The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-09
A PICTURE IN CHARCOAL.
One of Andrew Jackson's Slaves Stin Living
in Canada.


Brantford Letter in Toronto Globe.
Brantford boasts of an ancient colorod citizen
beside whom the ordinary old resident is a
boy ia COMPARISON Indeed. in the days when
Bfantford was young and Bfant, the chief of
the Six Nations, owned the very land on which
it is built. Andrew Lucas was a middle aged
man. and those whose memory goes back for a
period OF thirty or thirty five years well remem-
Der that this ex-slave was known as 'Old Lucas"
To-day he can truthfully boast of length of
years reaching considerably beyond the cycle of
century, and, in fact seems to have discovered
at last the ng-soughtfor elixir, which will
enable him to live forever.
A few days ago 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 almost as erect as in
the days when he trod the cotton fields on his
masters Tennessee plantation. He revealed,
however, something of the age to which he had
attained by the deepened wrinkles that have
made his face map of time. His cFoppy beard
only showed-a slight indication of grayness, and
his equally short hair that clings closely to his
high narrow head still retains its original black
ness. The Old gentleman was somewhat averse
to talking of his early hfe ndewhen the first in
terrogation 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 cogi-
tated ON the course to pursue.
''Yes, sah," he at length replied. II was
Gena1 Jackson's slave, an was born in de family,
mers down in Tennessee, but forgets de place,
sab. De Genial. y know, man of goo
deal OF pinion an great biZneSs, an had a hav
horse wild shot ears dat use ter ride an behind
/ i'm. When I'd see i'm a-comin long de road I'd
allus s'lute i'm SO. an eff y didn't slute i'm y'd
better get outer de way. De Genial, Y know,
was yer pticler about slutin'. Y'see, l was his
body servant or something OBJ dat sort, an wo
fine clothes an a white vestwith silk buttons. 1
allus knowd what he wanted by raisin' his fin
die f,nn ninf;,
ward meant one ting; two fingers meant mud
der ting, an he never had ter say a word ter
me-"
''What did the General look like!'
81 members i'm jes swell of 1 seed i'm
now. He was straight man-ver' tall, YER
quick-steppin' man, jes' SO land the old slave
paced up and down the room at lively rate,
Strengthening his slightly bent shoulder, and
tapping his coat-tails with his hands in his
attempt to initiate his old master) YER quick
temper; ver termined man; quick movin'; step
quick, jes So Allus on de move"
WAS he good master to his slavesp
New wuz BETA man eff you do a ting ween
he tole y, but of he comes Z y an y do sometin
wrong, he'd look at y straight in de eye an says
saan'so Den all yous got ter do is to drap down
on de aooh, jes' SO, an say, God-f- give-me! De
Genrl nebber low 'nudder nlassa to whip one of
his slaves He punish i'm himself or tell de
obefseeT to punish i'm
DE Genial good shot," the old man con-
tinued, IAN used ter get up early in de mornin'
and practice FIRM at an ole oak tree near de cor
ner of de house. He'd walk long so, an turn
right quick. So an fire an hit de mark This
accuracy OF aim was no doubt essential, in view
of the numerous occasions on which he had to
exercise his skill in that direction.) Dey used
ter have high times, tell ", On the plantation
wen de big white folks came a-visitin' the
Genial Wen he glib dinner he'd do it upright.
An sech dancin' as " neber see! Dey had dane
ip SIS was dancin', ard de chillun danced bu'full"
Perhaps Lucas had in mind the long-distant
festivities at the Hermitage, when 1.-THE General
and Mrs. Jackson danced a reel together that
would shake to pieces the foundations of the
modern bathrooms" Jackson, on one occasion,
gave big dinner to Aaron Burr, just about the
time that Lucas claims TO have been acting in
the capacity of body servant, ana it is not at all
improbable that he waited on the illustrious
company.
1t is difficult to arrive at very definite figure
of his age, but Lucas was evidently body-ser
want of Jackson's about 1875 To OCCUPY such
position, he must have been eighteen or twenty
years Old His escape took place about 1906. At
that time, as have mentioned before, he had a
family of several children in Tennessee In 1913
he was at Queenstown Heights-over seventy
years ago. He was then probably thirty five or
forty years old By 1887 he had asecond family,
which, since then, has increased to eleven so that
by fair inference one may safely conclude his
fair to see few more years He attributes his
long life to strict temperance in eating and
drinking. Recently he complains of a queer
feeling in the top of his head-a form of dizzi-
ness-and, "las week, he said, Il had queer
sort O feelin' in my shoulder an down my legs.
Nebber had such pain afore. Guess it mus
have been the roomatiz~ AS to his capacity for
work, the fact that only few days ago he
wheeled five cords of split wood from yard to
shed and piled it up neatly in one day, is more
eloquent than anything else that might be
written.
'Tve tole y all dat as true as eff wuz enterin
de judgment dayr' he turned to say as he left us
to resume his wood piling