Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-12-14
ROMANCE OF A SLAVE.
Advanced Money for Education OF
Former Masters Children.

Former Masters Children.
Permitted by his white owner to
purchase his own freedom and that
Of his wife with money he had accu-
mulated through his industry, Will
liam O'Neal, a remarkable negro who
has just died at Cheneyville, La, years
afterward educated son and a daugh-
ter Of his former master and cared for
them with the greatest solicitude posi-
bic, says the New Orleans Picayune.
This incident was recalled yesterday
by gentlemen In New Orleans who knew
O'Neal and the white family which at
first owned him and then were the ben
etciaries Of his affection. The owner
was John Johnson, a prominent sugar
planter of Rapides parish. Before the
civil war Johnson was the owner Of
large plantation and Of many slaves.
Among the slaves was a mulatto, Will
liam O'Neal, who, like many of the
more intelligent slaves, had been taught
trade. ONeal was trained as a
cooper, and proved not only a skillful
mechanic, but a steady worker, faithful
and economical.
Belonging to an Indulgent owner,
O'Neal was given many liberties not
usually accorded slaves, but instead Of
wasting his time he worked for him.
self and laid aside his earnings. When
he had saved a sufficient sum he ar
ranged to purchase the freedom of his
wife. He was advised that 1t would
be better for him to purchase his own
freedom, so that every cent he there
after made could be devoted to the
purchase Of his wife ana other rela-
tlves. But O'Neal had early deter
mined that his first earnings should
free his wife, and the suggestions were
disregarded. 1t was not until after
the purchase had been effected that
he realized his mistake and sought to
repair It.
Again the indulgence Of Mr.. Johnson
was shown. He permitted O'Neal and
his wife to arrange the matter so as
to apply the money on O'Neal's free
dom, the wife returning to bondage.
A free man, able to work for whom
he pleased and to apply his earnings
as he pleased, O'Neal soon saved enough
to buy his wife's freedom a second
time, and then that of his mother.
Freedom did not "spoil'' O'Neal, as
Is said to have been the case with
many negroes. He continued at his
trade until he had accumulated a small
sum, and then opened a general mer-
chandise store at CheneyvIlle. His
business was q success, and he soon
bought small farm for his mother,
giving it to her for life. He next bought
a place for himself-a small residence
and sixty acres of the best land.
O'Neal continued to prosper after the
war, which had practically stripped his
former master of his wealth. An IN
fortunate shooting ARRAY, in which Mr..
Johnson was killed, added to the fam
ily's troubles and made the children
dependent upon others. O'Neal was the
first one to offer assistance, and the
help he proposed to give was not mere
ly temporary. He agreed to support
I11O 0On anu uClISA1IC1 VI O40 AOAA1OA
master, paying their expenses until
they had acquired an education.
This act of O'Neal's won for him the
admiration and respect of the entire
community, which had formerly re-
garled him merely as a good negro.
The two children he educated grew
to maturity, married and moved to
Texas, while O'Neal continued to re-
side in Cheneyville, conducting his bust
ness. When his mother died he insist
ed upon the property he had given her
being distributed among her other heirs,
declaring that he had enough.
O'Neal was known in New Orleans
in business way. His credit was good
at all the wholesale houses with which
he did business, and he was regarded
as a good business man.