Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-08-20

A unique personality has just passed
away in the death here of Rev Peter
Randolph. the oldest Colored clergyman
in point of services if not in years in
the country He was born in Prince
Georges county, in the southeastern
part of Virginia, on the James river. in
1925. He was born slave, on the planta-
ton Of Carter H. Edloe and remained
there for q years His father was a
slave driver for George Harrison of Lower
Brandon. who allowed him. through an
agreement with Edloe. to visit his wife on
the Edlce plantation twice a week. He
was early instructed by his mother in
principles of religion and morality, and
at the age of 10 he began to preach to
those of his own size on the plantation.
At the age of is his father died, leav-
ing his mother with five children to sup
port His mother soon died. When
about 25 his master died, leaving a will
t. the effect that all slaves who so
wished could leave the plantation and be
transported whittier they pleased. and
al the end of the journey We're to receive
$50. 1t was little over three years before
they could obtain transportation, and
Ct receiving the $50 each one received
S1496. On arriving in Boston his first
thought was to join some church. He
found about Is of his own people, wor-
shipping in a hall on Belknap street, now
JOY street, under Leonard A. Grimes and
these he Joined. Soon after the society
was regularly organized, under the name
OF the Twelfth Baptist church, with the
Rev. Mr.. Grimes as its pastor. In 1850 he
| obtained license from the Twelfth Bap-
tist church as preacher and few years
later went to preach in the Ebenezer
Baptist church which was organized by
him, with the help of the Rev. George
G.. Lorimer, D. D., of fremont Temple.
With the idea of trying to better his own
people. he studied law for a short time
in the office of T.. G.. Walker. and was
made justice of the peace by Governor
Washburn. While the civil war was in
progress he acted in conjunction with
Lewis Hayden in helping slaves who es-
capped to the north. Since the war he did
| everything in his power to help the negro
race. He wrote many books. the one best
known and with the largest circulation
| being From Slave Cabin to Pulpit" a
story of his own life
Politics is beginning to hump itself
| now, and the first gun has been fired by
! the formal announcement by AlpheuS
! Sanford. eX-chairman of the board of
| aldermen, that he is a candidate for the
mayoralty. He announces himself, in an
| open letter replying to petition ask
! ing him to run, as against the machine
and for clean politics. Mr.. Sanford S
| right hand man in the matter is Senator
| Charles f. Folsom who is also eX-alder-
man and eX-Common councilman. Mr..
Folsom threw down the gauntlet to the
machine last fall and won in canter
| in the senatorial fight. Mr. Sanford Is
| also an experienced legislator, and has
been in the common council, board of
aldermen-where he was chairman
legislature and on many boards and in
many offices. He is courteous, a good
! fellow" smart lawyer and a man with
a faculty fer getting there" His OPP
ponent will be ex-MayOr and ex-City
| Clerk Edwin u. Curtis, and whichever
wins out at the convention there will be
! merry fight for at the polls.