The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-10
TRUE TO HIS MASTER
Story of a Monument Standing in a
Georgia Graveyard.
TO THE MEMORY OF A SLAVE
Voluntarily Returned From Free
dom in California to His Old
Home-Brought a Hoard
of Precious Geld.
TO THE MEMORY OF A SLAVE
From the Chicago Chronicle.


Reciprocal trust between master and
servant in the South, before the days
of freedom, was known IN that sectloh
when one could not get the idea INTO
the head of the man in the North VITA
an augur. Even now, 80 years atter
the fight with evidence he has accu-
mulated from his own digging, 1t is
still a difficult thing for the average
man of the North to understand. Inc
politician who always opposed slavery
does not want to understand the rela-
tionship that existed between the
Southern man of the better class ana
his servants. For a quarter OF CEN
fury the same politician has labored to
convert the colored man so as 10 use
him for his purpose, the argument be-
ing that the colored man obtained ms
freedom from the school or whlch the
politician is a graduate. Since there
has been no argument advanced on
the other side by the Southerner, the
proposition of the Northern politician
has about run it's length, and the ne
gro finds himself now in the middle or
the road, from which he can take in
the situation on either hand and de-
eide for himself.
ON CONFIDENTIAL TERMS.
The reason for the foregoing appar-
emily musty topic is that some Chica-
go people who have just returned from
stories they heard there which sounded
strangely enough to them and which
were revelations.
1--WE were housed in, one day, in
Georgia" said one of the party TO the
Chronicle writer, land cut off from
newspapers, railroads and telegraph
lines. A man whose appearance snow
ed that he was in sight of the three
score stretch was our only source of
information. He was not the oVerdone
Southerner seen so often in these days
on the stage. True, he presented that
spirit broken characteristic of the old
school of whites in the south. But ne
INDUCED in no lamentations, nor did
ne have any regrets. His family had
slaves, and what seemed to hurt this
man most keenly was that any one
could think the slaves had not been
faithful, even unto death
1T was after a talk on this subject
that he invited our party to walk with
him to the family burying ground, as
IL is still called south, not far from
the old Southern home. The little
winding path which brought us to the
place showed that 1t was not much
Travelled. The brambles and vines had
almost covered it over in places. The
guide, who, by the way, is the sole sur
vivor of the family, apologized for the
fact i have just stated by saying that
at one time the path was wider and
always in good condition until most
of the old family and all of the serv-
ants had died, and now there was no
one but himself to make occasional
trips to the place where his father
slept. This apology had in ii melan-
choly which quite overcame me, and I
confess l have had it come before me
quite often since.
ELOQUENT BURIAL MOUNDS.
The burying ground contained, as 1
now recall, for / counted the mounds,
10 graves We had each one pointed
out and a bit of family history was
reeled off in the mention Of the name
of every sleeper. Some of the graves
were marked with sandstone slabs,
which years had at last touched, and
the names and biblical texts in some
instances could scarcely be read.
THE white folks graves were in one
section of the little Enclosure; those Of
the old servants in the other. i no.
ticed that a sort of shaft marked the
mound of one of the graves of the SER
wants. Indeed, II was the most con-
spicuous stone in the Enclosure, and
this naturally aroused the curiosity of
the visitors from the North. 1t was
explained in manner the simplicity
OF which touched all of us. l do not
think il could be reproduced so as to
read as it sounded to us, and l will
not attempt 1t. But 1 must give IL in
my own way.
A TALE OF FIDELITY.
The sole survivor said the shaft
marked the resting place of Asa, the
tried and faithful servant of his old
master and mistress In 1S49 the old
master, in common with that longing
procession for wealth, started for Cal
ifornia, taking with him his body serv-
ant, Asa, who left his wife, Samantha
with a little less grief than he might
have done otherwise had not the mas
ter also left behind his wife, the mis-
tress OF Asa. The trip, of course. was
overland. The recollection of the jour
neys to California during that rage for
gold will never be forgotten. They are
a part of the story of the new world
The old master and his servant reach
ed the fields, and the ground yielded tc
them as copiously as the rock which
the old prophet smote with his rod. II
was a long time between letters in
those days. The first TO reach the old
home in Georgia told of the success Of
the master and the health of himself
and servant. Then there was a LONG
wait running into months. The letter
was short and, according 10 the story
that had been passed Of this sole sur
vivor. was not written for publication
1t contained the information that the
old master had died and that Asa
would start home Immediately. After
the first shock the talk turned to tbs
possibilities of Asa's coming back. Tht
old negress never doubted IL. But some
Of the neighbors knew that when q
servant passed a certain line he wa:
free If he wanted 10 be. and then ass
undoubtedly had his masters wealth
and why should he return to slavery
The old mistress heart-broken ovel
the death Of her husband. was Sublim,
I'm her faith in her old servant. Sev
eral months passed. and one night ev
cry dog on the old plantation began L
bark at once. and the servants and
their pickanniniss that lived in tn,
row Of cabins down back Of the oil,
home. alarmed a. the noise Of III
dogs. went UP % the house 10 see i
anything had happened 10 old missus.
She and her children were up and al
were wondering what was the oCca
sion.
THE SERVANTS RETTRN