The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-26
m. HALE WRITES OF ROYHooD
& e. SCENES.


by 3. O. HALE.
DO not think Mr.. Landrum taueh'
8 school for my father and his neisn-
bors longer than four or I'VE months
and he must have removed to. some
distant place, for I never again heard
3 81 nv ola friend. Those who had been
puniIs In the little cabin where the
two girls had been to me such bug
q bears, now entered the schools located
d Montgomery. My older brother. less
than eight years Of age. entered MIS-
Daohneyss school. Mrs. Dachney was
Z Northern lady who had made quite
. reputation as discipltnarian and
Tor being very successful In training
the young idea
4 NY brother rode his pony to school.
IN the mornings he had our father TOT
company, but In the evenings ne came
dashing home by hi,uself. in style
that impressed me with the idea that
Z ~ was very large boy. My younger
brother ana would watcfi for his
coming and lust as soon as he would
turn from the road into the avenue.
would run to meet him. He would
turn over to us his lunoh bucket and
We would eat its contents with much
more relish shan We did the same kind
when served on the table.
NY father frequently entertained.
over night. friends who resided in dis
tant portions Of the county. Among
the number was a Mr.. Canon, who was
frequently our guest. One Of his visits
was made during GOLD weather and he
was assigned to an upstairs room. It
was the duty OF Jim. my mothers
house boy, 10 prepare the fuel and at
tend to the fires. But on the morning
Of Mr.. canon's visit the fres below
Stare were unusually poor, and my
mother was reproving Jim for not
having attended properly to his du-
ties. when with q broad grin on his
face. he replied:
"Yes ma am, Miss. had O plenty of
good wood, but that big gun upstairs
burnt It all up
Jfm's witticism. at the expense of
the guest. was so apt that my mothers
attempt TO reprove him proved Q fail
ura.
After the war Jim became q well
known contractor I'm Montgomery. He
bought lots and had residences erected
on them. He would rent only to white
tenants.
At the time Jim was my mothers
house boy. General F. was United
States Minister at one Of the European
courts. After the war the latter rent
ed q residence of the former. The
wheel OF. fortune had revolved. The
Jim Hale Infirmary for Negro Women.
located near Highland Park. stands as
funeralized in 1887. The Advertiser Of
that date, stated that a larger con-
course OF white citizens followed the
remains to the cemetery than had ever
been known to take part In the OBJ
secuies of any other negro In the his
tory OF that city. There were three
boys and one girl of that family
Thomas, John, Jim and Bess-all ac-
complished servants and all devoted
10 Miss Masgy" and Miss MagRy's
children"
Ny older brother contracted whoop-
ing cough at school and the younger
children Of our family caught the dis
ease OF him. Little winston, the
+ fourth son OF my parents, was at the
teething age ana in HIS case 1t proved
fatal. The little one was funeralized
from our home. MIR. Finley officiated.
number OF friends in carriages fol-
lowed the hearse that bore the little
corpse to Its last resting place in the
old cemetery. His paid face was the
nrst that gave me any conception of
death. About that time. DR.. McJun-
kin. Virginian, came TO Montgomery.
He was q consumptive and suppose
had come South in the hope that he
might be benefited by q change OF eli
mate. He continued, however, to grow
worse and soon became too weak to
leave his bed. without money and far
o.,
had any, his condition was pitiable He
was q Presbyterian and the members
Of that church were very attentive to
MIN. Finally he became anxious tor n
change from the city to the country
and my parents had him brought to
our home. and my mother was assid-
nous In seeing that he be made as
comfortable as possible.
DR.. Henry prescribed SQUADS az a
diet for the invalid. Mr.. J. j. Hutch
fnson had large flock OF pigeons and
told my father to send for their young
whenever they needed for the pa
tient Each morning my brother would
mount his pony and with me behind
him. would go to Mr. Hutchinson's
very strange that any one could eat
bird that was not old enough TO have
feathers. Despite the doctors skill
and my mothers faithful nursing. DR..
Junkin soon passed away. He died
one night when the children of our
family were fast asleep. was filled
with awe, when the servants ANNOUNCE
ed to us next morning that DIR. Nc
Junkin was dead. Never before had I
realized that grown man could die
Mr.. Finley, my parents and others, in
carriages, followed the hearse that
bore the dead to Montgomery. I new
er knew whether the remains were
Inferred in the old cemetery OF that
city. or shipped to friends in his ma
tive State -
In 1885 my fathers sister and her
husband died of fever on their planta-
ton some miles distant from Mont
gomery. My father was appointed
administrator and needed a man of ex-
pertence to take charge OF the planta-
zion and superintend the cultivation of
crops until the estate could be wound
up as provided by the law. He was
making inquiry on the streets of
Montgomery for such a man. and was
told that Mr. John McCracken was in
town and was on the lookout for em-
ployment Of that kind They came to
terms and Mr.. McCrack en- superintend-
ed the plantation throughout the
growing of two crops. The affairs Of
the estate having been settled my faith
or employed Mr.. Mack" as we learned
20 call him later on. to take charge
Of hts own plantation near Montgom-
cry. Mr.. Mack came over from Ire
land when he was young man. He
had no relatives in America He was
very industrious. but would get on
sprees. occasionally. Up to the time
my father first employed him. he had
saved nothing OF his earnings.
In that respect. he became a chang
Cd mamie saved all OF his salary. He
began to buy negroes and hire them
out. They sold for about three hun
dred dollars each. With his own SAL
ary and negro hire. he bought one
Tn that INV he