The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-28
REMEMBERS LAFAYETTE.
AN OLD NEGRO WHO IMAoINRs A
FORTUNE AWAITS HIM.

a Slave of McClesran, the scotchms ST
Who BequeAthed $4,000 for the
Education of Colored Youth IL
Georgia. Anxiously Awaiting His
Share of the Bequest, Which He
Thinks was to the Scotchman's Elk
Slaves.
Hector Garves, a little old negro
man, who is a familiar sight on the streets
here the last few days of each week, hobbled
up to the MORNING NEWS office yesterday
to tell what he knew about old man Nc.
Clsaran, the Scotchman, who left bequesl
for the education Of the colored youth over
half century ago, which has since lain in
Scotland accommodating interest until # now
amounts to over as, 900, and which Gov.
Northen is taking steps to procure for
Gecrgia's school fund.
Garves was a slave Of the old Scotchman
on Argyle Island and was born in bondage
there about 1909. He is a small man,
very black, almost bent double with age
Wild snow-white hair and kindly but
wlthered face covered with a shaggy
growth OF beard, which looks more like cot
ton than hair. He wears an old confsder-
ate coat and pair of pantaloons patched
Win as many colored cloths as the hues OF
the rainbow.
Garves talks Interestingly Of Gowry, the
OLD McClearau plantation home, and says
tnat In Its day 1t was the busiest place on the
river, and the proprietor was looked upon
as one or the rich men Of this section. He
owned about 100 slaves and ran several saw
mills. McClearan, old Hector saws, died In
savannah shortly after Gen. Lafayette's
Visit TO this city, which was in 1926, and
hls son who came out from Scotland to as
sumo charge of Gowry after his fathers
death was stricken with the yellow fever In
Charleston and died in that city. Nc
Clearan's brother then came over from
Scotland. sold Gowry and the slaves to one
OF the Manigaults and carried the proceeds
back to Scotland With him.
GarVes knew nothing about the beQuest
Tor the education of the colored people until
ne heard some folks talking about it re-
Gently. The old man got the idea into his
head that the money was left for McClearan's
slaves, and it was to find out something
about 1t as much as anything else which in
ouced him to come to the MORNING News
ONCE. Garves is the only one Of the ex-
slaves of the estate alive. and the poor old
fellow was probably picturing to himself
that his declining days were TO be spent in
luxury. He looked disappointed when told
that ne would get none of the money, and
went away still trying to fsthom the be-
quest.
he talks Interestingly about old days in
Savannah, and remembers wildly Gen.
Lafayette's visit and the enthusiastic recep-
sion accorded him by the citizens. "Ain't
shum anything like um since Is the wav
Garves expressed it. The old man now
lives at Taylor's place on Ham Island, nine
miles from the city, where he is given a
little cabin for shelter He ekes out a Iiv-
ing by coming to the city every Friday, and
begging a little money, and goes back Sat-
urday nights.
Old Hector is one Of the last remnants of
the courtly old southern plantation negro
who salntes everybody as "marster" and
''missusn coupled with the knee bending SO
inlmitable with the old-time darkies. He
would be good Georgia exhibit Of rap
idly dying class to DO sent to the worlds
fair,