The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-05-01
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An incident o. Hls Early ufe-ssllias
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Frank B. Wilkie, in q very interest
lug sketch Of Ex-Governor Richard
J. Oglesby, published in the Chicago
Tribune gives the following incident
IN bis early life;
How was it, Governor" uuried
the visitor. THAT you, a Keutuekian,
became such Affirm abOlitiOnist?
Well for many reasons; but enc
OF the principle ones came from a
negro man called Uncle Tim He
was a slave who had descended from
my grandfather % my father, and
was the only one Of the family. Ny
father died when / was a small boy,
and we became embarrassed, and II
order 20 divide up what little there
was left Uncle Tim bad 70 BE- sold.
! we'll remember him - hs stood
upon the box ready for the sale. he
was q powerful man, far above the
average heighth, with a manly bear
ing, fine face, aud skin as black 81
ebony. He had always been very
fond Of US children, and I thought al
most as much Of him as n be had
been my own father. As he stood
waiting he lmplored with tears from
his streaming eyes, q brother Of my
father 20 buy linn. This was impO8-
sible and observing his detection and
surmising It's cause, I said
Uncle Tim, am going g. work 10
earn money. aud when I get enough,
will buy you and set you free
His face lighted up with pride and
pleasure a. / said this, but which was
immediately followed BY look Of de-
spair. lie came down, lifted me up
IN his arm and said sadly: Thanks
Marse Dick goa are q poor orphan
and won't never be Fich encurn 90
buy Uncle Tim He was sold, and
being past bis prime only brought
some 500.
II moved 10 Illinois IN time.
struggled ] went back to Kentucky
and grew no richer. I used 10 zee
Uncle Tim occasionally, and always
assured him that some day i would
buy him. He always seemed 70 listen
to me gratefully, bat Apparently had
no hope Tor niv success. Ia 1919 /
went % California, and after much e.
tort made q few thousand doliarB
and then returned 20 the States. The
first thing I did was 10 fulfill nv
promise ! sent the money 10 my
n
chased and freed.
II was standing IN front Of the
porch Of my brothers. house a few
days later when Uncle Tim came out
Of piece Of woods q little distance
away and approached along q path
way. II was striking picture-sueh
as ] never before or since witnessed.
He was q giant IN stature lille abund-
ant gray hair was thrown back on his
shoulders, his face was iivid and ash.
en- resembling one Of the statues Of
Moses by Michael Angelo. His cOun-
tenance was aglOW-" here OFlesby
rose 70 his feet, and with expanded
chest brought his uplifted arm down
with the sweep Of 4 sledge-hamner
and eOntinued-'and shoue az III
lighted By the very presence Of the
Holy Ghost When he caught sight
Of me he stopped, threw back his
head, raised his arms far above and
exclaimed; My God my God has
the little orphan boy lived % set me
free?i
Then he put his arms about me.
and tried 10 In me as In the old DAYS,
but he had grown too weak and had
grown too large. You can't INT me
any more, Uncle Tim 1 said. No
he answered In a sad tone, and then
with an eXultant tone he shouted, as
he turned his face toward the sky,
'Hallelujah Hallelujah Use
free -