Bisbee daily review., 1903-04-08
TIE CUSTODIAN
lOriginalI

Into decay. The root 10 the manor house had caved in, the window panes were broken. the fences down. Behind the house was a solitary hut The only thing left of the former splendor of the place was the trees. A desire came over me to know something of this noble ruin. I walked up to the house and. seeing no one went back to the hut where l found a venerable negro sit ting on a box before his cabin door smoking cob pipe.
 Good morning. uncle"
 "Mornin', sah.'
 Are you the only person about the placer
 Spec l am, sah. an rze been de only pusson bout de place fo' fo'ty yea's."
 ! offered the old man a cigar, which he declined, preferring his pipe. Throw. ing myself on the grass. I waited for him to talk. AS he did not, I made Q remark by way of a starter.
 "I suppose this was once a busy place."
 Reckon it was busy place, sah. II belonged to Cunnel Peyton. He was Cunnei Peyton befo' de wah, though he didn't nebber comma nd nothin' den an Gineral Peyton while it was a-goin' on. He owned a hundred t'ousand pig. gers"
 You mean thousand"
 "Yes, bout dat Dey all libed in de cabins Tong hyer."
 What has become of the cabins?'
 "I burn 'em all up fo' frewood- Missy Dorothy Peyton was bout twen- ty yeas old when de wah kun on. Dat war de time when dis place war fine. All de Peyton fambly, five chillun. war gr0wed up, fou' boys an one girl. De flower oh de flock war Missy Dol Iy. De cunnel an de boys went away 10 de wah, leavin' Missy Peyton an Missy Dolly. Dere war three Pickerin' boys on a plantation ober dar, an dey war all three in love with Missy Dolly. Dey all went to de wah. an when dey Ief Missy Dolly war gagged to George PicGerin', de oldest.
 "Well, de fus' Peyton Killed war Howell Pevton, at Manassas. Mex kun de cunnel, at Sharpsburg. Roger Iuk oe camp fever, kun home an died dere in de house. He had no mo T died befo' George Pickerin' wal brought home to de Pickerin' house sber dab an died. Missy Dolly nussed him. Dat war de fus' yea ob de wah sH one day, two yeas aftah Marss Tom Pickerin' kun marchin' up witt he troops, lookin' so harnsome an SC Iak he brudder George dat when ht went away Missy Dolly done promised 50 marry him.
 After de time when de rnessenge, rode up to tell dat de cunnel had beer shot Missy Peyton done pine away specially dat her favorite SOD. Howell var taken, an when de news ob dt battle of Gettysburg kun, an dat Narse Roger had been shotted daid Missy jes' done gib up an died in dt summer. Dis leabe Missy Dolly al Tone. But, as luck wud hab it. Marst Donald, de las ob de Peyton brudders tux sick an kun home on leabe Twas lucky, fo' Tom Pickerin' wal blowed up in de mine at Petersburg an Missy Dony was lef sort ob wio der nudder time.
 Donald Pickerin' hung long an died in de spring ob '6J, at de season when de roses air bloomin' an bout d time when de Confederacy stopped bloomin'. Ob ali de fine pecpae alive fou' yeas befo' Gn de two pIantation' only Missy Dolly an Alan Pickerin was lef. Soon $ de south'n men gib uI l de job Narse Alan kum hack an fin ! Missy Dolly hbin' aH lone hyer on dii 1 plantation Mos ob de niggers had don' I gone. Dey varn't none Ob 'efn lef 'eept me sn' my faInbly hyer in dis cab ! h. Marsc Alan WAT 5e only Ghe ol i Miss Doliy's lovers lef', an after aThtk 1 he done 'suaded her to marry him De. ] didn't mak no fuss bout de weddin' | ro' dere uarnt nobody 70 kum to 'ceps de gsosts
 -Dey tried mighty hore so stay OR dl ' piapta ton. bs,t 'twarnt no nse f0 Ak, sy Dolly to sry to ib whar she had bee so happy bsfs' 5e wah. aH' FSw ne eben Ge nIggaFs war kef. So esnr da. she says Uncle Peter. me an my nus hau' a-son' to iab tn Kew Yo'k, rn' VI want yoa yo stay hyeF an teS care q ae Idants<aE' De mex day sey sef 1 an' s seemed 's if de ole place ha' ara wed its hss' bssaf an gose ts Seef lak putty nigh all de favfipiy in de bzrS E gfoas' stsx an de bIIssk'e dsr.
 Missy Iloliy didn't nb tsSry long spec d.se wat too much no.se an rus sn de city fS' heF dekicate 'stutioa- Sn had some ehiIhR- One sb 'esn lnss down hy,r osnct. bat se war city fsas son aa' aiflB't carry np wear'sns aT Sidr't look kak sse fne genttesssen WI ipns ha'r v bat assed 10 ride 'tsEf q. x t.Iautstsas, nssrre AksD Ptekek' oaI r.e.S plldfser wife a8' had no cSAsss su' when Se died dis Isa~ Get asi ESxe ID ia de Ia V, s-o ssi'osiy cant se noeA11 st skA 'bsz1 II.
 sAy sse 'afDas oisel yea age, sr
 GH cnllHa [:sk all wBseD tn uade
 seaces kes=p watck 0lyer ae ss ksns'
 It's mgtny hscessgne soBeriDek as when lasss.t SaD q - RsssG ! ia shes my eyes ssFs' see se Yisee sszrIAaz
 wsfh Issggers. ra' csssncs PeyrsE sosl tn' 'em aii, al Missy. I-e! ,Sii ;i KIT c-.- ] ct ae sick oass, an de Pes.s kaPs ga
 AcpAs' -bosu ea sse bosses, Aa se PHsSs
 S.' boys sel tyyys' which 'e'd st h6s | r-.slv psu I r,rsnI | sOou xit t0 hkn1