Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-05-19
MARS TOM
ASHLEY
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright, 1910, by American Pres.
Association
By F. A. Mitchell

tation?"
"Mars' Tom Ashley"
"Have the Ashleys always lived
herew
Reckon dey hab, sab. De Ashleys
lib heah ever since long time before
de wah. De oldes' son OBJ de oldes' son
allus grewed 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'thern
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 lub wild a no'thern lady an
married her.
Il recommember 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
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. Yo' unworthy to be called
my son. Pm gwine to disinherit yo'
an leah dis plantation to yo' cousin
Ernest Crane
can yo' know wha' Mars Pape say?
He say: DE plantation won't be WORT
a bale O. cotton. Yo' niggers I'll all be
free, an de souf III be no count
"Den 70 know wha' Mars Thomas
say? He say: 'One southern 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 southern friends, so be 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 a regiment O. southern troops.
and he fight lax de debble. He come
back big ginI, 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 southern troops, an dar want bit
O. fencin' anywhar. All the niggers go
off 'cept me. I stay heah to talk 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 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 ornary white men,
cater dat he talk to me bout eb-
crying. One day he come to me an
say: julie, l got letter from Pape to-
day. He say he bought cotton at
cents a pound an sold it at a dollar a
pound. He got all de money he want.
He offers me plenty to restock de plan
tation.' An l say, 'Gwine TAX it,
mars? An he say: TAX it! Yo'
s'pose 1 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. 1 gwine to leah 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 gin'l amt dar. He
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 to rack
81 t'ink it might fine ting fo' 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 closet in de dinin' room an pretty
nigh shut de do. put de little boy
on de family chillen's high chair, an
he wait dar TO- 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 he mouf |
an eyes wide open.
"'Howde, grandpa?' said &c chile.
"Who are yo'? axed de gin'l.
Tom Ashley, de mex owner oh de
plantation after yo' an papa
'Yo' see, Mars Pape tell him what to
say. Mars Thomas war so lonesome
an de chile war so purt dat de ole man
couldn' stand dat He jis went to |
Mars Tommy an put he arms around |
him an Rugged him. When / see
somepin shinin' in de gin'l's eye I jis
open de closet do and out steps Mars
Pape an he wife.
missy Ashley she went up to de
gin1 an put out her ham. De gin'l
too fine a man not to take a lady's
ham He took it an, bowin' lax a
south'n gentleman, very low down, he
kissed it. She put de gin'l's ham in
dat OBJ Mars Pape. De gin'l leah it |
dar, but he turn away he head, an I
see de tears runnin' down he cheeks. |