Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-05-28

both cases had been occasions Of preiu-
dice to him. s7@' 80 -
Johns death determined me that I
would never buy or sell another slave,
and l never have" he said. ssBefore
James death was an advocate Of the
freedom of the South. But after the
death Of James did not care what be-
came OF the South! I do not care to see
the world, he said. mo necomes. and
if by chance they do, they shall have
my welcome. I am content al / am.
The world gets on. I suppose, but how,
or IN what way, I do not care. take
no papers, have mail communication
with no one. We make our own sugar,
flour and meal; raise our own meat,
grain and fruit. take no interest in
our government, and neither know nor
care who is governor of Alabama or
president of the Confederate States of
America. do no trading; my goods
and slaves that l have satisfy me. In
more than twenty years I have not
bought nor sold anything, from box of
pills to q slave !"
II beg your pardon. Mr.. Wiltsie," I
said, 'but do you not know the history
OF the last twenty years?'' 81 know
not and care less!" was the answer. II
hope you do not propose to enlighten
me. If you do, as 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 ?" He struck the table
with his clenched fist, exclaiming ex.
citedly, II tell you once more that do
not know what has been done, and do
not care!''
81 see that you suppose that the Sc
cession was successful ?" e'Suppose it ?
I have never thought, he replied. "a
well-made scheme is always successful.
Though little I care for citizenship,
am proud to be a citizen of the confed-
crate states"
"Why," said, ''do'you notknow that
the civil war resulted in the suppression
of the rebellion? The secession was q
failure" The man glared at me and
said nothing.
.You spoke of slaves" I continued.
'You do not pretend to own slaves now,
do you :" He glared more fercely and
did not answer.
''Ihere are no slaves in America" I
continued. 'Every slave in the South
il free personl" Still he glared. and
then he Missed:
care you from New York;" 81 am
from Massachusetts" I answered.
''You are a fool" he said. "When
Sam came home at midnight saying that
q crazy man had met him in the bottom
lands I knew whom to expect. Sam
ran away from you last night because he
saw you were crazy. But I thought
then and know now that you are North
ern sorehead. You have come here to
amuse me with lies.''
Keeping my temper as we'll as could.
! looked him squarely in the face.
'Mr. .Wiltsie," I said, ''let me ask you a
question. Will you answer it directly?"
"Well?' 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?" After
abusing and cursing me, he gave me- q
most emphatic tsNo."
There were four or five hours from the
time of my arrival until was shown to
my room, and in that time I tried as
well as I could to convince my host that
l 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 I was a liar. We had
supper, and at 8 o'clock he called his
''slaves" into the house and read
prayers. There were nine of the ne
groes-three men and four women, who
were gray-headed, and q girl in her
teens, and little boy. They sat with
bowed heads, and after the reading went
out. Then Mr.. Wiltsie signiGed that
1 had better retire, and one of the wom-
en- took taliow candle and conducted
me to q chamber. When my sable es-
court withdrew she bolted the chamber
door. The windows had already been
nailed up.
At 7 o'clock the next morning I was
let out of my prison, and sat at the mas.
ter's frugal breakfast Immediately after.
he was very uncommunicative; and
when the meal was over, before he had
rung for ''Sam" to wheel ont his chair.
ne said to me: ''Good-by! You can be
OFT as soon as you may please p I said
"Good-byl" and one of the servants
showed ne out. Myhorse was at the
door, and when I rode off it was in a
opposite direction from which I had
come the night previous. After two
days OF hard riding arrived at Delhi
plantation, near Greenville, not having
seen person since leaving Mr.. Whistles.
Not at all to my surprise, I found that
the hermit planters nearest neighbors
go miles from him) did not know of his
existence. or that there was plantation
on the Bottoms road"