St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-02

municate with no one. We make ouI
own sugar, flour and meal raise oul
meat, grain and fruit. l take no in
terest in our government, and neither
know nor care who is governor of Ala
bama or president of the confederate
states of America. | do no trading
my goods and slaves that Ihave satisfy
me. In more than twenty years
have not bought nor sold anything,
from box of pills to Il slave ~
81 beg your pardon, Mr.. Wiltsie,"
said, "but do you not know the history
of the last twenty years ~ 81 know
not and care less !" was the answer
81 hope yOu do not propose to enlight-
en- me. If you do, as a matter of pity
to me, | will excuse you. ! do not
care to know. The histories of times
past that read are just the same as
that of times recent-names, dates and
places being changed
''But surely you know the result of
the rebellion p He struck the table
with his clenched fist, eXclaiming eX-
citedly, ~ tell you once more that |
do not know what has been done, and
| do not care!'
SCC iiiatt YOU HhDl'pSC tii'tN iii'
secession was successful p ''Suppose
it! | have never thought" he replied.
"A well-made scheme is always sue
cessful. Though little | care tor citi-
zenShip, am proud to be a citizen of
the confederate states"
"Why,n | said, "'do yOu not know
that the civil war resulted in suppress
sion of the rebellion The secession
was II failure" The man glared at me
and said nothing.
"You spoke of Slaves" continued.
"'You do not pretend to own slaves
now, do you ~ He glared more fierce
ly, and did not answer.
'There are no slaves in America" |
continued. every slave in the south
is Il free person. Still he glared, and
then he Missed.
''Are you from New York ?" - | am
from Massachusetts" | answered.
"You are a fool" he said. "When
Sam came home at midnight saying
that Il crazy man had met him in the
bottom lands, knew whom to expect.
Sam ran away from yOu last night be
cause he saw You were crazy. But |
thought then and know now that You
dIC d HOl tilCl IL SOItHttlu. lOu nav Z
come here to amuse me with lies"
Keeping my temper as well as |
could, | looked him squarely in the
face. "Mr. Wiltsie," | said, ''let me
ask you question. viii you answer
directly ?" "Wen," he said sharply
''Do you not know that Alabama is
still member of the Union, as it was
before it seeded And do you not
know that slavery is abolished ?" Af-
ter abusing and cursing me, he gave
me IL most emphatic ''No."
There were four or five hours from
the time of my arrival until | was
shown to my room, and in that time |
tried us well as | could TO convince my
host that had told him that which
was true. But in vain were my efforts.
The old man was positive that he was
right, and confident that | was Il liar.
We had supper, and at eight o'clock he
called his slaves into the house and
read prayers. There were nine of the
negroes three men and four women,
who were gray-headed, and il girl in
her teens, and little boy. They sat
with bowed heads, and after the read
ing went out. Then Mr.. Wiltsie signi-
fed that had better retire, and one of
the women took tallow candle and
conducted me to Il chamber. When
my sable escort withdrew she bOlted
the chamber door. The two windows
had already been nailed up.
At seven o'clock the next morning |
was let out of my prison, and sat at the
masters frugal breakfast Immediately
after. He was very uncOmmunicative /;
and when the meal was over, before he
had rung for "Sam" to wheel out his
chair, he said to me: "GoOd-by ! YOu
can he off as soon as you may please -
| said ''Good-by - and one of the ser
wants showed me out. My horse was
at the door, and when | rode off it was
in the opposite direction from which |
had come the night previous. After
two days of hard riding | arrived ut
Delhi plantation, near Greenville, not
having seen a person since leaving Mr..
Whistles. Not ut all to my surprise, |
found that the hermit planters nearest
neighhOrs forty miles from him) did
not know of his existence, or that there
was a plantation on the Bottoms
road"