The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-22
IN SLAVERY DAYS.
An Old Slave Auctioneer Recalls the Clio.
riOps TtmeN When Nlood NH Tai,

An Old reAuctioneer Recalls the Clio.
rious Times When BLOOD Did Tell,
Philadelphia Pres.
"ies, cir, so far as know, and think
l know all about 1t, I'm the last living
representative OF the PROFESSIONALS last
man alive In the United States who made
business OF selling nigeers from the auc.
ton block. I'm 72 years old now, and l
guess my time has nearly come"
Thus spoke old Jack Campbell as he
filled his glass for the fourth time at a
Broad street bur, and leaned back against
the counter toopen up his budget Of rem.
iniscence. But his rudy complexion,
clear gray eye and sturdy figure, attired in
blue broadclotb, polished metal buttons
and immaculate linen, seemed to contra.
dict his confession OF age, and to cay that
be had been prosperous enough in the
profession" which has been abolished
nearly twenty-five years.
"Well," he added, "all those that I used
to BIZ associated with in business passed In
their chips long ago. Rum killed good
many ofthem and old age has done the lob
Tor those that pulled safe out OF skirmisnes
over poker tables or the little rackets Of BY.
gone days in Southern towns.
Somehow was more careful or more
lucky than tho res. and l saved enough to
live on and occasionally lay down stake.
l have had my share OF disputes between
gentlemen, but only one close cut, and thst
wss when | got th:e," turning down his old
fashioned standing collar snd exposing a
long scar that extended downward from
bis right ear. "Tnss came OF AL argument
in Patucah, before the war, when l held a
queen full and the other gentleman showed
up three OF the girls. That was mos.
marvellous miracle, and he oushtn't ~
have ripped me with his bowie because |
couldn't take it in all at once"
Them was grea. iimts. Invent into the
slaye auction business in 1885 and never
quit it until the war broks out. have
sold nigge,s il Baltimore, Richmond, Char.
lesion, Savannah, Louisville, Mobile, New
Orleans, Memphis and all along in the
other towns Of the South. I don't blow
my own trumpet-you know that on their
own merits modes. men are dumb-bu. I
can Say that Jack Campbell had the repu.
.aion for showing up the good points OF
buck or 'wenca' and drawing out bids
that made him in demand wherever there
was big sale.
"The Niger traders have made me travel,
SEQ miles 10 run of lot for them, and
they paid me my own price for my work.
How many have l sold u? vas in the
businesa twenty-five years and guess l
always handled 500 OF 900 ayear. You can
count up for yourself how many that makes.
How much money got is MY OWL bust.
ness, but you can write it down that my
pile was always big enough 10 let me into
any Ssme that wss going, and before the
war gentlemen, as wes gentlemen, didn't
talk Of limit when they got around the
table. That limit nonsense is a corruptive
influence Of Yankee institooshuns. So
much talk makes my throat as dry as G
prayer meeting.
as you call them," he continued after he
had wiped his lips with nobby white silk
handkerchief. "''Long as you ask about 1t,
l remember the bigges. money ever got
for niger was $1,000 for deylish pretty
qaadroon wesch that sold in Louisville
about '52 OF '53. She was only IS, and WIS
about as white eB you or me, and her two
children had light, curly hair. Her master
lived down near Bowling Green, and,
though he didn't want to part with her, be
was go down on his luck that he had to sell
her. l heard, too, that his wife swoIlie that
the niger muet lcayet the plantation or abe
would 30 home to her family. My in.
struc;icne were 20! to tske less than $1,000
for the girl, and | Tas 10 get big percent
age on all over that, 80 when they put her
on the block | talked her up for all abe wss
unrfh rI'r NOS II. : j.. 49,. .0.-f' = :