Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-10
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

high In the stern and forward. much
ornamented and the sail on the main
mast bearing the arms Of England.
From the shore boat was about to
put out bearing huge cask. ! got
aboard and was pulled to the ship.
whats going on?" l asked of one
of the oarsmen. who. by the bye, all
wore doublets with broad collar, knee
breaches and hose.
"Sale of redemptoners," was the re-
ply.
When we boarded the vessel. the
Royal James, rum was served from
the cask, and the sale commenced.
There were twenty men and four wo-
men to be sold to whomsoever would
pay their passage money from Eng
land. with handsome bonus to the
person who had advanced the funds.
They were to be Sound TO their pur-
chaser till they had worked out the
amount he had paid and until then
were held as redemptioners, which
meant limited period Of slavery.
Several men were sold for sums
ranging from ESQ to f100. though the
amount was paid in tobacco. All the
women were sold for wives with their
consent There was one damsel not
twenty years old who was so comedy
that approached and asked her what
had induced her to come out to so
melancholy place as jamestown.
please SIR" she replied. II come
from bonnie Scotland. MY mother
dinna like it because wouldna marry
auld Roderick MacTavIsh and shut me
up. But | got out. and man with
gold a-plenty sent me out as redemp-
| toner. He must be paid EGO for my
passage and a. the profit there is
| in me-"
And IL I pay the EGO will you mar
~ meT"
THAT / will" replied the girl. be
cause you're SO much better than old
Roderick MacTavish, and I'll ma have
to work out the money owing for
sending me here"
And SO paid the EGO in tobacco,
| which went back to England In the
ship. and the girl was carried ashore
with me- On landing we went up a
beaten path leading to the church. l
found the parson, and we were mar
ried.
This was when Captain John Smith
was indefatigable In keeping the colo
ny together and supplying our wants.
but after a time he left us to make
explorations Of the coast and then to
go to England. Our men became dis
couraged and would not work. Food
must be got by bunting or filling the
earth. and the people would do neither.
So hunger and sickness came upon us,
and we diminished rapidly. Some went
back to England. and some. leaving
jamestown. went back from the river
into the country.
When I saw that jamestown was
doomed. taking my Scotch wife with
me. went back from the river into
the interior and, settling myself on
a piece OF land. built house and
raised tobacco. prospered, and. other
families settling near me, in time we
became community. Though my
wife and grew old, our children grew
up after US to be men and women
and the country about US lost its prim-
tive loneliness. But the river was al
ways the same. At times was obliged
TO go to 1t for the purpose of shipping
my tobacco. and 1t always gave me the
blues.
But we on the peninsula between
the river and the bay were a merry lot
meeting oftentimes at each others
: plantation. where our children danced
and Toasted. for we were not the mot
, ley lot we were when we settled al
, jamestown. Some proud families In
England who had met with revcrses
or younger sons, also the Cavaliers who
; had been beaten by Oliver Cromwell
, came over and settled among rs. We
7 gave them welcome and helping hand
| and in time they became. like our
selves. successful planters.
This was my reverie as I sat on this
bank OF the james river looking at ths
melancholy scene about me. Yet i
: was no creation. but what had read
, in the annals Of my family. My firsl
ancestor In America was citizen Of
/ jamestown. and he married q redemp
. toner of Scotch nativity. They be
V came planters In the neighborheod Of
Williamsburg. and their grandson wa.
. professor In Willinmsand Mary col
lege. The branch OF their descendant.
from which ! sprang grayitated afte
: the Revolution northward. and In the
!, war between the states we Tough
) against our brethren In the penInsul,
I where our first American progenltorl
raised tobacco.