The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-31
OLE MASTER "NED
As He was Described by "Fanny,"
His Trusted Servant.

CorreBpo OF the st. LOUIS
Globe Democrat: A well known chaIac-
ter OF Vicksburg is Fanny, or MIS-.
Crswio d, as she is less frequently
called. Fanny was raif ed in the fam
lily of old Ned Richardson, and cal 8
him PA" Mr.. Richardson, before
his death, year or 30 ago, was known
as the largest cotton planter in the
world. He left an estate valued at
little short of $20,000,0C0. Mrs. Craw-
ford ia a middle aged, sharp eyed,
quick moving, light Coored woman.
AS her old masters businets expand
ed he employed Fanny to recruit labor
for him. From that she has come to
be the principal labor agent in Vicks.
burg, Is reputed to be worth $l5, 600 or
$40, 600; and is educating her children
at the Fisk University at Nashville.
"What kind of man was Mr.. r CHI
ardson with his labor ?" she was asked,
"He YVES kind man. He got better
work out OF them by kind treatment.
You know he made all Of his money
after the war. l remember when he
used tn have little store in Brandon.
He sold ice water for fifteen cents and
gave away whisky. That was the way
he escaped the law. ] used to carry
his dinner to hip, and they had me
up as witness. had to say ] didn't
know he sold whisky, for didn't. He
always said to his customers, 4 CHARGE
you for the ice water; the whisky is
freev Old Ned's first big start came
from going on the bond OF man who
had killed another. He got a mort
gsge on a plantation, the man ran
away, and Old Ned got the plantation
Mis-. Richardson was Miss Patton, OF
South Carolina. That is the way all
the children came 10 have a 2. in
their names. Patton is the middle
name for each one OF them. Old Ned
couldn't write his name until Mrs
Richardson taught him"
"He made a good deal out Of con-
vict labor?"
"Yes. When he got the contract
from the Mississippi Legislature right
after the war ne had liquors, cham
payne and all that set out in my parlor
for the colored members who voted
for him. The prisoners used to say
Old Ned treated them well, but l know
he didn't like convict labor. He used
to say, you can't get work out of the
miserable devils unless you treat 'em
mean and cruel, and don't want TO
do that He wanted all free labor.
You know Old Ned never had but two
slaves in his whole life, When the
old man died he didn't owe dollar.
He always kept his affairs closed right
up. / remember one day we were
having a settlement OF the business l
had been doing for him. There YVES
FIVE cents coming to him and l didn't
offer to give II up. 4 want my
Ave csnts, Fanny, he said,
I'm not going to give it to
YOU said. Yes, he said, give it to
me. That's the way l do business. l
must have the books right Then 1
handed him the Eve cents, and he
gave me dollar. He was that kind
Of a man. He was very strict in bust
ness matters, but liberal outside. The
night before he died he came into my
house here and handed my daughter
Eliza some money, and said she must
20 back to Fisk University and finish
her education. The next morning my
children woke me up knocking on the
door and crying, Mother, mother, get
up, Your pa Is dead "
Mr.. Richardson went from Vicks.
burg to Jackson the night referred to,
and some time after leaving the train
was found on the street in a dying
condition, having been stricken by
apoplexy. jackson was his old home,
although his extensive business inter
ests kept him in New Orleans most Of
the time. Years ago he had his mon
ument erected in the cemetery at
jackson. It ia tall shaft sur
mounted by a lifssize f,ure Of Old
Ned. He stancs facing the East, and
the wit OF Jackson, away back in re-
construction days, when there was
good deal OF talk about Richardson's
penitentisry contract, apostrophized
the marble Fl Surs thus: There you
stand, Old Ned, in death as in life,
with one eye on the Mississippi Lepis-
lature and the other on the MissWsip-
pi penitentiary."