Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-05-17

! inc the new brick. ''This is to be the
finest house that can be built"
Another incident is told of his deter.
mination to have only the best material
that could be secured. Mr.. Frisby had
been away from his home several days
experimenting the construction of alevee.
On his return he inspected some rafters
which had been carefully prepared by the
carpenters. The rafters seen in the ruins
of this building show that each was spec
Tally made for its own place, and all fit
together and dovetail with wonderful ex-
actness. 1t was a good deal of trouble to
prepare even one Of them, yet because
those which had been cut during his alb
sence showed few imperfections, slight
indication of being pecca cypress, he
turned down the lot, and all had to be
made over. Pecca cypress is worm-eaten
iscypress.
After his second crop was well under
way Mr.. Frisby decided that it was time
for him to build his gin. He prepared
the building and then went down to New
Orleans to select the machinery. The boat
which carried him on his return trip went
only as far as the Black River, and there
it was expected that another small pack
ct would carry him the rest of the dis
lance, but the river was low, though with
a prospect of rise, and the packet was
waiting for more water. Now there was
one thing that Mr.. Frisby could never
do, and that was wait-his feverish en-
ergy could not endure delay, and he did
not dare to leave his machinery and 60
ahead to his plantation. There was saw
mill in the vicinity and Mr.. Frisby went
over to it and had talk with the owner.
He spent the following day in drawing
plans for large barge. The owner of
the mill did not believe that the scheme,
which was nothing less than to build a
barge and run it up the river with the
intended for the gin, was feas-
ible; but as Mr.. Frisby was willing to
pay for what he wanted, the work was
done. At the end of little more than a
month the barge was completed and went
up the river under her own steam. Men
worked on this boat day and night, Mr..
Frisby sleeping only four hours out of
the twenty-four. When the machinery
was finally in place it was found that it
had been put too far aft and that the
stern buried itself too deeply in the wa
ter. To obviate that sand was placed in
the bow.
'When we finally got under way"
said one of those who made the trip,
"there were not four inches between the
top of the barge and the top of the water,
nor was there anyone ON board except
Mr.. Frisby who thought we would reach
the landing. But that man never be-
lieved that whatever he once started
could fail. 1t is a fact that he always
figured thing out well before he started
it."
The paddle-wheel and the steering gear
seem to have given more trouble than
else about the boat. The strain
on the wheel was so great that it broke
twice, once at the first and again at the
second attempt to start the boat.
Among the slaves owned by Mr.. FRS
by was an old man who in his youth, be-
fore his capture by shaving party, had
been a medicine man, or vodoo doctor.
He was much feared by all the other
slaves. On one occasion, as he was prac-
ticing his arts, his master came suddenly
upon him.
"Well," said Mr.. Frisby sharply, is
this the way you occupy the time which
belongs to meP'
81 was just telling jake" said the
African, "what viii happen to him."
Mr.. Frisby was a stern master, de-
all that his slaves had to give,
and for him to find fault was usually fol-
lowed by severe punishment, but on this
occasion he seemed to be in strangely
tolerant mood.
"Can you tell what is going to hap
penT' he asked the slave.
81 can tell some people," answered the
negro, "and some can't tell"
'Can you tell me-" asked bis master,
whether all that / do is useless, or will
the dreams dream come trueT
''They will come true" said the negro;
"all will go well until cotton sells for
dollar pound"
eff cotton sells for dollar pound"
said Mr.. Frisby, Sin two. years I will be
able to buy New Orleans"
He went his way without further COM
ment, but the prophecy seems to have
remained in his mind, for when the war
came and the price of the staple began
to go up by leaps and bounds, he is re-
ported to have said to friend:
''If cotton does sell for more than 80
cents, I will still hold my plantation.
Cotton, of course, wasthe principal crop
of this huge plantation, and the making
of cotton was the one thing besides which