Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-03
A REM ARKABLE r I
HOW A SLAVE ACQUIRED HIS FREE
DON AND HIS WEALTH,

Useful Citizen and Had the Friendship
of Ala Tale of Slavery Times.
Here 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. one of
the old time sort, who lived in Jones
county, which adjoins this. Being al
lowed more privileges than the other
hands, and having more intelligence
than the average negro, Sol managed to
make an odd "Trip 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
kin master, he came to Macon and open
ed a little store on the east side of the
river, that being really the town in those
NtN % [Ait1lpdSh i1 AOtlh lltIliItI Ittil
nor write he was a natural mathema-
tician, working his sums mentally. His
politeness, neatness and good business
habits soon began to have good effect,
and he became n 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 a 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 n
still clear night the musical strains from
these loud lunged singers came floating
over the water as sweetest music. They
would remain here "A few days to unload
the goods for the merchants, and Their
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 Humphries.
After n few years of successful bust
ness Sol began to take life oasy, lie pur-
chased a place of ten acres near town
and erected thereon n 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 fcasts. At these dinners
Sol was never known TO sit at the table.
The guests were seated and it vi Soils
pleasure to wait on the table. The dig
n~itarics of the state broke bread with
him, and II 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 OF his
way north to purchase goods, he was ar
rested in Charleston as a fugitive, and
was lodged III Jail, III spite of his en-
treaties, TO wait until his trustee could
be communicated with. That was be-
fore the days of biography, 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. 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 A WIFI
Soils trade grew larger and larger. In
1888, when steamboats, began to run on
the Ocmulgee river, the c~Onsignments
to him were larger than those of any
other merchant. In 1888 hemarried. His
wife's name was "Patsey," and she was
also purchased by him. She was n mem
Der of the Presbyterian church in Macon,
and worshipcG 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 WIS a time when pat
sey" or Sol attempted to overstep The
bounds. Sol became a member of the
church, and every Sunday morning the
pair could be seen in their pew i'm the
little church, presenting rathera strange
picture to the northerner who came
south.
Several citizens of Macon, both of
wealth and enterprise, attained their
early business education rs clerks from
Sol HUMPHREYS. One of them became
the merchant prince of the state, one be-
came president of q bank, afterward
president of q railroad, and 10 lives in
New York. an old citizen and 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 1853 Soils luck began to change.