Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-06-29
OLD CHANCE CARTER.
THE LIFELONG DEVOTION or A
BLACK MAN IN GEORGIA.


20 Hi. Heas. bat Hs Held q tn Death.
Chance Carter lived seventy-iive years
n slave and twenty-five a free man
That is. from the best anybody can tell
about IL
Tie was 10 old that he had outlived
everybody who might have told anything
about his real age. which spanned the
average life OF three OF four generations.
Away back In the days when Decatur
was a stage rad station and Atlanta was
a cross reads village. Mr.. William Carter
and his wife came to this section, child.
less but weaithy. and the possessors OF
many slaves.
Among these slaves was Chance, who
w,,s more than half free. good business
man. bat lover Of cock fights and
rough. country sports
Chance was a man OF middle age, and
had large family when the railroad
reached Atlanta He was practically in
charge Of the plantation affairs. his mas
ter relying implicitly ON his fidelity and
good Judgment in all the affairs con
nected with his estate. His faith was
never shaken by single dishonest net
ON the part OF the Olu negro
THE HAND oF DEATH.
Along In the sos Mr.. Carter died. and
his wife had his body laid to rest on a io,
In the plantation, where she might re
pose beside hin, when the time came for
her TO depart The good old lady had no
one left but Chance. aud on the honest
negro she relied still more than ever.
The SONS and daughters Of the slave
grew TO manhood and womanhood. and
the plantation prospcred The grave OF
the old master was kept green.
In 1887 Mrs. Carter felt the approach
OF death. She felt that the two lonely
graves would be left unprotected, and
thar the stranger would desecrate them.
and that possibly the plowshare might
r,idely break away the messy mounds
above their last resting place.
So she called Chance and 10 him made
a decd OF gift to thirteen acres of land,
asking him to remain there and look
after the graves OF the master and mis-
treas ms long ns he lived. The negro
promised to do 10. and he kept his word
Nobody thought of molesfing Uncle
Chance
prior To the war. slave could not be
freed. nor could he become freeholder
Bui this old man was freedman and a
landholder, by virtue OF the common re-
spect for the sacredness of his charge.
and tliat public sentiment and sympathy
that was not uncommon among the Ieo-
pie Of the south In such cases.
The rest of the property went to dis.
tant relatives. and the inevitable separa-
ton. which was one Of the most painful
incidents OF slavery. occurred between
the father and his children.
LoSo VIGIL
Uncle Chance remained on the little
farm left him by the old mistress Amid
the shock and commotion OF war he
never wavered in his devotion, and Lin.
coins proclamation fell nnheeded on his
ears.
IL could do nothing for a man who
was only slave 50 far as his affections
bound him. And they were as fetters of
brass binding him to the memory Of
those whom he had loved and served in
life, and from whom. in death, he chose
NOT 10 be disunited.
After thewar some OF the lands passed
into alien hands. and included In the
tract was the home OF the old slave The
new owner set dp claim that the thir.
teen acres were held by the old negro
without any legal title. and instituted
suit In the courts for the recovery OF the
little farm
This aroused the old man. who had
kept his vigil 10 long and well. and lie
consulted a lawyer. The lawyer was
Judge w. l. Calhoun. who had eaten
Mrs. Carter's ginger cakes and listened
to Uncle Chances quaint stories when a
little boy.
Although there was really not the
shadow Of a title TO Chances holding.
the lawyer determined to stand BY him
and help to preserve the little legacy and
enable the old man to die by the graves
OF those who had loved and trusted him
And the lawyer won his case by a
speech Of such mastery eloquence that
the crowd In the court room was moved
40 tears.
There was something peculiar about
Chance Carter. His mind was of higher
order than was common among unedu
Gated slaves. He was a shrewd trader
and scarcely ever made a mistake in a
bargain.
His fidelity In life and In death to the
interests OF his master and mistress was
something remarkable. and there are
few parall instances Of this sort Of de
votion between man and man.
He lay down and died of sheer old age.
He preserved his faculties up 10 the very
Inst moment. and among HE dying in.
functions to his children were TO see that
the graves OF the old folks al homo werl
not left desolate
IL vas extremely appropriate that they
should have laid him 10 rest tn the same
quiet spot. which he had guarded sC
zealousiy through all these long years.
And out there, on the old plantation
among the budding trees and trailing
vines. after a hundred years OF such
.vicissitudes as seldom fall 10 the lot oi
man. sleeps in undisturbed repose. ths
bodies Of the master. the mistress and ths
faithful Uncle Chance. Atlanta Consti
tuition.
The Matter with Hannah.
A fafher overculturs.d and overstraine.