Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-01-05
EXTRACTS FROM THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF
ZANE GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman Of
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante.
bellum Days-1015-1965
CHI AP TER x.
KsntuclysC Contempt For Labor

CHAP TER x.
| kentucky Contempt For Labor
a Age, %. "a.
To aSWhtte woman in Louisville,
work was dire disgrace, and one
Sabbath four Of US sat suffering from
thirst, with the pump across the
! street, when I learned that for me to
go for pitcher OF water, would be so
great a disgrace to the house as to
demand my instant expulsion.
| grew tired doing nothing. My hus-
bands business did not prosper, and
| went to a dressmaker and asked for
work. She was a New England wom-
an, and after some shrewd questions,
exclaimed:
my dear child, go home to your
mother! What does your husband
mean? Does he not know you would
be insulted at every step if you work
for living? Go home-go home to
your mother!"
was homesick, and the kindness of
the voice and eyes made me cry. l
told her l could not leave my hus-
band.
Then let him support you, or send
you home until he can! l have seen
too many like you go to destruction
here. Go home"
| l said that l could never go to de-
struction, but she interrupted me:
'4ou know nothing about it. You
are mere baby. They all thought
as you do. Go home to your mother!"
but l never can go to destruction!
No evil can befall me, for He that
keepeth Israel slumbers not nor
sleeps"
She concluded to give me work, but
said:
Il will send it by a servant. Don't
you come here
l never thrust my anti-slavery opin-
ions on any one, but every South
erner inquired concerning them, and
l gave true answers. There were
many bOarders in the house and one
evening when there were eighteen
men in the parlor, these questions
brought on a warm discussion, when
one said:
"You had better take care how you
talk, or we will give you coat of tar
and feathers"
agreed to accept such gratuitous
suit. and a Mississippi planter, who
seemed to realize the situation, said
| gently:
Indeed, madam, it is not safe for
you to talk as you do"
When reminded of constitutional
guarantees for freedom of speech, and
his enjoyment of it in my native
State, he replied:
There is no danger in Pennsylvania
from freedom of speech, but if people
were allowed to talk as you do here,
it would overthrow our institutions"
There were mobs in the air. The
mayor closed Sunday school, on the
ground that in it slaves were taught
to read. The teacher, a New England
woman, denied the charge, and claim.
ed that only free children had been
taught, while slaves were orally in
structed to obey their masters, as good
Presbyterians, who hoped to escape
the worm that never dies. Her de-
Tense failed. but seemed to establish
the right OF free colored people to a
knowledge Of the alphabet, but there
was no school for them, and l thought
to establish one.
Jerry Wade, the Gault House bar.
Der, was mulatto, who had bought
himself and family, and acquired con-
siderable real estate. In the back of
one of his houses, lived his son with
a wife and little daughter. We rented
the front, and mother sent me fur.
niture. This was highly genteel, for
it gave us the appearance Of owning
slaves, and Olivia, young Wade's wife
represented herself as my slave, to
bring her and her child security. AS
a free negro, she labored under many
disadvantages, so begged me to claim
her.
| In this house started my school,
and there were no lack Of pupils whose
parents were able and willing to pay
for the tuition, but ruffians stood be-
fore the house and hooted at the mig
ger school," Threatening letters were
sent me, and Wade was notified that
if he permitted it's use for such pur.
pose. In one day my pupils were all
withdrawn.
| After this, l began to make corsets.
ut: was a joy to fit the superb forms
of Kentucky women, and my art-love
found employment in it but my hus-
band did not succeed, and went down
the river.
man came 10 see if l could give
work to his half-sister, for whose sup.
port he could not fully provide. She
was Fitzhugh,-a first Virginia fam.
lily. Her father had died, leaving a
bankrupt estate. She had learned
dressmaking, and had come with him
to Louisville to find work, but she was
young and beautiful, and he dare not
put her into a shop, but thought
might protect her, so she came to live
with me.
One evening an old and wealthy
citizen called about work I was doing
for his wife, became interested in me,
as a stranger who had seen little OF
Louisville, and rendered the use OF
his theatre-box and carriage to the
young lady and myself l declined
with thanks. When he had taken
leave, Miss Fitzhugh sprang to her
feet, and with burning cheeks and
flashing eyes, demanded to know if
knew that the man had insulted us
both. I did not know, but she did
and would tell Edward, who should
cowhide him publicly. I told her that
if Edward attempted that, he would
probably lose his life, and we would
certainly be dragged into a police
court. Even if we had been insulted
it only proved that the old man thot
we we're like himself-that we were
told in tho pca1mc that wicked man