The morning call., 1893-03-26

cultiyating. He was a sporting man In every
sense Of the w ord. He was a good judge OF
horses, a cool-hesded poker-player, an ex-
pert in determining the age and bouquet
the fsvorite stimulant of the blue
grass regions, and an accepted authority
in all matters pertaining to the sports
and :pastimes Of gentlemen Of means
and leisure.
For quarter of a century he held his
own, and a little more, perhaps, in the
sporting world. and then suddenly lost his
footing and dropped out of sight One by
one he parted with The most of his slaves to
meet his obligations; then the farm went TO
his creditors; then half interest in river
steamer; and he finally removed to small
dwelling belonging to his wife In the
suburbs Of Louisville.
Their only remaining slaves were Hiram,
who had been sort Of overseer on the
farm, his wife Hannah, and their daughter
Tilly. a girl Of perhaps Is, who assisted her
mother in the kitchen and mads herself
generally useful in and around the house.
All of them had been born in slavery.
Hiram was a pure-blOoded negro, with
strong limbs and Rn intelligent face. He
was all of go and his wool was streaked
with gray, but he was sturdy worker, ana
his labor assisted largely in the support CT
lLE fanny dikEl Al4C AGlAlOf3A - N''S t4'eSN
hold TO Louisville.
Jasper Shsttuck did not long survive the
loss OF his fortune. In his prosperity he
had advanced thousands of dollars to his
friends 10 small sums. i lew oil THESE
loans were returneV from time 10 time. and
used as a gambling capital with varying
success but his stakes were small anu his
winnings barely suttic-d to mtet his personal
expenses. Finally the end came. Six
months after his removal to Louisville he
dr0brsi dead on his own doorstep While IN
the act Of entering he house, TO which he
had returned after an uninterrupted sitting
of nearly f0Uty-eight hours al the gaming
table Having been unusually successful
he had oYertaXed his strength. Nearly
$1,000 was found in his pockets.
The sudden death OF the father brought
home the son and only child. Tracy Shat
tuck youth OF 49, who for Two years had
been attending a Northern university. In-
stead of returning TO school he entered
law Office in Louisville, where he remained
a few months, and then accepted a clerk
ship on a river steamer plying between
Cincinnati and New Orleans. In that oceu-
patton lie remained for three years, con-
tIbutlng little TO the family support and
contracting more bad habits than good.
The promises of the position being unsatIs-
factory in the spring Of lS49 he concluded
to learn what fortune would do Tor him IN
California. His mother objected, Of course,
but finally consented, with Tie cOndl-
ti0Ds that Hiram should accompany him
10 the Pacific Coast, remain with him
while there, and return with him
after an absence of not more than
three years. She did not stop TO think of
the probable status OF Hiram after arriving
with his master in territory where slavery
did not exist She felt only that the host
ages size held in his wife and daughter were
sufficiently precious to insure his return
without the CONSTANTS of law.
And so Tracy Shatiuck, with many wild
dreams Of the future, and his sturdy COL
Ored helper, with no thought beyond that
Of obedience, jOurneyed overland TO Cali
fornia, arriving at Hangtown (PiacerYlle)
some time in August, 1919. Tracy located
placer claim IN the neighborhOod, con-
stTucted a small log cabin, sold his animals
and wagons for enough 10 pay for neces-
Sary mining tools aud a small supply Of
food provisions, ana started to work with
an energy promising well for the future,
But his enthusiasm was sboTt-liVed. Unac-
customed to manual labor, his hands soon
blistered, and IN less than week Hiram
was left to work alone on the claim, while
Tracy found occupation more TO his taste in
the drinking and gambling rooms Of Hang
town.
The claim yielded fairly well. With a
helper as industrious as himself, Hiram
could have taken out from one to two ounces
OF gold daily. AS it was his earnings were
very considerable, amounting, perhaps, to
five or six ounces per week, every penny
weight of which was handed to his master
as he Fl, N time 10 lime demanded it. Al
though he made pretense of lodging and
taking his meals at the cabin, it was not
long before Tracy began to spend the most
OF his nights in town, and to visit the cabin
only when he wanted money.
Hiram was profoundly grleved at the dis
solute course of his master; but, as lie had
been a slave, and deemed himself but a
chatte still, he did not venture beyond the
gentest of expostnlat which were gen.
orally met by laugh or promises Of refOr-
nation, which were the next moment IOr-
gotten.
So wore the autumn months away, dur
ing the latter part of which Hiram toiled in
the rain and snow when other miners
sought the shelter of their cabins. His
masters wants were incessant, and he
sought TO supply them as best he could.
His heart was SO burdened with grief that
he scarcely heeded the cold. and the rains
that drenched his shoulders washed the
tears from his black face as be worked
through the dreary days of November.
Men told him there were q o slaves in Cali
forna and advised him to work for him self,
bnt he thought of his wife and child in
Kentucky and continued to give his earn
Ings 10 his master
Week after week the rain continued, un.
I'll al last the raVines were filed with water,
and the red hills everywhere yielded 10 tile
loot Ike soft mortar Then Hiram could
not we'll manage alone the water in his
masters claim, and found il difficult 10 wash
out more than gold enough to keep the
cabin in food, the very cheapest article OF
which (iouD was SO cents a pound. Imme-
diately after the holidays Tracy visited
Sacramento for the first time, leaving
Hiram in charge Of the claim and cabin,
and promising to return within month.
Hiram had never before been left entirely
to his own guidance. The condition was
new and strange TO him. II seemed that he
han gun1ROlU IDaTpaga1 In hniuht and
weight, and had become possessed of an in
dlylduality for whose acts he was in q
measure responsible. He began to think
f0r himself, and grew self-reiant in the ex-
eeution Of small plans of his own devtsing.
lie worked harder than ever, and, n0twith-
standing the rains, managed TO earn some
thing more than living.
For three months Hiram awaited the re-
turn OF his master, and then abandoned the
claim and walked to Sacramento in search
OF gold dust. He found him al a gambling 2
table, and the meeting was gratifying to
both of them. II had been Hiram's in ten
tion 10 keep Tracy in Ignorance of the full
amount OF his savings, deeming 1t better td
pay over the money In weekly installments
OF $40 or 500; but in his delight at seeing
his master alive his little scheme Of econ
Omy was forgotten, and he handed him his
purse. The dust was turned into coin, and
Hiram was given hundred dollars Of the
in the rain and snow, and told to find lodg.
lngs and work somewhere in the city. as
they would probably not return to the
mountains for some time.
Hiram had Sagacty enough TO understand
that relations such as these between master
ana slave could not long be maintained. but
ne lett that 1t was not his business TO at
tempt to shape the future, either of his mas
ter or himself. He had no difficulty in find
ing employment, Tor laboIers OF all kinds
"a q dE 81 - Il
from So to $40 per day. For a month he
worked as teamster, and Tracy received
two-thirds or more Of his wages. leaving
him barely enough to pay for lis subsiSt.
ence.
This was discOuragDg to Hiram. A.
more than year had passed since they left
Kentucky, aud his master had shown more
OF disposition to spend money than tC
honestly earn or save it, 1t was becoming
plain to the unhappy old servant that. un.
less permitted TO retain a larger proportion
of his earnings. neither Of them would evel
be able to leave the Pacific Coast To Sc
Pura this ROunoeefop ba pnip0