, 1889-05-14
OLD CHANCE CARTER.
The LIFELONG DEVOTION OF A
BLACK MAN IN GEORGIA.

Chance Carter lived scvcnty-fvc years
a slave and twenty-five a free man.
That is, from the best anybody can tell
about it
He was so old that he had outlived
everybody who might nave told anything
about his real age, which SPAWNED the
average life Of three or four generations.
Away back in the days when Decatur
was n stage road station and Atlanta was
a cross roads village, Mr.. William Carter
and his wife came 10 this section, child
lees but wealthy, and the posscssors of
many slaves
Among these slaves was Chance, who
was more than half free, n good business
man: but n lover Of cock fights and
rough, country sports.
Chance was a man Of middle &c. and
had q large family when the railroad
rcachci 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-
ucctci with his state. His faith was
never shaken by a single dishonest act
ON the part Of the old negro.
TuE HAND OF DEATH
Along in the 4Os Mr.. Carter died, and
his wife had his body laid to rest on n lot
in the plantation. wicrS she might re-
pose beside him when the tiHlc came for
hor to depart. Tho good old lady had no
u left but Chance, and on the honest
negro she relied still more thar ever.
The sons and daughters OF tho slave
grew to manhood and ~womanhood, and
the plantation prospcrcd. The grave Of
the old master was kept green.
In 1857 Mrs Carter felt the approach
Of death She felt that the two lonely
graves would he left unprotected, and
that the stranger would d-esccratc them,
and that possibly the p~lowshnrc might
riloly break awuy the messy mounds
above their last resting place.
So she called Glance and to him made
a drcl ol gift TO thirteen acres Of land,
asking him to remain there and look
after The graves OF the master and mis-
tress as long as hc lived. The negro
promised to DO SO, and lac kept his word.
Nobody Thought of molcsting Uncle
Chance
OF cour-c. under the laws existing
prior 20 tho war, a slave could not be
freed. nor could he become n freebooter.
But this old man was "a freedman and a
I1~ndNolIrr' 10y virtue OF the common re
SI'vt Tor the f1rrainoSs Of his charge,
and that public ointment and sympathy
That was not uncommon among the poo
pie OF the south IL such cases.
me rest oil the property went TO dis
tant relativc'' and the inevitable separa-
ton. which was one of tho most painful
incidents oil slavery, occurred bctween
the father and his children.
a LONG VIGIL
Uncle Chance remained on the little
farm left him hy the old mistress. Amid
tho shock and commotion Of war he
never wavernd in his devotion, and Lin
coins proclamation fell unhealcd on his
ears.
It could do nothing for n man who
was only a slave 50 far rs his affections
bound him. And they were ae frttrrto Of
brass binding him to tho memory Of
those whom lac had loved and served in
life, anil from whom, in death. he chose
% to ho lisluitcd.
After the war como Of the lands ia sod
into aIiou hands, and included in t,r
tract WAS tho homo uI the old slave. The
new OWNER got up a claim that the thir-
iA'.l sIflt- NIlh lNIl Nv tIIF OH ItrTp
without any legal title, and instituted
sui in the courts for the recovcry of tho
lttlc farm.
This aroused the old man. who had
kept his vigl so long and well, and he
consulted n lawyer. Tho lawyer was
Judge W. L. Calhoun, who had eaten
Mrs. Clrtcr's ginger cakes and listened
to Uncle Chances quaint stories when n
little boy.
Although there was really not the
shadow Of n title TO Chancc's 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 tie lawyer won his case by n
speech Of such mastery Clopucnce that
the crowd in the court room WINS moved
to tears.
rL,,n, r,--r M - -
orl,r IT, ,,,s c,,,r,an a,aa
c,tn3 slovcs 10 y-,g sLran5l -,
and ~scarrelv ever made n m;s,,to IN =
-#hHHH - e.