Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1910-06-23
MARS TOM
ASHLEY
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By F. A. Mitchell

"Uncle," ! said to an old darky Sit
ting on a barrel, "who owns this plan
tation?"
Mars Tom Ashley"
"Have the Ashleys always lived
here?"
Reckon dcy hab. sab. De Ashleys
lib heah ever since 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 thatT
"Hit was Mars Toms father, Mars
Pape Ashley. He father. Mars Toms
grandfather, Thomas Ashley, war
might fine man.
MARS Pape lie went norf to college.
an somehow or udder he got no'thern
notions In he head. Dat war few
yeas befo' de wah. Mars Pape get de
diculous idce dat all de niggers In de
souf had oughtcn be free. Wus'n dat.
he fell in lub wild no'thern lady an
married her.
T recommended might we'll when
all dat happen. Mars Pape he come
down heah an he talk wild de ole
man. An he try to max de ole man
beliebe dat he oughter glib all us mig
gers on dis heah plantation free pa
pers, an de ole man ought to stick up
fo' de Union an all dat kind o talk.
Yo' know what Mars Thomas say? He
say: My son. yo' hab disgrace yo' an
chesters. Yo' unworthy to be called
my son. I'm gwine to disinherit yo'
an leab dis plantation to 70 cousin
Ernest Crane
can yo' know wha' Mars Pape say?
He say: DE plantation won't be WORT
a bale O. cotton. Yo' niggers III all be
free, an de souf IL be no count
"Den yo' know wha' Mars Thomas
say? He say: One southe'n man kin
whip five Yankees
"Mars' Pape he go norf, an nobody
didn' see him no mo- In dis yere kentry
till after de wah. He didn' lax to fight
agin his southe'n friends, so he 60
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 a regiment O southe'n troops.
and he fight lax de debble. He come
back big gin'l. but he only got one
leg an one eye. All his nlggers 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' anywhar. All the nlggers go
off 'cept me. stay heah to taxi car o
de ole man when he come back.
Mars Thomas he want so proud as
he war when be went away, all dress
up in his new sojer clo'es. He wouldn't
nebber talk to n niger den. but when
he foun' me heah all alone an saw
how de plantation look he seem might
sorry. He say to me. Julius, ma boy.
yo' WORT 500 or'nary white men,
"Atter dat he talk to me bout eb-
eryting. One day be come to me an
say: julie, got a letter from Pape to-
day. He say he bought 1eetton at i
cents a pound an sold 1t at n dollar
pound. He got all de money he want.
He offers me plenty to restock de plan.
tation.' An say. 'Gwine TAX 1t,
mars'p An he say: TAX 1t! Yo'
s'pose l gwine to TAX money from my
son what stay in dc norf all through
de wah instead O bein' heah an fight
in TO- dc souf? No. sab. Ma son daid
to me. i gwine to leab dis heah plan
tation to Ernest Crane
zone mawnin' while | war down at
de crick crosSin' who see but Mars
Pape. He TAX my ham 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 recuncilia-
ton. He ask me to let 'em all In de
house when de ginl amt dar. He
say dey gwine to try to take de place
by storm. He tell me dot he got plenty
money fo' his fadder an no use he
libin' all alone an de old home gwine
more an more to rack.
81 t'ink it might fine ting TO de ole
man, an | say help 'em all kin. So
one mawnin' early ! let 'em all In.
Mars Pape and Missy Ashley dey git
| in a closet in de dinin' room an pretty
nigh shut de do. put de little boy
on de family chilen's high chair, an
he wait dar fo' he grandfather to
come down to breakfast. When de ole
man come into de room and see de lit
tie fellah settin' up on de udder side
O. de table he stood still wild be mouf
an eyes wide open.
"'Howde, grandpa? said de chile.
/ - 10 IN