Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-05
OLD SHACK.
1selous or His Masters Dignity
and Reputation
The Praettssl Joke That D,sn Pt4tt Played
81 a ssaer4lsts slave. shieh ID .as tie
Ola Ma. Lie a taFdea---A
wed-Tola SfoFx.


gFan1lasasF's BODY ssFFaat during the
Kssolutioa aad through the ~zr q lslz.
tie cOal,i have bssa this a8d not reached
over a hsatTei When be appeared at Ma
eoehee ~ tbs head of at.)at to senty eolored
mea, women and cbiidrea. ESCAPED slaves
from my graadfafhsr's farm, Federal Hall,
Boone County. ky. Ny father ~as per
fsetly amazed al their appearance, for
slavery al Federal Hail. as he remembered
n was Yurely nominal The negroes
worked u = "a they fslE like Il, which VAS
very sSldola; and, owing - the disappear
snee Of lenees, crops had come 10 he ira
dltionaL Whsa Shack was demonstrated
sith for his ungrateful conduct nc re-
piled:
'.Ixe got as high regard for de ole kar-
mel as l'xe got for Gineral Washington his
self. Bat you see. young Mass Saunders
comes up ant i nifty handy Wit de whip.
We goes up 70 the ole Kurnel 10 'Inonstrats
and the ole Kurnel says, says he; You Is
a iot ob or'nary niggers. You Is, says he,
"a burden and nuisance says he. Il
wish you'd jes' ePar put Dat talk ob de
ole kurnel jes' brought de tears 10 my eyes,
foh you see ia been Wit him troo all de
biz wahs. / NUS him when he Was sick,
nus hun when he was wounded; | served
him like intelligent niger all the time,
and to hay' him use dem language hurt
de ole ni.sers' feelin's. SO We jes'
up and said, Good by, NASSAU, ives
goln'. DE ole massah's mighty pions
man; but, my sole, but he did use some
mighty profane langwids>s. Den We
eli lifted np our Ebinezers and wePt- Den
de ole man took his big stick Wild de gold
head, which his regimen glib him, and he
just drove Us niggers out. don't think,
NASSAU Ben, dat ole NASSAU Knrnel is IN
his proppah mind"
However indignant the old Colonel
might have been To see his slaves leave IN
broad daylight, be made no effort 10 re-
cla III them. On the contrary, when my
father wrote him that his negroes were at
Macochee, and wished 10 know what he
should do about it, he replied by post, in a
letter that cost twenty five cents, that. be
felt very much relieved as their going, and
hoped that steps might bc taken 10 prevent
their return, especially the old rascal
! Shack, who had been at the bottom and
cause Of all the laziness, lying 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-
I tious first settlers of Kentucky, was at
/ heart an abolitionist. His soul revolted at
the thought of unrequited toll on the part
/ of these poP creatures. He had attempted
TO treat them as free laborers, and failed
/ in the most ignominious manner.
The escaped slaves scattered and disap-
peared, 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 amusement of
all the family. As the body servant of the
old Colonel Through two wars, 1t was en-
tertaining 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 respect due his master.
That event happened when in full retreat,
on horseback, from the Indians, after a
/ fri.htful defeat and massacre. The two
came upon a swamp. The Colonel REIN
ing UP his steed, turned to Shack and
said:
"Well. Shack, what shall we do hereT'
"Lor bress you, NASSAU, dis no place to
couversate" cried the poor negro, driving
past his master and plunging into the
swamp, for in the distance be 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 entertainment con-
sisted of tricks play ed upon old Shack. He
was extremely superstitious, and generally
attributed my doings TO the active inter-
ference of Satin.
remember once coming upon Shack in
deep snow, engaged in hauling 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 Tat he passed without
seeing me. ran after and got upon the
load and then went TO work throwing it off
stick At time, without his knowledge,
until ali was gone, when | jumped of 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.
s.What's the matter, Shack" I asked,
with assumed innocence" Il Dunno" he
responded. scratching his gray wool, while
great beads of perspiration started from
his frightened counteuance. You see.
started from Hickory Hollow wid a big
load. an Jess see you'self I gifts here wid-
out n stick"
sYou old fool cried. ''you loaded il so
badly II all fell Of
sNo. Massah Dom, dat aint de way Of IL
When vas loading up IN Hi'kory HolieI
Ire smell sonefnt"
'sSmeI what shack
swell. NASSAU Dom. somein' like hrim
stone. and hear a voice, l0w-down. say
Shack. shack. shack tree times. Den
got on a.t Tom horse and gOs ont Oh dai
boiler mighty quick. I tell ye. Den All of =
sna.fev bear soulefn'. s. II dst wool va,
aeoin'. and dn't aar look round foh feaf
de devil take me- TOO
~Whv. shack. what an old liar you are