Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-10-31
VERY NEARLY
GONE.

GONE.
While Confederate reunions
annually remind us that the old
boys in gray are fast passing
beyond" there is little notlce
taken of another group when
time is removing rapidly and
over whose final extinction the
South might we'll feel genuine
sadness-that gentle regret we
feel at the loss of any link bind
ing our present with the reced-
ing past. 1t was but a day or
two ago that the observer saw
an aged grizzled negro fall to
the ground in the middle OF the
street, from sheer weakness.
He had to be helped to his feet
and shepherded to safety on
the sidewalk. For this assis-
lance by the observer old Uncle
Ben was deeply and courteous
w grateful. With faltering, I'M
sure step he made his way
homeward, for some 80 years
have laid their accumulated
weight upon him.
Burning the span Of his LIE
there took place a revolution
within the range of his perso-
nal exnerience, so radical and
complete it is doubtful if the
full meaning of it has ever been
completely understood. Born on
a plantation of the Old South
somewhere about 1830-Uncle
Ben does not know just when
he grew to full maturity with
in a society and an industrial
system that labelled him pro
perty," held him bound to the
win of an owner" provided
for his simple creature wants
by doing out "rations of food
and clothing and controlled his
goings and comings, his mar
rage, his children, his religion
everything by more or less
kindly authority that could
never be resisted and rarely es-
caped. So far as Uncle Ben in
particular is concerned, he says
that, when the war broke, ne
was getting along all right, hae
no grievances and hardly saw
what it was all about. He re-
members thinking, however
that it sounded mighty goot
all the talk about being free.
Asked how he figured on get
ting clothes and rations aftel
his master was no longer re
sponsible for such, old Ben say
he cant remember ever study
in much about that" which /
probably the truth. Had tn
impulse to emancipation had t.
come from such as Uncle Bel
in 1860, it would never hav
been sufficient to raise ripple
But to suit the ideas an
purposes of quite other folk
than those Uncle Ben Gale
kith and kin, there rose owe
his head the terrible storm c
l860-65. When it had all blow
over and peace reigned for
brief spell, before the carpf
Dagger invasion, Ben foun
himself bewildered, unsurt
badly unsettled by the ne
regime. His people were res
less, filled with illusory notion
tending toward nomadic al
proportionately shiftless habit
Another storm broke Of diffe
emit character but more near
affecting the people Uncle b
knew personally than the W
itself. For some years B,
claims that he lay low, Ii
Bre'r Rabbit, and pussyfoot
through scary times. Final
for years he found adjustme
for himself as a tenant a
eked out a living on cote
Meanwhile, the villages gr'
into towns, some of the tow
into cities. Nearly twenty yea
ago he wandered to the city a
took to odd Jobs, draying, VOL
ing gardens and anything TT
turned up" Today old Ben
feeble, quite past any work a
plainly draws near 10 that sal
call, which summoned his +
mer master to the great beyo
many years ago. Those thin
which linked this aged negro
other white master in the 10
ago have so completely wants