Smyrna times., 1889-07-17
A REMARKABLE CAREER.
HOW A SLAVE ACQUIRED HIS FREE
DOM AND HIS WEALTH.

OsoiuA Nlti@eh and Had the Friendship
of ALA Tale of Slavery Times.
Heae is the story of the life Of Solomon
Humphries, 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 a rich planter, ono of
the old time sort, who lived in Jones
county, which adioins this. Being al
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 1925, 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 cast side Of the
river, that being really the town in those
days Although he could neither read
nor write he was a natural mathema
tician, working his sums mentally. lis
pohteness, 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 Daricn.
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 a song, and on a
still clear night the musical strains from
these loud lungcd singers came floating
over the water as sweetest music. They
would remain here a 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 Iumphrics.
After few years of successful bust
ness Sol began to take lifecasy. Uepur-
chased a place Of ton acres near town
and erected thereon a fine home. Tie
gentlemen who went by on their hunt
ing trips never failed to stop and get
some Of Soi's buttermill. His house was
always open 10 his white friends. and
frequently he gave dinners that We're
really royal fcasts. 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 a
great friendship existed According to
the laws OF Georgia at that time a free
negro was compelled TO have a 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
$4,000 and in Macon for as much more
penned up in the Jail at Charleston as a
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. lie 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 A WIFE.
Soils trade grew larger and larger. In
1888, when steamboats, began to run on
the Ocmulgee river, the consignments
to him We're larger than those of anv
othermerchant. In 1888 hemarried. His
wifes name was Patsey," and she was
also purchased by him. She was a mem
ber of the Presbyterian church in Macon.
and worshipcd 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 n negro, living in
the south where slavery was rann9nt
she was shown every respect and kind
ness by her white friends. But with all
this there never was q time when "Pat-
sey' or Sol attempted to Overstep the
hounds Sol hangg,aa e -.
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 Humphries One of them became
the merchant prince of the state, one be-
came president of a bank, afterward
president of a railroad, and now lives in
New York, an old citizen ard wealthy:
and still another is a prominent merchant
of Savannah. These gentlemen went
to work for him when they were boys.
As they grew up they went in business
on their own accounts.
In 1858 Soils luck began to change.
His wife died, parties for whom he had
indorsed failed, and soon his wealth
melted away. In 1856 he died, and
though he was then only in moderate
circumstances, no funeral of those times
was so largely attended. All citizens of
every class turned out to pay the last
tribute to his memory, and a most i'm
pressive sermon was delivered by the
pastor Of the Presbyterian church.
Such is the story of a free negro IN
times when the south knew nothing but
slavery. Macon (Ga.) Cor. New York
Herald
Good Manners.
Good manners must have q solid foun-
dation in kindness and self control To
be genuine, they must be the fruit of
sincerity and good feeling, and their ex-
ercise must be in conformity with the
working of these qualities in the heart.
No art can successfully counterfeit true
elegance Of manners and department. To
be real they must have roots deep below
the surface in the soul and heart.-Bos-
ton Saturday Evening Gazette.
Whore They Don't Drink Jamaica Rum.
A. w. Rogers has just returned from
two months soiourn in jamaica, and
is rejoicing in what is to him compara-
lively COO. weather. He said: "They
don't make molasses for export in ia
maica any more. Everything they can