The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-29
THE UNIVERSITIES MASCOT.
Distinguished Georsians Knew and
Loved "OId Tub"-IIis stories of
His Nisifs TO Hell md Heaven.

His Visits TO Hell and Heaven.
! Athens, Ga, Nov. 2S.-The Morning
News has already published an ac-
count of the death of old Tub" He
was such a feature of university life,
however, that his death should have
more than a brief announcement. He
was a poor, blind, old negro, yet, were
they alive to-day, the news of his
death would touch the hearts of such
, men as Ben Hill. Thomas r. r. Cobb,
Robert Toombs, Henry Grady Alexan-
der Stevens, and many other illus
trious Georgians; and the sad intelli-
gence of his most untimely demise Will
bring sorrow to thousands of Georgia's
alumni, who remembers him as one Of
the landmarks of their college lays.
Lewis Green, or Tub" as he was
Familiarity known, has been the topic
of poem, story, and song, since first he
became the mascot Of the institution,
full sixty years ago.
Among the many queer stories told
by old Tub" is that of his visit to
hell and heaven, which was related as
only an old-time darkey can tell a
thrilling story. One day Tub went to
hell! To be sure it was not of his own
accord, but he wasn't asked about it.
just like a cat would be thrown into
an old well by a mischievous boy.
How was ii l cum to go ter hell?"
old Tub would say. well, I'll tell you
de trufe erbout it. i wuz out in de
! fields ploughin one day, and / had
been doin' right, I was ploughin long
and didn't feel as easy as l mout hab
felt. Sumpin jes' KEEP sayin' to me,
Lewis yer gwine to be punished for
xyor Ell I "a a
de speaker, an jes' den l heard de
hell hounds comm. Den Lewis Green
he gan to lecture how he gwine to
get home an not let dem houns kotch
him. Jes' as l commenced ter git ober
! a rail fence. sumpin laid a han on me
an said Lewis, dis berry night you
shall sholy die You may b'lieve
but dis ole niger prayed pra'r long
an loud, jes' den.
I'm de midst ub my pra'r dere COM
a roarin soun,' an de voice sed, Now,
Lewis, yer gwine ter hell and TO l
knowed it 1 foun' myself in hell. I
was on de side ub a big rock, wild my
| feet braced agin it ter keep me from
| fallin' into de bottomless pit jes be
| low me- Dere was shoiy weepin' an
wailin and gnashin' o. teeth down in
| dat hole. De smoke come up an de
| folks was hollerin' and de bones dey
was a crackin'.
"Ober on der lef' side was a medder
wild red grass, an a thousand bulls wus
playin' roun' an roun'. In de middle
was a big red bull wild a forked tail
| an fiery eyes. De ole debbil hisself
was a-ridin' OBJ dat bull, and was COM
in straight arter me. / prayed der
IIawd to take me up, an felt de cher
lasting arms under me an l went up
till / reached de earth agin'."
But Tub would reverse the words or
| Father Abraham when he told Dives
there was an impossible gulf between
| torment and the Elysian fields, for al
though he went to hell. he also at an
other time took a trip to heaven. Told
in his own language, that journey is:
II wanted ter see my ole mother an
sister, an 1 prayed de Lawd ter take
me up to Heaven. Jes den ebberyting
growed bright an Jacobs ladder fell
at my feet. 1 clunbed UP de ladder
an passed all de stars an de moon,
an come to de pearly gates. Heaven
is a pretty place Its flo is OBJ glass;
its walls is all wife and piekters
hang on de walls. When l got
up dar, all de folks was sitting 'roun
de table eating and dere was no hun
ger. no tears and no fight thar. De
cuIlud boys he'd all turned wife an
he'd lef' dere razors on de outside ut
de walls ub de city. ] jes' took Ell
look at myself an I was white an
had err crown on my head an goldir
harp in my hans. / looked down or
de flo an saw somethin' look like Ell
plum, so l picked it up an ct 1t. II
was de bes' eatin' I ebber had in my
life. No sooner had 1 done 1t, dan dc
Lawd said, Lewis. guess you'd better
go now; so 1 was led to der gates
am drapped down ter erth agin." The
story of his trips to heaven and hel
and many such other stories TUB usee
10 tell will long linger in the memorie:
of those TO whom he told them.
But Tub is gone. He was buried
Yesterday afternoon. Many of the mos
distinguished citizens of the commun
ity. for memorys sake, paid tribute
to his ashes.