The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-12-11
GEN. ANDREW JACKSON.
OLD TIMES AT THE HERMITAGE.

OLD TIMES AT THE HERMITAGE.
Uncle Aired INDUCES in some Reminis-
oenoes about "Old Hickory and the easy
going Times Before the War.
(NdsIviLle Ameriean-]
During the past few weeks, since
there has been such beautiful Indian
summer weather, great many peop'e
have visited that Mecca of Tennessee
Democracy, The Hermitage, the home
of Gen. Andrew jackson. Attention
has been called especially to the his
toric old mansion recently, because of
the approach of the Sth of January
celebration, under the auspices of the
Ladies' Hermitage Association. This
celebration will be on a grander scale
than usual this year, and will be par
ticipated in far and near.
Sunday quite crowd of visitors
drove out from Nashville over a fine
pike through the picturesque country
that intervenes to this historic spot;
and all were shown through the house
by Uncle Alfred Jackson, the surviv-
ing servant at The Hermitage of Gen.
jackson.
Uncle Alfred was born in a cabin
on. the farm and has always lived
there. He is very proud of the work
that is being done by the Ladies' Her
mitage Association.
"De house now," says he, sis paint
ed 'zactly like de Gineral left it.
After the visitors had paid twenty.
five cents each toto the Ladies' Her
mitage Association contribution box,
and had also remembered the polite
old octogenarian African, they got on
good terms with their guide and en-
ticed him into general conversation.
One of the visitors being an American
reporter, applied the pump in desul-
tory way with the following results:
"When did Gen. jackson settle on
this farm ?'
"In 1894. He had three or four
slaves den and lived in dat little cabin
you see down in de pasture. De I'D
der cabin by it was the niger quar-
ters an dar is whar l was borned, in
1903. De General was de best man
in de country wild his slaves, but he
wuz strict wild dem. When he died
he had one hundred an ten niggers an
owned 1000 acres of land an lived in
dis fine house. You see dat little
house away over yonder? Well, dat
is whar de Generals race track wuz,
whar he trained his race horses"
"Did Gen. jackson have all these
cedar rails and these cedar plank
fences made ?"
eyes, sir. Dem rails are as good as
new, but some of dem is older den
is"
"Did he have the plank saw ed by
hand ?
eyes, sir, ebbery one OBJ 'em. De
brick in de house was made right here,
an de lumber was sawed wild de whip
saw. He had two nigger men who
did nufin' but saw lumber wild de
viii ip-saws in de pits back OBJ de house;
an dey used to saw from 300 to 400
feet er day
The language of the old negro and
the evidences on every hand of the
immense amount of work those two
patient sawyers did in their monoto-
nous labor, that lasted from year to
year, impressed strangely upon the Wis.
itors the difference between those
times and now, when one little coun-
try saw mill will cut from 5000 to
10000 feet of lumber in day, and
when one of the monstrous lumber
mills on Puget Sound-that at Port
Gamble-has daily output of from
800, 900 to 1000 feet.
The Hermitage mansion is situated
a few hundred yards from the road the
long, narrow yard extending down to
the highway. About half way the
yard there is gentle rise, a beautiful
situation for q house.
"Why did not Gen. jackson build
on the top of the hill, instead of be
hind it?" vas asked of Uncle Alfred.
"Well, you see, he wus a man dat
always wus guided by de wishes of his
wife. De Gineral wanted to build on
de hill, but Mrs. jackson wanted to
build where de house is, so de spring
would be mo- convenient"
The spring is about 800 yards from
the house, but there is we'll right at
the door. This, Uncle Alfred ex-
planned, had been dug many years af-
ter the house was built.
"Dey was a water witch cum along
an he 'sperimented aroun' and tole de
Gineral he could git water in thirty
seven feet. De Gineral said all right,
an he went to work, an sho' nuff he
got it right dar-de best water you
eber seed.
"After Mrs. jackson died de Gin
eral used ter sleep wild her picture
hangin dar jest as you see it in front
OBJ de bed: an he used ter say: 4 see
my love ebbsry night de las thing be-
fo' l 60 to sleep an de fust thing in de
mornin' when wakes"
"Did Gen. jackson have much
companyf"
"De house wus full all de time OBJ
late years wild people comm ter see
him. He received all de visitors him.
self, de rich an de po' jest de same. +"
care you Democrat, Uncle Al
fredY'
don't take any part in politics, but
rs fur Gineral Jacksoo, fnst, last an