Evening journal., 1908-10-06

l3rattOn did not know but what they /
might have to spend the night there |
Mr. Bratton finally climbed a tree /
(and they were tall trees tool and /
got his bearings by the location Of the /
farm houses and so got to the shore /
again. He was a great fisher and !
gunner and did not expect any man 1
to beat him at any kind Of farm work, /
particularly pulling corn blades as
was a custom those days / had some |
fun with him and another champion |
blade puller Ca colored mani by the
name Of Alison Collins. after Mr.. Brat |
ton was SO years of age. 1t was my
custom from 1863 to 1855 to go 10
Philadelphia every summer TO sell
peaches for peach growers and this !
kept me from home a great deal. SO
in 1877 / went to look for the old gem
tleman to stay with my family during
the time ] was away. and when he put
ia an appearance In town and seemed
to be making a stay, IL became a sub I.
ject Of inquiry as TO what he was
doing there so long. for all the promi- !
nent men knew him, for he had been
prominent business man on account
of his cedar swamp. So one day some
one ventured TO ask him what he was
doing i'm town so much, and his reply
was "Oh, doing up the odd jobs and
driving the cows for the old man HUI
kill" And II the folks about town
didn't carry me high about that
was AZ and he was SO and l was old
man Hukil after that about that
town. 3s years ago. and a man had
better take NV dimensions and know
his own pretty woll, too, TO call me an
old man to my face in 1908.
So II came time to pull blades and
had about four acres of corn and
wanted the blades pulled and went off
and hunted up Collins and engaged
him FOR the job and then told him !
had an old gentleman there, staying
with the family, and ] expected when
be found out the blade pulling was
going on he would be out there. and
In case he came to just let him do as
he pleased "All right" says Collins,
"he won't bother me-" And I went to
Philadelphia about my business. but
had some little suspicion that there
might be some fun out In that corn
lot before / got home again, and when
| got back ] was careful to ask the old
gentleman how they made out with
tho blades and did he pull himself
Yes he said and ] thought I saw
twinkle in the old man's eye. And. ~
he said, when / got out there that
colored man you had had started i'm
and was fifteen or twenty hills mp the
row. and when he saw me out at the
end he says. Hello, old man. do you
want to pulp and ] told him yes.
Well he says, you come up here and
take my two rows and I'll take two
new ones for I'll soon catch YOU any
how. and / said all right for ] knew
ne wouldn't catch me. and he didn't
say anything more about giving me
start like that
That was nuts for me. and ! was
ANXIOUS 10 see Collins. and when 7 did
the first thing J asked him was how
he made out. and did the old man
pull YES" he said. And you were
kind enough TO give him start2 Yes
yes" Wen ala you cstch hinn2 80.
| ] didn't Why, that old mans blade
puller" and for fifteen or twenty years
after that when he came to Whining
ton to market. if I would ask him II
he ever pulled any blades nowadays.
he would say. Now hush, won't YOU
When rabbit hunting time came on
he had gotten back home and invited
me down 10 the old Gardner property
/ Cwhcre | WIS born), for a rabbit hunt,
and the old gentleman had fun up his
sleeve that day and at my expense az
chat j found out afterwards. J no.
! ticed I was having II easy. getting the
rabbits over an old crack shot like
him. So some time afterwards some
one told me he heard the old gentle
man telling about having me down for
the hunt. and said u wanted him TO
have a good time ! could have killed
the rabbits several times, but let them
go back 20 him, and it seemed to
tickle the old man. too. He lived to be
over 30. 7 think, but some Of his
friends told me that whenever he
could get about they had to watch
him all the time to keep him from
going fishing.
There were a few old colored men in
he Neck those days that were rather
am important factor in the farming
They had no education. but they were
upright. Straightforward kind Of mer
that commanded the respect Of this
general public. Benjamin Williams
John White, Isaac Archie. Jesse Par
sons. Absolem Reading, Isaac Ayers
and Jerry Gales. The colored people
had no schools or churches Of theii
own. They were allowed in all the
county churches and always sat in thu
gallery but there was no provision
made for schooling their children a bi
} more than if it had been prohibited bl
law Never heard Of but one or TIVE
cases where they had opportunity OF
fered them. ] have heard my mothe
say when she went to school ther'
was one colored boy who came &
, school part Of the time, Alexander Lea
who turned out to be a preacher wa
highly respected by all, owned AM
, lived on<a little farm near fieldshoro
Appoquinimink hundred.
wish 70 say in connection with thi
TO the readers Of THE JOURNAL tina
, / will have two more letters concern
ing the Neck. one OF the Deakyne an
one Of the Walker families. and the
? will take up another section, and Wi
: hurry along as fast as they viii let m'
one Wilmington gentleman said to m
Yesterday: II am reading your letters
but we think it's time you were get
ting out Of the Neck and anothe
told me he picked one up in Philadei
+, phia. William Andrew huKlii'
-
& Coroner Will Hold lnquests.