The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1884-01-31
STELL \ SHAREHOLDER
4 HIountaineer Offers TWO S,ur-
dy Negroes for SAFE.

oy Negroes for SAFE.
STAUNToN, VA, January "a
strange reminder Of the ante-bellum
scenes was witnessed a short time
ago III the busy streets Of the peace
ful city OF Stanton, in the valley Of
Virginia. A sturdy mountlineer from
Pocahontas county, West Virginia.
had made his way from his secluded
fa5tness in an outlying district across
the Cheat and Allegheny mountaines
$50 miles to the nearest center OF
civilization, to make sales Of some
stock, the fluctuations in whose value
once sent a throb through the com
mercial world. Ia his high and $50
lated erie, ENJOYING the Independent
freedom and simplicity of rural life,
he hal not heard Of wars alarms"
aud none OF the confusion incident 20
secession had disturbed the peace
ful rounds of his life He had ten
Ell his tiJcis. cultivated the soil and
prospered until the surplus was be-
yond his consumption Rackoned
among the wealth that conld be dis
posed OF, as no longer necessary for
his needs, were two finely built col
ored men and it was more paricu
larry to sell these that he had gotten
the consent of his mind to make the
pe"Ilous journey to the nearest point
within the pales of civilization.
When be asked for slave trader
with whom he could bargain, men
who bad in their boyhood hearl Of
OF such commercial class locked
curiously at each other for an expla-
nation OF this peculiar form of mad
ne' s, so rare in these piping times of
peace. But the oil farmer was res
olute in his determination to sell
what vas his own, aad repudiatel
the suspicion that ha was crank.
After slight hash in the talk, when
the thoughts Of the Old soldiers pres
ent seemed to 80 back across that
awful chas.n OF war Of the tins be-
fore their convictions were purified
OF their error by the dreadful bap-
tism Of blood, the 70 unger portion Of
the crowd, seeing the futility of
their efforts to make the old fellow
comprehend the changed order of
things, determinedto have some fun.
Some old expert, who ha once stood
on the block and glibly given the
points OF interest and genealosy of
many such al auimal was hunted
up, and preparations were made for
an oId.time aEction. The teeth,
eyes, limbs, etc, were examined crit
ically and offers made in cash, none
OF which, however, satisfied the old
man, He declared that they had
been reared with the utmost care.
aud that there was no spot Of blem-
ISL about them. All were clothed in
warm homespun goods, manufacture
ed in the mountain home. None
rseemed to enjoy the fun more than
the colored portion Of the crowd, the
dude element of which joIlea in the
best Of humor at tho expense Of the
OLD mans stupidity.
One old colorel man who intend
ed to be merry before an explana
ton was made, declared that fore
God dat al obercoat's got nigh on
Ger forty yards er jeens in it. Bat
the merrimeslt of the crowd made
no impression on the farmers idea
of his rights. He made his way in
= disgust out of the town on the pike
leading back to his home, conscious,
no doubt, of his superiority in wealth
and position over the jeering crowd
which followed him. When last
seen he and his dus'iy property were
on Their way back home to enjoy a
life free from the vices Of an unreal
civilization. It is probable, howev-
er, that by this time the provisions
of certain congressional amendments
have been explained to his two body
servants, and that there is grief in
the PocahOntas county household at
the loss of so much property without
the possibility Of restitution, unless
by special act OF the two houses of
congress, the president generously
concuuiu2.
Why the Minister Had Thin
Skin.