The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-02-20

yard on Saturday last. An alarm was
struck but the fire did no damage.
Uncle i'rIsby Departed.
In his humble cottage ON Etst Higl
street, alone but not frIendess, on Monday
last, an aged colored man-one OF the
human links that connected the present
with the past generations of Ektonians =
E:isby Evans-paid the last debt OF nature
TO such of our Older citizens as find pie as
nre in "Reminiscences and listen with pnti
ence To the often inaccurate recolections OF
the aged, Frisby was a study Of his kind.
Like the aged generally of his class, fancy
painted many pictures with little reality as
background, but through the wool and
warp Of his legendary weavings, ran
enough of truth to justify their telling
trlSby wss one of the few colorei men of
! this vicinity who survived the early slave
days of this century, he and another colored
man-Nelson Gustus having been slaves
| freed by acts of manumission executed by
| humane owners. Frisby was born slave
IN 1913, the property of jeremiah Cosden, a
| prominent citizen of this town during the
| period of the last war with England. Hav-
ing become indebted TO the Elkton Bank of
| Maryland, one of the banking institutions
OF this town during the twenties, Oh the
10Th day of March, 1928, Mr. Cosden to
indemnify the bank against loss, conveyed
| to its president and directors al! his estate
a portion of which consisted of eighteen
black and mulatt0 sayes-as the deed
recites-several of whom were brothers,
David aged nine and Frisby Evans aged
ten. Philip Harding, a humane and esti-
mable man, the recent decease of whose
son Philip III Philadelphia was at the time
noticed in the WIG, was then cashier of
the Elktou Bank, and probably through his
business management, the likely muatto
boy Frisby afterwards became the property
of William Hollingsworth, father of Mrs.
r c. Msckail, Miss Mary Hollingsworth
and Mrs. Dr. John II. lamar of this town,
man distinguished for his humane treat
ment of his slaves, and the unusual privi-
leges extended to them. Like majority
possibly of the human chattels then held
along the upper border of Mary land, Frisby
either attained his freedom under al act of
manumission, which the Legislature of
1860, as in duty bound in strengthening the
Black Code to the disgrace OF the State,
prohibited by a law passed on March 10Th
OF that year; or became free under the pro
visions of the will of Mr.. Hollingswo-th,
which was recorded on August 2S.h, 1874,
bis death having occurred the previous
June. There is nothing on the records OF
the county however which shows how he
attained his freedom. Mr.. Hollingsworth's
will, which is model of brevity, simply
provides "that it is my will and desire that
all my slaves be free when they shall arrive
at the age OF thirty three, and those that
were born at :ny louise he free ut the respec
tive ages of twenty. five years" Ii was one
of the good fortunes OF Fristy > slavehood
that lie Was the property of so kind master
and that ne probably enjoyed the blessing OF
manumisSion of which the Legislature OF
1860 would have deprived him. y lively
fellow on attaining his freedom, he became
generally known throughout this commu.
nifty as an expert jig dancer and whistler.
Taken much notice of by reason of hi nat
ural smartness, Frisby soon fell into evil
habits, the only restaint upon him being the
Hollingswortn had allowed him to marry
and with whom he lived in little house
built by him on a lot on High street, upon
permission granted him by its owner, tho
late Col George Il. Howard There Frsby
lived and reared his family, the industrious
habits of his wife, saving him from trouble
i'll many an emergency of his history.
Frisby born night prowler. With
unerrng instinct he could track coon to
his hole, outwit the cunning 'possum, or
trap the water rat i'll his muskey den. His
cabin for years was garnished with the spoils
of his nightly hunts and at one time it
is SAID Ut him, that he station
master on the underground railroad, that
led to freedom for his fleeing brethren But
whether this be true or not, FRI" Evans
was for nearly two generations TIE type of
a Cute man of color, always civi. and
faithful Eliza babe him choose between her
and the whiskey jug, he brought himself
up like i man, chung to his faithful spouse,
and suddenly reformed. 50 far as We can
learn but one other colored man OF his early
day and association survives HIM elson
Guatus
Frisby survived his good wife many
years, and kindly hands supplied him in
his last Illness, with all the necessities and
some Of the Injuries that soothed the
SORROWS of his last days. He, like 50 many
other aged land marks has passed to his
last account, where neither race. color nor
previous condition, will weigh aught
az ,inst him for the deeds done in the body
The Rev. E. W. Scott conducted his
funsral services on Thursday