Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-10-12
IN THE LONG AGO.
MIR. J. w. Baker Writes of the DAVIS
and Customs Before the War"


and Customs Before the War"
Lafollctte, Tenn, Oct. I.-Sevcntv-
I'VE years ago small boy went with
his grandmother to visit kinsman.
The personality of that relative so i'm
pressed the boy that he carries his
image to this hour. He was about
ninety years old-vcry tall. large.
erect. He had a big head with prom,
lnent features. His eyes. were wide
open, white and sightless The long
hnir on his head hung in IA cue down
his back. He wore blue, claw-ham-
mer coat with large yellow buttons.
The negroes said these buttons were
OF gold. This coat had very tall col
lar reaching near the top of his :,cad.
me tails almost touched his ankles.
MS buff co!ored vest came down to
ms Hanks and had flaps over the
pockets; His yellow pants were cut off
at The knees. There they were fas-
tened to his stockings with carriers.
ciaSped with immense silver buckles,
ofnamented with bows of ribbon. His
low quartered shoes had more buckles
ana more bows of ribbon. / can see
nm now as stone blind. Feeling with
his cane he made his way about the
grounds. He was the last of his penor-
alton and would not surrender to ems
toms and habits of former age. To
my boyish eyes he was a wonder and
astonishmcnt. How could FORGET
him?
ms same time and country produc
cd an unequalled product in its wom-
en--the most charming, attractive.
cultured, that could be found anv,
where. 1t was easy for them to do
right. 10 have faith i'm humanity In
be good. to serve God, was their dailv
business. And because thew were ali
tins the people of that country lived
on higher moral platform than anv
other people | have ever known.
There you had to be truthful
square, clean, or you were thrown
out OF the social gable end of crea-
tion and no one cared how YOU fell
nor how hard you hit
Would that could describe these
people IN a manner worthy of the
subject, but | am not equal to the
Task, SO that must be left for another
Ihey had their own idiosyncrasics
Negro raising was part of their bus
mess ana sometimes negroes were
sold, but negro trader was looked
upon as a moral lepcr far beyond Tho
social pale. We children looked on
nm as being accursed of God and of
man. VI
Many of the women of that dov
spent their time in an effort for the
upllft of an unfortunate and denond-
ent race. There was no express onno-
sition to the effort, but there was
silent, effective protest. The negroes
dld not want to be too good They
mad brought certain habits and Gus
toms from the jungles of Africa that
they were not willing to give up. You
see, was a boy of an enquirng mind.
and the negroes in our heart to heart
talks placed before me their true in
wardness on this as well as on other
subjects. And these negroes were
arIstocrats beyond all others. NOT To
own slaves was heinous offense in
their eyes: They regarded poor white
trash with utter loathing. No more
loyal race ever lived. Whether in life
or IN death they were true to those
who were kind to them. Can we saw
as much of white people? want to
give an instance of how much mistake
en- good people sometimes are:
They had come to the conclusion
long before the war that people were
too cultured. too good and smart and
pretty, too civilized and Christjanized
ever to draw weapons on each other
again. But some months later thew
faced each other with guns at Harm,
er's Ferry. Prosperity has ruined all