The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-07-12
.RCNAWAY JOE"
Visit of Col. JnO. Hobbs AWakenS Rec
Ollections-An Interesting Rem
ineScence.
Columbia, S. c., July 5, 1910.


centlJ siveH = .opy Of your neWsy
newspaper, and while reading it was
pleased to notice that Col. John r.
Hobbs, of New York, was among the
visitors at Newberry during COM
mencement week. While reading it
We were carried back for nearly so
years when johnnie and I were
neighbor boys and associates on the
"old plantation" The distance be-
tween US was less than a mile and
the merry song of the slaves on one
plantation were plainly heard and
easily answered by the song Of the
slaves on the other. The colonel and
I fshed in the same ponds, bathed in
tho same sparkling streams and two
happier boys never tramped the Broad
river soil of Newberry and Lexington.
For several years we rode the same
pony to the same schools and happy
we were as our little animal rapidly
paced off the long miles to and from
the school room. Our first teacher
was Mrs. Jane Long (then Miss Cros-
son) who has made teaching her life
work, and her greatest delight SEEM
ingly centred on fitting the minds and
hearts of the children to meet the du-
ties of the future as the Good Master
would have them. Would that we had
more such teachers and would to the
Great God that the parents of this
generation would awake to the i'm
portance of such. Our next teacher
was DR.. Julius D. Dreher, who was
since president of Roanoke college
for 25 years, and who is now filling
an important post in some foreign
land through the appointment of our
president. Col. Hobbs fell heir to 500
acres of his fathers estate, and has
only recently sold it that he might
make more convenient investment
near his New York home. Frequent
ly in our rambles the "Col." and I
would have a lively race over hills and
across the brooks as We would sud-
denly imagine in our childish nature
that we saw or heard a runaway mig
ger for at the beginning Of the war
and for nearly five years afterwards
that section was somewhat agitated
over the disappearance Of noted
slave On the Eichelberger plantation
a few miles to the South. He was
known far. and wide as Runaway
Joe." His frequent deeds Of daring
plainly showed the section of country
be surveyed but for several years he
successfully rubbed the rabbit foot"
on all efforts to capture him. "Old
Joe" had solemnly promised himself
to be free niger at any cost and we
will soon see how faithfully he kept
his word.
He had been hunted by the
blood hounds of Mr.. F. H. Dominick
Sr., and various means were used for
his capture but the universal verdict
OF the hunters on their return was
''No joe" After the negro had been
gone for several years and on a colo
and still and frosty morning there
came dashing along a path that led
through the Hobbs plantation one Of
the best riders and most successful
fox hunters of that section in the
shape of Mr. VIM. Hipp. Suddenly and
without warning Mr.. Hipp found him
self face to face with the great big
giant runaway. Quickly dismounting
Mr.. Hipp fastened the Burly Buck"
For few minutes there was hand to
hand struggle as only two giants can
produce. Mr.. Hipp was ''man" from
heel to scalp-a perfect athlete-but
being Handicapped by a heavy over
coat and after long and tough strug-
gle the negro with mighty struggle
at last freed himself and into and
the nearby woods he disap-
peared at a rate close onto mile
minute. Again for year or two no
sight or sound could. be had of big Joe,
the runaway. But on a bright and
quiet Sabbath day about 10 a. m, and
while the writer (then a boy of seven)
vas talking to two of his fathers
young slaves Zone IA, the other about
19) suggested to young Marster" to
take stroll, and then again there was
a slight obstruction in old Joe's peace
full pathway. The two negroes and l
tramped to point about half or
three quarters of a mile from the big
house, Niger like, the two young
Duskys carried two dogs and We were