The morning news., 1889-04-22

desire for change, and it removed to Albany,
seeking employment with the late Mai.
Tom Walker as cook and gardener. 1t was
then a man and calling itself SUCH 1t was
frequently on the streets upon errands, and
presented singular appearance. Its shape
was partly that of woman; it's dress was
peculiar, its favorite costume being waist
like a boys shire jacket buttoned
to pair of white pants. 1t af-
fected voluminous white aprons which
had some of the contour OF the body Upon
its head it wore jaunty sailor hat. 1t at
tracted much attention and comment. AS
a plantation darky Sally-Tom could chop
cotton as well and split as many rails as
any hand upon the place; as a town negro
it did all a mans work, was excellent about
yard and garden and a good cook. 1t
was not entirely devoted to masculine ap-
parel in those days, however, as in moments
of ease it would frequently don fenin inc
garments and take an airing as one of a
gentler sex.
By some means Sally-Tom was hauled
up before the freedman's bureau, which was
supposed to have charge of the interests of
the negro during the reconstruction period.
Sally-Tom was a witness in some trlf1ing
difficulty. AS it made its appearance be-
fore the august individual who had charge
of this branch of that institution he gazed
with undisguised astonishment upon the
nondescript. He bad found a rara avis and
was more interested in it than in the case
before him.
He inquired minutely into its life and
habits found out all about it, and after
due deliberation solemnly laid down the
law that it could either be man or woman
as it preferred, but it had to be of one sex
only as far as wearing apparel was con-
cerned.
Here was dilemma, posi- tlon that fe W
human beings are placed in, to decide at
once whether to be a man or woman for all
ones future life. To toll among the men or
live in the more quiet manner of the gentler
sex and be one of them.
Sally-Tom was not long in deciding. 1t
had good taste and determined henceforth
to lead new life and become a woman.
She changed her sex, donned feminine gar
mentS and since that day for over twenty
years has passed as female.
She presents as singular an appearance in
dresses as she did in trousers She still
looks what she is, a noDdescript, mixture
of both sexes. She wears very broad
brimmed straw hats with which she par
TALLY hides her face, as she does not like to
be rudely gazed upon. She has harsh,
discordant voice. between that Of man
and woman. She has a heavy growth of
whiskers, which she keeps shaved off. She
will never discuss herself and cannot
stand joking. She is by no means very
refined, and her haunts and home
are among the lowest Sometimes she
hires herself out, but does not remain long
at work. A gentleman who hired her as
cook found that she was too masculine to
suit him. He did not like to have her at
his house, sitting about the house, holding
the baby in her lap and making herself at
home, as cooks and general utility women
often do in small families here. She had an
inkling that he intended to be rid of her and
quit without being discharged. She does
mems work now better than that of
woman, is a splendid gardener and keeps
the yard and premises wherever employed
in neat and trim order.