Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-08
IN SLAVERY DAYS.
Nashville Negroes Who Owned Nc
GRO slaves.

gro slaves.
The venerable night clerk of the
Scots hotel, Mr.. Ira Stout, is n verta-
BILE storehousc Of local historical infor-
nation. lie was born here some seventy
Years ago, before the village dropped
It's swaddling clothes and stepped into
the serious responsibilities of "A motrop-
oils. His father was one Of the early
mayors of the town. and he himself
was for many years leading business
man. What he doesn't know about
old times in Nashville is hardly worth
knowing
"I'll venture to say" he remarked
to reporter last night. "that few peo-
pie know that fifty or sixty years ago
there lived in Nashville number of
well-to do free negroes who owned
slaves. bought and sold them. and with
out conjunction dealt in Their own
blood and nationality"
Encouraged To continue his curious
and interesting "Reminiscences concern
ing good old slavery times" some
times called 1.-The flush times of the re-
public" the narrator said:
Il call 10 mind old Christopher Kit,
free negro who owned quite number
of negro slaves, and also owned The
property on Market street where Morris
d STATIONS warehouse now sta ds
There was also old Porter another
free negfo and slave-holder, who own
ed Cutters corner, Il ;hC junction of
| Broad and College streets, raised his
! family there, and there lived and died.
Then there was Reuben Graham,
| Stephen Lydick. Dick Tate and Buck
| McNairy-boss hackmen, who not only
owned their turnouts but the colored
iehus who drove them. Phil Thomas,
! father OF the negro barber Thomas, who
! died few wears ago, had some Of his
hard-earned 'shavings' invested in col
ored flesh and blood Old Black Bob.
who kept tavern here rs early as 1896,
on the corner of the alley opposite the
St Charles hotel, on Market street.
owned the mOkes' and 'coons who
waited on his table. Thomas ii. Fetch
or. who became the celebrated Grim nal
lawyer. was clerk at Old Blak Bob s
tavern when young man.
Nelson Turner. the free negro un-
dertaker. made enough money at bury
Ing people TO buy his wife and h wife's
daughter from their white master, but
afterwards got angry with his step
daughter and sold her TO n negro trad
er. jim Young, q gracelcss free negro
from Wilson county, bought mis- w.le's
freedom, and aftcrward gambled her
ava, in game of poker Then t. ere
was Big Solomon, blacksmith. who
had shop about where Mahoney's
livery stable stands on College street.
Nv father carried on the carr age-nak-
ug business, and once bought one
armed negro named Bill from the
county authorities. One-armcd BIZ
was runway negro, apprchended by
the patcrollers, placed in jail. where
he lay according TO law twelve months
and day, at which time his rigMful
owner falling 10 come forward. the
prisoner was put on the block and sold
at public cutlery. Father bought Bill,
kept him 4 year. and then sold him to
Big Solomon. About four years after
Big Solomon took BIZ TO Cincinnati
and Sc; him free, and the latter 10 show
his graf tude 10 his free negro master
brought suit for damages and gained
his case. OHIO being one Of the free
states Curious things happened in
those old slavery days. but III warrant
free negroes had better time lien
than the majority Of them have now"
-NGStrlHc Union.