The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1884-12-13
OLD SHACK.
[Doa Piatt, in St. Paul Herald.l

A young monkey and negro baby have
an expression of vast experience from the
first stage. 1t does not change as the
years roll by. A negro retires from &C
tive life at about forty years Of age, and
at sixty tacks on hundred years and be-
comes one of Washington's body servants.
There is nothing in his appearance that
cenladicts this assumption. On the
contrary, his wrinkled solemnity and
words OF worldly wisdom 60 far to con-
firm his assumption.
never knew how old the venerable
Shack was. He claimed to have been
my grand-father's body servant during
the revolution and Though the war of
IL. He could have been this and not
reached over hundred when he APP
peared at Macochee at the head of about
twenty colored men, women and CHILDREN,
escaped slaves from my grandfather's
farm, Federal Hall, Boone county, Ken
lucky. My father was ferfectly amazed
at their appearance, for slavery at Federal
Hall, as he remembered it, was purely
nominal. The negroes worked when
they felt like it, which was very seldom /;
and owing to the disappearance OF fences,
crops had come to be traditional. When
Shack was demonstrated with foD his I'M
grateful conduct he replied:
'l'ze got as high regard for de ole
kurnel as lie got for Gineral Washington
hissef. But, you see, young Mass
Saunders comes up and is nifty handy
wild de whip. We goes up to the ole
kurnel says, says he: You is lot OBJ
or'nary niggers. You is says he, "a
burden and nuisance says he. | wish
you'd les' cPar OUT Dat talk OBJ de ole
kurnel es' brought de tears to my eyes,
fob you see I'd been wit him troo ali de
big wahs. nus him when he was sick,
| nus him when he was wounded |
served him like intelligent niger al the
time, and to hav' him use dem language
hurt de ole niggers' feelin's 50 we les
up an said, Good by, NASSAU, we's goIn'.
De ole massah's mighty pious man but,
my sole but he did use some mighty pro.
fame langwidge Den we all lifted up our
Ebinezers and wept. Den de ole man
took his big stick wild de gold head, which
his regimen glib him, and he les drove
US niggers out don't think, NASSAU
Ben, dat ole NASSAU Kurnel is in his
proppah mind"
However indignant the old colonel
might have been to see his slaves leave
in broad daylight, he made no effort to
reclaim them. On the contrary, when
my father wrote him that his negroes
were at Macochee, and wished to know
what he should do about it, he replied by
post, in letter that cost twenty-five cents,
that he felt very much relieved at their
going, and hoped steps might be taken
to prevent their return, especi ally that
old rascal Shack, who had been at the
bottom and cause Of all the laziness, living
and theft OF the gang.
To understand and appreciate this it is
only necessary to know that the old
colonel, like many of the more conscien-
tious first settlers of Kentucky, was at
heart an abolitionist. His soul revolted
at unrequitted toll on the part of these
poor creatures. He had attempted to
treat them as free laborers, and failed in
the most ignominous manner
The escaped slaves scattered and dis
appeared, all save old Shack, who stuck
to Macochee the rest of his DAYS.
He persisted in going through the
forms of work, sometimes TO the vexation
OF my father, but generally to the amus9.
ment of all the family. AS the body
servant of the old colonel through two
wars, 1t was entertaining to note his sense
of superiority over all OF US, and the care
he felt for the old colonel's dignity and
reputation. The old gentleman used to
relate that there was but one occasion
when Shack forgot himself and the re-
spect due his master. That event hap
pened when in full retreat, on horseback.
from the Indians, after frightful defeat
and massacre. The two came upon a
swamp. The colonel, refining up his
steed, turned to Shack and said: =.
"Well, Shack, VIII At shall we do here ?'
Lor' Dress you, NASSAU, dis no place
to conversate !" cried the poor negro.
driving past his master and plunging into
the swamp, for in the distance he heard
the yells of the pursuing red men.
Fortunately, the indians missed their
trail and went off to the left, leaving the
colonel to pull his servant out of the
quagmire.
Much of my boyish entertain ment con-
sisted in TRICKS played upon old Shack.
He was extremely superstitious, and
generally attributed my doings to the
active interference OF Satan.
remember once coming upon Shack
in deep snow, engaged in hauling a
sled-load Of hickory fuel from The woods
to the house. He was riding one of the
horses while leading the other, and so
engaged with the team that he passed
without seeing me. ran after and 60,
upon the load and then went to work
tn owing it off, stick at time, without
his knowledge, until all was gone, when
jumped off and saw the old man pull
the empty sled solemnly into the wood
house. A moment after came upon
the scene and saw Shack regarding his
empty sled with ludicrous expression
of amazement no words can describe
"What's the matter, Shack? 2" ! asked,
with assumed innocence. 81 dunno" he
responded, scratching his gray wool,
while great beads of Precipitation started
from his frightened countenance. "You
see, l started from Hickory Hollow wild a
big load an jes' see you'selt. gifts here
widout stick"
HVz.. IL E.>1nV - 49, :.