The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-05-12
MARS TOM
ASHLEY
'Bv +. A. mitchell
.y'I...r r...s -...sfs 80. 49,.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Associate

/ III p
Copyright 1870 by American Prsss
Association.
"Uncie.' I sah to an old darky cit.
Ting on q barrel. "who owns this plan
tatiOnY'
MARS Tom Ashley" hh'*>
'Huve the AshIeys always lived
herey' =
Reckon dey hnb sab. Do Ashieys
lib heah ever since long time before
de wah. DE- oldes' son OBJ de oides' son
alIus growai up to drap into de ole
mans shoes. Dey come might nigh
helm break once. though"
How was thatT'
Hit was Mars Toms father. Mars
Pape Ashley. He father. Mars TOMS
grandfather. Thomas Ashley. war
might tine man.
MARS Pape lie went norf to college.
an somehow or udder be got no'theru
yeas befo' de wah. Mars Pape get de
'diculous idee dat all de niggers In de.
souf had oughteu he free. Wus'n dat.
be fell 10 Tub wild no'thern lady an
married her.
II recommended might we'll when
all dat happen. Mars Pape be come
down heah an be talk wild de- ole
man. An he try to max de ole man
beliebe dat he Oughter Glib all W. mig
gers on dis heah plantation free Im.
pers. an de ole man ought to stick up
TO- de Union an all dat kind O. talk
70 know what Mars Thomas say: He
say: My son. 20 hab disgrace 20 an
chesters. Yo' unworthy 70 be called
my SOU. I'm gwine to disinherit 20
an leab dis plantation to 70 cousin
Ernest Crane
AN 20 know wha' Mars Pape say?
He say: DE plantation won't be wort
a bale O. cotton. Yo' niggers II all be
free. an de souf II be no count
Den 70 know wha' Mars Thomas
say? He say: One southe'n man kin
whip five Yankees
MARS Pape he 90 MORT. an nobody
didn' see him no mo- in dis yere kentry
till after de wah He didn' lax to tight
agin his southe'n friends. so be go
to speculatin'. He had some money
OBJ his own. an be buy all de cotton lie
kin get his hands on. Mars Thomas
he raise regiment o southe'n troops
and he fight lax de debble. He come
back a big gin'l. but be 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' anywhar. All the niggers 60
of 'cept me. stay heah to TAX car o
de ole man when be come back.
MARS Thomas he want so proud as
he war when be went away. all dress
up in bis new sojer clo'es. He wouldn't
nebber talk to niger den. but when
he foun' me heah all alone an saw
how de plantat ton look he seem might
sorry. He say to me. Julius. ma boy.
20 WORT 500 Urinary white men,
AFTER dat he talk to me bout eb-
eryting. One day he come to me an
say: julie. got letter from Pape to-
day. He say be bought cotton at :
cents a pound an sold 1t at dollar Il
pound. He got all de money be want
He offers me plenty to restock de plan
tation.' An ! say. 'Gwine TAX IT..
mars'T An he say: TAX 1t: Vo'
s'pose gwine to TAX money from my
son what stay in de norf all through
de wah instead o bein' heab an fight
in TO- de souf: No. sab. Ma son daid
to me. l gwine to leah dis heah plan
tation to Ernest Crane
"One mawnin' while I war down at
de crick crossin' who l see but Mars
Pape. He TAX my ham an might glad
to see me- He ask me all bout de ole
man an say be come down wild his
wife an leetle boy to git recuncilia-
ton. He ask me to let 'em all In de
house when de gin'l amt dar. he
say dey gwine to try to take de place
by storm. He ten me dot he got plenty
money TO- his ladder an no use he
Iibin' all alone an de old home gwine
more an more to rack.
Il t'ink it might nne ting TO- de ole
man. an say I help 'em all kin. SO
one mawnin' early let 'em all in.
Mars Pape and Missy Ashley dey git
III closet In do DIAM room an pretty
nigh shut dc do. l put de little boy
on de family CITIZENS high chair, an
he wait dar ~ he grandfather to
come down b beoakfast. When do Ole
man come into d room and see do NJ
tie fellah setti1' - on dc udder eide
= - .AlN ~
an eyes wide open.
"sHowde. grandpar said do chile.
"who are yo'r axed do gin'l.
Tom Ashley. de mex owner OBJ do
plantation after 20 an papa
"Yo' zee. Mars Pape tell him what TO
say. Mars Thomas war % lonesome
an de chile war % purt dat ~ Ole man
couldn' stand dat He jis went to
Mars Tommy an put he arms around