The daily times., 1921-11-09
UNCLE NATHAN
USEFUL CITIZEN

dt ZlU render street, W 1ISOn, \. =.
is one of the most interesting char
acters in Wilson. He was born on
September 4 Sth, 1850 and was a
slave belonging to Jimmy Boyette liv-
ing about twelve miles from Wilson
in the Old Field Township. At the
close of the Civil War Uncle Nathan
was husky boy just fifteen years
of age. He had seven brothers and
three sisters, one sister being older
Nathan being the next oldest
child. His mother was name Julie.
and evidently had very strong char
acter She could read and write, and
she taught Nathan and the other chill
dren to read and write. In October
1865 Uncle Nathan came to Moses
ROuntree's store on the corner of
Tarboro and Broad street and pur
chased Blue Back Speller Mr..
ROuntree gave the young colored fel-
low a bit of fine advice; advising
him to take the book and learn to
read and spell. About one month
later Nathan came back and knew
the book almost by heart up to the
proverbial word Baker" In 1871
Nathan began taking weekly
he has been reading daily newspa
perS ever since that date.
In those days it was customary for
boy to remain with his parents un-
ha nf &c
father had rather broad vision and
when the young fellow was 20 years
old his father gave him his liberty
saying that due to his inability to
provide suitable educational advan-
tagcs for Nathan and due to the fact
that Nathan had practically support
ed the large family mentioned above
since he was fifteen, that the young
fellow would have the advantage of
working for himself from that time
on.
Even before he was 20 years Of age
Nathan was superintendent of the
Sunday School for the cOlored people
at New Vestal Grove Church for the
Fields Township.
Immediately after he was 20 years
of age Nathan went to Wayne County
and began working for Old Man John
Robinson, Judge Robinson's father
After working for Mr. Robinson for
seven years, Nathan began carpen-
try work and has followed that oc-
cupatiOn ever since. At present, al
though II years old Nathan works
daily, being in the employ of c. c.
Rackley
About year and a half ago Uncle
Nathan was married for the sixth
time. His present wife was II and
Uncle Nathan 50 when the last mar
riage took place. Uncle Nathan has
had IA children, and all are dead
except one. Roscoe Boyette is the
only one living.
And the worry over Roscoe is the
one unhappy spot in the old man S
life. Roscoe joined the army during
the Great War. He wrote to his father
for a time. Uncle Nathan had letter
from the boy about the time of the
signing of the armistice-and that
was the last word from him. Roscoe
was in this country at the time and
about to be discharged.
Uncle Nathan told the local Y. NJ.
c. A. Office about his uneasiness about
his boy, and the local Y. NJ. c. A.
secretary investigated the matter. 1t
is learned that Roscoe was discharged
from the Army, but his whereabouts
for the past three years remain a
mystery.
Uncle Nathan has always been an
industrious, hard working negro, has
saved his money, paid his debts, met
his obligations and been useful cit
izen. He has money in the bank, in
fact he could live the balance of his
life without working a lick, but
true to his early training he says he
would be lost without he was doing
strong, active youngster at II and is
able to carry his part of the burden
no matter how hard the work.
An interesting side light on his
character is given in the following in
cident. When asked if he smoked
Uncle Nathan grinned and replied
as follows. Eyes, 1 smoked and chew
ed from the time 1 was fifteen until
about a year and half ago. The
reason l stopped is due to my pres
ent wife. When I approached her