Arizona silver belt., 1899-12-14
A TRUSTED NEGRO.
esung History of the COlored ~WatchiOg" of the Georgia
 TreaSury


 Here is the story of negro, born on plantation. who has been the "watcb- oog or Georgia treasury for nearly a quarter of a century. His name is ieter MeMichael, and he has passed. without a stain, through every admins tration since the democrats came into power in 1870.
 feter IS quadroon, his father hnv- Ing been Shadraeh McMichneI, n lorae planter and landowner in Jasper coun- ". Shadrach McMichael lost his wife some years before the war. His house. giri was comedy mulatto, and they iVed together us man and wife nfter the death of his wife. While they were not, and could not, under the law. he legally welded, he recognized Peter and his three sisters by this girl as his own children. He proposed to leave 'nem So'coO each in his will and in the meantime sent them all to school They were all small during the ,r, but they managed to make the best of their op- portunities. The old man died about the close of the war. and his cs;a;C was turned over to his son by his first legal wife, Shadrach McMichael, Jr. The lat ter recognized the claims of his half brothers and sisters so far as to agree To the payment Of the Sl l,2CO which il had cost to give them their schooling. but declined 10 abide by the provisions of his fathers will.
 Young reterwas consequently turned loose upon his own resources, His sisters, who were elder. married. Peter, who was lad of unusual intelli- gence. was kept on the plantation as a sort or general factutum. He was trusted. us he grew older. with looking after the great wagon trains that drove to 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 a page in the general as- scmbly, where he soon won the conf dence and esteem of the state house of iicials. Send for Petie." was the re- mark when anything of a particularly special nature was to be transacted. hat was during the last days of the reconstruction period. Finally. in 1871, the democrats came into power, and ! James M. smith. the ''blacksmith gov i ernor," was elected. His attention had | been attracted 10 Peter. and he made | him a messenger in his office. Az the close of his term, after he had done ! much service in handling the funds of | the stute under tine treasury, Peter was made messenger of the treasury I Since that time, about quarter ot [ 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 carired to the various state de- 1 positories as much as S25.OLO per day | during the busy season of the payment | of taxes. He has the confidence and esteem not only the statehouse otfi' eials, but of every Georgian who is in | any way conversant with the workings of the state machinery.
 Peter is now little over 40 years oi age. He has nice home of his own and has provided comfortable domi I cile for his aged mother in this city Atlanta tGa.) Cor. \. '. Post.