The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1899-09-02
A TRUSTED NEGRO.
lntereatanE RIsiory of che coIored
'.WatehaOs- 81 the Gesrgia
TreaaaPy.


Here Is the story OF a negro, born OF
plantation. who has been the watch
dog" OF Georgia treasury for yearly /
quarter of century. Ills name i,
l'eter MeMichael. and he has passed
without stain. through every admins
tratiOn since the democrats came int
power in 1870.
Peter Is quadroon, his father hav,
ing been Shadrach McAIichaeI, a large
planter and landowner ia Jasper eoun,
". Shadrach McMiehael lost his wife
some years before the war. His house
| girl was a comedy mulatto, and they
/ lived together as man and wife after
the death of his wife. While they were
not, and could not. under the law, be
legally welded, he recognized Peter
and his three sisters by this girl as his
own children. He proposed to leave
them $6,ooo each in his will, and in the
meantime sent them all to school. They
were all small during the VAR. but they
managed to make the best OF their or-
portunities. The old man died about
the close of the war. aud his estate was
turned over to his son by his first legal
wife. Shadraeh MeMiehael, Jr. The lat
ter recognized the claims of his half.
brothers and sisters so far as to agree
TO the payment of the Sl,sOO which il
had cost to give them their schooling
but declined to abide by the provisions
OF his fathers will.
Young Peterwaseonsequently turned
loose upon his own resources. His
sisters, who were elder, married.
Peter, who was lad of unusual iptelI-
gence. was kept on the plantation as n
sort of general factotum. He was
trusted, as he grew older, with looking
after the great wagon trains that drove
10 Madison and other points on the
Georgia railroad TO dispose of the COT
ion crop. He proved himself perfectly
trustworthy.
Finally, desiring to better his for.
tunes, he came TO this city, and secured
The place of page in the general as
sembly. where he soon won the conf.
deneS and esteem of the state house Of
ncials- send for Petite" was the re-
mark when anything of a particularly
special nature was 10 be transacted
hat was during the last days of the
reconstruction period. Finally. in 1874,
the democrats came into power. and
James NJ. Smith. the blacksmith gov
ernor. was elected. His attention had
been attracted to Peter, and he made
him n messenger in his Office. Al the
close OF his term, after he had done
much service in handling the funds of
the state under the treasury, Peter was
made messenger Of the treasury.
Since that time, about n quarter OF
a century, he has held the same posi-
ton under each successive administra-
ton. He has handled millions of dol
lars for the state, and never has there
been the least discrepancy. Sometimes
he has carried to the various state de.
posltories as much as $4,000 per day.
during the busy season OF the payment
OF taxes. lie has the confidence and
esteem not only the statrhuuSt OH
elals, but of every Georgian who is in
any way conversant with the workings
OF the state machinery.
Peter is now little over 10 years OF
age. He has a nice home OF his own,
and has provided a comfortable domi
ellie for his aged mother in this city
Atlanta (Ga.) Cor. y. Y. Post.