Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-22
A BLACK MANS STORY.

from Newberne and stationed at Greensboro.
Since that time he had never heard OF the boy,
though he remembered him as he remember
ed many persons and things Of interest con-
nected with his army life. II was pleasant
surprise, therefore, when, early last spring
no received letter from Allen Turmage, now
become a successful man of business in Phil
Rdelphia, asking II he was indeed the man
who bad so kindly befriended him in his boy
hood. Judge Clarke replied in the afiirma-
tive, aud after an interval Of some weeks he
received a second letter from his old charge,
giving in detail the record OF his life for 20
years past. Several gentlemen who were
shown the letter have agreed with US in the
opinion that it should be printed as illusirat-
ing the possibilities Of the black race in the
way of progress and real manhood. At our
request, therefore, we have been allowed to
reproduce the letter, and it is given herewith.
Tue boy Turmage was pure negro and at
the time he was befriended by Capt Clarke
he bad just escaped from slavery and was en-
tirely unlettered
Allen Turmage's Letter.
PHILADELPHIA, April 3stb, 1885
r. W. Clarke, late Captain and 4. O. N -
Dear Sir. My kind friend and honorable
gentleman, this IL TO inform you that receiv-
ed your kind letter in due season; and l re.
crived it with great joy, ~ l had lost all
hopes Of ever seeing you again or Of hearing
of your whereabouts. l bad asked several
persons coming from Washington, ID. c., con-
cerning you but could learn nothing 40, af-
ter many years had passed by, asked one OF
our officers in the mint, and he put me on tho
inside track, aud 80 l found you after 20
years. But the greatest search had was 20
years ago, when got well after few weeks
sickness. At the time | recovered from sick
ness had little money left, and spent every
cent OF it in search OF you. and could not find
you no had to give up in despair. then
went back to Newberne, N. O., almost heart.
broken. / remained there a few days, and
found job to go out and work on turpsn.
tine farm but the rebels was 80 bad that our
lives was in great danger every hour SO
great was the danger, the man who hired us
had TO walk behind us with his gun in hand.
So | had TO leave that place and go back TO
Newberne. then got place on sailing
vessel that run TO Baltimore, Md, and | was
treated 70 very bad that was compelled to
leave him. then took up my residence in
Baltimore, Md. | remained in that city one
| year aud half. then returned south again,
| remaining there two years, working at farm
ing and the carpenter trade. During this
tune l married, and at the end OF two years
returned to Baltimore AZ my fixed residence.
lived there for six years. Five years of that
time | was porter in a Wholesale and retail
store, and while at that store began going
TO night schools. aud with the aid OF the store
and night school | began TO make upward
progress. But bad luck overlook me again.
| 1t was when the Freedman's bank failed.
had saved some money, and by ito failure
lost it, Aud then lost my place at the store
then went south again, and am sorry to say
that found it worse than left il. l went
there to stay, but could not do so, a. had
| been living ia q higher state in Baltimore
| than what l could fnd there. So, being una
BILE to Judge for myself, took the geography
TO see If l could iud a good place for = per
| msnent home. So | selected the city OF Pull
adelphia rs my home. l came here in 1875.
| came with nothing at ALL l worked at la
boring work for year. then got q situa-
| tion in a stove store, and just as began TO
| learn the business my boss failed, and l was
out again. then made up my mind to start
out for myself 40 l started out, without a
dollar in the world. had no money to buy
tools OF stock, 10 went 10 polishing stoves
all about town, where could hnd a job.
got little money. then went to repairing
| a little shop. then became acquainted with
the best auction houses. The next year
got store large enough to live in one end,
| and the store at the other. l started with
three stoves nine years ago. | now carry
stock Of over POO, and almost as much other
stuff beside. | stayed in that store eight
years and lived the life OF slave until
| could take one step above q common negro
slave. l WAS a slave once TO a white man
aud determined TO be q slave 10 myself, for
myself and children, until l got start in
life. tell you, sir, for one to come into a
large city TO live, who was brought up in ig-
norance, it is a very hard thing to lay aside
| temptation that awaits one who came from
country farm.
Dear sir, since l received your letter have
made another step in life. | have removed
from my old store, which occupied for more
than eight years, aud have rented a very nice
store and residence together in one Of the lead
ing streets of this part Of the city. 1t is only
one square from the old store. II is at 259
South 18th street, Just above Spruce. My
moving is the cause of my long delay in an
swering your kind and most welcome letter,
which received with great joy, as | never
expected to hear from you again but never
gave up trying until succeeded. l hope you
| will excuse me for not answering your kind
| letter sooner as l could not have written
| sooner. OF course l could have written a
| short letter, but not u full one, as wanted 10
write so waited till got q little settled.
| My present store is in very good location,
aud hope to be able TO make some money,
AZ have none now outside of my stock of
goods, which are only salable in the winter.
II some of my first children had lived would
| now be able to make some money but as II
ia am all alone, and nobody to help me.
mean in business, for this business must be
we'll learned to make anything out of it, and
it is almost impossible for me TO get any one
to stay longer than enough TO learn it, 80 AZ
| to be of any help to me outside of labor, "a
| the colOred people will not work for their
own color as they will for the whites, and the
| common class whites are filled with reiudice
80 great that they will not allow their boys TO
work with colored men-that is, If they are
OF any account at all. | have thought OF
what you told me thousand times over-that
is, you told me il would 60 north with you,
you would give me a good education. That
has grieved me worse than anything else
ever missed in life, and l owe to you great
gratitude for what you did for me in the way
OF education the little time l was with you.
| 1t WAS the means of my being where am to-
day. 1t is true, you did not learn me much,
| for you did not have the time to do so but
| you put il into my head to learn, and FneveT
| stopped until l went into business for myself,
and then bad to stop, II you ever come to
Philadelphia, you will please call at my place,
or send me postal card of your hotel aud
will call and see you. Your squad OF colored
men, that worked under you at Neuse River
Bridge, often spoke Of you in the highest es'
TEEN az a gentleman and a soldier. The rea.
son they spoke 80 high of you was because
about one-half Of the cOlOred men that we're
in the government service, but not as sol
diers, came home without their mOney-some
with half, some with nothing, aud some with
papers on the government. large number
never got anything at all. Again, that humane
act you did in behalf of my father, when he
lost his money that act went home to the
hearts of those men 80 deep that his money
was soon made up, and he went away rejoio
ing instead of broken heart II you remem
Der, it was by your judieious act in calling the
men together and counselling them that that
money was made up, and for that my mother
although she has never seen you, yet she
speaks of you with great esteem to-day.
Please lot me know II this letter is received
Peace and goodwill toward you for all tim'
is my prayer. Very respectfully,
ALLEN FURNACE.
oEa Go 10 "A philadainI,ia pa