The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-03
! rffTTIJ7TT gJiiY7 :
Ready 70 GOs

next month, if 1 'liye that long," said
Mrs. Daphne Nevins, of Chicago, to q
reporter. III ~ -uN .!'.y
y Mrs. Nevins is q oolored lady living
on the second floor of 800 CLARK street
She is about five feet six OF eight inches
/ tall almost perfectly erect, and OF spare
build. In complexion and physiognO-
| my she is, purely African. Her attife
| is neat, her voice low but firm, her lam
Ruage good, and her manner quiet, sen-
sible, and refined. w
"Yes, sir" she said: II was born
March %, 1888, in Cumberland county,
Rieginis Rieg@assS HS0ns saiAty niles @ above old
a''How can yoal be so certain about
your age ?" i"HHl a1Ih nat
%3''"Well, you see, the Ransoms always
put down the birth of their slave ehll:
dren n-their family Bible, Just as they
did the birth OF their own children !:
and fwhe 1 began to- . getq pretty old,
they always looked at that Bible to nee
how old 1 was, ThensI remember tiiS
day OF the month. because my grandson,
Sam,; there, was born on March 2I, and
! was, born on March %. So there amt
no doubt about it," -,
/ "You were, born q slave, of course p
eyes. sir. belong to MIR. Harry
Ransom until he died, and then to Mr..
Ambrose Ransom, his son, until he died;
and then to his Children
"Where have you lived p
"Well, sir, was 25 years old when
Ambrose Ransom died, and his childTen
took me away from Virginia to Franklin
county, Missouri. They sold mo to MIR.
HUFF, who took me to Saline county.,
and was his slave there when Lincoln
set us all free. After the war. when 7
was 80 years old, I moved to ,.syen-
worth, Kas. and lived there eighteen
years. For the last two years I have
lived in Chicago"
"What SOFT Of constitution did YOU
have when you were young ?" /
"a remarkable good one. With the
exception of chills and fevers, I have
never had any sickness in my life.,>I
used to be mighty strong, too. T re.
member that it wasn't any trouble for
me, III my youl =. days, to lift three
bushels Of corn off the ground and but
them on horses back, I take after
my mother, you see. She was 112 years
Old the last heard of her, and how
much longer she lived I never knew. T
was living out West then, and didn't
hear from her often. But nv five
children didn't live to any great age.
They are all dead now, and I have ONLY
five grandchildren, living that I know
Of"
"What sort of health do you enjoy
now p .s .....-' -, -
:: VERY good health, indeed. T never
sh"yo any sort Of. sickness. except now
ana then dull headache. My hearing
ls almost as good as eyer, and my sleGt
Is good enough for me to sew about as
we'll as ever. My appetite is good, and
l sleep first-rate, unless I drink coffee
can't say L sleep as long as used to,
because lie awake q good while after
L go to bed. But when L do sleep I !
sleep as well.as ever" .. -
.'How good is your memory e: III.
'Weli, sir, remember things that !
happened when I was child, Just as if |
saw them now but / AM n little for-
get1ul ge tsa2 about tv what ma happened yesterday
'Doyou remember anything about !
the revolutionary war, or the great men
Of that time,?" +,
"AlmosJ nothing. You see. I was
only little girl, living away off in the /
WIGS OF Cumberland county, and didn't |
nave any chance to see anything. I do |
remember though, that once, whom L |
was q child, L saw sci1e of the soldiers
gong to the war;"
"Howc do you feel about dying p
ION, am ready to go at any time.
l am expecting it every day. But death
has no terrors for me. I was converted
down In Missouri about fifty years ago,
and for three days I was so happy that |
T nj, <>s.Af Il 81 r -
%"Are you making any preparation to
celebrate your Tooth brthdaya''
."Oh my no. You sec an, Just q
poor old woman, and L don't, expect
anybody to take any more notice OF me
in this world" - .''