Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-10-04
A TRUSTED NEGRO.
Interesting HtstsFy sf ths C~aersS sSsEatsha0E~ sG SAs Georgia
 TressaFg.


 E Here is the etory of a negro. born on
 plantation. who has been the watch. ! dog" ofA Georg1a treasury for nearly a i quarter of 6 century. His name q, ' Peter MS,MichAel. and be has passed ' withoaIt a stain. through every aaluinis- | trstiOn since the democrats came iaso ! power in IssD.
 Peter Is a qaadrooa. his father hav. ing been Shadraeh Nca5chae1. a larrs ! plAnser and landowner ia Jsspsr eoun- ty. Shadrach McAfichael last his wife some years before the war His house girl was a oonaely mal4tto. and they hved together ss man and wife after the death of his wife. While tAev xerr not. and could net. under the law. bs legally welded. he recognized Peter and his three sisters by this girl as his own childrea- He proposed Co leave them $e,o9o each ie his win. and in the meantime sent them al to school. They were all small during the war, bus they managed to make the best of their op- portunttaes- The old man dted about the close of the war, and his estate was turned over Co his son by his arzt legal wife. shAdrach MeMiekael. Jr. The lat ter recognized the claims of his half brothers and sisters so far as Co agree 10 the payment of the Sl.2a0 which it had cost 10 give them their schooling. but declined to abide ay the provisions of his fathers win.
 Young Peter was sconsequently turned loose upon his own resources. His sisters who were elder, married Peter, who was a lad of unusual intelh- geaoe, waH kept on the plantation as a sort of general fActotum. He was trusted. as be grew older. with looking after the great wagon trains that drove to Madison and other points on the Georgia railroad Co dispose of the cos ton crop. lie proved himself perfectly trustworthy.
 Finally, desiring Co better his for. tunes, he came to this city, and secured the place of page In the general Rs- sembly, where ke soon won the conf. dencs and esteem of the state house of ! tcials Send for Petie.~ was the re- mark when anything of a particularly special nature was Co be transacted. { That was during the last days of ths | reoonStruction period. Finally. in lsTl. 1 the democrats came into power. and James N. smith. the ~blackSmith gov ! ernor, was elected His attention had l been attracted to Peter. and he made 1 him a messenger in his ofsce. A the l close of his term. after he had done l much service ia handling the funds of i the state under the treasury. Peter was 1 made messenger of the treasury.
 Since that time, about a quarter of 4 a century. he has held the same posi- I ton under each successive administra. 1 ton He has handled millions Of dol | lars for the state. and never has there l been the least discrepancy. Sometimes l he hAs carired to the various state de- | positories as much as Sss, 900 per day. I during the busy season of the payment l of taxes. Re haa the confidence and l esteem put only tbe stBtehoaSe off | cials. but Of every Georgian who is ln ] any way conversant with the woFhings I of the state machinery.
 Peter is now a little over % years of | age He has nice home of his own, and has provided a comfortable doui- eile for his aged mother in this city, AtlantA (Gn-l Cor. N. I. Post.