Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-04-04
PICTURE IN CHARCOAL.
One of Andrew Jackson's Slaves Still
Living in Canada.

One of Andrew Jackson's Slaves Still
Living in Canada.
[Brantford Letter in Toronto Globe,
Brantford boasts of an ancient colored cit
zen beside whom the ordinary ''old resi-
dent" is boy in comparison; indeed, in the
days when Brantford was young, and Brant,
the chief of the Six Nations, owned the very
land on which it is built, Andrew Lucus was
a middle-aged man, and those whose memory
goes back for period of thirty or thirty
five years will remember that the ex-siave
was then known as "Old Lucas" To-day he
can truthfully boast of length of years
reaching considerably beyond the cycle of a
century, and, in fact, seems to have discov-
cred at last the long sought-for elixir which
will anable him to live forever.
A few days ago I met the old man When
first caught sight of him he was ambling
along the sidewalk with comparatively
quick step, bearing his tall, 1.-THE form al
most as erect in the days when he trod
the cotton fields hiss masters Tennessee
plantation. He revealed however, some
thing of the age to which he had attained by
the deepened wrinkles that have made his
face map of time. His croppy beard only
showed slight indication of grayness, and
his equally short hair that clings closely to
his high narrow head still retains its original
blaokness. The old gentleman was some
what averse to talking of his early life, and
when the first interrogation was put to him a
shade of doubt came over his face and he
slowly rubbed his long, bony fingers over his
forehead as he cogitated ON the course to pur-
sue.
eyes, sab, {" he at length replied, s.I was
GENIAL Jackson's slave an was born in de
family, but doesn't reclect tn year We
lived summers down in Tennessee, but for
gets de place, sab. De Genial, y know, was
a man of goo deal of 'pinion an great
bizness, an had hav horse wild shot ears
dat use ter ride on behind i'm. When I'd
see i'm a-eomin' long de road I'd allus s'lute
i'm so, an ef y didn't slute i'm y'd better
get outer de way. De Genial, y know, was
ver' p'ticler about slutin'. Y'see, was his
body y-servant OF something of dat sort, an
wo' file cloths an white vest wild silk but
tons. 1 allus know'd what he wgntsd by
raisin' his fingers dis way. Y'see, one finger
pointing upward meant one ting; two
fingers meat 'nudderting, an he never had
ter say word ter me-
"What did the General look like"
81 members i'm ies s. we'll ez eff [ seed
i'm now. He a straight man-ver' tall,
YER qulcksteppln' man, jes' SO (snS the old
slave paced up and down the room at live
ly rate, Strengthening his slightly bent shoul-
dera, and dapping his ooat-tails with his hands
in his attempt to initiate his old MASTERY, ver'
quick temper; YER 'termined man, quick
movin'; step quick, jes' So Allus on de
move"
Was he good master to his slaves2"
'Nev' wuz betta' man eff you do ting
we'en he tole Y, but of he comes t. " an "
DO somatin' wrong, he'd look at y straight in
de eye an says s'-an'-so. Den all you's got
ter do is to drap down on de fiooh, ies' SO,
an say God-f-give- an he f'aive y, but
y mussen' d. it again! De genri nebber low
'nudder massa to whip one of his slaves He
punish lAs hlIaself OF tell de oberseer to pun
ish i'm n
''De genial was good shot," the old man
continued, "an' used ter get up early in de
mornin' and practice firm ct an ole oak tree
SO, an walk Eignt quick, 50, an fire an hit
the uaafkl This accuracy of aim was no
doubt essential in view of the numerous
occasions which he had to exercise
his skill in that direetion.) Dey used
ter have high times, I tell y, on the planta-
ton wien de big white folks came a-vistin'
the Genial Wen he glib dinner he'd do it
up right, An seeh dancin' as " neber see!
Dey had dancin' as was dancin'. and de chill
lun danced bufull"
Perhaps Lucas had in mind the long dis
tant festivities at the Hermitage, when "the
General and Mrs Jackson danced reel to-
gether ths,s would shake to pieces the foUnda-
tions of the modern ball-roons'' Jackson
on one occasion gave a big dinner to Aaron
Burr just about the time that Lucas clnims
! to have been acting in the capacity of body
servant, and it is not at all improbable that
he waited ON the illastrious company.
1t is difficult to arrive at a very definite
figure of his age, but Lucus wss evidently a
occupy such position he must have been
took place about 1906 At that time, as
have mentioned before, he had a family of
several children in Tennessee. In 1918 he
was at Queenstown Heights-over seventy
years ago He was then probably thirty-five
or forty years old By 1887 he had a second
family, which since then has increased to
elsuen, SO that by fair inference one may
safely conclude his sse 60 be between 1o5 and
10, and YES ne bis fair to see few more
years. He attributes his long life to strict
temperance in eating and drinking. Recent
ly he complatina OF queer feeling in the I'm
of his head form Of dizziness. and GAS
week, F." he said, Il had - r.eer sort O. feelin'
IN m my Shoulder .- W. an down my legs Neb-
9es A~ such a pain afore. Guess it mus
nave been the roomatizt" As to his capacity
for work the fact that only few days ago he
wheeled five cords of split wood wood from
yard to shed and piled it up neatly in day
is more eloquent than anything else that
might be written.
Owe tole " all dat as true as eff wuz
enterin' de judgment day!" he turned to say
as he left to resume his wood -piling.