The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-06-03
MARS TOM
ASHLEY
Bv F. A. mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association
Bv F. A. mitchell


tation?"
MARS Tom Ashley"
"Have the AshIeys always lived
hereT
Reckon dey hab. sab. De Ashleys
lib heah ever since a long time before
de wah. De oldes' son OBJ de oldes' son
allus growed up to drap into de ole
mans shoes. Dey come might nigh
bein' break once. though"
"How was that?"
"Hit was Mars Toms father, Mars
Pape Ashley. He father. Mars Toms
grandfather. Thomas Ashley. war
might fine man.
MARS Pape he went norf to college,
an somehow or udder he got no'theru
notions in he head. Dat war a few
yeas befo' de wah. Mars Pape get de
'diculous idee dat all de niggers in de
sOuf had oughten be free. Wus'n dat.
he fell in Tub wild nothern lady an
married her.
II recommended might well when
all dat happen. Mars Pape he come
down heah an he talk wild de ole
man. An be try to max de ole man
beliebe dat be oughter glib all us mig
gers on dis heah plantation free pa
pers, an de ole man ought to stick up
To- de Union an all dat kind O talk.
Yo' know what Mars Thomas say? He
say: MY son. yo' hab disgrace yo' an.
chesters. 70 unworthy to be called
my son. I'm gwine to disinhert 20
an Leah dis plantation to yo cousin
Ernest Crane
"An' yo' know wha' Mars Pape say?
He say: de plantation won't be wort
a bale O. cotton. Yo' nlggers III all be
free, an de souf II be no count
"Den yo' know wha' Mars Thomas
say? He say: One southern man kin
whip five Yankees
MARS Pape he 60 norf, an nobody
didn' see him no mo- in dis yere kentry
till after de wah. He didn' lax to fight
agin his southern friends. so he go
to speculatin. He had some money
OBJ his own, an he buy all de cotton he
kin get his hands on. Mars Thomas
he raise regiment O. southern troops.
and he fight lax de debble. He come
back big ginl. but he only got one
leg an one eye. All his niggers was
free. de plantation was all pulled TO
pieces by frs de northern troops. den
de southe'n troops. an dar want bit
O. fencin' auywhar. All the niggers go
off 'cept me. stay heah to tax car o
de ole man when he come back.
Mars Thomas he want so proud as
he war when he went away. all dress
up in his new sojer clo'es. He wouldn't
nebber talk TO a niger den. but when
he four me heah all alone an saw
how de plantation look he seem might
sorry. He say to me, Julius. ma boy.
yo' WORT 500 Urinary white men,
After dat he talk TO me bout eb-
eryting. tOne day he come to me an
say: Julie. / got letter from Pape to-
day He say he bought cotton at \
cents pound an sold 1t at dollar
pound. He got all de money be want.
lie offers me plenty to restock de plan
tation' An I say, 'Gwine tax 1t.
mars'g An he say: TAX 1t! fo'
| spose / gwine to tax money from my
son what stay in de norf all through
De wah instead o bein' heah an fight
| In fo' de souf? No. sab. Ma son daid
to me. gwine ITO leah dis heah plan
/ tation to Ernest Crane.
/ Zone mawnin' while 4 war down ut
4 de crick crossin' who l see but Mars
Pape He tax my hau' an might glad
to see me. He ask me all bout de ole
man an say he come down wild his
wife an leetle boy to git recunciiia-
ton He ask me to let 'em all In de
house when de gin'l amt ,dar. lie
say dey gwine to try to take de place
by storm. He tell me dot he got plenty
money TO his fadder an no use he
libin' all alone an de old home gwine
more an more so rack
az think it might fine ting TO de ole
man. an 4 say 4 help EN- all kin. Sc
one mawnin' early ] let 'em all In
Mars Pape and Missy Ashley dey gil
In a closet In de dinn' room an pretty
nigh shut de do. ! put de little boy
on de family ,chillen's high chair. an
he wait Cdar TO be grandfather Il
come down to breakfast. When de oil
man come into de room and see de lit
tie fellah settin' up on de udder sid
O. de table he stood still wild be moui
an eyes wide open.
"Howde, grandpa? said de chile.
"'who are yo'r axed de gin'I.
"Tom Ashley. de mex owner OBJ d.
plantation after 20 an papa
"Yo' see. Mars IPape tell him what Il
say. Mars Thomas war so lonesom
an de chile war so purt dat de ole mal
,oouldn' stand dat. He jis went Z
Mars Tommy an put he arms aroun'
him an Rugged him. When | Sc
.somepin shinin In de gin'l's eye | il
open de closet do and out steps Mars
Pape an he wife.
Missy Ashley she went mp to d
ginl an put out her han. De gin
too fine "a man mot to take lady
han. He took it an, bOwin' lax
south'n gentleman. very low down. b
Kissed lit. She nut de quilts han !
dat tdb MARS Pune DE .giull leah !