McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-03-24

sound citizenship that is good 10
meet. Many fine meal of flaky bis
cults, rich milk and -four gravy and
savorv meats, to say nothing Of good
vegetables, | have eaten at their Ia
bles. and many a pleasant talk at
their fre-sides have | enjoyed. An
agent Of the government was almost
always treated with respect. but some
we're suspicious, and wanted to'know
my name and business. Il seed you
wus driyin' a strange hoss," they
would say. up in the mountains, land
| jist wanted to know who you wuz,"
once had the claim of a negro
woman whose father had died in the
civil war. She would get about $l400
of pension if she could prove that she
was the soldiers child, she being al
lowed so much every year from the
time of his death till she was sixteen
years old. found an old white lady
who used to own the negroes before
the war, and she knew the woman
we'll. She told enough about them to
prove the claim, but when | went to
take her sworn statement she baked.
20. mop she snarled: ''Tm not going
to help those lazy niggers get PEN
sion and not one Of 'em will do me a
hands turn without pay. Me help
that black hussy set up in her parlor
and draw big pension while | have
to 60 out and carry in my own wood
and water! Not much" In vain |
explained to her that l was sent there
to settle the case, and if did not get
her testimony another man would be
sent to get it, and that she must tes-
tify or be taken to Nashville under
subpoena by the United States mar
shall, and that she would be sent to
Jail if she finally refused to testify.
"Your nasty, stinkin' old govern
ment wouldn't want nothin' better
than to send respectable white wom-
an to Jail for a nasty old nigger pen
sion. All hahw (Her scorn was su-
preme you Yankees think you can
come down here and rub our noses
in the dirt, Ell? Well, ye can't do it,
dye hear me?" "Why madam" l
said in soothing voice, Ppm no
Yankee; was born in western Tenn
essee. and" We'll the Lord help
my lifew The woman nearly tainted
but finally she recovered her BREATH,
and holding up her hands in horror
she went on: "Of all the low-down,
trifin', hateful things in the world, a
homemade Yankee is the worst!
Don't talk to me--a Tennessee YAM
KEEP Well. to make a short story
Of it. her husband came along, and. as
| always found the men easier to un-
derstand such things than the women,
she cooled down, and I had one of the
best dinners that / ever saw or heard
of. and they felt insulted when ! Of
ffered pay. Give it to them dear
Niger friends Of yoursr' was her f.
nal fling at me. But she gave her
affidavit, and the negro woman got
her pension. And instead Of throw
ing the money away, she bought a
neat little home in Nashville and gave
her husband, who was drayman, a
good team Of mules.
One old negro widow who lived in
a hut on the edge Of a corn-feld in
Rutherford county, drew $500 first
payment Of pension, and instead Of
laying it up for the day Of rheumatics
and rain, she bought a splendid horse
mad buggy, and went sailing up and
down the road for four blissful days,
throwing the dust in the eyes Of less
fortunate niggers, when she didn't
have even stable to put the horse in.
She drove against a stump, smashed
the buggy and crippled the horse, so
that she was soon as poor as ever.
was taking the testimony Of Of an old
colored nanny in Trousdale bounty,
and asked her what sort of man the
soldier was. "a pow'fnl bad mayn,
sah-a auful bad maynp what was
the matter with him?" HE was one
OBJ desc heah Romancin' kind of men,
mistah,- went Romancing around at
nights. Unk-unh-he wouldn't do
at ALL sah!' Another old negro SOL
EMMY swore that after the soldiers
wife had died "he had remained a
widdower twill he married agin. "
Terry likely. An old black widow in
Nashville, when asked how many hus.
bands she had had, began calling them
off on her fingers: 'Dar wuz Jake;
dar wuz Bill; dar WIZ Joe; dar wua
/ Chris and dar WIZ Rufns-dem's ia