Bisbee daily review., 1903-03-03
THE CUSTODIAN
tOriginaLl


 were broken. the fences down. Behind the house was q 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. l walked up to the house and, seeing no one. went back to the hut, where l found a venerable negro sit. ting on box before his cabin door, smoking a cob pipe
 Good morning, uncIe."
 "Mornin' sah''
 "Are you the only person about the place."
 Spec am. sah. an I'ze been de only pussOn bout de place fo' fo'ty yeas"
 I offered the old man a cigar, which he declined, preferring his pipe. Throw ing myself on the grass. waited for him to talk As he did not, made a remark by way of starter.
 ''i suppose this was once busy place."
 Reckon it was busy place. sah. It belonged to Cunnel Peyton. He was Cunnel Peyton befO' de wah. though he didn't nebber command nothin' den, an Gineral PeytOn while it was q -goin on. He owned a hundred t'ousand nig gers"
 You mean thousand"
 "Yes, bout dat Dey all libed in de cabins long hyer.''
 What has become of the cabins:"
 "I burn 'em all up fo' firewOod. Missy Dorothy PeytOn was bout twen- ty yeas old when de wah kum on. Dat war de time when dis place war fine. All de Peyton fambly, five chillun, war growed up, fOu' boys an one girl. De flower ob de flock war Missy Dol ly. De cunnel an de boys went away to de wah, leavin' Missy Peyton an Missy Dolly. Dere war three Pickerin' boys on q plantation ober dar. an dey war all three in love with Missy Dolly. Dey all went to de wah an when dey lef' Missy Dolly war gagged to George Pickerin'. de oldest.
 Well. de fus' PeytOn killed war Howell PeytOn, at Manassas. Mex kun de cunnel. at SharpsburS. Roger tux de camp fever, kum home an died dere in de house. He had no mo n died befo' George Pickerin' war brought home to de Pickerin' house ober dah an died. Missy Dolly nussed him. Dat war de fus' yea ob de wah, an one day. two yeas aftah Marse Tom Pickcrin' kum marchin' up with he troops. lCokin' so harnsome an so lak he brudder George dat when he went away Missy Dolly done promised to marry him.
 After de time when de messenger rode up to tell dat de cunnel had been shot Missy Peyton done pine away, specially dat her fayorite son, Howell, war taken. an when de news ob da battle of Gettysburg Rum, an dat Marse Roger had been shotted daid. Missy jes' done gib up an died in de summer. Dis leabe Missy Dolly all Tone. But. as luck wud hab it. Marse Donald. de las ob de Peyton brudderS. tuk sick an kun home on leabe. Twas lucky. fo' Tom Pickerin' war blOwed up in de mine at Petersburg. an Missy Dolly was lef' a sort Ob wid- der nudder lime.
 Donald Pickerin' hung long an died in de spring ob '65, at de season when de roses air blOomin' an bout de time when de Confectionery stopped blOomin. Ob ali de fine people alive fOu' yeas befo' on de two plantations only Missy Dolly an Alan Pickerin was lef' Soon s de south'n men Gib up de job Marse Alan kun back an fin Missy Dolly libin' all lone hyer on dis oh do h.t1 gone. Dey warn't none ob 'em ief' 'cept me an my fambly hyer in dis cab fin. MarSe Alan war de only one Ob Miss Dolly's lovers lef', an after awhile he done 'suaded her to marry him. Dey didn't mak no fuss bout de weddin', fo' dere warn't nobody to kum to If 'cept de ghosts.
 .'Dey tried mighty hard to stay on de plantation. but 'twarn't no use fO' Mis- sy Dolly to try to lib whar she had been so happy befo' de wah. an now not eben de niggers war lef'. So one day she says. Uncle Peter, me an my hus- ban a-goin' to lib in New Yo'k, an we want you to stay hyer an tek care ob de plantation De mex day dey lef', an 1t seemed s if de ole place had drawed it's las breaf an gone to sleep, lak putty nigh all de fambly in de bury in groun' ober on de hillside dar.
 Missy Dolly didn't lib berry long; spec dere war too much noise an fuss in de city fo' her delicate 'stution. She had some chillun. One ob 'em kun down hyer onct, but he war city pus- son an didn't carry no weapons an didn't look lak de fine gentlemen with long ha'r what used to ride bout on dis plantation. Marse Alan Pickerin' mar, ried nudder wife an had mo chiilun an when he died dis place got all mixed up in de law. so nobody can't do nothin at all bout it.
 My ole oman dieI yea ago, an my chillun air all wuken in uddel | places keep watch ober de ole home i It's mighty lonesome sometimes, an | when cain't stan it no longer jes ] shet my eyes an see de place swarmtn | with niggers. an Cunnel Peyton boss in lem all, an Missy Peyton takin' cart ob de sick ones, an de Peyton boys gal lopin' bout on de bosses, an de Picker