robert, you ought to have
more gallantee. Why didn't you
help the ladies outs? and / always
did it after that. In these days il a
footman was to offer to help a lady
out she'd be insulted."
| wIsE's ECCENTRICITIEs.
Uncle Bob had vivid recollection
of some of the eccentricities of Gov
ernor Wise: "He was kinder oxcit
able," said he, "but perfect gentle
man. Sometimes he would got in q
rage and throw book or chair al
| servant, but as soon as the mad iii
was over he'd give the servant pan
of shoes. a dollar, or something like
that. l tell you he was man of the
greatest honor. He would never
stoop. One day he picked up his
vest to put it on. The change rolled
out of the pocket, and he said to me:
by Cd, Robert l never stoop-
pick up that money So picks up
the money off N the floor and puts II
in my pocket. He was de boss in
etiquetty. l had to wear white socks
and low-quaiter shoes. and have the
pants made SO just as to show the
white socks. MIR. Schaeffer, the tail
or, made all my clothes. One day,
after 1 had put on new suit, the
Governor called me before him. He
looked at me all over very criticumly,
and said no to me, says he: Robert
is one of your legs shorter than 10th
er?' And I said: They boat de
same length; and then he said: You
take that suit back to that ID
Dutch tailor and tell him to make
You some clothes that will fit We
colored people had about as much
fun as the white folks-and more too
They paid for everything, and we
didn't. When we wanted to get up
little dance went to the Governor
and said: 'Gav'ner, we servants
would like 70 have a hoe-down such
and such night He'd say: We'll,
I'll see Mrs. Wise about it. That'd
mean yes, and we'd have a band OF
music, a scumtious supper. wild wine,
and the white people would come
and look at us. Governor Wise
treated everybody we'll. When a
gentleman came into his Office he
would get up and say, Take a seat,
sir; what can I do for your Now
times is changed. Why, if gentle.
man was to call to see even one OF
these guv'nment clerks, who haven't
got enough to pay their board bill,
he almost gets kicked out for his
impudence."
THE CLAY-POLK CAMPAIGN.
Uncle Bob took an active part in
the Clay-Polk campaign, his capacity
being that of a singer of campaign
songs. with other darkey yOcalists. at