The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-19
ONE or THE LAST "UXCLEs."
A Type of Negro That Is Fast Dis
appearing From Southern states.

n type u Ne8EO AhAt IL II uAt DIS
appearing From Southern states.
From the New Orleans Picayune.
Peter Dudley is one of the most ancient
characters of Hancock county, MISSISSIPPI
pi, and is well known to every man, wo-
man. and child at Bay St. Louis.
He was reared in Brunswick county,
North Carolina, although he constantly
declares that he is yankee, born in New
York. He was brought to Hancock county,
Mississippi, in 1885, and al that time was
found by Mrs. Amelia Russ at Pearling-
ton, Miss. He was then supposed to be
about 40 years of age, which now make
him over 100 years old. Men of 70 and IS
of Pennington and Gainesville, Miss, re-
late that when they were small boys Pc
ter Dudley looked nearly as old as he does
at the present. The general suppOsitiOn
is that he is about los years old.
After the death of Mrs. Amelia Russ a
Pennington he passed into the hands of
John Russ, the great-uncle of A. r. Russ,
prominent citizen of Pennington. In the
days OF slavery ii was customary for
slave owners to hire out their men and
women to different farmers of the neigh
borhood, and Mr. John Russ during the
war, hired Peter to Mr.. James Murphy,
who lived at Napoleonville on Pearl river.
1t appears that the old fellow became dis
satisfied with filling the soil for others,
struck him of making an appropriation
of yoke of Mr. .Murphys oxen to his
own use, which he lost no time in doing.
When Peter was found some weeks after
in Devils Swamp he had a fine clearing
of about two acres of land planted in
sweet potatoes and corn
Mr.. Murphy succeeded in getting him
back but could never get work out of
him but such as was congenial to Peters
taste. Finally he was put to caring for
the negro babies on the farm, in order
that the mothers could work in the fields.
This occupation did not suit his fancy,
and he became fretful over this humiliat-
ing task of minding babies. One day for
bearance no longer seemed a virtue, so
he threw three of the little pickaninnies
into a brier patch and again made for
DEVILS swamp. Until this day Peter is
good at throwing, and when he threw the
babies they landed twenty feet from
where they started. History does not state
whether they were injured
Peter had natural inclination to run
away, and would go to Devils swamp
about every three months and was al
ways willing to assist the fight of other
slaves by furnishing provisions, etc.
After the war, when he became free,
he subsisted by doing odd jobs around
Pennington, playing the fiddle with two
sticks for the amusement of the children,
and occasionally dancing when some OF
the boys would pat for him. AT his out
door concerts he would go through all
the manoeuvers of tuning his fiddle and
MAKE du imitation OF the Suuuu 1T lAic
same time. In 1871 he picked up his duds
and moved to Bay st. Louis on schoon-
err Here he has resided, happy and con-
tented, ever since. His memory is some
thing wonderful in the matter Of names
and dates. He can tell the history of all
the old families Of Pennington, calling
each by name, and often recognizes peO-
pie whom he has not seen for many years.
At times he gets very communicative
and says that he was told before ne came
to this country that life was very easy
money grew on trees, and that in every
hogs back was a knife and fork ready
for carving and eating.
In these days of restricted suffrage 1T
may seem odd TO the younger generation
to hear that at one time Peter was a quail
flied voter. and that he took not only an
interest, but an active part in city and
ing he was not near so foolish as people
thought Unuil the present day he says
ne is publican, and that he would
never vote the 'dimicrat" ticket as he
was often solicited to do Peter would
often be given a democratic as well as
a republican ticket, but he never could
be fooled ito putting the wrong ticket
into the ooN. More than once he mas been
known 10 slyiy tear up his democratic
ticket and slip in his republican vote.
on Gen. Grants last visit to the south
ne stopped at the Bay long enough FOR
his admirers to look at him and shake his
hands. Peter joined the procession, and
marched up with a big bunch of lilies to
give the general. 1t was an occasion that
he has never forgotten
Peter of late years has Thought a good
deal OF death and IS awfully afraid Of
ghosts, and Is easily impressed By dreams
his prayer IS; Lay me down to sleep,