The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
AN ECLIPSE SPOILED A SAFE
Sun Refused to Shine on tho Old Plantation
When n Maine Yankee Called.

Sun Refused to Shine on tho Old Plantation
When n Maine Yankee Called.
The eclipse OF the moon on Tuesday night
reminded a Virginian Of a story.
The civil wal" he said. did not end as I
had hoped. and when 1t was over I found my
self the owner Of my fathers plantation and
half n hundred niggers who refused to
acknowledge Mr.. Lincoln's emancipation proc
lamation. But l had no money. | decided to
sell out the old place and go into a new coun-
try. II some OF you care to look it up you will
find in the files OF a New York newspaper in
1865. l think, al advertisement of a Southern
plantation for sale at a bargain. There
was one happy. idea in that advertise
ment. at least 1 thought so. 1t was
that the plantation was one on which the sun
never set. 1t was not an original idea, Of
course. 1 had often heard my father speak OF
the plantation in that way. He meant that
every foot OF it was under cultivation. And it
became known in our county and the region
round about as the plantation on which the sun
never set. In advertising 1t for sale | used the
description. Knowing that some one would rec
ognize 1t and talk about it. and that Is the Sc
cret OF successful advertising.
"One day while l was sitting on the porch
we didn't call it veranda then-a stranger
called. l very soon diagnosed him as a Yam
kee. and q Maine Yankee at that. He had
come to look over the place. and the news
spread among the niggers like goose pickings
In a high wind. After I had shown the pro-
spective purchaser over a part of the plantation
we returned to the porch. where he became my
guest. A Southern man never permitted a
caller, stranger though he was, to leave his
gate without setting out the decanter. andI
guessed he would. and / reckoned he should.
While we talked about the possibilities OF
the cid plantation and had worked In the sun
lamentations down in the Niger quarters. I
asked the Maine man to accompany me X he
what l supposed was a sudden religious at
tack. When We reached the scene some of the
on their knees. "a and tie SeJ picRaninnies had
crowded under the cabins as far as they could.
and their feet were wrieGling in the air, The
broke out louder than before. The burden or
refraip OF the suppIications was about this:
Gwine out and don't shine on de ole plantation
j, yelled and cussed until I finally got them
attic alton to the heavens. The sun was eclipsed:
The editor OF our county newspaper had
locked into my almanac lately; After the
96a aa65rsaft 20 an SG { 70 i' reSi mare the Sai niEss SrsF t f@s
above all things they must observe good order
when straagers were around With a view OF
she always selected his texts and helped him
in his work, famed herself vigorously with her
dress skirt as she explained.
Mass Bev'ly, she said. 'yo' pa allus say
dat de sun allus shine on dis plantation. and
shine until dat Abollshiner came down hyar
and talk about buyin'. and den de sun go out.
Mass Bevly. and don't shine no mo- on de ole
plantation. OATS de sign. 1t sho is. Mass
Bevly, In de hebbens dat de good Lawd mough-
tyunpleased dat an Abolishiner git de ole place.
fell to waIling again: oh, dc good Lawd, lone
die, and de sun gwine out and don't shine on
de ole plantation no mo- still W the old