The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-01-17
ROMANCE OF A sIAvA
Advanced Money for Educatfon on
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, VIII
liam 0'Neal, remarkable negro who
has just died at Cheneyville, La, years
afterward educated son and daugh-
ter of his former master and cared for
them with the greatest solicitude possi,
BILE, says the New Orleans Picayune.
This incident was recalled yesterday
BY gentlemen in New Orleans who knew
0'Neal and the white family which at
hrst owned him and then were the ben
eficiaries of his affection. The owner
was John Johnson, a prominent sugar
planter of Rapides parish. Before the
civil war Johnson was the owner of a
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
q trade. O'Neal was trained as a
cooper, and proved not only a skillful
mechanic, but steady worker, faithful
and economical.
Belonging to an indulgent owner,
0'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 sufficient sum he ar
ranged to purchase the freedom of his
1wife. He was advised that 1t would
be better for him to purchase his own
/ freedom, so that every cent he there
latter made could be devoted to the
purchase Of his wife and other rela-
tives. But O'Neal had early deter
mined that his first earnings should
free bis wife, and the suggestions were
disregarded. 1t was not until after
the purchase had been effected that
be realized his mistake and sought to
sepaEx 1t.
Again the indulgence of Mr.. Johnson
Fas sn1wn. He permitted o'Neal and
bis sWlfA to arrange the matter so as
g apDl the money ON O'Neal's free
dom. the wife returning to bondage.
! A free man, able to work for whom
be pleased and to apply his earnings
as he pleased, O'Neal soon saved enough
to buy his wifes freedom second
time, and then that of his mother.
| tfcx1li1v OtN0oI
ls said to have been the case with
many negroes. He continued at his
trade until he had accumulated small
sum, and then opened a general mer-
chandise store at Cheneyville. His
business was a success, anu he soon
bought small farm for his mother,
giving 1t to her for life. He next bought
q 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 un-
fortunate shooting affray, In which Mr.,
Johnson was killed, added to the fam
llys 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
the son and daughter of his former
master, paying their expenses until
they had acquired an education.
This act of O'NeaPs won for him the
admiration and respect of the entire
community, which had formerly re
garded him merely as good negro.
The two children he educated grew
to maturity, married and moved tt
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 hel
being distributed. among her other heirs
declaring that he had enough.
O'Neal was known In New Orlean!
In business way. His credit was goot
at all the wholesale houses with which
he did business, and he was regarded
as good business man.