The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-06-17
MARS TOM
\ ASHLEY
BY F. A. mitchell
wright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

NNs
y "a a barrel, "who owns this plan.
|onT"
6fars' Tom Ashley"
EIave the Ashleys always lived
Reckon dey hab, sab. De Ashleys
heah ever since a long time before
piah. De oldes' son OBJ de oldes' son
1s growed up to drap into de ole
LII shoes. Dey come might nigh
|nsa break once, though"
how was that"
|rfft was Mars Toms father, Mars
oe Ashley. He father, Mars Toms
{ndfather, Thomas Ashley, war
Fhf fine man.
Xars' Pape he went MORT to college,
somehow or udder he got no'thern
Hons in he head. Dat war few
" befo' de wah. Mars Pape get de
lous idee dat all de niggers in de
had oughten be free. Wus'n dat,
I'm in lub wild no'thern lady an
|I<1ed her.
+ recommember might well when
dat happen. Mars Pape he come
~ heah an he talk wild de ole
An he try to max de ole man
|tsbe dat he oughter glib all us mig
" On dis heah plantation free pa
n AM de ole man ought to stick up
| de Union an all dat kind o talk.
Il Know what Mars Thomas say? He
My son, yo' hab disgrace yo' an
Sters. Yo' unworthy to be called
SON. Pm gwine to disinherlt yo'
1eab dis plantation to yo' cousin
nost Crane
t4n yo' know wha' Mars Pape say?
/ say: DE plantation won't be WORT
bale o. cotton. Yo' niggers III all be
x. AM de souf IL be no count
Den yo' know wha' Mars Thomas
= he say: One southern man kin
hip i've Yankees
mars Pape he go norf, an nobody
|in BEE him no mo- in dis we're kentry
! after de wah. He didn' lax to fight
Hi bis southern friends, so he go
speculatin'. He had some money
| his own, an he buy all de cotton he
b ret his hands on. Mars Thomas
raise a regiment O. southern troops.
! n be fight lax de debble. He come
|ckEa big gin1, but he only got one
an' one eye. All his niggers was
IA. de plantation was all pulled to
KEGS by frs de northern troops, den
southe'n troops, an dar want a bit
fencin' anywhar. All the niggers 60
scept me. stay heah to TAX car o
Ole man when he come back.
'Akars' Thomas he want so proud as
war when he went away, all dress
J ID his new sojer clo'es. He wouldn't
khber talk to a niger den, but when
foun' me heah all alone an saw
bv de- plantation look he seem might
Inv. He say to me, Julius, ma boy
worf 500 Urinary white men,
|aAf tier dat he talk to me bout eb'
y1ipg. One day he come to me an
eJule, l got a letter from Pape to-
III. He say he bought cotton at I
bits pound an sold 1t at a dollar q
bund. He got all de money he want
e offers me plenty to restock de plan
stion.' An | say. 'Gwine TAX it
|ars'P An he say: TAX it! 70
pose gwine to TAX money from my
BIZ what stay in de norf all through
! wah instead o. bein' heah an fight
10 de souf? No, sab. Ma son daiC
me. l gwine to leah dis heah plan
lion to Ernest Crane
Zone mawnin' while | war down al
s crfck crossin' who I see but Mars
|ape. He TAX my ham an might glac
J see me. He ask me all bout de ole
en an say he come down wild bis
|ife an leetle boy to git recuncilia
Ion. He ask me to let 'em all in dt
puse when de gin'l amt dar. HI
Ry dey gwine to try to take de place
storm. He tell me dot he got plenty
honey TO- his ladder an no use hi
bin ali alone an de old home gwin'
bore an more to rack.
y fink 1t might fine ting TO de oil
ban. an I say help 'em all ! kin. s.
ne mawnin' early let 'em all In
Tars' Pape and Missy Ashley dey 81
4 closet in de dinin' room an prett.
|ieh shut de do. put de little DO.
b de- family chillen's high chair, an
8 wait dar TO- he grandfather t
|bf1e down to breakfast. When de oil
ban come into de room and see de Ill
fellah settin' up on de udder sid
de- table he stood still wild he mou
n' eyes wide open.
Howde, grandpaF said de chile.
WHO are yo'P axed de gin'l.
Tom Ashley, de mex owner OBJ d
lanfeton after yo' an papa
'sT0 see, Mars Pape tell him what t
|av. Mars Thomas war so lonesom
II de chile war so purt dat de ole ma
1aIdn stand dat. He jis went t
[ar5 Tommy an put he arms aroun
Ia AM Rugged him. When Sc
Qmepin shinin' in de gin'l's eye i il
|pen de- closet do and out steps Mars
Pups an he wife.
missy Ashley she went up to d
|1n'I AM put out her ham. De gin
be 1ne man not to take a lady
fan'. he took 1t an, bowin' lax
outhn gentleman, very low down. b
Used 1t. She put de gin'Ps ham /
lot OBJ Mars Pape. De gin1 Leah
lee. but he turn away he head, an
ee Dc tears runnin' down be cheek
wonder eff he cryin' To- de los caus
n De wreck OBJ de plantation.
Dey all sot down to breakfas
Ears Pape had sent in chicken al
potatoes an lots fine tings instead o
q con pone dat de ginl war used T.
<izzy Ashley poured de coffee, an df
Far DC happiest breakfas' eber happe
q dis heah plantation.
Day all daid now but Mars Tom"
The Smile.
| we talk of a smile of de6anc