The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
FIITRFrL UNCLE hob.
Gov. Atkinson's Family Friend and the story
OF the Erlcndship.

ATLANTA. Ga. March 26.-No official in the
United States has u more faithful servitor than
has. w. y. Atkinson, Governor OF Georgia, in
old Uncle Bob. The old negro is now over sixty
years old, past the time when he c.n earn his
living by hard work. So. when first elected
Governor. three years ago, Gov. Atkinson wrote
u letter to Uncle Bob, then living in Griffin, and
offered him a place rs ianitor at the Capitol at u
salary OF so a month, and the old darby
gladly accepted the place. He stood sadly in
need of assistance, for he had been turned out
OF his own domIcile by u girl whom he had
dopted when she was n little thing. and had
reared AMI educated out of his own earnings.
The girl appenrc cd to be ashamed OF her bene-
factor because OF his oli-fashioncd ways and his
lack OF education. and she tormentei him SO
m1ch that he had left home, and was earning a
living by doing odd Jobs among the Whites. The
Old man felt her inGratitude kcenly. He had
never had any children Of his own. md his old
wife was conc and he was alone. He had seen
better days. for he was the trusted servant OF
Atk!nson's father, acted rs his coiChinan and
factotnm generally about the plantation. and
WAS trusted implicitly in all sorts Of business
tran rtiOEs.
When Giov. Atkinson was suffering with the
attack Of appendicitis that came near proving
mortal last year Uncle 30 b sat on the doorstCps
in front OF the san!tarium where the Governor
was being treated night inter night, and never
left his post unless he was required to go on an
crrlnf 'or his sick master. When the operation
hi, w Per'" among III ths SAT ttr tP ' rofc %s', ,o % cbasr I iha
Governor in his convalcsc,ncc. A few days
TE2 the Corernor wns indlspoTed and Uncle
spend the nisht with his master and to cheer
his lonely. hours. The Governor was restless.
MS past lie so a. TO help while away the
hours. and FOR the frat time related his war ry.
Atkinson eldest brother. John b.. Atkinson.
who was member OF the seventh Georgia Regi-
incnr, and he recounted the story Of his masters
death and his own fidelity, apparently uncon-
sci2Is OF his own h"roism IN the affair
"Iiit was on de- mawnin, OF de fus Manassas
raid he in his old plantation lingo. an We had
stopped to get brcakus. I wus busy wild de
camp fire tryln, to bury NJ, de brGaEns, ease
wat mint we'd halter Jump an run. wen dc
GinI ordered f De Se e. n G'a~SSE TO- f"rrsf,i; |
his mu.ket nm fan inter line.
In er mighty fey minits de Judgment come
' comin a" %n'S dcs 70 dsy got to On de " camp ST DE Eis II
GcawRy WIS ordered TO forrerd. an dey bein' err
lot o Mars Johns kinfolks .mong dem Eight,
started back inter dc tight. WIS whar | could
ksep, my eye on i'm. case ! done promus oil
ter. an seed i'm way in front or de flag dcs er
SharSin. an a., er h"Tra;yim,; an DC nsn q dey WINS err
~ never had stch fcclin's in. al my horned
days. DE .bullits WIS er fyin' thick IA hail.
Iknowed dat dey'd done lei DIT po boy all iono
On de- tiel', an ! look roun' TO some way ter git
10 i'm; ley wus er little, raytne dat led on IN
'nough ter reich i'm 'dOut spOsin' mysc'f ter do
or tryin' To load is muskit. Er great biz bail
donc struck I'm in, de side an, tore er hoe
wusnt payin no 'tcntion to dc woun, but WIS
er tryiu' 10 load de gun. splalned to i'm how
back and hol' on ter me twcl ! could git i'm out
er dat place. De bullits wus or sinRin' roun' my
head. an ! had ter crawl back ter de ravine viii
him on my back, an den creep crlong twel | got
lie was bil'eedin' tnr:'bls" Xxx / knowed dat Of
walked an run az fas' as ] could 40 TO six miles
Ter de station an den I had ter wait ever so long
wus lodged in IS let' side AMI 90, knowed dat Is
IL. insi aG %ns a. IT, I"T o y; Gn ned ! ~ t,c i'm al Y at, o an,
/ SUNDAY mawnin' twcl de train come.
We'll, sab, at las dc train come an ] man,
SSC AT ter ri ct d., de P Eicb h@y on " wen an Ne we we, . daT Cd,
n nSSsf' lit or T ONO {? terrible giIST Place "a" To- Ma %sSJ john M
hom Ta and %T% az homie 10 nSn@ qoi f@ aHn SdR hi IT , simas, b SSIt
my heart to lis,n ter his child talk. Hit was late
struck dc po' boy. wen do doctor 'xamlned do
Wound az, ShaIf IL head cnl AZ ia laid moFtiAentiG p,
de led an wet is lips an Is ,for,eh an, bresh
back de long ha'r dat looked 80 boyish an curly
az he laid dar gaspin 70 breath.
dreppin inter n a lif . dozs. WEN r; spoke ! ter @ n.
safe an | NUS dar to see dat he WINS tuck good
care. nv, an, den he ak me wat time hit wus. an
! lpI I'M hI soon DO daylight, LAX I'M OF ne
feel better, an he sorter smile lack an say no
tell he NAV wen | git back ter Geawgy, an I
couldn' keep down de tears, an he toll me l mus
be- er better sojGr dan dat. an ter tell de folks
dat he done is bees.
II gin i'm some water an he drink a sip an
den he tell me tor tell all de folks good-by 70, he'd
never see OF Geawgy no mo, and den i des
bruk down. He beg me tel, raise i'm up an !
liz is head an he fetch one long breff and wus
gonel Hit was de saddles time ! ever seed, an
! couldn't hardly tell de news wen l got back
home"
It is needless to say that Uncle Bob will hnd n
friend and protector in Gov. Atkinson as long as
he lives. He Is able TO live very comfortably of
the salary which be receives for his work at the
Capitol and he will probably hold the job In
definitely, as no 10 steady and faithful and ct
tends strictly 70 his own business,