The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-23

Z 4AAhS
I was sem for, and mingled my tears
along with the dusky mourners ABOUT
her coffin. In great contrast LnoeeHs
to this one day just after my return
home and during that awful recon
struction period, [ was walking along
quietly on Broad street, when a tat
buxom mulatto werrch came up 70 me
and shook her fist in my face and
ordered me off the sidewalk. |
quickly looked up and seeing no white
person visible, and the streets fuil OF
negroes, as a church had just emptled
itself into the streets, l stepped aside
into the gutter and went home. L
will not tell what / thought or that
occasion.
We left the low country in the sum
mer and remained until frost, which
generally took place in October, and
Oh. what fun it was the three days
going to the hills. The railroad was
not built through the western part of
the State, SO the people Of the tide
water section went to HlllsborO, OS-
ford, WarrentOn, Jones and Shocco
Springs. Did Frank Johnson's band
~discoursed sweet music. Frank was a
slave who hired his time from his
master, and with half a dozen sons
equally musical, were known and
sought after throughout the middle
Of the State. 1t too us three days
to make the journey from our home
~ " , 49, Sot y.
tired and restless in being shut up in
a close carriage for that length Of
time, but we had regular places to
stop on our way to and fro, and the
MONDAY stop by the side of a shady
tree on the roadside was restful.
The refined and cultivated society
which frequented Jones and Shocco
Springs cannot be eXcelled. The large
dancing hall was filled nightly with
bellies and beaux; the green lawn, the
half dozen swings suspended from the
limbs Of the oak trees, the band stand
from which Frank Johnson's band
sent forth it's inspiring music; the
candy stand presided over by Oscar
Aston, and everybody so kind and
pleasant.
Last winter. wnilE spending a few
days with q cousin Of mine, / met at
church a friend who belonged to the
days of my childhood, and brought
back so wildly those journeys up and
down the country. She told me her
history since / had met her, which is
so Interesting, [ write it here for
your benefit. Not long before the
Civil War she married a young Doctor
and lived on a large farm with their
slaves. One colored boy was espec-
tally attached to them, he went with
the Doctor on his round of profess
ional visits; they were as comfortable
and happy as could be-; when Sher-
man bummerS came along, they were
drunken and unmanageable and Or
dered the negroes to leave the place,
which they all did but this boy; he
refuSed and the bummerS ordered him
to be shot Preparations were made
to carry out this RIDER; he was
placed in position, when my friend
ran and put her body in front of him
and told these laWless creatures that
they would have to shoot her also.
TN6ny fno11u loft ,1:thn1If nnrfoVy1I II o.
the threat. In a few years the Doctor
died, the negro went North to seek
his fortune, and the widow, feeling
no security in the country, moved
into a town to live. The boy became
quite prosperous and finally opened a
mems furnishing shop in Boston. He
returned South, bought the old plan
tation and offered it to his mistress
for her life time. He asked her to
visit his city, offering to entertain her
at any hotel, and he sends her a
check every three months.
Our faithful servant, Hollen, was
without an equal in my opinion. She
the most beautiful seamstress,
there was nothing in the way Of fine
work she could not 10. [ have known
her to be a week in making a pair of
pantlettes for me, ladder stitch" and
~herrinbone always being used to put
the insertion together. She said, Il
do not feel free unless I go NORTH
I advised her to go and she secured a
home with a Mr.. and Mrs. White, at
C~hepachet, r. |. They were naturally,
as were many others at that time. in
tereSted in asking how the negroes
were treated by their owners in sIay-
cry tim es, so on long winter nights
Hollen would regale them by tales of
our plantation life, and their surprise
was great when they found how kind
we were to them. No subject has
ever teen SO mlsrepresented as has |
this one. ] with her.
and when my Oldest boy went TO Rino,
ham School. I sent her his picture IN
uniform; she showed the nict11re -
Mr.. White, and a few days after +
received q ie,eer rom him Offering
by him, as he was childless 800
wealthy. | was much pleased hnt +
had given up too much to give ~, y,
boy also. 10y