The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-08-29
A REMARKABLE CAREER.
HOW A SLAVE ACQUIRED HIS FREE
DOM AND HIS WEALTH.

11ScAkn0
Wealthy and TheR Failed-He Was a
Useful Citizen and Had the Friendship
of Ala Tale of Slavery Times.
Here is the story of the life of Solomon
HUMPHREYS, a most remarkable negro
who lived in Macon during the pioneer
days of the town, and who was in his
day not only the wealthiest negro in the
south. but commanded the respect and
esteem of all the white people.
Sol belonged to rich planter. one of
the old time sort, who lived in Jones
county, which adjoins this. Being all
lowed more privileges than the other
hands, and having more intelligence
than the average negro, Sol managed to
make an odd 'thrip," and every one was
laid up for the purpose of purchasing his
freedom.
This was done in 1926, two years after
Macon was made a town, and, with a
nest egg of money given to him by his
kind master, he came to Macon and OPEN
ed little store on the east side of the
river, that being really the town in those
days. Although he could neither read
nor write he was natural mathema-
tician, working his sums mentally. His
politeness, neatness and good business
habits soon began to have good effect,
and he became one of the largest mer-
chants in the country.
SOL" IN BUSINESS.
In those days there were no steam
boats here, and freight was brought up
the river on fiat towboats from Darien,
then an important seaport. These boats
were manned by negroes, six on side,
who handled the oars with singular
skill. When they neared the bend in
the river near Macon these dozen hands
would strike up with song, and on
still clear night the musical strains from
these loud lunged singers came floating
over the water as sweetest music. They
would remain here few days to unload
the goods for the merchants, and then
return to Darien with some four to five
hundred bags of cotton on each boat.
The bulk of the goods and cotton be-
longed to Solomon HUMPHREYS.
After few years of successful bust
ness Sol began to take lifeeasy. Hepur-
chased place OF ten acres near town
and erected thereon fine home. The
gentlemen who went by on their hunt
ing trips never failed to stop and get
some of Soils buttermilk. His house was
always open to his white friends, and
frequently he gave dinners that were
really royal feasts. At these dinners
Sol was never known to sit at the table,
The guests were seated and it was Soils
pleasure to wait on the table. The dig
nitaries of the state broke bread with
him, and one who was the most frequent
visitor and enjoyed Soils hospitality the
most was the late Governor Charles j.
Mcdonald, between whom and Sol
great friendship existed. According to
the laws of Georgia at that time a free
negro was compelled to have q trustee,
and Mcdonald, who was then the first
solicitor general of this circuit, after
ward judge and then governor, held the
position of trustee for Sol.
On one occasion, when Sol was on his
way north to purchase goods, he was ar
rested in Charleston as a fugitive, and
was lodged in Jail, in spite of his en-
treaties, to wait until his trustee could
be communicated with That was be-
fore the days of telegraphy, and mails
were slower than now. There was Sol,
whose credit was good in New York for
$50, 900 and in Macon for as much more,
penned up in the Jail at Charleston as
runaway negro Governor Mcdonald
lost no time in forwarding the proper
certificates and the message that if it
was necessary he would go on to Charles
ton and certify to his being free in per-
son. He was then released and proceed
ed on his way to New York, being care
full not to come back by way of Charles
ton.
BECOMES VERY RICH AND BUYS WIFE.
Soils trade grew larger and larger. In
1888, when steamboats, began to run on
the Ocmulgee river, the consignments
to him were larger than those of any
other merchant. In 1888 he married. His
wife's name was "Patsey," and she was
also purchased by him. She was men,
Der of the Presbyterian church in Macon,
and worshiped with the whites. So
great was the respect in which she was
held by the pastor and members that she
was admitted to the communion table,
and though she was a negro, living in
the south where slavery was rampant,
she was shown every respect and kind
ness by her white friends. But with all
this there never was time when "Pat-
sey" or Sol attempted to overstep the
bounds. Sol became member of the
church, and every Sunday morning the
pair could be seen in their pew in the
little church, presenting rather strange
picture to the. northerner who came
south.
Several citizens of Macon, both of
wealth and enterprise, attained their
early business education as clerks from
Sol HUMPHREYS. One Of them became
the merchant prince of the state, one be-
came president of bank, afterward
president of railroad, and now lives in